In Christ Alone

"In Christ alone, my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when striving cease, my comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand."

This is one of my favorite worship songs and the lyrics are beautiful. Not beautiful because the person/ people who sing it but because of the meaning behind the the lyrics. Although I'm quite young in my walk with God the lyrics of this song touch my heart in a mighty way. In Christ alone, all hope is found, because in Him is when I truly came to know my true self.

We live in a society today where everyone seems to be searching for the meaning of it all, the meaning of life, trying to find out why we are here and what it's all about. Unfortunately people go their whole lives never finding out the meaning of life or live out a life in a false state of purpose; never truly finding their REAL purpose. But what would happen if this generation began to know and realize that all their questions could be answered in Christ alone.

When I yielded to Christ and gave him my life I was 17 years old. There was a lot I didn't know and a lot I didn't understand. Now I am 22 years old and God throughout the past 5 years has shown me why I am here (my purpose) and what this life means. He taught me that He, the blessed trinity, should be my focus, Christ at the center as He is my redeemer, redemption and salvation, an eternal life with Him. Before I gave my life to Christ I was just like everyone else, going about day to day with no thought of what was to come after this life was over, but in Christ I have found that there is so much to live for and so much more to look forward to. 

There's no need to run around in search of a meaning, in search of a purpose. God is only a prayer away, all you have to do is pray. Spend time in the presence of God, seek His face daily, with your whole heart worship and adore Him and He will reveal to you why you are here and what this gift of life is all about.

In Christ your true identity is revealed. Don't be afraid to surrender to Him, don't be afraid to come to Him, He has all the answers, all you have to do is trust Him. In Christ alone, your spirit can be set free, free to run, free to dance, and free to live out this gift of life for Him.

God Bless!

God Will Protect You

Fear and faith cannot dwell within the same heart. One will overpower the other and one will hinder the other from fully developing. God calls His children to be bold; Proverbs 28:1"The wicked flee though no one pursues but the righteous are as bold as a lion." We are the children of the Great I am, there is nothing too big for Him and with His Spirit dwelling on the inside of us we can overcome anything. So in whatever situation you face, rely on the mighty hand of God and do not be afraid, God will protect you.

Fear is a hindrance to many; some people don't achieve their goals or fulfill their purpose in life due to the presence of fear in their lives.But why fear when God is on His Throne? Why fear when our Father is the Creator of heaven and earth. God does not want you going through life unable to receive His divine peace because of fear. Fear is a weapon used by the enemy; it is used to make you afraid when there really isn't any need to be. If the devil can strike fear in your heart and keep you from taking a step of faith, then He has you right where he wants you. 

When we come to God we are to be delivered from everything that was holding us in bondage, so that leads one to ask the question of why are their still so many believers who live in fear? It's a really good question. But it's also easy to answer. If there are still things in your life that are holding you captive, it's remaining because you haven't let it go. God will allow what you allow and if fear is still showing it's ugly face in your life, then let it go. Pray to God, speak to Him and let Him know that you no longer want to be bound by fear;  and let the Lord increase your faith more and more.

God will protect you all your days even in the midst of trouble, trials and tribulations. Let go of fear, don't let the enemy continue to keep you bound. Stand up today and shake off those chains and be free in Jesus name. You are the child of a mighty God and there is nothing that you should fear except Him.Go forward in the peace of God, freely living without any hindrances and be who it is that He put you in the earth to be; the King has got you covered!

God Bless

Dedicate Yourself To Christ

Let's face it, humans are selfish, narcissistic people and if it's not about us or effecting us personally then we usually don't care. We're selfish with our friendship, our love and our time. We live in a world that constantly tells us that it's all about us, so it only makes sense that a generation such as this one has become one of the most vain. We have forgotten that it's more to life than vanity. We chase after labels and brands, trying to keep up with the Jones', painting a picture that won't last through the ages. Although we all want to have fun and enjoy this one life that we get to live, we need to center ourselves and look at the bigger picture; it's not all about us, at the end of the day, Jesus is the center and life is not a game. Pursue your dreams, be successful, fight to reach your goals, but never forget that to truly lead a successful life, you must dedicate yourself to Christ. After all, He is the author and giver of life.

Christ does not desire to take your life from you. He is not a slave master; He is our Lord and Savior who also calls us friend. John 15:15 "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." Most people think that when they come to Christ that they have to give up all their dreams, goals and aspirations and that's not the case. When you come to Christ, He will take your life and mold it into something you've never dreamed of, your dreams and goals will be amplified and your life will bring you peace and Him glory. God desires for you to prosper in every way and once you take a step toward the King, dedicating yourself to Him, everything you touch will prosper and your life will be a reflection of the love of Christ. Psalm 1:3 "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

When I first gave my life to Christ, I thought that I had to give up everything I was doing, but I loved Him so much so I didn't care. So I decided to give up a couple of the things that I was pursuing, which had been goals and dreams of mine since I was a very young child. It felt great at first, I thought I was doing the right thing but after while of being stagnant depression sank in and I felt as though I was going nowhere in life and accomplishing nothing. I cried out to God over and over again, asking Him what it was that He desired for me to do, sometimes I didn't get an answer and sometimes I was told to just be patient. I was confused, asking myself questions like, why would God allow me to give up everything to just do nothing? Why isn't God using me now that I have given up everything to follow Him? Then my eyes were opened; the Lord sat me down and opened my eyes, letting me know that what I was doing before was what He intended for me to do and that it was I who acted to quickly without seeking Him first which resulted in a life full of stagnancy. After I received that word from the Father I began to seek Him more, taking steps and acting on my faith instead of just sitting. God not only restored me to my original position but with it came so much more than I ever expected and I am still surprised by the blessings He keeps pouring into my life. 

I am now back on the path of pursuing my dreams and Christ is at the center of everything that I do; at the end of the day I ask that He let His will be done and not mine. So don't think that if you dedicate yourself to Christ that He's going to give you some dreadful life that is lack luster and full of pitfalls. We are the children of an extraordinary God, we are the friends and faithful followers of a risen and reigning King and our lives are a reflection of that. So don't be afraid, take that step of faith and dedicate yourself to Christ, you have nothing to lose and all to gain.

God Bless

God Always Has A Remnant

Have you ever felt like you were all alone on your walk with God?

Have you ever felt like you were the only one who believed in standing firm on the promises of God?

Have you ever felt like it was pretty much you against the world?

Many saints today in the Body of Christ can identify with the questions above. We all too often feel deserted, abandoned, lonely, without a friend or a confidant. In this day and age finding a TRUE believer to connect with seems to be almost to challenging of a task to take on, so we walk and work in the harvest field alone. But even in these wicked times when it seems as though everyone has abandoned the faith God has His remnant.

In the Old Testament, when all seemed to abandon the faith and the impending punishment from God was near, there was always a person or a group left standing in the midst of wickedness, a remnant. God doesn't need everybody, He just needs somebody. Everyone is not going to leave the broad path and come to the narrow one but there are many of us out here today who are brave enough and bold enough to still live by the commandments of God. Many say the Church is dead, but I say we are here and we aren't going anywhere; we will still be standing in the power of God until the return of Christ.

So don't be afraid in your walk with God, you are not as alone as you think you are; there are many of us here in the Body of Christ. Therefore we must pray for one another; when speaking with God in your times of prayer, pray to God for the remnant group of believers in this generation and time.

2 Kings 19:4 "Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives."

Though none else go we still must walk this path righteousness, contending and fighting the good fight of the faith. Stay strong and encourage yourself in the Lord. God is with you and you are apart of His remnant army that is marching forward in the light and power of the truth.

God Bless

Short Thought: Choose Life, Not Death

Choosing life and not death is an everyday decision, not just a one time proclamation. Most think that this means accepting Christ as personal Lord and Savior, which is apart of it but not the only aspect; we must choose life and not death in every situation we face in life. God holds an account of our every action in Heaven, so in all things we must make the right decision. When a problem of great difficulty sets itself before you and concerning this matter you must make a very important decision be sure to always choose wisely, be discerning and make sure that your final decision does not negatively affect you or anyone connected to you. God calls His children to be wise in all matters, having great wisdom and knowledge to make it through and over  life's pitfalls, temptations, challenges and hurdles. Death doesn't always necessarily mean that you are going to die in the physical, that's how the serpent deceived Eve in the garden; death can also mean spiritually as well, friendships, relationships,employment, etc. Every decision you make, every action you take has some type of consequence, rather it be positive or negative, so be sure that your final move always results in life and not death.

Encourage One Another

Believers should be in one accord in all things. There are certain situations that can only be handled when believers come together as one. We should always be there for one another in the Body of Christ; coming together as brothers and sisters in the faith. No one can handle life all on their own, especially the spiritual walk with God. The path of righteousness is not easy, but the load lightens when we all unite as one. As we are told to encourage ourselves in the Lord, we should always encourage one another as well.

Today there is great division among us in the Body of Christ. Division between Churches, division among the different religious sects (Baptist, Catholics, Methodist, etc.) and just pure division between people of the faith in general, which should not be. As Paul said, "Is Christ divided?" (1 Corinthians 1:13). No, He is not. Therefore we should not be divided. God calls us to come together as one in all that we do as the Body of Christ is one. People wonder why the Body of Christ is so ineffective in certain aspects today and why it seems as though people of the faith are not as effective at tearing down the strong holds that God gave us the power to do; it's because we are divided. If a body is divided then how can it function properly.

Question? If the arm is dislocated from the Body, it will still work but the work will be a lot harder; a day to day mundane task will seem a lot more difficult than it usually is. Another question? What if the body was just a foot? Then we can only walk (which would still be a daunting task), but we won't be able to see, hear or speak. Making us quite ineffective. Therefore we need to be together in one accord, encouraging one another in the faith; being an effective unit an effective body of believers. 

We also tear each other down quite a bit. If one does something wrong or makes a mistake, we shun them, turn our backs and put are noses up in the air as if the person is a fowl stench to us and also as if we don't make mistakes ourselves. No one is perfect, not even the saints, we fall down, but we also get back up. But everyone is not that strong in the faith. There are some among us who aren't that strong in their walk with God and need the encouragement of others to make it and keep going forward on the path of righteousness with the King. As believers, who are we if we don't encourage the weak? Who are we if we don't pick someone up when they fall? Who are we if we don't love one another as Christ commanded us to do? Then we are just like the pagans. So when you see a fellow brother or sister down or in need lift them up, encourage them, walk with them and keep them going until they regain the faith and strength to walk on their own again.

Speaking of loving one another and encouraging one another in the faith, we also need to do the same with the lost. We get so used to only loving and helping the saints and not the lost. The saints have a hope, the lost don't, we have to encourage them as well and all the more as that is our purpose in the earth; drawing others into the faith with the love of Christ. Who are we if we only lavish the saints with the love of Christ? Then again we are just like the pagans. So again, don't only encourage the saints, encourage the lost as well.

In a world full of heartache and pain everyone needs a little love, a little help and a little encouragement. If the Body of Christ ever wants to be effective, ever wants to become a strong force as it was in the days of old then we have to encourage one another and come together as one. God wants us to always shower each other with loving kindness and as we love one another those who are of the world will see and be encouraged; and hopefully and prayerfully as we do the Lord's will they will be drawn into the faith by the power of the Holy Spirit who resides in us. So don't neglect the responsibility set before you by God Almighty, let's encourage ourselves and the lost all the more as we see the day approaching.

God Bless

Do Not Worship Idols

In today's society idolatry seems to be common place. In the bible age idol worship was of carved wood and stone and today it's the latest celebrity that has millions upon millions falling all over themselves in awe and astonishment. Why worship carved wood and stone when you can worship the Almighty and everlasting God? Why worship a human when you can worship the Holy Spirit? It has been told to us by God, not as a suggestion but as a command, do not worship idols.

In the "Holy Days" as some like to the call them, the children of God continually found themselves in a heap of trouble because they kept committing idolatry. Every time the Lord looked upon them they were running to and fro after the newest false god; and no matter how many times God punished them for their act of disobedience they backslide and committed the same acts again. What they were doing is no different than what's going on today. The new "god" may have changed but the actions are still the same.

Today we have millions of people flocking after the latest "star," falling all over themselves and swooning over a mere human as if they possessed some sort of super powers or as if they were something that's never been seen before. People get emails and text messages sent to their phones updating them on what their favorite celebrity is doing. People will spend their last dollar on concert tickets and a brand new, head to toe outfit just to go and see this particular person perform. The news today even reports on the actions of some these celebrities, things such as where this person eats, what car they drive, their daily routine and what their favorite color is, as if this is really important and vital information for us "commoners" to know and as if they are doing something that is mind blowing and extraordinary. Concert halls look like churches as people pack them out by the thousands, losing their mind in excited anticipation of the person who is to hit the stage. Celebrities are pretty much worshiped almost as though they are celestial beings instead of human beings. We seem to have forgotten that they have blood flowing through their veins just as we and we also seem to have forgotten who worship belongs to.

I find myself asking the question, what if people were so anxious, so excited and so apt to hear and chase after God? What if churches were packed out to hear the word and feel the presence of God, in anticipation to see a move of God? What if people made sure that they were kept up to date with what the Kingdom of Heaven was doing? Because make no mistake about it, God's Kingdom is moving and if you aren't moving with it then you are being left behind. Wouldn't it be truly amazing if the attention was turned away from today's form of idolatry and focused on God? What a wonderful world it would be. But we have to face reality and those of us who know better have to make sure that the word of God is kept alive and that those who love Him worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Now don't get me wrong, it's okay to have a favorite or a few favorite celebrities, their here for entertainment. It's okay to go to a concert and enjoy some good music, but when it's when it crosses over into idolatry where we have people following every move that a person makes and when we have the glorification of a mere human that's where the problem lies. We are to worship God and Him alone, nothing and no one else. Be sure that you are always following Him with your eyes set on the prize and always be sure to not worship idols.

God Bless