"Faith And Prayer Move God" - Inspirational Weekend

The title of this post, "Faith And Prayer Move God", is a quote from E.M. Bounds.  In his book on prayer, he stresses that faith and prayer work together.  There is power in prayer!  There is power in faith!  "Prayer is simply faith", says Mr. Bounds.  It is said also that faith is trust in something....a belief, a conviction, and a hope.

"True godliness is just as true, steady, and persevering in the realm of faith as it is in the province of prayer.  Moreover, when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live."   -  E. M. Bounds

In my own life, I have discovered that when God does answer my prayers, it serves to increase my faith whenever I reflect on those answered prayers in hindsight.  I have also learned that to wait on God is a strong demonstration of faith.  

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  -  Hebrews 11:1

The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 defines faith and mentions prophets and others, like Noah and Abraham (and many others), who proved their faith.  

"Faith is trust or commitment to what you think is true."    -  William Lane Craig

"Faith knows there will be delays in answering prayer, and regards such delays as times of testing, in the which, it is privileged to show its mettle, and the stern stuff of which it is made."     - E. M. Bounds

The power of prayer is the power of God.  He hears and answers all prayers, even if the answer is no.  

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."   -   Matthew 21:22

"Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for satan."  -  John Bunyan

"Prayer - secret, fervent, believing prayer - lies at the root of all personal godliness."  -  William Carey

"Prayer is the acid test of devotion."  -  Samuel Chadwick

Following is a beautiful hymn from 1740 by Charles Wesley.

So much could be written about faith and prayer; indeed, much has already been written on those topics.  In writing this post and in reading Scriptures on faith and prayer, I was very edified and I hope you are as well.

Following is an excellent sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the life and walk of faith :

In the above sermon, Charles Spurgeon stresses abiding in Christ always.  "Jesus is your all in all" and we should "find substance in Christ.....Ye are complete in Christ!"   Spurgeon is known as "The prince of preachers" and his sermons are deep yet explanatory.  I pray that you will listen to the entire message.

When you pray and have faith in the Lord, your priorities will change.   You will realize that the only important thing in this life is God and Jesus, and you will live your life accordingly, with the goal of being more like the Savior. 

Remember, when we pray, we need to ask according to God's will, or our prayers will not be answered.   Also, we need to repent of any and all sin so that we come to the Lord forgiven and clean, and He will listen to us with love and understanding.

"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth."  -  John 9:31


Have a blessed and Christ-centered weekend !



"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."      -  Philippians 4:6-7

"Pray without ceasing."  -  1 Thessalonians 5:17

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  -   Romans 10:17

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it."   -   John 14:13-14

"How To Know And Recognize God's Voice" - Inspirational Weekend

(1)"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;"   -  Hebrews 1:1-2

God is the original author of the entire Bible, and He inspired holy men to put His thoughts and commandments in writing.  All Old Testament writers are viewed as prophets in that their testimony was preparation for the coming of Christ.   As verse 2 above states, in these last days God speaks to us by His Son Jesus or the Holy Spirit, which is part of the Godhead.   

In Old Testament times, God also spoke through visions and dreams and angels and in other ways; even in a whisper (1 Kings 19:12).  One thing about it, in OT times the person was absolutely sure it was God who was speaking,

Today, God speaks to us by the Holy Spirit through His Holy Word the Bible, through prayer, the church, and even through circumstances.   This is only true if we have a strong, intimate love relationship with Him.  That takes time and effort on our part.  Make time to read God's Word; make time for prayer.   If you never hear God "speak", then your relationship with Him is severely lacking in intimacy.   Or maybe you have never truly been born again.

"He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."               -  John 8:47

If the above Scripture in John is true of you, you need to get on your knees and pray for forgiveness of any sins, give your heart and soul in surrender to the Lord, and believe in Jesus as your Savior, Lord, and Master.   Now is the time to get right with the Lord !  (2 Corinthians 6:2)

You need to be born again, become a child of God, so that the Holy Spirit may speak to you and give you understanding of spiritual matters.

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man."    -  1 Corinthians 2:14-15

The "natural man"  is described in Jude 19 as one who is sensual.  The one who is not a Christian is, for the most part, dominated by the physical and worldly or natural life.  Because he is not filled with the Holy Spirit,  he cannot understand or is not equipped to receive the truth that only the Spirit can give a person.  Therefore, he needs the new birth  (John 3:1-8).  Otherwise, he cannot enter the kingdom of  God.

Ducks and other waterfowl often gather in flocks so numerous that it is breathtaking to see them take to flight all at once.   We Christians should flock together also as Hebrews 10:25 commands us to do:  "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

When we meet together at church, we hear the Word of God preached and many times it is God "speaking" specifically to us on a matter we need to hear..... a word of correction or encouragement or an answer to a dilemma we might be facing.   So when we worship, that is one way we can recognize God's voice.

We also hear the Lord speak to us through a member of our church, or through a Christian friend or family member.  Listen to their advice, but remember they are imperfect humans and we need to "Test" what we hear by pouring over God's Holy Word.

In fact, the Bible tells us to test the spirits:

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."  -  1 John 4:1

Sometimes the voice you hear may be the devil, or your own thoughts and desires may lead you astray.  Test to see if what you hear lines up with God's Word, and pray to Him about it.  Ask Him for wisdom and discernment. If the thoughts are vague or confusing, it is not the Lord.  God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).   Ask yourself if what you hear is going to help you to be more Christlike, or if it will help you to produce more of the fruit of the Spirit in you.  (Galatians 5:22-25)

You most likely will not actually hear God's audible voice; rather, it is a still small voice that speaks to your heart and soul and that prompts your spirit to act.  Remember how Elijah witnessed the LORD's action of a great and strong wind, and after the wind an earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire;  but the LORD was not in either of them.  Then, after all that, God spoke to Elijah in "a still small voice."          (1 Kings 19:9-12)  

The bottom line is:  As you worship the Lord, study the Bible, and are often in prayer, you will start to develop spiritual awareness and be able to comprehend and perceive our Lord's heart and mind and His will.  You will hear His voice in your soul more frequently and you will know and recognize that it is Him speaking.

Develop a close, personal, and intimate love relationship with God through Jesus Christ and you will experience His voice frequently. 

Nothing else is as important as this relationship and hearing from God.

"For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."   -  2 Corinthians 6:2

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"  -  2 Corinthians 10:5

"And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of a stranger."  -  Jesus at John 10:4-5   

"You Are Going To Be Okay" - Inspirational Weekend

These beautiful red blossoms on the Cannonball tree are the only appealing thing on this large tree with its ugly "cannons" (fruit) and twisting vines.  It is rather like some people, as well as similar to how our circumstances can appear at times.   Things can get really ugly and burdensome in our lives sometimes, and if we continue to look at the "knots" and "twists" and trials, we will find ourselves depressed and even at times to feel like all is hopeless.   We cannot stay like this !   We should look at "blossoms of beauty" amidst the various trials and upheavals.  

The good and beautiful can uplift us and keep us from giving up.  And what is more good than our Lord, who loves us and  who is there to encourage us when things get us down.   And Jesus is all-beautiful in the sense that His beauty is moral perfection in His life and character.   

"Nothing but encouragement can come to us as we dwell upon the faithful dealing of our Heavenly Father in centuries gone by.  Faith in God has not saved people from hardships and trials, but it has enabled them to bear tribulations courageously and to emerge victoriously."  -  Lee Robertson  

We all have heard that saying, "If God seems far away, guess who moved?"  Yep, we did.  Maybe we don't pray as often as we used to, or maybe we have been too busy to read our Bibles, and before we realize it, we have moved far from the Lord.  That is why we can get so depressed and even fearful about frightful events in our lives or in the world situation right now.   We need to pray for our Heavenly Father to give us an extra portion of His Holy Spirit so we may feel His presence.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a one time thing: we are leaky vessels and need to constantly be replenished. "Pray without ceasing"   (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  And while I am thinking about it, 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, "Rejoice evermore."   If we endeavor to pray at all times and to see the good and rejoice over what good there is instead of dwelling on the bad things in our lives, then we will be okay.  

"When it seems like God is far away, remind yourself that He is near.  Nearness is not a matter of geography.  God is everywhere.  Nearness is likeness.  The more we become like the Lord, the nearer He is to us."  -  Warren Wiersbe  

How do we become like the Lord?  By building a relationship with Him through prayer and coming to know His attributes by reading the Bible.   God speaks to us by His Holy Word, and by answering our prayers.  By saturating our minds with His Word, by prayer, and by dwelling on spiritual matters, focusing on the Lord instead of the world and its distractions, we will - over time -  become more like Jesus.   Of course, we need to aim for moral perfection as well in order to become Christ-like. 

What gave me the idea to write on this subject is the song below, titled "You're Gonna Be Okay" :

It is a good song, but I tend to emphasize it is not so much what we do to make things better, but what the good Lord does to help us.  We need to petition Him frequently for strength and guidance and endurance and for so much more.   Of course, our Heavenly Father expects action on our part as well, but we need faith in Him first.  

Faith keeps you grounded in our Heavenly Father.    

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee:  He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."  -  Psalm 55:22

We need to watch what we think about, what we take into our minds via the TV or the Internet, or even from our associations -- friends who may be worldly and/or not true believers.   We need to be filling our minds with spiritual things:  God's Holy Word, sermons, and to spend time with other Christians.  When a person first becomes a new believer, he needs his mind transformed by the power of God's Word.  Actually, renewing our minds is an on-going and never-ending process.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us, (1) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

If  you do what the above verses in Romans say, you will be okay.  

But what if you are not a Christian? Not a born-again believer in Jesus Christ as your Savior?   

Then you will not be okay.  

You will not be taken to heaven in the soon to occur Rapture with Jesus, and you will be left behind to face the worst tribulation the world has ever known when God unleashes His wrath upon the world and the ungodly people left on the earth.  You will face all eternity in torment .... away from the God that loved you and wanted to draw you to Him, but for some reason you never gave your life to Jesus.

"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:"  -  Revelation 14:10

The above  verse in Revelation 14 is speaking specifically of those who, during the 7-year Tribulation, take the mark of the beast (antichrist) and who also worship the beast .   But the same punishment applies to all those who die without knowing Jesus as their Savior....... all who do not become true believers and who do not follow the Lord.  

"Almost persuaded to be a Christian is like the man who was almost pardoned, but he was hanged; like the man who was almost rescued, but he was burned in the house.  A man that is almost saved is damned."  -  Charles Spurgeon

Surrender your life to Jesus now, before it is too late.   He is waiting with open arms to embrace you as His very own.  He will forgive you and set you on the right path, if you repent and sincerely ask for forgiveness and turn your life around to follow Him and obey Him.

God loves you.

Surrender your will and your life to the Lord.

Your decision will affect and determine your eternal future.

Choose life.

Choose Jesus.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

-  John 3:3

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"Don't Forget The Armor" - Inspirational Weekend

The above flower and fruit (the ball) are on the Cannonball Tree; a tree with its own weapon !   When the cannonballs fall to the ground (or on your head!)  they burst open and emit a foul odor.  You might say this is a tree with its own armor.  

Christians have armor for their use as well.  The armor of God, that is.  In last weekend's post  I dealt with the subject of strength: how to be strong.  This weekend we will discuss how the armor of God can make you strong and can protect you in this spiritual battle we find ourselves in every day.  Following are verses from Ephesians 6 that describe this armor of God, which verses most Christians are familiar with but I quote it here for unbelievers or those who are not aware of this passage in the Bible.

"(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.  (11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against  powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  (14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  (15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  (16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  (17)  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: "  -  Ephesians 6:10-17

We cannot win this spiritual battle by our own human effort; we need the Lord's help and His Spirit, and these verses above inform us how to do just that.   It is good to take note that, in verse 12, it tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood....in other words, we should not lash out at humans that give us a hard time as though they were the real culprits or enemy.  The devil is the real enemy and is able to use people to tear us down and persecute us and to make us lose heart.

Also in verse 12, satan and his fallen angels (demons) are referred to as "spiritual wickedness" and "the rulers of the darkness of this world."  Though powerful, they are not as powerful as God and the Lord can protect us and help us by means of the armor of God.

Please note also that verses 11 and 13 admonish us to "put on the whole armor of God."  Not just a part of it, but all of it.  That is the only way we can stand firm and be strong.  Ancient soldiers equipped themselves with all of their armor when in battle, and we should do the same with our spiritual armor.  

"Having your loins girt about with truth"  (verse 14) ;  The girdle or sash was always an important part of their dress in war as well as in peace.  It was designed to keep every part of the armor in its place, and to gird the soldier on every side. Likewise, believers need the truth of God's Word to keep things in perspective and to help them endure the battle we face with the darkness of evil.  In other words, to hold everything else together as only God's Word is able to do.

"Having on the breastplate of righteousness" (verse 14) ;  Here Paul is showing that true believers are to put on righteousness to protect their hearts as a soldier puts on a breastplate to protect himself.  This righteousness includes integrity, holiness, purity of life, and sincere piety.  

"And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" (verse 15);  A peaceful and benevolent attitude which is an essential part of the Christian character.  This, like the boots worn by soldiers, will keep you from being harmed by the many difficulties and trials which, like sharp-pointed thorns, may lie in your way and thereby obstruct your progress.

"The shield of faith"   (verse 16)  The apostle alludes to the great oblong shield which covers the whole body.  As faith is the grace by which all others are preserved and rendered active, so faith is properly represented here by a shield by which the whole body is covered and protected.   True faith can quench any dart of the devil.

"The helmet of salvation"  (verse 17).   This protects one's understanding from being darkened and confused by any temptations of the evil one.  It also protects from any subtle views of the ungodly.

"The sword of the Spirit."  The Word of God; the Holy Scriptures.  It comes from the Holy Spirit, and receives its fulfillment in the soul through the workings of the Holy Spirit.  The ability to quote God's Holy Word, especially in times of temptation and trials, can cut in pieces (like a sword) the snares of the adversary and his demons.  

Ephesians 1:19 tells us:  "And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power."

In other words, God gives us the strength to help us to resist the devil.  As stated previously, we are in a war; a spiritual warfare against the wicked forces of darkness.   This is particularly true of Christians who are living godly lives and sharing the Gospel.  The devil strikes at them especially hard, to bring them down, because he already has the ungodly...the world in general...in his grasp.

So put on the armor that God provides.  The Lord will protect you and help you to endure.

"Do not strive in your own strength; cast yourself at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and wait upon Him in the sure confidence that He is with you, and works in you.  Strive in prayer; let faith fill your heart - so will you be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."  -  Andrew Murray

We should not overlook what Ephesians 6:18 tells us,  "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."

Prayer gives you strength from the Lord.  It just simply makes all things better to pray.   When you pray and read your Bible daily, you draw ever closer to the Lord, and that alone gives you victory over temptation and discouragement.  When you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, you will live more and more in His presence and grow stronger every day.


"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."   -  1 Corinthians 16:13

"Help My Unbelief" - Inspirational Weekend

"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  -  Mark 9:24b

These words were spoken by a distraught father because of his son who was demon possessed; this father went to Jesus and spoke these words of weak faith to Him (like a prayer) after Jesus had previously told him, 

"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."  -  Mark 9:23  

 Many of us can relate to this father's plea.  We believe, yet sometimes doubt creeps in and it can be hard to shake.  Like when Peter believed he could walk on water; he had faith until he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to concentrate on the howling wind and the turbulent waters.  His faith and belief faltered when he took his eyes off of Jesus, and then he began to sink.   When Jesus caught him, He said to Peter:  "Oh thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt?"   -  Matthew 14:22-31

But in the case of the father of the demoniac boy, Jesus did not rebuke the father for his weak faith.  The man tearfully appealed to Jesus, recognizing he did believe but had unbelief or doubts at the same time.   A true sense of the need for grace to believe is the greatest step towards the act of believing.  Perhaps part of this father's unbelief was due to the fact that Jesus' disciples had tried and could not cast out the demon from the boy.  Jesus healed the young man and afterwards was questioned by His disciples as to why they could not successfully heal him.  -  Mark 9:28-29.   In verse 29 Jesus told his disciples that that kind of demon would not come out but by prayer and fasting.

In this dim life we see spiritual things imperfectly, but we should continue on with prayer and Bible study to come to a full, clear knowledge.   Faith and unbelief are often found in the same heart. Full deliverance from doubt only comes by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  The more intimate and deep your relationship with God, the more you learn to trust Him and the more your faith will grow.   

Unbelief is a criminal thing because it doubts.  Unbelief robs God of His glory in every way and therefore one who has unbelief cannot receive a blessing from the Lord.   Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.  This is more true of unbelievers (those not born-again), because they are deliberate in their stubborn unbelief.  Christians tend to have doubts which are not deliberate; doubts just creep into our minds out of nowhere, it seems.  But the devil is a master of deception and tries to make us fall by putting doubts in our minds.   Pray to God in Jesus' name for deliverance and pray to have a strong faith.

We doubt because we are fallen creatures, prone to sin.   Divine truth is not yet fully comprehended by us.  Little faith can still trust in Christ as well as great faith can.  One commentator says:  " If your faith is weak, at least let it be sincere and unfeigned  The act of faith is to apply Christ to the soul; and this the weakest faith can do as well as the strongest, if it be true."

"Unbelief is criminal because it is a moral act of the whole nature.  Belief or unbelief is a test of a man's whole spiritual condition, because it is the whole being, affections, will, conscience, as well as the understanding, which are concerned in it." - Alexander MacLaren

Following is a sermon on the sin of unbelief by Charles Spurgeon:

In this sermon, Spurgeon tells us that "Unbelief is the parent of every other iniquity."  I hope you watch the entire 39 minute sermon as it is excellent.  

"Unbelief is never cheap; it costs more than it pays."  -  Andrew Kroll

One commentator said that "nothing is so provoking to God as unbelief, and yet there is nothing to which we are more prone."  When you consider all that the Lord has done, all of His promises and the many times He has answered our prayers, the sacrifice of His Son at Calvary to redeem us and wash us white as snow by the blood of Jesus, and all of His many other blessings including the gift of life itself, who are we to doubt Him ?   What would provoke an earthly father like a child who refuses to believe him?  We are God's children, and we should trust Him and believe in Him in all areas of our lives and in all spiritual matters.  

"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:  he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son."  -  1 John 5:10

Remember what God said to Moses concerning the stubborn and complaining and unbelieving Israelites: "....How long will this people provoke Me?  and how long will it be ere they believe Me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?"  -  Numbers 14:11

We serve a loving and a forgiving God.  He knows we are but dust and how weak we are.   But faith and belief in Jesus can make us strong.   Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Prayer is a strong faith-builder.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By  Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  -  Romans 5:1-2

"It Is All About Attitude" - Inspirational Weekend

The still, tranquil lake in my photograph above is a reminder that as followers of Christ, we also should be still and serene and calm.  God can show you by His Holy Spirit the right attitude you should have.....a Christ-like attitude.  

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."  -  Philippians 2:5 (KJV)

"Make your own attitude that of Jesus Christ."  -  Philippians 2:5  (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

If you read your Bible daily and pray daily, you cannot help but gain a good attitude.  God's Word has power !  I remember how easily agitated I used to get over even the slightest little upset.  This was many years ago before I was born again.  Prayer draws you closer to God, and so does daily Bible reading.  You learn of Jesus' attributes from the Holy Word, and thereby you can learn to imitate the Savior.  The Lord changed my attitude by renewing my mind with His Word and His Holy Spirit.

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children."  -  Ephesians 5:1

Children love to imitate their parents in words as well as in actions  Believers are children of God and should also imitate Him.   Jesus was all about love.  He was patient and kind and had compassion for people.  His love was so great that He willingly died and bled for our sins, so that we might, by believing in Him and in His resurrection, have eternal life.  

Be loving, be humble, be patient.  In other words, exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit found at Galatians 5:22-23  :   "But the fruit of the Spirit  is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Most Christians are familiar with what I have just stated and are familiar with the Scriptures that I quoted here.   But not all that read this blog are Christians.  The purpose of my writing is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to share Bible Prophecy that is coming true now in these last days we are living in.

Back to attitude.  Remember, we chose what attitude to have on any given day or circumstance.  It is an ongoing choice, daily.   Someone once said, "The choice to rejoice leads to an attitude of gratitude."  We all have heard that "Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent of how you respond to it."  Attitude !  

Another very important attitude is that of forgiveness.   We cannot be bitter and angry and resentful and expect the Lord to bless us when we have that sort of an attitude.   God has forgiven us of so much, shouldn't we do the same for others !!

"Persistence in prayer for someone we don't like, however much it goes against the grain to begin with, brings about a remarkable change in attitude."  -  F. F. Bruce

If you make it your goal to please the Lord, that alone will remarkably change your attitude.  Endeavor to help others as much as possible.   Do not be selfish and self-centered.  Focus on Jesus and imitate Him.   

Read Acts 5:40-42  where the apostles were beaten and were commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus.  Verse 41 says, "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name."   And what did they do?  They went again and continued to preach and teach about Jesus (verse 42). Talk about courage and zeal and boldness! The early apostles were even willing to die for Jesus and the preaching of His Gospel.   How many Christians today are willing to do the same?   One commentator has said, "Wherefore, it is no marvel that there be so few found which are strong and stout to bear the cross, because we are almost all drowned and overwhelmed with the sense of the flesh; and there is scarce one amongst an hundred which considereth that the reproach of Christ doth far excel all the triumphs of the world, which is the only matter of comfort.  Wherefore, we must use the greater diligence in thinking upon this sentence; that we are at this day made partakers of  "the sufferings of Christ, that we may be partakers of His glory"

We are all imperfect, and make mistakes and need guidance.  Let that guidance come from the Lord through prayer and through His Holy Word.  My prayer is that you develop a close, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Do that and see how your attitude is improved,   You will think more about wholesome and good things, positive things.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  -  Romans 12:2

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  -      

Philippians 4:8                        

"When Troubles Come Your Way" - Inspirational Weekend

Troubles, trials, and heartache come and go in our lives.  Some can be our own fault, some can be the fault of others, and still some trouble comes our way because God is disciplining or chastising us.  And then again, some troubles are really imaginary; they are only in the mind.   This reminds me of a French philosopher who made the statement, "My life is full of catastrophies, most of which never happened."   

But for troubles and trials that are all too real and painful, what can we do?  One of the things I learned from Dr. Charles Stanley is that we should look at everything as coming from God.   He can use our afflictions to draw us to Him and to correct us and set us on the right path.   Following is a quote by E.M. Bounds:  " Trouble is God's servant, doing His will unless He is defeated in the execution of that will.  Trouble is under the control of Almighty God, and is one of His most efficient agents in fulfilling His purposes and in perfecting His saints.  God's hand is in every trouble which breaks into the lives of men.  Not that He directly and arbitrarily orders every unpleasant experience of life.  Not that He is personally responsible for every painful and afflicting thing which comes into the lives of His people.  But no trouble is ever turned loose in this world and comes into the life of saint or sinner, but comes with divine permission, and is allowed to exist and do its painful work with God's hand in it or on it, carrying out His gracious designs of redemption.   All things are under divine control."

All that being true, the best course of action to take when troubles and afflictions arise is to turn to the Lord in prayer.   "And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me."  - Psalm 50:15 .    Prayer is the best and the most helpful thing to do in times of trouble.   Ask the good Lord what He wants you to do; ask for guidance.   Sometimes the answer is to just "wait on the Lord."  Psalm 27:14 tells us, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."   That verse has helped me tremendously to cope in times of distress and trouble.  

Following is a 5 minute sermon by Dr. Charles Stanley titled, "Focus on God, not your problems".

 Sometimes in an emergency we might feel like we need an answer immediately, never mind waiting on God.   This is where faith comes in.  Trust and faith.   You still need to get on your knees and pray with all your heart and pour everything out to the good Lord.   It is possible to receive an answer right away from Him.  If not, you may need to consult a pastor or a mature Christian for advice.  Better yet, have that person pray for you as well.   In my experience, however, the Lord always points the way.  But in an emergency situation, other people can be a great help.

Ultimately, it is Yahweh to whom we should look for guidance and comfort. No one can do what He can do.  He will send His Holy Spirit to help you cope and find your way in the midst of turmoil or just plain old troubles.   All of this may be things you already know, but we all need reminders from time to time.   

"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble."  - Job 14:1

"And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;"  -   Luke 18:1

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."   -         Romans 8:26

This song by Selah, "You Raise Me Up", seems to be a fitting way to end this post.  It is uplifting and encouraging, and quite beautiful.  When you pray, God raises you up and gives you hope.

Keep looking up !  Have a wonderful weekend !

"Thoughts On Prayer and Living For God" - Inspirational Weekend

Forget yourself!  If you truly want to live for God, you must put Him and Jesus first in your life; put God's will first above anything and everyone else.  Forget about your self-centered desires, and ask the good Lord what His will is for your life.  Our chief purpose is to glorify God !   This reminds me of Ecclesiastes 12:13 :  ":Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."  When you have a reverent fear of God and want to do His will above all else; and when you endeavor to keep His commandments, then you are leading a life that pleases the Lord and that glorifies Him.  

The commandment spoken by Jesus at Matthew 22:37-40 says,  "(37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment.  (39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."  

"God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  -    1 John 4:16 

With hearts full of love for God and Jesus and also love for our neighbor, we are truly living for God.

Not to forget 1 John 4:7, which tells us , "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."

We get to know God by much prayer and by reading and studying His Holy Word.  His Word is full of His glorious attributes, and the more we read, the more we learn about Him and Jesus; which in turn teaches us to love the Lord more and more as time goes on.  As we draw closer and closer to God, we begin to think of His desires more than we do of our own.  Also, this love for the Lord will incline us to always be obedient to Him, which is another way to glorify Him.   If you are not obedient to God, then perhaps you are not truly born again.  There are many other ways that we may glorify God, but for now let us concentrate on prayer. 

I would like to quote E.M. Bounds from his book on prayer:  " Desire is not merely a simple wish; it is a deep seated craving; an intense longing, for attainment.  In the realm of spiritual affairs, it is an important adjunct to prayer.  Desire precedes prayer, accompanies it, is followed by it.  Desire goes before prayer, and by it, created and intensified.  Prayer is the oral expression of desire.  .....If prayer is asking God for something, then prayer must be expressed.  Prayer comes out into the open.  Desire is silent.  ......The deeper the desire, the stronger the prayer.  Without desire, prayer is a meaningless mumble of words.  Such perfunctory, formal praying, with no heart, no feeling, no real desire accompanying it, is to be shunned like a pestilence.  Its exercise is a waste of precious time, and from it, no real  blessing accrues."

Desire, as expressed by Mr. Bounds, is normal and necessary when it comes to prayer.  But it is selfish desires and putting our will first that is displeasing to the Lord.

E.M. Bounds continues:  "Spiritual desire, carried to a higher degree, is the evidence of the new birth. It is born in the renewed soul.  'As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.'  (I Peter 2:2).  The absence of this holy desire in the heart is presumptive proof, either of a decline in spiritual ecstasy, or that the new birth has never taken place.  ' Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.'  (Matthew 5:6).  These heaven-given appetites are the proof of a renewed heart, the evidence of a stirring spiritual life.    ...........This, then, is the basis of prayer which compels an answer -  that strong inward desire has entered into the spiritual appetite, and clamors to be satisfied.    ..........  God draws mightily near to the praying soul.  To see God, to know God, and to live for God - these form the objective of all true praying.  Thus, praying is, after all, inspired to seek after God."

One time, a few months back, I was in deep, earnest prayer and weeping as I prayed and pleading with God. A still small voice spoke to my heart and soul, saying, "Is anything too hard for Me?"   I knew it was the Lord encouraging me.   Later, I looked up Scriptures on that subject and found in Genesis 18:14 "Is anything too hard for the LORD?"  and Jeremiah 32:27 which says, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?"    Other verses were found at Jeremiah 32:17, Matthew 19:26, and Isaiah 59:1.   I know God will answer that prayer (I am still waiting) because to me it was like a promise from Him that He would.  So I know that sincere, heartfelt prayer reaches the heart of God and that He does answer that type of prayer.  Think about it, all of our prayers should be deep, heartfelt, and prayed with faith that He hears us and will answer us in His due time.   The Lord has answered my prayers in the past and I believe He will continue to do so.

Never give up and continue to approach God with faith and hope and perseverance.  Be like the widow who sought justice from an unjust judge.  She continually confronted the judge until he grew weary of her pestering him, and he finally answered her petition.  (Luke 18:1-8)   

Let's enjoy a refreshing and soothing video showing scenes from Maui, Hawaii, with quiet music in the background.  I have visited Maui a few times so it was a delight for me to "revisit" there by viewing this video.  

It is my sincere wish that your weekend is a happy and enjoyable one, and that you remember to put Christ first in everything you do.   

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."  -  Jesus at Mark 11:24

"Pray without ceasing."  -  I Thessalonians 5:17

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  -  Philippians 4:6-7

"Be Alert and Be Ready" - Inspirational Weekend

"Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."       -      Matthew 25:13

Are you ready for the Rapture?  Ready for when Jesus takes His Bride, the Church, true believers, to Heaven right before the seven year tribulation period of horror and judgement and destruction occurs to the left behind ungodly people?   "Give me a break!" some of you may be saying, "The word rapture is not even in the Bible."    Yes it is, in the Latin Vulgate Bible by Jerome in the early 400's !  There the Latin word "Raeptius  or "Rapio" is where the English word "Rapture" developed from.  It means to "seize, snatch, caught up, tear away. "  Rapture in Greek is the word "Harpazo", which means to be taken away or being carried away, to "snatch up" or a "catching away."  This is clearly taught in Scripture:

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  -  1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

The Rapture is not the same as the Lord's Second Coming.  The Rapture happens before the 7 year tribulation and, at the Rapture, the Lord comes "in the clouds" to meet us "in the air."  1 Thessalonians 4:17.     At the Second Coming, which occurs at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period,  the Lord descends all the way to the earth and stands on the Mount of Olives.   This results in a great earthquake, which is followed by a defeat of God's enemies.   Zechariah 14:3-4

The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night to unbelievers.   (1 Thessalonians 5:2).  But those who know Christ as their Savior will be alert and ready and watching for His return.  That is the key:  you have to be a born again believer in the Savior to be ready and alert and to be raptured.  Don't just be a Christian in name only; have a close intimate personal relationship with God and Jesus, and the way to do that is by much prayer and Bible study.  You don't want to be in the position of not being truly saved and have Jesus say to you, "Truly I say to you, I never knew you."

Read your Bible and interpret it literally.   There are over 300 prophecies about the first coming of Jesus (2000 years ago), all of which were literally fulfilled.   So we can be sure the prophecies about the Rapture and His Second Coming will also be literally fulfilled.

Please listen to this lovely song titled "In His Time" :

"For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee.  Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation."  -  2 Corinthians 6:2 .  Don't wait until tomorrow; it may be too late then.   

Did you know there is a crown waiting for all those who are longing for Jesus' return; a crown of righteousness.   2 Timothy 4:8.   Revelation 4:10 tells us that we will cast our crowns at Jesus' feet when we see Him.    

Following is a duet by Celine Dion and Josh Groban  "The Prayer":

Remember, a person who knows and trusts God is free from anxiety and worry concerning the future.  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."   -  Isaiah 26:3

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"  -  Titus 2:13