"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. "
Philippians 4:6

As we enter the holiday season may we all remember Paul's words. Be careful for nothing he says, which means do not worry, do not fret. He tells us to bring everything to the Lord in prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING and make your requests known to God.

You might wonder why pray? If God knows everything why should we pray. One simple reason, because He told us to. He desires an intimate relationship with you. He wants to hear you and your prayers. He wants us to give thanks to His Holy Name.

Psalm 139 tells us that the Lord's thoughts toward us are more than the number of sand. Can you even imagine that, I know I can't. To think that God thinks about me that much is so awesome to me, yet I believe it because His word says it. It also tells us in other places that He quiets us with His love and rejoices over us with singing. He loves you my friend and for that reason alone you can know that when you come to him in prayer with thanksgiving that He is hearing you and you will hear from Him. We love Him because He first loved us.

We have much to be thankful for throughout this season. We are loved by a MIGHTY HOLY LIVING GOD with an everlasting love. He will never leave us nor forsake us. So come my friends, worship Him this day, make your requests known to Him. He is waiting and He is listening.

I pray you have a wonderful blessed holiday season. I pray you will always know the love of God and that you will share that love with others. God bless and keep you.

"Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name."

Psa 91:14

Because we have known His name, He will deliver us, because we have set our love upon Him, He will set us on high. What an awesome promise from the Lord for each one of us today. We know His name, we trust in His name and He says HE WILL DELIVER US!

Friends let our trust be in the One who is more than able. No matter what it looks like, no matter what the circumstances are saying we have to get to a place where we choose to believe His word or not. If you are having a hard time with Your faith, may I recommend meditating on this verse and realizing the God of heaven and earth has spoken it, therefore He will bring it to pass in His time.

Lord we thank you that we know Your name, that we have set our love upon you and Lord that You will deliver us and set us on high. How blessed we are to be Your children, How blessed we are to know the name above every other name, How blessed we are to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We bless Your name this day Lord. We love you and we praise you with all that is within us this day.

We serve a Lord who keeps His word, we serve a Lord who will never stop calling, who will keep us as we go forth and share His good news. We serve a Lord who is looking for that one who thought no one cared, who is forgotten by man but remembered by Our King.

Do you know His Name? His name is Jesus and this day you can set your love upon Him for His love for you is eternal.?

"Now David said, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? "
2 Saumuel 9:1

David had made a covenant with his friend Jonathan, the son of Saul. Both Saul and Jonathan had died and David wanted to keep his promise to his friend, so he looked for someone who was still alive among the descendents of Saul. David found Jonathan's son and showed him kindness in his house. He blessed him and kept his word to the friend that was knitted to him at the soul.

Jesus came to earth and gave us a New Covenant. A covenant of forgiveness and grace and entrance into eternal life. He called us friends if we do what He commands us to do. Friends, good friends, keep their promises to one another and there is no greater friend than the friend we have in Jesus.

I believe Jesus is calling now and saying, "Is there any left who belong in my Father's house that I may show my loving kindness to. Is there anyone I can invite to sit at my wedding feast. Jesus never stops calling, for He prayed that all those who would believe through the word of the disciples would become One with Him and the Father. Our Father is calling to those who are lost, to those who are hurting, to those who are captive to come to Him through Jesus, to feast at His table and to receive all the benefits of the New Covenant Jesus made with us.

We serve a Lord who keeps His word, we serve a Lord who will never stop calling, who will keep us as we go forth and share His good news. We serve a Lord who is looking for that one who thought no one cared, who is forgotten by man but remembered by Our King.

Is there anyone out there who has not received His invitation. Jesus is calling you now, can you hear Him?

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
Hebrews 13:5

There are times in our lives when we go through some pretty intense trials, trials of our faith, that may leave us wondering if the Lord has forsaken us. We know His word says, "He will never leave us nor forsake us," yet the circumstances of life seem to spiral and we wonder, "Lord where are you," We begin to relate to Jesus on the cross crying out, "My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me."

I know we need the true mercies and compassions of God to meet us at our very point of need. We are told, "God is never late," yet the bills are past due, families are still separated, kids are still living their own lives and we begin to wonder, Lord, Lord where are you in the midst of all this?

We begin to question our own righteousness, what did we do wrong that God is not answering, yet any true believer knows that our righteousness is as filthy rags, and the only things righteous about us are those Good things the Lord has placed within our hearts. Yet still, heaven seems quiet, there is no hope in the natural and the situations look impossible.

We find comfort in His word and His promise to never forsake us,. Sometimes it is a choice to trust and believe even though we cannot see. I looked up the word "forsake" and listed below are some of the definitions. All of these God has promised NOT TO DO and so my friends I pray along with me you will hold on to the Word of God over every circumstance in your life right now. After the definitions are the verses that God has promised. Let us all speak them over our lives this night as we continue to trust that we will see the goodness of God in the land of the living. May He bless you as you read.

Forsake

1.. To let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake

2. To let go

3. To refrain, to let alone

4. To be quiet

Deu 31:6..." Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." "

Deu 31:8... "And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."

Neh 9:31..." Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God."

Psa 27:9... "Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation."

Psa 27:10... "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up."

Psa 38:21... "Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me."

Isa 42:16... "And I will bring the blind by a way [that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them."

Isa 41:17..." When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them."

Hbr 13:5..."Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

I pray as you meditate on these treasures from the Word of God that you will be encouraged in your daily walk with Him, knowing with all of your heart, He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is Faithful to His word and to us. God bless you.

"Then He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace be still." And the wind ceased and there was a great calm."
Mark 4:3

When life is overwhelming and the storms are raging there are arms extended out to you ready to speak to the storm in your life. Jesus is always there, just as He was on the boat with the disciples when their storm raged. All they had to do was call on His name and He came and took authority over the wind and the sea. Is there anything too hard for Our Lord, I think not, we only need to bring our burdens to Him, let Him embrace us with His love and then watch as He calms the storm in our lives. He will never leave you no matter how bad things may seem at the moment, I promise you if You have made Him Lord of your life He is there with you, going through it and taking you to the other side. Trust Him my friends for He is faithful and has been given authority in heaven and in earth over all the works of the evil one.

I pray this day for you to not look at the storm that is coming at you but instead look up to the One who is waiting for you to call on His name. His peace will flow through you and you my friend will be at rest in Him.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God."
Ephesians 2:7

God's grace is so amazing. Do you know the gift that has been given to you. It comes without price, it comes filled with love and mercy and is yours when you call on the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing in this life that is absolutely free, even love on this earth can come with a price, but the gift of God offered to us through Jesus holds no conditions except to believe on the One who lived and died for you. Many think it is just too simple but Our God takes the simple things of this world to confound the wise, Why? Because of His great love for mankind, He provided the atonement, the ransom, the full cost of your sins through the blood of Jesus and desires only for you to turn to Him and let Him fill you with His perfect love.

I pray this day for you that you will know this GIFT. That you will receive this free gift from Our Heavenly Father. Just ask Him to be King of your life, to forgive you of your past and to take you into His Kingdom where you will be safe for eternity. Then begin to praise Him every day, get to know Him through His Word and watch what He will do with your life from this day forward.

"You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you."
John 15:16

This verse clearly tells us that we did not choose God but He chose us and ordained us. I know that many feel they are not worthy, not good enough, BUT GOD, does not feel that way about you. HE CHOSE YOU! He ordained you to bring forth much fruit. Now if God ordained you to do this trust that He is able to bring it to pass. No matter what lies the enemy tells you; the truth is GOD BELIEVES IN YOU, for He knows the power of HIS SPIRIT that is within you to overcome all things in this life. We are a blessed generation; we are blessed children of God. How awesome it is to think about the God who created the heavens and the earth, The ALMIGHTY ONE chose you and me, to fulfill His purposes and His plans in our lives.

This day I ask Our Father to bless you, to keep you to guide you, to prosper you, to provide for you, to heal you and to keep you unto the day of Jesus Christ, for you my friends have been chosen by The Lord of heaven. Trust in His word knowing He is able to perform it.

Jesus was speaking to His disciples and telling them He was about to leave that they would have their joy full when they saw what He spoke to them come to pass. In this last verse He spoke about what they would come up against in this world, but He also said, "to be of good cheer, for He has over come the world"

The word "tribulation comes from the Greek Work "thlipsis {thlip'-sis}" which means

1) a pressing, pressing together, pressure
2) metaph. oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits

I know that many of us have felt this tribulation, we desire so to be in the place where there is no more pain, no more tears, and no more pressure or distress, yet we are not there yet for that place will come when we arrive in heaven. But Jesus said we are to be of good cheer, the word "cheer" means " to be of good courage, be of good cheer"

I know some have felt discouraged and yet Jesus' words to the disciples were to have courage and to be of good cheer, because He has overcome the world. The word "overcome" means

1) To conquer

a) To carry off the victory, come off victorious

2) Of Christ, victorious over all His foes

3) Of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions

Jesus said, "I have overcome", this was even before His death. For this reason we can be of good cheer, we can have courage, for our faith is in Him and what He has done. He has the victory over the pressures and afflictions and distress of this world. We have the victory through Him. If we are truly "in Christ", we can declare His victory, we can rejoice and be glad in His victory, we can celebrate His name and praise His name even in the midst of the pressure of this world. Why? Because He told us to, He said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Oh that we knew Our Savior and His Wondrous Works, that we would truly understand all that was accomplished for us by Him. Oh that we would lay down the discouragement and pick up the victory in Jesus for there is nothing we are going to face, nothing we are going to see, nothing we are going to handle that is bigger, or better that the victory Christ has purchased. Let us rejoice, let us lift up our heavy hands and our downcast hearts and let us begin to praise Him and allow the Spirit of God to lift us up above the tribulations of this world. Jesus never said we wouldn't see them, but He did say we could be of good cheer, because He has overcome it. He was, is and always will be VICTORIOUS!

Have a wonderful blessed day in the Lord and let us all begin to rejoice and celebrate the goodness of God, for truly it is not measured by our daily struggles, but by the Love of Our Father who sent His Son to die for us, and for Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him suffered, died and rose again and for His Holy Spirit which He gives to those who ask who has the power to lift each life above the things of this world.

Our Father has provided for us, through His love, and by His Spirit but unless we begin to open up the gifts He has given and walk in the fruit of His Spirit the things of this world will continually pull us down. Oh that we would awake in our hearts and sing His praises this day. For Our God, Our Lord, Our Savior is worthy of all praise and honor and glory. Let us honor Him with our praises this day.