John 14:1-8 ERV; Jesus said, “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me.  There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you with me, so that you can be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”

 Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father too. But now you know the Father. You have seen him.”

 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

We’ve all read this before, but I love what Phillip said because it’s always been the cry of my heart, “Show me your face, God! It’s all I need. Just to see you, Lord, it’s what I want more than life.” I was always a little jealous of the disciples who walked with Jesus, talked with him, saw him do miracles, were there to witness so much yet even they didn’t know Him as the ‘Way’ until the Holy Spirit came and opened their spirit eyes to see. 

Verses 10-21; Jesus answered, “Philip, I have been with you for a long time. So you should know me. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father too. So why do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The things I have told you don’t come from me. The Father lives in me, and he is doing his own work.  Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or believe because of the miracles I have done.

“I can assure you that whoever believes in me will do the same things I have done. And they will do even greater things than I have done, because I am going to the Father.  And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you. Then the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son.  If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.

“If you love me, you will do what I command.  I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever.  The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you.

“I will not leave you all alone like orphans. I will come back to you.  In a very short time the people in the world will not see me anymore. But you will see me. You will live because I live.  On that day you will know that I am in the Father. You will know that you are in me and I am in you.  Those who really love me are the ones who not only know my commands but also obey them. My Father will love such people, and I will love them. I will make myself known to them.”

So you see that? Jesus said it twice, “And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you. Then the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son.  If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.” He wants us to know that all we need to do is ask. He wants us to live like he lived, love like he loved, do for others as he did for others. Heal the sick, raise the dead, give hope, show the Fathers love. Are we doing this? 

Check this out; “You will know that you are in me and I am in you.  Those who really love me are the ones who not only know my commands but also obey them. My Father will love such people, and I will love them. I will make myself known to them.” AHHHHH! Those who REALLY love him know and obey his commands. God loves them and makes himself known to them. So if we really want to know God, we must know Jesus, receive his Spirit of truth, do what Jesus said to do, no exceptions! The only way to satisfy the longings of my soul is to do what Jesus said.

Spirit of God who lives in us, you said you will lead us into all truth and it’s through loving Jesus and obeying what he told us to do, relying on Him in us, our hope of glory. So simple. Lay down our lives for His risen life. We walk in victory because He is victorious. Not in our own strength or ability, but in His. We fail time and time again because we try to do it ourselves but you made it clear that YOU are the way, the truth and the life. It’s through you. So I rest in what you’ve done for me. I ask that provision be mine today in every area of my life. Physically, emotionally, spiritually; provide for me everything I need to live my life so that it glorifies you. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Mark 11:22 GNV; And Jesus answered, and said unto them, Have ^[a]the faith of God. Footnotes: The faith of God is that assured faith and trust which we have in him.

All day yesterday, this verse kept circling my mind. Most translations say, “Have faith in God,” but I chose this translation simply because there are two lines of thoughts attached to it. 1. We must have the God kind of faith. That is faith that everything He speaks will come to pass. How many of us really believe that what we speak with our mouth will happen? If we did, we would pay closer attention to the things we say, for sure. But the God who created the universe, did so with his words. I’ve never heard anywhere in the bible where God was ‘only kidding’, or ‘don’t be so serious all the time!’ No, God has purpose for every word that comes out of His mouth. Matthew 12:37 says, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

2. Have faith IN God. I believe that this 2nd line of thinking is that we are not to be overly confident in ourselves or our abilities. We are to firmly place our confidence in God, in His ability and not our own. We must remember that we are His servants, His ambassadors, sent to represent God in the world. We must know the powerful God who has sent us, that He is well able to back us up and provide for us everything we need, including the power behind His words. We speak the Word with confidence in HIM. HE backs up His Word. We don’t get credit; He does.

So we are to have the God kind of faith and faith in God all rolled up together. If we deviate from that path and place our confidence in anyone or anything other than Him, we lose our power and ability to be successful in the things He sent us to do. Shoot, I can’t even love others without Him. I have to pray daily for His love, His compassion, His mercy because I wasn’t born with nearly enough to make it through my day, let alone my life. God never created us to be self-sufficient but to know He is sufficient. 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul wrote; And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

He created us to rely on His grace (undeserved and unearned favor) for everything. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. That right there is the reason we must have faith in God, so that His strength, the strength of His mighty right hand shows the world who’s in control of us. No wonder Paul boasted in his weakness, he was showing the world that man holds no power to heal or deliver, save or set free. That alone comes through faith in God.

Father, I place my trust in you today. I thank you that you’ve tested me and tried me and that you continue to test and try me everyday. Each time I begin to trust in myself and my own abilities, you remind me to place my faith in the God who split the Red Sea and made a way where there was no way. You remind me that nothing is impossible to me if I have faith in You. I take one look at who I am in the mirror and know that everything you do through me is not me, it’s because I’ve chosen to have faith in You. I give you glory and praise, I honor you and all that you are in me. Let’s do this together, Lord. Give me this day what I need to your will in the earth. To You, oh Holy God, be the glory and praise. Amen

Acts 7:51-60 ERV;  Then Stephen said, “You stubborn Jewish leaders! You refuse to give your hearts to God or even listen to him. You are always against what the Holy Spirit wants you to do. That’s how your ancestors were, and you are just like them! They persecuted every prophet who ever lived. They even killed those who long ago said that the Righteous One would come. And now you have turned against that Righteous One and killed him.  You are the people who received God’s law, which he gave you through his angels. But you don’t obey it!”

When those in the council meeting heard this, they became very angry. They were so mad they were grinding their teeth at him.  But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up into heaven and saw the glory of God. And he saw Jesus standing at God’s right side.  Stephen said, “Look! I see heaven open. And I see the Son of Man standing at God’s right side.”

Everyone there started shouting loudly, covering their ears with their hands. Together they all ran at Stephen. They took him out of the city and began throwing stones at him. The men who told lies against Stephen gave their coats to a young man named Saul.  As they were throwing the stones at him, Stephen was praying. He said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”  He fell on his knees and shouted, “Lord, don’t blame them for this sin!” These were his last words before he died.

As I read these verses this morning, I saw so many in traditional churches who have all but cut out of their bibles, any reference of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, refusing the work of the Holy Spirit because they just can’t control it. I’ve personally seen some become angry and adamant that those things passed away with the disciples, they’re not for the church today. Listen, my friends; if this is you, if you’re not convinced that the Holy Spirit is still at work in the lives of believers everywhere, you’re sorely mistaken.

God took me out of a traditional church, baptized me in the Holy Spirit with the utterance of tongues and I didn’t know anything about it. I was 15 years old, 2 1/2 years after my dad had died, angry at God, angry at everyone, trying to get lost in the world because I didn’t want to serve a God who took our dad away.  I was asked to go to a revival service where a woman evangelist spoke a message of a powerful God who wanted to do more than just save us from sin, but give us power to live a life for God. I wanted that! I didn’t want to run to the altar every weekend, confessing the sin I couldn’t keep myself from doing that week. 

Two weeks later, I knelt at an altar with my sisters and cousins crying out for more. When you come hungry before God, he will always feed you. Suddenly, it was like I was in a tunnel, I couldn’t hear anything at all for seconds, than my hearing returned and I was speaking in a language I’d never heard or learned. I wasn’t seeking tongues, I was seeking for more of God. Luke 11:13 says it this way; “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

The more I prayed in the Spirit, the bolder and stronger in my faith I became. I couldn’t read the Word enough. I couldn’t talk about God enough. I wanted everyone to know Him like I knew Him. Like Stephen in Acts, not everyone listened. Some were angry that I would talk about it, even family argued that it wasn’t of God, but you can’t take away from someone what they have experienced nor can you convince them that they have no foundation on their belief when it clearly talks about it in the Bible.

I can say this; it’s for everyone who will believe. If you don’t want it, God won’t force you to take the gift He offers. But I’d be careful what you refuse based on what you’ve been taught by man. It could be the very best thing that’s ever happened to you. If Jesus said he would send the Holy Spirit as our helper, than we’d better understand that we need help! I need the Holy Spirits wisdom everyday. I can’t imagine where I’d be today without it. I, like Paul, pray in tongues everyday, but I pray in English as well. The only difference is this; I pray in tongues first because He knows how I should pray better than I do and I need His perfect will to be done in my life.

It’s amazing to me how quickly the church grew after the Holy Spirit was poured out on the 120 that gathered together and prayed. The day of Pentecost, 3000 were baptized and joined the ranks. That’s some huge church growth right there. I can’t even imagine how long it would take to baptize 3000 people. Dear Lord, I’d be tempted to grab the garden hose and pass it around. Then in chapter 3 of Acts, Peter and John went to the temple area, saw the cripple who was asking for money and gave him a hand up so that he walked. That riled the religious leaders and they had them arrested and put them in jail overnight. 

The next day, the entire Jewish high counsel came together to question Peter and John. Lets pick up in Acts 4:7-12; They made Peter and John stand before all the people. They asked them over and over, “How did you make this crippled man well? What power did you use? By whose authority did you do this?” Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and you older leaders,  are you questioning us today about what we did to help this crippled man? Are you asking us what made him well? ¹⁰ We want all of you and all the people of Israel to know that this man was made well by the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You nailed Jesus to a cross, but God raised him from death. This man was crippled, but he is now well. He is able to stand here before you because of the power of Jesus!  Jesus is ‘the stone that you builders thought was not important. But this stone has become the cornerstone.’  Jesus is the only one who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save anyone. We must be saved through him!”

Ok, lets back the holy truck up here; we’re talking Peter, the one who denied Jesus 3 times to a teenaged waitress, HE said all this to the Jewish high counsel? The same ones who were responsible for killing Jesus? What just transpired here? How did that even happen! I’m thinking it had something to do with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit back in Acts chapter 2 verse 4. What else could be responsible for giving him not just boldness, but wisdom in speaking to the leaders. I mean really, this is an uneducated fisherman and we all know how foul mouthed those fishermen could be. Have you ever watched Wild Tuna? Seriously, can you imagine any of those men standing before any counsel saying anything of value? Verses 13-14 says; The Jewish leaders understood that Peter and John had no special training or education. But they also saw that they were not afraid to speak. So the leaders were amazed. They also realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus. They saw the crippled man standing there beside the apostles. They saw that he was healed, so they could say nothing against the apostles.

They could say nothing. How many times have you seen that happen? They basically gave them a stern warning not to talk about Jesus anymore to anyone. Listen to Peters response in verses 19 & 20 because this cracks me up; “What do you think is right? What would God want? Should we obey you or God?  We cannot be quiet. We must tell people about what we have seen and heard.”

There were at that time nearly 5000 believers, from the 120 in the upper room to 5000. Now look at us! Millions of believers around the world who talk about Jesus, who are not ashamed to be labeled ‘Christians’ even if it cost us our lives. The church is still growing and will continue to grow until Jesus returns for us. We have a choice to focus on how bad our society is, our government is, our world is, or we can focus on the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God unto salvation.  Let’s be vocal today. Let’s not be intimidated but bold in showing that there’s a better way. 

Father, we love to be your witnesses to others, to show your amazing grace and love, to be filled with your goodness and giving nature. Help us to represent you well to others that they may be drawn to You. It’s in Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Last night we heard a young woman from our church as she spoke of the supernatural power of God colliding with us and what that looks like and what it means for us, the church. I’m going to attempt from memory, to give you the highlights with my own twist on it because it was such a revelation.

She began by describing an auto accident, two cars at a high speed, going toward each other and colliding. The first thing we notice is there is death. The second is that it looks messy and the third are the onlookers or as I call them, rubberneckers, who slow down traffic just to gawk and give their opinion of what happened. This is how things look when the spirit of God hits us; first the Spirit of God supernaturally gets our attention by colliding with our natural. Secondly, there is death to our flesh, our dream and goals, our plans and agendas, Thirdly, people begin to talk about us, giving their opinion about what’s happening, what’s going on.

Acts 9 tells about a man named Saul (whose name changed to Paul, author of most of the new testament) when he had a collision with God. He had been trying to stop the ‘Jesus’ movement by arresting, killing and persecuting these new believers. Upon getting permission to go to Damascus and do the same there, he collided with the Spirit of God. Lets begin with verses 3-9: As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”  “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!  Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”  The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one!  Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

How many knows that God never leaves you the way you are? He didn’t leave Paul that way either! Let’s continue in verses 10-16;  Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied.  The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.  I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”  “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!  And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.” But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.  And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

Wait, for a moment I thought I read that Ananias questioned God. Oh yeah, he did! You see, I believe that God has called us to speak to some unlikely people who will be instrumental in this last day revival, this collision of the Spirit and flesh  Last night I met a couple from Michigan who sold everything they had and came to this city, no job, no family, no logical reason for being here. They JUST moved down and God had them go to a certain phone store to get their phones turned on. The person working was our youth pastor who just happened to follow the prompting of the Spirit and ask them if they found a church yet. After inviting them, they came Sunday and was back again on Wednesday night for our Atomic Warfare Prayer.

I couldn’t get this couple off my mind last night. As I lay in bed asking God what could I do to help them, He pointed out to me that this couple was drawn by the Holy Spirit the same way Walt and I were. We collided with a couple who are linked with us for Kingdom purposes that we don’t even fully understand yet. I’m blown away! It pays to obey! You see, God is waiting to collide with us, each of us, to place us in the right place at the right time to reach someone, to encourage someone, to build His Kingdom on the earth.

We can’t look away because it makes us uncomfortable. We can’t turn our backs because we don’t have much. When God asks me to give, I don’t see my lack, I ask what I can give. It may not be money, it may not be food, it may be just inviting them for fellowship, offering to babysit, taking a moment to talk. We can’t be so caught up in our own problems that we overlook opportunities to build Kingdom. God help us!

Going to prayer on Wednesday nights isn’t always convenient. Sometimes we just plain don’t feel like going, I know I didn’t last night. I was struggling all day because I didn’t get much sleep the night before, I felt like my body was fighting off something. When Pastor Carmen said she was going to give me the night off from praying a portion of the Atomic Warfare Prayer last night, I thought, this would be a perfect opportunity to stay home and go to bed, after all, I didn’t feel well. But I recognized that voice! My response was, ‘Get behind me Satan! I’m going to the house of the Lord to pray because if you’re fighting THIS hard to keep me from going, must be God has something amazing planned out.” Had I stayed home, I wouldn’t have met and talked to this couple as we were walking out the door.

I hope this encourages you to keep colliding with God. My internet wasn’t working this morning so I couldn’t blog. I decided to do it from work for the same reason I decided to go to church last night. When the devil fights that hard to keep me from doing something, I fight back. Resistance is a good thing when you’re fighting the enemy, it is NOT however, a good thing when you’re resisting God.

You know how it is when you just don’t fit in? According to Jesus, we’re not to fit into this world. We may be in the world, but we’re not of the world. John 17:13-14 ERV says, “I am coming to you now. But I pray these things while I am still in the world. I say all this so that these followers can have the true happiness that I have. I want them to be completely happy.  I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world.”

Jesus continues with his prayer in verses 15-19, “I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One.  They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world.  Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth.  I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world.  I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.”

I love that Jesus prayed this over us. He was thinking of us way back before he gave his life on the cross, each one of us. He asked the Father to keep us safe from the Evil One and to make us ready for service through the Word of God. So, he was praying protection and preparation over us. What a beautiful prayer. I like to personalize it, you know, put my own name in there. “I am not asking you to take Sandy out of the world. But I am asking that you keep her safe from the Evil One. Sandy doesn’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. Make her ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth.  I have sent Sandy into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for Sandy, so that she also might be fully qualified for your service.”

I make this my prayer today, that I be ready to serve you, full of your Word. That you glorify me through your Son, my savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for loving me, redeeming me, comforting me, communing with me this morning and throughout my day. May your voice be the only voice I hear, the only one I obey. May your Name be lifted up that all who see me may see you and know you. You’re not far off, you’re at home with me. Someday, I will see you face to face. Someday I will know in full what today I only know in part. Someday I will sit at your throne and sing Holy! A song you never tire of, the song of truth will ring out and the world will know that you who have created us all is Worthy!

We recently bought a canopy and the instructions inside were in two different languages, neither were English. We figured out how to set it up, but tearing it down was ridiculous. We ended up breaking it and after a couple weeks, got a complete refund for the product. Instructions can be crazy! But instructions that you can’t understand, really?

Joshua 6:1, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.” Sounds like it was Jericho 1, Israelites 0. No entry, off limits, shut up with a big fat no trespassing sign on it. How many have ever felt that the thing that God had promised is securely shut up? The Lord promised it to you, but it’s like someone has put a ‘no entry’ sign on the only door in. Can I just encourage you this morning for a few minutes? Timing is everything! Stop frustrating yourself with trying every key on your key ring, praying every prayer in your book and everyone else’s book. It’s not going to open until God opens it up.

Verse 2, And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” Ha! SERIOUSLY GOD? You do see the huge walls around the city, right? They’ve locked the doors! No entry! Surely you see that, Lord. What was it God was doing? He was opening Joshua’s ability to see in the Spirit, hear in the Spirit and obey in the Spirit. Every battle must first be won in that realm first.

Then instruction time in verses 3-5, “You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.  And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.  It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, andwhen you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

Wait a minute. Did I miss something in here? He called them ‘men of war’. I thought these were brick layers and slaves out of Egypt who’d been walking in the desert for 40 years. When did they learn THOSE skills? Where’d they get weapons? I’m confused. Perhaps God is seeing something we don’t. How many times do we hear God calling things that be not as though they are in the bible? Could it be that He sees us differently than we see ourselves? And why the crazy instructions? That doesn’t even sound like a good plan! March around a city once for 6 days and on the 7th you blow the trumpet and shout. Ummmm, that’s a little bit crazy. Ok, that’s a LOT of bit crazy!

Perhaps the reason we don’t get the doors to open is because we refuse to follow the crazy directions the Holy Spirit gives us to do. We’re so afraid we’re going to look foolish. Our flesh screams out in opposition, “That just can’t work!” We cry out to God for our door to open but we don’t trust His voice enough to do the crazy to get the door to swing open on it’s own.

Twelve years ago, we decided to step out in ‘crazy’ faith to move to Florida because God instructed us to. We had no job, no source of income.  We made an offer on a house and closed in July. September we moved our things in. 2 weeks later Walt found a job making less than what he made up north. Crazy, right? Let me show you where that ‘crazy’ connected us to. We hooked up to a pastor who had such a vision for the city and a heart after God because our pastor up north had mentioned we may want to assist him with his vision. 6 months later, he left his denomination to launch out an independent church where he could follow the crazy instructions the Holy Spirit led him to do.

Here we are, connected with this amazing man of God and his family, growing in faith and the commission God has for our lives. Our prayer lives are off the chart. Our marriage is off the chart. We are walking in the favor of God like never before, all because we chose to follow the crazy, unreasonable instructions God gave us. We didn’t share the plans with many people because we knew they wouldn’t understand. I don’t even think that WE fully understood the plans God had or has for our lives, but I will tell you this; regardless of how scary or intimidating those walls look, I know a God who can unlock any door and I will follow HIS instructions to take this city for Him.

Let’s repent for our disobedience, for not moving when God said to go. Let’s ask Him for another chance to obey, just remember, it WILL be crazy but He will get the glory.

I will begin this morning by reading from Habakkuk 3:19 Amplified translation;  ^“The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!”

My take on  this is that God created us to walk and make spiritual progress. If you’re not moving, you can’t progress. So often I hear people talk their problems, talk about the economy, talk about the president, talk about the war, healthcare, give their opinions on what they think should be done. What I DON”T hear, is the Word being spoken over these things. I see people sitting, watching, waiting, but I don’t see people standing on the Word, believing what they read and taking territory for their God.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:12 NKJV, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. Ephesians 6:10-13 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.   For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Stand on His Word.

Like the old song, “Onward Christian Soldiers” We’re marching forward, not retreating. We’re taking souls for the Kingdom, speaking encouragement to the weary and downtrodden.  Administering first aid to the wounded, ministering to their need. Adversity and trouble were meant to cause us to grow, not paralyze us in fear. Trials are designed to make us realize that we can’t do a thing apart from the God who lives in us. It teaches us to rely on Him as our victory, to trust His strength in us when we’re weak. To trust the Healer who lives in us when we’re sick.

Remember this, my remnant friend; moving forward is what we are made to do. Retreat is not an option. I leave you with the words of Paul found in I Corinthians 9:24-26, “ You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one runner gets the prize. So run like that. Run to win!  All who compete in the games use strict training. They do this so that they can win a prize—one that doesn’t last. But our prize is one that will last forever.  So I run like someone who has a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something, not just the air.” Make your words and actions count today. May they mirror the image of the One who lives in us.