Christians; how can you test your fruit? Fruit of the spirit! What fruit are you producing? Part 1 Love

Galatians 5:21-23 (KJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
You want to be checking yourself to see if you are walking in God's ways. How do I do that? A great way to do that is to see whether or not you have fruit, and what your tree is actually producing?

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit Luke 6:43-45(KJV) 

“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Imagine looking out into your yard to see the most amazing tree. Beautiful and glorious to look at. It is a pear tree. It will yield the most succulent, juicy pears. Nothing like you have ever seen. The problem is that you need to feed your family from this tree and as you look at the tree you notice that it only bore 1 pear. 1 pear to feed your entire family! The most delicious pear you have ever eaten. Now you need to share that with your family.

A great place to start is to measure your heart by the fruit it is producing. Are you producing many fruits of the spirit or are those fruits you are bearing rotten and inedible. You need to be looking at the motives and intentions of your heart. We will start with the fruit of Love. 

First we want to examine our lives, our thoughts and motives, our actions and intentions to see if our life is bearing the fruit of love? 

The bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (KJV)
Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (love) envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.Charity(love)never faileth.

Now let us look at what that scripture means if  you break it down. 

Do you Suffereth long; to be of long spirit; not to lose heart, preserves patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles. Bearing offense and injury of others. To be mild and slow in avenging, slow to anger and slow to punish.
Are you kind?;To show one's self mild, to be kind and use kindness. Act benevolently
Do you envieth not?; To burn with zeal. To be heated or to boil with envy, hatred, anger.
Do you vaunteth yourself?; To boast one's self, to display, employing rhetorical embellishments in extolling (Praise enthusiastically) one's self excessively. Strongs (middle voice)
Are you puffed up?;To make natural, pass into nature, puff up and make PROUD? To bear one's self loftily. Proud.
Do you behave unseemingly?; to act unbecomingly
Do you seek to have your own way?;
Are you easily provoked?; To make sharp, sharpen, to stimulate, spur on, urge. To irritate, provoke, arouse or anger, to scorn or despise. Make angry or exasperate. To burn with anger.
Do you think evil things?; Think; to reckon, count or compute, count over. To take into account or make account of. To weigh the reasons, to deliberate. To consider.
Evil; of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be. Of a mode of thinking, feeling and acting. Base, wrong, wicked, troublesome, injurious, pernicious destructive and baneful.
Do you rejoice in Iniquity?; Iniquity is injustice, unrighteousness of heart and life. A deed violating law and justice. To act unrighteous.

Keep in mind that if you behave unseemingly around your buddies and then Godly around your Christian friends at church, you are still behaving unseemingly. If you are patient with your coworkers and out of control with your children. You do not carry the fruit of patience.


If you can honestly say, " I posses and exhibit the fruit of love" then great. Otherwise you can use God's example of what love is and start asking Him to produce this fruit in your life. You can repent and ask God to start working in that area and rest assured our loving, gracious, full of mercy Father will be more than happy. That is after you come in true remorse and repentance letting him know how truly sorry you are for not walking in His ways. God already knows your heart and whether you mean what you say or not. Once true repentance takes place you will being to see true change. You will begin to see Christ formed in you in these areas. 

Keep in mind that any time we produced fruit, it is not for our benefit, but for the Father's Glory and Honor. Isaiah 43:7 “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” (KJV) 

Jeremiah 9:23-24
“Thus says the LORD:
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the LORD. ” (NKJV)

A Word from the Lord May 2013 The season of your heart

Mitch Salmon

Friday at 10:37am ·

I do not know the season of your heart. I do not know the trials you have faced or are even facing today. I do not know the troubles you have seen. What I do know is this. The LORD has a word for you today. “You are entering a new season,” declares the LORD. “While you have been oppressed in your prayer life and your walk with Me, I am creating an opening. I am creating an opportunity for you to press through and to press into Me. Many will read this word and your first response will be doubt. You will say, ‘I have heard such words before and yet they have not come to pass.’ ‘I have heard such words and yet I am in the same place fighting the same battles that seem to never end.’” The LORD says, “I understand. I walked with you through those valleys. I heard your cries. While you may have believed you were alone you were not. While you may have believed that I had turned My face from you, I have NOT. Nothing will separate you from My love.”

The LORD says, “Many of you will read this message and immediately recall your failures. You will declare over yourselves, ‘This is not possible. Look at my failures! I have done this and this and this.’” The LORD says, “Lean on My promises and believe that they are true! While your circumstances may change and while the seasons pass by, I do not change. My word is established. My promises are TRUE. What I have spoken shall come to pass. There is but one choice that remains for you. That choice is simple. Will you believe and receive or will you continue on in doubt and with a negative self image?”

The LORD declares, “As far is the east is from the west, so far have I removed your transgressions from you. Now walk into My forgiveness. It has already been given and now is the time for you to receive. Repentance is simple. Turn your back on whatever has drawn you away from Me. Turn your back on that and fix your eyes upon Me, the Author and Perfector of your faith. Leave behind not only the behaviors, but the image that you have chosen to take on because of them. That image is dead just as that life is dead.” The LORD declares, “I have new life for you. Do you not know that the old is dead and gone and that the new has come? Stop resurrecting the dead works of your past and instead walk into the new life I have prepared for you. Stop declaring curses over your own life and over the lives of others and walk into My blessing.”

The LORD says, “There is an army rising up. I have prepared a place for you to fight and WIN in the name of My Son. I have prepared a place for you among My warriors. Shed that old self image. Shed that old, dead life. Come unto Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Come unto me all who are broken and I will heal you in the name of My precious Son, Jesus.”

“Yes, this is a new season,” says the LORD. “Close your fleshly eyes and open your spiritual ones. See what I see. Profess what I profess. Declare My goodness. Declare My blessings. Declare My forgiveness. Declare these things over yourselves. Declare them over your families. Declare them over your co-workers (no matter how ungodly you believe they are). Declare them over your friends. Declare them over strangers. Listen to My still small voice and allow it to be your guide. Forsake the old, familiar voice in your head and you will find that My voice has been speaking to you all along. My sheep recognize My voice and follow their Shepherd. In this season even as the world seems to fall away from Me, I will lead and guide you on My path of righteousness. I will lead and guide you into abundance. In My mercy, I will lead and guide you into healing, wholeness and new heart.”

God’s word is spoken. If you have read it, it has been declared over you. You can choose to deny it. You may decide that it is impossible, that it is too good to be true and go back to your “regularly scheduled programming.” Or you can choose to believe and receive it. Test the word and you will find that it is the truth of the LORD spoken corporately but also to you personally. Now, if you receive this word, do not let it end here. PASS IT ON. SHARE IT. POST IT TO YOUR WALL. POST IT TO THE GROUPS AND PAGES YOU ASSOCIATE WITH. SEND IT OUT. God bless you in the name of His precious Son, Jesus. AMEN

The great falling away and The new world order. Will you join the revolution?

(© Sean Gibson) 

False teachings running rampant within the American church have created a “whiteout” condition for millions of believers. Here’s how to detect—and overcome—these destructive doctrines before it’s too late.

Editor’s Note: Most Charisma readers remember Steve Hill as the fiery evangelist from the Brownsville Revival who has since continued to win countless souls for Jesus around the world. But what many readers don’t realize is that Hill only recently came out of a three-year battle with melanoma. During that time, he received a prophetic vision warning the church of an impending “spiritual avalanche” that could kill millions. The following article on deception in the church is part of this timely message, now delivered in his latest book, Spiritual Avalanche.
Years ago my wife, Jeri, and I were driving on the interstate when we were overcome by a white cloud of windblown snow. “I can’t see a thing!” I shouted. We were experiencing a complete whiteout. I lost all sense of direction. I couldn’t see the road or other cars. Everything had vanished, replaced by this strange, mystical blizzard of white. The only thing I knew to do was to slow down and pray that I was still on the road. 

By the providence of God I came to a stop in the median, where we waited out the storm. When it lifted, I was shocked at what we’d gone through. Miles in front of me and miles behind were wrecks—too many to number. Massive trucks had slid off the road and turned over. Cars were everywhere. It was purely by the hand of the Lord that we survived.

A whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility is severely reduced by snow. The horizon disappears completely; there are no reference points at all, leaving the individual with a distorted orientation.
This is what’s happening today in the church. Many are oblivious to the dangers on the horizon. In this spiritual whiteout the reference points—the ancient landmarks—have been covered. Erroneous teachings have merged together with truth, causing innocent believers to become disoriented—and blinded.
The Lord recently imparted to me a vision concerning the state of the church and what we must do about it. Those familiar with our ministry know we’ve never played games and have a deep, reverential fear for the work of God. Given this, I urge you to take heed to the following words. If you think I’m just letting off some steam, understand that I’ve just passed through three years of cancer treatments. I had been given only days to live. And as Leonard Ravenhill often reminded me, we must speak with the unction and urgency of God. We are all nothing more than dying men preaching to dying men.
In the vision I saw the church, depicted as a beautiful ski resort, with an enormous avalanche hovering overhead. The Lord immediately revealed the interpretation. This impending spiritual avalanche carried a threat that could destroy everyone. I’ve spent countless hours in the past attempting to rescue those who had fallen prey to false teaching. Now, in this visitation from God, I saw layers upon layers of snow steadily covering the solid, traditional truth of Christ. As with a whiteout, the truth had been lost in the flurry. No one who loves God willingly preaches deception, yet a spiritual whiteout of unhealthy, unbalanced and, in some cases, unbiblical teaching is blinding the body of Christ in America, and it is quickly spreading around the world.
How Has This Happened?

Unhealthy and destructive teaching can enter the church in various ways. Sometimes a biblical truth is taught to the exclusion of other biblical truths, producing a dangerous imbalance. At other times a biblical truth is taught in an exaggerated way, often going beyond what Scripture actually says, and in the end this does more harm than good. Many times clear, biblical warnings are ignored or reinterpreted so radically that they lose all impact or effect, leaving people vulnerable and exposed.
Paul warned that the “time will come when [believers] will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Today’s church in America, as a whole, is dangerously close to turning aside to such fables. Millions have already succumbed to these false teachings. Before we lose any more souls, it’s crucial that we identify what I believe are the seven greatest lies that have infiltrated the church and have led to a whiteout of error

1) Overemphasis of Prosperity
Undoubtedly, some adherents of the carnal prosperity message are motivated by greed. For them, preaching Jesus is a means of financial gain, something Paul rebuked in the strongest possible terms, speaking of men “of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (1 Tim. 6:5).
Yet many sincere believers embrace this message too—and back their case with Scripture. They point to the covenant blessings the Lord promised to Israel for their obedience, including financial prosperity (Deut. 28:1-13). They highlight verses in Proverbs and Psalms that link financial prosperity to generosity, hard work, godly living and faith (e.g., Ps. 112). They remind us of wonderful promises, such as those found in Proverbs 3:9-10—and how Jesus reiterated these in the New Testament with teachings such as, “Give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38). And they quote Paul, who wrote about the financial principles of sowing and reaping (1 Cor. 9; 2 Cor. 8-9; Phil. 4:11-19).
Are you with me? I am not against you having money. But I am adamantly against money having you. The problem is, there’s more to the story that the carnal prosperity preachers fail to mention:Jesus warned against storing up treasures on earth (Matt. 6:19-24) and covetousness (Luke 12:15).
Jesus emphasized caring for the poor (Matt. 25:31-46).
Paul and John both taught that we should not live according to this present age (1 Cor. 7:29-31; 1 John 2:15-17).
Jesus did not die to make us financially wealthy but to save us from our sins (Matt. 1:21).
God chose the poor to be rich in faith and kingdom heirs (James 2:5).
More importantly, the carnal prosperity preachers have ignored other biblical warnings, like Paul’s powerful words to Timothy: “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Tim. 6:9-11).
Carnal prosperity preachers encourage God’s people to seek after riches—or to seek after God for the purpose of riches—often even judging your spirituality by the kind of car you drive. What does that have to do with the gospel of Jesus?

2) Exaggerated View of Grace
This hyper-grace teaching has become an epidemic (see “What’s Wrong With Grace?” on p. 28). It has slipped in almost unnoticed and taken root like an unwanted weed—easy to get in but hard to get out of the Christian. I have personally dealt with many young people who were once on fire but fell under this “kicked-back” view of God. Now, instead of pursuing Him, they are partying. This “unmerited freedom,” if not tackled and taken out, will spread to future generations, leaving us with millions of lukewarm Christians who have traded their passion for poison.
Sadly, some hyper-grace preachers live in sin and ease their consciences by preaching about a God who is all love and who never condemns, a God who doesn’t judge us by our conduct. Like the false teachers Jude confronted, they “turn the grace of our God into lewdness” (Jude 4). The New International Version describes such lewdness as “a license for immorality.”
But not every hyper-grace preacher is looking for a way to justify sin. Some truly love Jesus but are simply preaching truth mixed with error. They’ve taken an undeniable, glorious truth about God and presented it in such an exaggerated form that they nullify all divine warnings and even claim that the words of Jesus don’t apply to New Covenant believers. If this seems judgmental, then it’s time to honestly line everyone’s teachings—including mine—alongside the Word. Don’t just go through the Word; let the Word go through you. Why are we so afraid in this godless generation to confront fallacies?
These hyper-grace teachers rightly emphasize that we are saved by grace and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9), that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Rom. 5:6-8), that we are no longer sinners but saints in God’s sight (1 Cor. 1:2), that God’s love for us is not based on our performance (Rom. 5:9-10), that having begun in the Spirit we can’t become perfect by human effort (Gal. 3:3), that we are now sons and daughters of God, joint heirs with Jesus (Rom. 8:15-17), and more!
But they ignore mountains of other scriptural truths and draw wrong theological conclusions. For example, they rightly teach that Jesus died for all our sins—past, present and future—but wrongly conclude that as believers we no longer have to deal with sin (meaning we never have to confess sin or repent of sin, and the Holy Spirit no longer convicts us of sin). Aren’t you tired of hearing of another backslidden brother? Trace his steps and you’ll often find he was given permission to slip away from the wonderful freedom of holiness into the bondage of humanism.

3) Antinomianism
Antinomianism—long word, simple meaning. The word literally means “against law.” It’s a short jump from an overemphasis on the grace message to complete antinomianism. In practice, it means that “anything goes,” since Jesus has set us free. The problem is, Jesus didn’t set us free to sin; He set us free from sin.
Jesus died for us and broke sin’s power on our lives so that now, by the Spirit, we can live out the righteous requirements of the law (Rom. 8:1-4). Yet purveyors of this poisonous teaching fail to realize that Jesus calls us beyond the requirements of the law in His teaching, stating, for example, that adultery refers to adultery of the heart and not just the physical act (Matt. 5:27-28).
God’s perfect, holy, glorious law is not the problem. Sinful flesh is the problem. Sin will take you farther than you ever wanted to go. Sin will cost you more than you ever wanted to pay. And sin will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay. Sin will promise you everything but leave you with nothing. Sin will love you for a season and curse you for eternity.
For all the antinomians out there who believe “anything goes,” the question is, where do you end up?

4) Deification of Man
Many false teachings today start with man rather than with God. In contrast, when Paul laid out the gospel message in Romans, he started with God and then went to man: God is holy and we are not; He is righteous and we are not; we are under His judgment and in need of mercy, and that mercy comes through the cross.
Today’s gospel, especially in America, has a very different ring to it; rather than being all about God, it’s all about me. Just as the American way is to make everything bigger and better, the American gospel says that Jesus came to make you into a bigger and better you. That is not the gospel!
Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:24-25).
We are in grave danger worldwide as millions upon millions gaze upon man rather than God. Just take a look at our political system. Words like messiah, lord, savior and anointed one are tossed around like candy. I cringe at heaven’s response. This is a setup for the Antichrist; as we become so accustomed to worshipping man, it will be a simple maneuver for the Antichrist to move into position.

5) Challenging the Authority of the Word
The challenging of God’s authority goes back to the Garden of Eden, starting with the serpent’s challenge to Eve: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1). This satanic challenge was twofold: First, did God really say that? And second, God didn’t really mean what He said. After all, you won’t die if you eat from the tree (vv. 1-5).
That twofold challenge continues to assault us today. Best-selling authors tell us the biblical text isn’t reliable, that the biblical manuscripts we have in our possession are hopelessly contradictory, and that we can know little or nothing about the real, historical Jesus. Other authors tell us that the Bible is no more than a collection of religious traditions and that God Himself is nothing more than a religious myth.
For the most part, though, the challenge to the authority of the Scriptures is subtler, and some of it flows out of the deification of man, which says, “The Bible must live up to my standards. I will judge the God of the Bible based on my morality rather than the God of the Bible judging me based on His morality.” In short, when the Scriptures contradict our feelings and preferences rather than crucify our feelings and preferences and bow down before God and His Word, we question God’s Word.

6) Rejecting Hell
Nowhere is this questioning of God’s Word seen any more clearly than when it comes to the subject of hell and future punishment. And because we preach an imbalanced gospel—emphasizing God’s love and ignoring His wrath, emphasizing His mercy and ignoring His justice—we no longer have room for hell and future punishment in our theology.
Why did Jesus use such strong language in talking about the fire of hell and about people weeping and wailing and gnashing their teeth (see Matt. 8:12)? And why did He teach that “it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matt. 5:29)? And why do other New Testament writers warn us repeatedly about the wrath to come (see Eph. 5:1-6)?
It’s one thing to debate the exact nature of the future punishment that awaits those who reject the gospel. It’s another thing to downplay or eliminate it. Whatever legitimate debate we may have on the precise nature of the coming judgment, this much is clear from the Word: it will be irreversible, dreadful and of eternal consequence.
Revelation 20:11-15 clearly warns about the coming Great White Throne Judgment. Yet modern-day heresy teachers have taken it upon themselves to erase the judgment. The result, if believed and followed, will be too devastating to mention.

7) Universal Reconciliation
Universal reconciliation promotes a get-out-of-jail-free mentality—that in the end, everyone will make it into heaven because of Jesus’ death on the cross. (In contrast, universalism teaches that all paths lead to God.) There may be future suffering, but it will be purging rather than punishment, and ultimately everyone will be saved.
Proponents of universal reconciliation point to verses that teach that God reconciled “all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20). And they point out that just as in Adam all die, in Jesus all will live (Rom. 5:12-21).
What would you say if someone attempted to persuade you that Adolf Hitler was in heaven? “Abomination!” you would scream. “You’re deranged!” Yet that’s a sample of the fundamental false teaching of this layer of “avalanche snow.” Added to other layers mentioned previously, we will find the believer’s foundation deteriorated, and when the storms come, the house will come crumbling to the ground.
________________________________________
During this season when we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, let’s determine to glorify Him by staying pure. A gentle breeze of false teaching has become a strong wind of serious error, some of it downright heretical, and a storm of doctrinal deviation has become a massive deadly whiteout. Amid this whiteout, stay committed to His teachings. Don’t permit any false teaching to subtly weave its way into your life, bringing down an avalanche that could destroy everything you hold so dearly. I won’t let it happen. Not in my lifetime and not in yours.
I urge you to open your heart and read Spiritual Avalanche. Revelation will be imparted from its pages. This 30-minute, full-color vision shook me to the core. I wept as I saw it and wept as I wrote the book. I love the church and will do everything possible to prepare her to meet the Groom. She isn’t ready, but she will be!
Yes, Jesus said in the last days even the elect could be deceived. But not you! You’re too smart for that!

(Romans 7:19) "For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice."

Wally Tedrick

(Romans 7:19)
"For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice."

Ponder those words for a moment...confusing yet true. Romans 7 is a fascinating chapter on struggling with sin. Paul writes openly about the war within himself, the battle between the sinful flesh and the spirit. “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice… O wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:19,24).

Every one of us struggles with sin every day, and the sooner we admit that, the better off we’ll be.
If you say you don’t struggle with the flesh, you are deceived and deluded. The Bible clearly states, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

When you come to Christ, the guilt you have is taken away in Him. But because of that, those "new" in Christ might think they're never going to struggle anymore with problems, sin, and temptation (in fact, some "seasoned" Christians fall into that trap as well). In reality, when you accept Christ, you become a target of the devil because you have now defected from the devil's camp! Before you were saved, he had you on his side, and he lied and told you, “Get ‘spiritual,’ get ‘nice,’ do anything you want but don't come to Jesus.” And he and his demons surely did not give you a standing ovation when you said, “Lord Jesus, be my savior.” You defected and now you’re a target. They’re after you. When you come to grips with the truth of the continuing struggle with sin, you may say, “What do I do now?”

Some people resort to legalism. They say, “I’ll keep all the Law and the Commandments. I’ll do everything good.” They try to uphold holiness, and at the same time they become very critical of people who don’t do everything right and perfect. They are like the Pharisees of Jesus' day. And just as Jesus said to them: "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me." (Matthew 15:7-8).
Legalism is like being tied to a block of cement that drags you down. Legalism doesn’t help free you from sin. It doesn't bring you closer to Christ, and you feel condemned all the time...frustrated, miserable and completely lacking in the freedom that Christ wants for us.

Others decide they’ll go it alone, or practice the “do-it-yourself” brand of Christianity. They say, “I’ll set my own rules, pull myself up by my own bootstraps. I can conquer it. I can deal with it. I have more perseverance than most.” And these people, too, are very frustrated and miserable. Let me make this clear..NO amount of strength within ourselves can conquer sin! That strength can only come from Christ!
Paul finally comes to the place where he cries out, “Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25). That’s the key! You cannot do it alone!

One of the truths of Romans is that there is nothing within ourselves that is of any value to procure our own right standing before God. Paul came to this truth: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18). C.S. Lewis put it very simply: “No amount of bad eggs can create a good omelet.”

So no matter how many good things you think you see in yourself, obeying the Law and self-effort do not conquer sin. Only the power of Jesus Christ conquers sin. Paul’s words should be our prayer EVERY day: “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen.

Copyright: Marcia Pope & The bible

The Bible tells us we have all been given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3), and that faith comes from God. Faith is believing in God and trusting in Him regardless of the circumstances or influences around us. Sometimes we find this easy to do but many times life's dilemmas can cause our faith to weaken or fail, especially during times of sadness, loneliness, sickness, pain, depression, deprivation or fear. Although it may be hard to understand, without these struggles our faith in God would never increase. If your faith level has been low lately here are some suggestions that may be of help to you.

1) Stop worrying.
You were not created to worry and fret. The Lord wants you to be at peace. Worrying will not solve your problems. It will only drain you. God invites you to cast your burdens upon Him (Psalms 55:22). He not only cares for you, but He is far better at handling the weight of your problems. He will not abandon you in the midst of your struggles for He has promised to never leave or forsake you (Heb. 13:5).

2) Learn to depend on God for everything.
It is our habit to depend on ourselves, our jobs, our friends, our money-everything and everyone except God. Develop the habit of making God your priority, not an after-thought. Talk to Him about what you need at the very moment you need it and trust Him to provide an answer. Your faith will increase as you depend more on Him and less on yourself. Phil 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

3. Discover God's will for your life.
God has a plan for your and a work for you to accomplish. In your selfishness you may inadvertently moving in a direction He does not want you to go. Surrendering to Him may seem unnatural to you at first but His Spirit will guide you if you will allow Him to. Step forward in faith to work with Him, not against Him. Be active in serving Him by serving others. Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

4) Learn to listen to His voice.
Our lives are frantically busy, noisy and demanding. You must make time to listen for His voice. It is in moments of prayerful stillness that the heart is encouraged and strengthened. Then, with renewed faith, you are ready to move forward in obedience to the Lord's commands. "Be still", He says, "and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10).
Rev 3:22 (NIV) "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

5) Practice patience.
Patience is a profound faith-builder. Few of us exercise enough patience. We live in a world where we expect to be instantly gratified, so understandably we expect that answers to our prayers should also come promptly. However, God is not bound by time. He answers our prayers in a way that is best for us, at the time that He knows will do us the most good. We must have faith to know He is working even though it may seem like the answers come slowly. God is working to change us from the inside, and this takes time. Be patient and in time He will reveal the answers to prayer you so anxiously seek. James 5:7-8 Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Galatians 6:9
And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. Psalm 37:7-9
Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

6) Claim God's promises.
The Bible contains countless promises to cover every situation. God keeps His word. Memorize the promises that have special meaning for you. Speak them aloud whenever you can and claim them in your prayers. They are a firm support for your faith to lean on. 2 Peter 1:4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:37-39 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Proverbs 1:33 But all who listen to me will live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”

John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

The promises of God are powerful and awesome to grasp. I pray that these scriptures about God’s promises were helpful to you today.

7) Give thanks.
Our Father delights to hear us give thanks. You can always find something to be thankful for. This is why the apostle Paul says, "In all things, give thanks" (1 Thes. 5:18)), not just the good things, but all things. Learn to give thanks even for trials and disappointments because you never know what blessings such things as this can bring.

8) Look for the lessons that the Lord is teaching you.
Our life here on earth is a school and the challenges you experience each day can often be looked at as another lesson. He will only lead you into those experiences that will increase your faith, and indeed your faith will increase as you acknowledge these lessons and grow from them. Each time you past one test He will lovingly but certainly bring you to the next.

Use every opportunity you can to exercise your faith and as you do it will increase. Remember that Jesus is the Author and Finisher of your faith (Heb. 12:2). He will not stop working with you until your faith has been perfected.

Sources:

Personal experience

All Scripture references taken from the Holy Bible - King James Version
Author: Marcia Pope RN

A thankful heart prepares the way.. A Thankful Heart * A key to overflowing joy!

Copyright: Great Bible Studies

The Lord has shown me recently how important and vital a thankful heart is to our spiritual health. This sounds very elementary, but there is much to be learned here! This teaching was broken up into three parts because it is so long:
1. How God sees a thankful heart & Even when things fell apart
2. The seriousness of unthankfulness & Symptoms of an unthankful heart
3. How to become thankful

God has been prompting me to write this teaching for some time now, and now I know why! The Lord has revealed to me how a thankful heart can change the whole way you see life! It is a flood-gate opener to blessings, joy peace and all sorts of goodness. With thankful hearts, we can even touch the very heart of God, and King David even told us that when we approach God, enter into His gates with thankful hearts!
Psalms 100:4, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
I mean it when I say that developing a thankful heart can revolutionize the quality and enjoyment of one's life!

How God sees a thankful heart

Let's say that you had a grandson, and you went out and built him the best backyard playground in town. You spent thousands of dollars on it, and invested countless hours to put this together. When you're all done, you walk your grandson into the back yard to show him to new surprise. He first screams with excitement and then he cries because he thinks of how wonderful of a grandpa he has, and gives you the biggest hug you've ever received. Then for the next month, he can't stop playing in his new playground and continually thanks you up and down for such a wonderful gift. Wouldn't that make you feel good inside for blessing him in such a way? You would probably want to run out and do it all over again, just because he loved it so much and was so thankful for everything you did.

Now consider if you went through all that work and spend all that money, only to have your grandson go jump on the swing a few times and leave, and act as if you haven't invested a dime in it. Never once did he show any appreciation, or thankfulness for all you've done. Wouldn't that make you feel awful? Wouldn't that make it hard for you to continue blessing him in the future?

How do you think God feels, when He's done so much for us (He made us, gave us such wonderful bodies and minds, then when we messed up, He sent His son to die for us, etc.), and then we go throughout the day not even stopping to think about all He's done for us? We're too busy taking our children to the baseball game, watching TV, and countless other things... that we don't even stop to think about all God's done for us. How do you think that makes God feel? Do you think He gets overwhelmed with joy, and can't wait to send us more blessings? If you were in His position, would you feel that way? Wouldn't you want your people to be thankful for the goodness and blessings you have showered upon them?

When we are thankful for the goodness of God in our lives, it touches the very heart of God and encourages Him to shower even more blessings upon us. A thankful heart is truly a floodgate to the blessings and goodness of God in our lives!
Psalms 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Even when things fell apart!

A couple really neat stories in the Bible stand out to me when the subject of thankfulness is brought up. One is when Paul and Silas were cast into prison, but instead of grumbling... can anybody tell me what they were upto? Let's see...
"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." (Acts 16:25)
Now if you ask me, few of us have circumstances like Paul and Silas had to complain about. But instead of complaining, they lifted their hands to the Lord with thankful hearts and began to sing praises! Why? Because they took what Jesus said literally when He told them...

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." (Matthew 5:11)
They were taking God's Word seriously, and praising God despite the physical (here and now) circumstances... shouldn't we be doing the same thing today when things turn black around us?

So what happened to Paul and Silas and their reservations at the local prison? Let's find out...
"And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed." (Acts 16:26)

Their praises during that time touched the very heart of God, and as a result, the very ground the prison was on shook with an earthquake and they were loosed!! All I can say is... WOW! I guess you could say that their singing out in praises in the face of despair touched the very heart of God! My question to you is, would God not be touched by our praises today? Would He not do the same thing for us today that He did for them?
Another powerful story of thankfulness is the story of Joseph. God gave him visions of his brothers bowing before him, but on the earthly plane he was sold into slavery. Did he once complain? Did he once turn his back on God? He was even offered sex by the wife of Potiphar, and turned his back on sin for the sake of doing what was right! So then what happened? She lied about him and had him threw into prison! Come now, how many of us are in such positions? This man was a beautiful man of God, putting His walk with God above everything in life, and yet he was sold into slavery, then cast into prison? If anybody has a place to grumble, I think it ought to be him! But he had his mind so much on the goodness and promises of God, that it didn't even phase him! What happened? God promoted him to an extremely high position in the government, and was put in charge of the food (the #1 need of the land) during a famine!

The seriousness of unthankfulness

An unthankful heart is found in somebody who doesn't appreciate the things that God has given them. Each one of us have been given more than we'll ever know, so there are no excuses for God's children to be unthankful! Unthankfulness is looking at the negative, despite the positive.
God's Word even tells us how people can be given over to homosexuality and all sorts of uncleanliness because they were unthankful:
Romans 1:21,26-27, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened... For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet."

Symptoms of an unthankful heart

People who are unthankful will naturally have negative personalities, find it easy to complain about little things, or easily become moody. Their minds aren't deeply rooted and grounded in a positive or thankful pattern of thinking, therefore when something comes up that pushes their buttons, they quickly forget about the goodness that God has blessed them with, and begin to complain and grumble in their hearts. This brings about a negative/pessimistic personality or mood. This explains the Israelites when they would go about complaining, even after God has delivered them from the hands of their enemies. In Numbers, we are told of how the Israelites were grumbling over the manna that God was giving them every morning when they woke up, so finally God gave them meat alright... so much that they were vomiting it out of their noses!

Numbers 11:18-20, "And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?"

They were unthankful for what God hath done for them when He brought them out of Egypt, and complained about the food that He was miraculously providing for them. He even said that through complaining, they had despised the Lord their God!! As a result, He gave them all the meat they could handle until it was coming out of their noses and was loathsome unto them.

Unthankful people are known to be bitter or unforgiving towards themselves, God or other people. In Matthew 18, we see a picture of the unthankful servant who was forgiven of a great debt, but could not forgive his fellow servant of a much smaller debt. If a person is bitter or hold things against others, then it shows us that they are unthankful for what God has done for them.

Matthew 18:32-35, "Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
If we don't want to be called "O thou wicked servant" on judgment day, then it is a 100% necessity that we forgive those who have offended us. The Bible is even clear that if we don't love one another (and bitterness is proof of hatred), then we are abiding in spiritual death:

1 John 3:14, "...He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
Unthankful people are always looking down upon themselves or suffer from low self-esteem. God's Word tells us that we have been created in the very image of God, and knit together by the hands of God in our mother's womb, and when we see ourselves as failures, we are in turn being unthankful for the person that God has made us. If we see ourselves as ugly, then we are claiming that God's creation (our bodies) are ugly. Would you walk up to God and dare tell Him that something He made was ugly? I should hope not! But that's what we do every time we look at ourselves in the mirror and see ourselves as ugly. The same is true with our minds and intelligence. Despite the vast amount of technology we have today, to create a computer processor chip that will do millions of transactions in mere seconds, yet weighs no more than a quarter, there's nothing that man has created that will even come close to the complexity of the human brain. Far too often, we take lightly the wonderful and dynamic gift that God has given us when we consider ourselves dumb or less than brilliant! Each one of us were created in the very image of God, and gifted in many ways, and it is a crying shame when we refer to ourselves as anything less than downright amazing!

Unthankful people are never satisfied with what they have been given, but always want more. This is an obvious sign of an unthankful heart. Greed is a sin that causes us to become unthankful for the things that God has blessed us with. When we become greedy, we are thinking about things we don't have, rather than things we do have.

Unthankful people don't take care of the things God has given them. Those who are thankful for the good things that God has given them will take good care of those things, whether it be their mind, car, body, spouse, children, job, etc. Taking good care of the things which God has given us shows Him that those things mean something to us and we are thankful for them. Not that we ever should worship the things God gives us, but we should take good care of them.

All of these symptoms should not be found in our lives, but if they exist (and I doubt many of us are immune!), there is something we can do about it. Develop a thankful heart! So the next question is....

How do you become thankful? 

Whatever you think about throughout the day, will affect your whole personality and mood. If you spend your day thinking about golf, you will become a golf fanatic. If you spend your time thinking about traveling, you'll want to always be going somewhere or doing something... you will spend your day daydreaming about being somewhere on vacation.

If you spend your day thinking about the negative things around you and things you can complain about, you will develop a pessimistic personality. It will pull you down, and since pessimism and optimism are opposites, whichever one you allow to feed your mind will eventually push the other one farther and farther away.
One of the vital steps to developing a thankful personality, is to meditate (that is to think about often) the things that you have in your life to be thankful for. Make a list of the things God has done for you, and keep those things on your mind throughout the day. It may take a little more work at first, especially if your mind is programmed to think negatively. This process is the tearing down of strongholds and the renewing of your mind as God's Word tells us:

Romans 12:2, "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."

How do we renew our minds? Do we renew them by sitting in church, daydreaming about other things? No, we renew our minds by feeding and meditating on uplifting things (blessings in our lives) and the truth in God's Word. A pastor can help feed us the truth is he or she is preaching the Word of God as the Word was meant to be preached, but it is upto us to take what we hear and allow our minds to feast upon it. Philippines tells us what we are to set our minds upon... which includes the things that are uplifting, lovely, of good report, etc.

Philippines 4:8, "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."

Why are newborn Christians so on fire for God? Because their newborn experience is fresh on their mind... they think about it all the time, and since it's a glorious thing to think about, they are naturally all fired up over their new found relationship with God! The same is true when a person first comes into the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They are on cloud nine, because they are meditating or thinking often about the great gift they have been given! The reason so many Christians lose their fire, is because they've stopped thinking about the wonderful gifts they've been given. We as Christians should continue in this excitement and think often about our relationship with God and the blessings He's given us. If we do that in our everyday lives, we will come into perfect peace:
Isaiah 26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

My challenge to you is to stop and ask yourself, "What have I been thinking about for the past week?" If you want to change the way you perceive things, then you'll have to change the way you think. If you want to develop a thankful heart, then you'll need to meditate and think about the good things God has blessed you with. Even if it seems you have nothing to be thankful for, you have been blessed far beyond those living in the OT era, because of what Jesus has done for YOU! Healing, prosperity, joy, peace, and deliverance are all parts of what Jesus has done for YOU! God's Word tells us that ear hath not heard, nor eye seen the great things that lie ahead for those who love God! Every one of us have a LOT to be thankful for!
1 Corinthians 2:9, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

Have you ever thought to yourself? Has God given me over to strong spirit of delusion?

Have you ever thought to yourself? Has God given me over to strong spirit of delusion?

If you look into the Word you will see that this spirit is sent to those who are perishing and it surrounds the son of perdition (Antichrist) or the Lawless one..

Maybe you have never heard of that before. First of all the Websters Dictionary describes Delusion as the act of deluding : the state of being deluded
a : something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated
b : a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary; also : the abnormal state marked by such beliefs.

Now the Word of God says in 2 Thessalonians
The Man of Lawlessness

1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for [that day will not come] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessnessa is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

If you are perishing (Getting ready to go to hell for eternity) Then you have hated the truth (The Word of God or Christ (The Word of God was manifested and became flesh (John 1:14)) So in other words you hate Christ and God will send a spirit of delusion for you

Remember this spirit of delusion was offered up to those regarding the son of perdition. If you think you should support a man who is in any way opposite of the WORD of God, God may have already sent that spirit to you.. Pray and always be open to repentance and the TRUTh. Ask God to show you His truth today to avoid being struck with the SPIRIT OF DELUSION.. It could send you straight to hell...
Look UP!! God is LOVE~

When I say that I am a Christian

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I am saved" I'm whispering "I get lost!" "That is why I chose this way.

" When I say..."I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need someone to be my guide. 

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on. When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and cannot ever pay the debt. 

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect, my flaws are too visible but God believes I'm worth it. 

When I say..."I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain I have my share of heartaches which is why I seek His name. 

When I say..."I am a Christian" I do not wish to judge. I have no authority. I only know I'm loved.

Author: Unknown

Words for His Glory. By.. Itsallofhim ("Who in the world is Heman", I asked)

(Names will not be changed to protect anyone :0)~~)

Words for His Glory By.. Itsallofhim

Thank you mom! For letting me post this. Your devotions to the Lord are always such a blessings to everyone. 

Heman was one of 3 Levites assigned by King David to be ministers of music. He was a grandson of Samuel the prophet.He went on to become King David's seer, and to have 14 sons. The title of Psalm 88 ascribes it to Heman. This Psalm seems to have been written in a state of despair. According to Martin Marty, a professor of church history at the University of Chicago, Psalm 88 is “a wintry landscape of unrelieved bleakness.”

Psalm 88 ends by saying:
You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend. (Psalm 88:18, NIV).
Indeed, in Hebrew, the last word of the Psalm 88 is "darkness".

This reminds me of what we spoke of yesterday @ House church….or maybe it was another time….People that go through things for a long timeeeeeee (and ‘why’ Lord, is it so) ….I think we all get ‘fed up’ with things being dragged out in our lives…..the pain goes on and on and on and on….BUTTTTTT – we have a SAVIOUR to run to – we have the ability to ‘choose’ life or death…..joy or not….LET HIM …resonate in our spirits.  LET HIM…take control of each situation…HE will be super pleased with us, or as the ‘kids’ say nowadays “Jesus is SUPER STOKED!!)  – when we finally get to the point that we are on our knees – surrendering all of it to HIM, HE is full of JOY!!

My soul is full of troubles. —Psalm 88:3

We should marvel at Heman, (or the LORD inside of HIM…enabling him to withstand the adversity and the afflictions) the poet who wrote Psalm 88. His lot in life was unrelieved distress. “My soul is full of troubles,” he lamented (v.3). He was fed up with suffering!
Heman looked back and remembered poor health and misfortune. He looked around and saw adversity and abandonment. He looked up and found no solace. “I am distraught,” he complained (v.15). He was “adrift” (v.5), “in darkness” (v.6), “afflicted” (vv.7,15), and “cast off” (v.14). He could see no light at the end of the tunnel; no resolution of his sorrow.

Heman’s honesty sould warm our souls.  It should show us – that ‘nothing’ and ‘everything’ is common to man.  As Dennis would say…’it’s the same for all of us”…( I LOVEEEEE IT!!!!)  It was even the ame for JESUS!!!   Christians who never struggle confuse me. There’s balance, of course: No one wants to be around those who babble on all day about their troubles, but it does my heart good to know that someone else has struggled.

Yet, there’s more to Heman than mere candor. He also had a stubborn, intractable faith. Oh Lord….if you gave us all the ‘gift of Faith”!!!  How wonderful that would be.  But it’s ok LORD – Because it’s YOUR Hand that gives to some – and YOU’RE Hand that gives other things to others. I am satisfied with what YOU have chosen to give ME!!!  Despite Heman’s many problems, he clung to God and cried out to Him “day and night” (vv.1,9,13). He didn’t stop praying. He didn’t give up. And even though he didn’t sense it at the time, Heman acknowledged God’s lovingkindness, faithfulness, and righteousness (vv.11-12).

I like folks like Heman. They strengthen my grip on God and remind me never to stop praying.  But more than ‘folks like Heman’…I LOVE JESUS who enables me to do it all…HE enables me to cling to HIM…..HE has shown me over and over in HIS WORD – what to do – in every situation.  THANK YOU LORD!!!  BE MY GOD – In the midst of every storm.
In solitude, on wings of prayer
My soul ascends before the throne;
My only hope of strength is where
My heart and His meet all alone. —Anon.
JESUS is the soil in which hope grows best.  OUR HOPE is in YOU TODAY LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!!!