Believe and Trust in God!

Believe: accept as true, to have a firm conviction about something

Trust: to place confidence, to rely on

Some people believe that hell is right here on earth, while others believe that all they need to do is be a good person and they will spend eternity with the Lord. There are people who believe there is no God, while others believe only in their riches. Today, I want to share with you how we should believe in the real and true God - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's look at Daniel. Daniel believed in his God and accepted God's word as the truth when He said; "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). And wouldn't you know it - all the Presidents of the Kingdom, the Governors and the Princes, the Counsellors, and the Captains - basically everyone with any type of power - then consulted together to establish a royal statute AND make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days shall be cast into the den of lions. As you might know, Daniel continued to pray to his God three times a day as he had always done and as was decreed, he was put in the den of lions. Daniel 6:23 tells us that Daniel was taken up out of the den, and that no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. That's the type of confidence we must have in God. If we're able to do that, He will deliver us from our situations, just as He did for Daniel.

Friends, when God is for you, tell me who can be against you? No One! But it's essential that we do our part by believing and trusting in Him. God said that He would never leave us or forsake us, so that means wherever we are, God is right there in the midst. We don't have to worry about other people and what they might do (or might not do, for that matter), because with God at the center - they might dig a ditch they intend to be for you, but they will be the ones to fall in.

If your faith ever begins to get weak, just stop and take a minute to remember what He did for the three Hebrews boys, for Daniel, and the many wonderful things that He has done for us -- that should be enough to snap your faith right back into place!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

Lay Up Your Treasures In Heaven

Treasure: wealth stored up or held in reserve, something of great value to keep as precious, or appreciate

There are many things in life that we value - some folks value their houses; others their cars and their massive amounts of money. There are really too many things to mention here, but the bottom line is that the Bible tells us "Lay not up for ourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).

The Lord wants our hearts to be focused on Him. He doesn't want us to be wrapped up in the various things that we call our treasure here on earth. Matthew 6:21 says; "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." We have to reverse the way that we think and the way that we order or rank things - we need to make Jesus our treasure; the one that we treasure as great value; the one whom we keep as precious and the one whom we deeply appreciate.

Our treasure in Heaven will never fail us, so we can start by turning away from the love of earthly things and turn to God with worship and praise for Him. We can do this by showing love to every one and/or by giving of our substance and time to people in need. Let's not be so wrapped up with the gifts that God has given to us that we forget about the giver.

Don't misunderstand what I'm saying here - it's wonderful to have nice houses, cars, and plenty of money. What I am saying is that we should not make them our treasure, because our time here on earth is temporary, however, our time with the Lord is an eternity - so be sure to always make Him your precious treasure; the one you value the most.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... AMEN!!

Prayer is so Important!

Prayer: a supplication or expression addressed to God; an earnest request; communication with God

Prayer is an opportunity to spend time with God and to make our requests known unto Him. It's also how we develop a deeper relationship with Him. Prayer is so powerful, just like in the natural, the more you talk to a person, the more you learn about them and the more that it makes the friendship stronger.

Oh, how we need to pray. My friends, we don't know how to go out without God nor do we know how to come back in. However, when we spend time communicating with Him then He is able to teach us how to behave ourselves when we go out and when we come back in. 

I can't tell you just how much prayer can be a powerful weapon in your life. We have the opportunity to offer up our petition before God 24/7. It doesn't matter how big or how small the battle is - He's right there to fight them... all we have to do is call on Him.

Remember, the word tells us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2). The word also tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Another reason that prayer is so important is because it's how we gain power and we learn how to trust in Him. 

God loves to hear from His people - whether we are praying for guidance or simply giving thanks. The act of communicating with Him draws us closer to Him. Just remember to keep it real and be honest - because He already knows the real deal anyway, right? So simply tell God the truth!

With all that said, let the church say Amen and... AMEN!