"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"Romans 8:35

One of His greatest promises to us is that nothing can separate us from the love of God. No tribulation or distress we might ever suffer can obliterate the power of His love to carry us through! This tells me so clearly that I cannot read God's love for me by my circumstances alone, and that's often my greatest temptation: "How could a loving God allow this to happen to me?" But the Lord never promised we would escape hardship, persecution, poverty or danger -- (in fact, He promised the opposite); the promise is that His love for us would be greater than any and all circumstances we might have to endure. Consider the life of Jesus. He went to the cross and died an excruciating death -- He didn't escape difficulties -- He experienced them more than anyone could ever imagine! So, allow His death to settle any questions you have about the love of God! Brothers & Sisters, don't ever judge God's love for you based on circumstances alone, but rather evaluate your circumstances from God's point of view: Love. It's His main motive for everything that happens to you. PRAISE GO - YOU CAN'T BE SEPARATED!

"All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."Proverbs 15:15

Solomon wrote, "a merry heart has a continual feast!" But why does it seem like so many of us are not feasting? How do we maintain a merry heart? Too often, we brood and complain over all the things we lack. Somehow we've come to believe that if good things would only come our way, we'd be truly happy. But it's not good things that bring a merry heart - it's living a life of wholehearted faith! Paul said that he was content both in want and in plenty! Mathew Henry said, "Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment and makes men torment themselves; it makes the spirit sad, the body sick, and all the enjoyments sour; it is the heaviness of the heart and the rottenness of the bones." A third-century man penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them." Lord, help us not to focus on the worldly things we lack. Help us to master our souls and overcome the world. We want to be men and women of GREAT FAITH! Lord, you have come that Your joy would remain in us, and that our joy would remain FULL! Help us to experience the full joy you have for us today! In Jesus Name we pray! Brothers & Sisters, let's begin feasting and filling our spiritual bellies with the His Word! Let's make our mouths to be filled with His praise! The joy of the Lord is our strength! FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS!

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."Hebrews 12:1-2

In 1980, the Zimbabweans won a crucial and decisive battle over the Rhodesian forces of Ian Smith. Upon delivering the important message of their victory, some commanders who were the forefront of the Chimurenga forces died -- they had completed the 26 mile course running and bearing good news, and did it totally unreserved until the moment they died. Today marathons are run all over the world, commemorating that very event 35 years ago. Anyone who has run a marathon can tell you how difficult the race is. No matter how good you are, how well trained, how prepared, there are times in the race you just want to quit. But those who persevere till the end receive a prize. Back in King Darius' day, one would win only a crown made of laurel leaves. Today, athletes compete for trophies and medals. But in God's race, we win something far more precious -- a crown that is incorruptible. Brothers & Sisters, I bet you're tired today. You are overworked, overstressed, overwhelmed ... DONE! Be encouraged! Just when you think you can’t run any further, you can! C'mon! Press through and press on for the great prize! God is with us, strengthening our feeble knees and moving us in the right direction!! OUR CROWN AWAITS!

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."2 Corinthians 10:3-6

I'm all the more reminded that we in the Body of Messiah are already at war spiritually. Constantly contending in our minds, we battle over thoughts and emotions which flow through them. The enemy often attacks by bringing up issues from our past. Failures, regrets, wounds, and traumas all have the potential to drag us down into doubt, darkness and despair. Our tremendous challenge is not to respond to these memories with old destructive thought patterns. Our victory lies in responding to these thoughts and feelings with the mind of Messiah as new creations in Him. While we don't necessarily ignore thoughts and feelings from the past, it is vital that we don't allow them to control our souls and emotions, but that we take them captive through prayers and declarations inspired by our spiritual mind. For example, is the enemy speaking rejection to me causing me to feel unwanted and unloved? I will respond that I am ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED and that the Lord has shown His love to me in many ways by His spirit and through His Body. A powerful illustration from the Old Testament is the Lord's forbidding the levitical priests from entering His Presence if they had touched any dead thing. This is a lesson for us - leave the old, dead mindset behind, the ways that you used to respond to things in the past - instead, enter the Holy of Holies and commune with your Lord! Brothers & Sisters, the battle over past issues is won when the Mind of Messiah in us takes authority over their meaning, purpose and definition in our lives With Jesus on the throne of our hearts and minds, everything in our past is brought under His authority and works together for our good! YOU'RE AT WAR

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."Psalms 139:23-24

I recently read a story about a rather pompous-looking deacon who was endeavoring to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life. 'Why do you think people call me a Christian?' the man asked. After a moment's pause, one youngster said, 'Maybe it's because they don't know you.' I don't know if this is a true story -- but I'm sure we've all experienced hypocrisy in our own lives. Mark Twain said "We're all like the moon, we have a dark side we don't want anyone to see". Hypocrisy is a dangerous thing. It has turned a many a man away from the Lord to search elsewhere for answers. It can ruin an entire generation and more after them. But we have the opportunity to change those generations for the good of God's kingdom! Those of us who know and love God must never stop allowing Him to search our "dark sides" so that we can more effectively be used as vessels to lead the hungry multitudes to Him. Brothers & Sisters, let's come against the hypocrisy in our lives. Let's ask the Lord to search our hearts today and uproot the things that need uprooting. Let's give our all to God again. There's so much work to be done! LET'S GET EXPOSED!

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."2 Corinthians 4:5-6

There was a minister often accused of being "controversial". One day a friend of minister's remarked, "So, I hear you are in hot water again." "No, I'm not the one in hot water," the minister answered. "The other fellows are. I'm the man who makes the water boil!" We're living in amazing times. Wars are being waged. Prophecy is being fulfilled. And we. what are we doing exactly? More than ever before, we should be focusing on the condition of our heart before the Lord and in prayer for God to open the eyes of the blind. We should be talking about the truth of Messiah daily with those who don't yet know Him. Who cares if people think it's controversial? This is not the time to care what people think of us! This is the time to get the water boiling! Brothers & Sisters, what's your spiritual temperature today? Is it causing anybody to boil? Good! There's so much work to be done! WHEW IT'S HOT!

"For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you use, it shall be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me pull out the speck out of your eye; and, look, a plank is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first remove the plank out of your own eye; and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of thy brother's eye."Matthew 7:2-5

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast upon her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Mom, why are some of your hairs white?" "Well", her mother replied, "every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white." A funny story, yes -- but isn't it true that we're always looking for someone to blame for our imperfections? The Lord warned us about the danger of pointing out the faults of others. He said that people with planks in their eyes should not attempt to remove specks out of other people's eyes. Somehow, we lose sight of this so quickly! We are all still growing. None of us has arrived! We need to be aware of how the enemy tries to ensnare us in this way. I don't know about you but I tend to agree with the person who said "The only person I want removing splinters out of my eyes is someone with a clear vision and a gentle touch!" Brothers & Sisters, let's ask the Lord to help us to see the ways we've been judgmental and become people with clear vision and a gentle touch! We should be building up one another and encouraging each other so that the work of the Lord may go forward and we may rejoice together in the blessing! HOW MANY WHITE HAIRS HAVE YOU BEEN GIVEN?