As the children of Israel stood at the precipice of freedom, Pharaoh and his blood thirsting team was closing in with the intent to slaughter them. With freedom in front of them and the enemy closing in behind them Moses cried out to the people in Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight your battles and you have only to be silent.”

When Moses said, ‘God will fight our battle’, what he is actually saying is that we do not have to anguish, be anxious, or be discouraged when bad things happen in our lives. Let’s be honest, when it seems like a situation or battle is hopeless or the matter at hand is too big or overwhelming, we may be tempted to doubt God. However, we must remember that no problem, battle or situation is ever beyond the scope of God’s sovereign power, wisdom and care for His children. Scripture affirms that God has promised to take care of us (Philippians 4:19), make good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and love us beyond measure (Romans 8:37–39).

Contemporary praise and worship songwriters Bryan Fowler and Shane Barnard penned these words to this very popular song entitled ‘You’ve Already Won’:

“I’m fighting a battle
That you’ve already won
No matter what comes my way I will overcome
I don’t know what You’re doing But I know what You’ve done
I’m fighting a battle that You’ve already won”

My brothers and sisters, God is in control, but that does not mean we won’t experience opposition —in fact, the Bible states the opposite (2 Timothy 3:12 and James 1:2-4). “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4). In order for a believer to live a life of endurance, character, and hope, we must put on our armor (Ephesians 6:10–17) and trust the Rewarder, Sustainer, and Deliverer. We “put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Our confidence is in almighty God, who will fight our battles and bring us safely home (Jude 1:24–25). “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).

At the end of the day, God wants us to genuinely live by faith (Romans 1:17) because faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Most people cite Exodus 14:14, but for some reason they gloss right over what God said to Moses in verse 15; “The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.” In other words, God was saying don’t just stand there, move forward by faith because I’ve already won this battle (vv 16-30).

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#TheBattleIsAlreadyWon

If you’re going through something today, and you feel alone, abandoned, abused, and discouraged never forget the God on the mountain top is also the same God in the valley. There is no pain, problem, circumstance, or heartache that God’s power and grace can’t overcome. That being said, I grant you permission to begin praising God right now for what He has already done, what He is currently doing, and what He’s getting ready to do in and through your circumstance(s). My brother, Noel was spot on; sometimes God does allow calamities in our lives to humble us and so that we remember that His power will always match His grace. 

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#PowerInGrace

God treats us better than we deserve and scripture confirms this in Romans 3:23-26 (CEV). Paul said, “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, He freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered His life’s blood, so by faith in Him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past He was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when He accepts people who have faith in Jesus.”

My brothers and sisters, we are so blessed to be a child of God! Not only has the Father given His only Son so that we might experience salvation from His wrath. But He has caused us to be born again to a living hope. A hope that will not perish or be defiled. It will not fade. Instead, it is kept in the most secure place possible — it is kept in heaven.

Hallelujah, when Jesus returns, He will bring His kingdom with Him. A kingdom that is perfect. One that will never be defeated. One that will last for all eternity. When Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom, we will be able to experience life as God designed. There will be no sickness, no death, and no disunity. There will be nothing that hinders our ability to live as God has designed.

We can completely trust all of this will come to pass because Jesus was raised from the dead. After three days in the grave — there was no way He was just faking it — He rose from the dead. After interacting with well over 500 people for 40 days, He ascended into heaven in front of the disciples and He promised to come back. His promise is guaranteed because we have been sent the Holy Spirit who works in our life day in and day out.

At the end of the day, Jesus demonstrated His righteousness when came to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. That said, even if He did nothing else—He blessed us more than we deserve!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#MoreThanWeDeserve

You better believe the ‘time’ for Jesus’ return is drawing is nearer as each day passes. That being said, which statement are you prepared to hear on judgment day?

A. “Depart from Me, I never knew you…”
B. “Well done, good and faithful servant…”

Well, I don’t know about you, but for me this is a no brainer question!!! However, in order to hear these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” from Jesus, you must be saved. It doesn’t matter how good of a person you are; the unbelieving will never hear those words, for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). And recognize that Jesus is not only your Savior; He is also your Lord (see Luke 6:46).

The phrase “Well done, good and faithful servant” comes from Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25. He tells of a master who left three servants in charge of some of his wealth. One of the servants did nothing to grow the investment. Two of them were productive caretakers and heard these words from their master. For every believer, we long to hear the same from God. So what must we do? Well, the answer is simple….you must accept Jesus’ free gift…..salvation.

Before salvation, we were slaves to sin and destined for death. But through faith in Jesus Christ, we received the gift of God, which is the salvation of souls unto eternal life: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16–17).

So, if the question mentioned in the meme makes you feel uncomfortable and you’ve never said ‘YES’ to God by putting your trust fully in Jesus, you can do it right now. There’s no better time than this very moment. To say YES, you can say a simple prayer like this:

“Lord Jesus, I believe you’re who you say you are in the Bible — that you are the Son of God who loves me, died for me, and rose again in power. Thank you for forgiving me of all my sin so I can be alive in you forever. Jesus, you are now the Lord of my life. From this day forward, with your help, I will follow after you.”

The Bible tells us, in Romans 10:9-10, “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. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”

At the end of the day, you will either hear “depart from me” or “well done”.
“..the choice is yours….I pray that you choose wisely.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#TheTimeIsNear

It’s important to remember that all Christians including members of the clergy are human beings. Not to be negative but we are broken, messed up human beings just like everyone else. Just because we decided to put our faith in God doesn’t make us “better” people. Just because we believe in a perfect man in Jesus doesn’t mean we are perfect.

Let me be clear, this does not mean I am in any way excusing any and all actions of Christians. I cannot defend any of the wrongdoings by Christians or the church. I understand if you have felt betrayed or angered or upset by the actions of church members and leaders in the past. Some have committed seemingly unforgivable acts that may have broken your trust in them. However, what I am saying is that we shouldn’t expect Christians to be better than ourselves. Or just plain better people in general. Because they are people just like anybody else.

It’s not a coincidence that Paul was inspired by God to pen these words in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Make no mistake; we are all sinners because Adam passed on his sinful condition that leads inevitably to our personal sin and death. We all share Adam’s death sentence as an inherited condition (the “sin nature”) that is passed down to and through the human race and that every child brings into the world. Even before a child can be held accountable for personal sin, he or she is naturally prone to disobey, to tell lies, etc. Every child is born with a sin nature.

The late theologian and philosopher St. Augustine explained Adam’s transmission of his sin to us with a theory known as “federal headship,” a view held by most evangelical scholars. Augustine taught the concept of “inherited guilt,” that we all sinned “in Adam”: when Adam “voted” for sin, he acted as our representative. His sin was thus imputed or credited to the entire human race—we were all declared “guilty” for Adam’s one sin.

That being said, the more I learn about Jesus and who He is, the more aware I am of my own shortcomings. The more I understand about how perfect Jesus is and the amazing love He shows to everybody, the more I realize how flawed and imperfect I am. Becoming a Christian and growing in my faith has made me actually see how badly I need God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace. It has made me see how far I am from perfection.

At the end of the day, this message is not intended to grant provisional approval to sin or to make excuses for being imperfect. However, because of our sin nature we should never view anyone from a perfect lens. After Paul explained the priceless value of knowing Christ in Philippians 3:1-11, he said these words in vv 12-13, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,d but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#INeedJesus

If you need to hear a bit of good news today let me be the first or second person to remind you that if it’s still bad, God is not done because God never ends on a negative!

If that’s not enough here’s some more good news; God will not permit any troubles, difficulties, circumstances, or hardships to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which a great blessing can come through those troubles, difficulties, circumstances, or hardships.

I like to believe there is a biblical promise inscribed for every pain. Romans 8:28 declares that, “God cause all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”

The promise that God works all things together for good does not mean that all things, taken by themselves, are good. Some things and events are decidedly bad. But God is able to work them together for good. He sees the big picture; He wrote master plan (Psalm 139:16).

As God works in the difficult situations in your life and brings good out of them, He is working towards making you strong and mature in your faith (James 1:2-4). God works in your heart through the Holy Spirit and He knows how to weave the solutions into your life. He works in ways that you may not see or understand, but the result will always bring Him glory. No matter how bad things are in your life, God’s promises will stand the test of time.

At the end of the day my beloved brothers and sisters, just because we have a BAD CHAPTER doesn’t mean our story has a BAD ENDING and as I mentioned, God never wastes troubles, difficulties, circumstances, or hardships that come our way. However, let me close this word of encouragement with a few thought provoking questions—will you use painful moments as opportunities to receive blessings from your pain, will you understand that we are called to share in Christ’s suffering (Phil 1:29), and despite these earthly challenges, will you humble yourself to become more receptive to God and His Spirit working in you (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)?

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#AllThingsWorkTogether

I don’t know what you’re going through in this season, but today I wanted to remind a few people that God is a present help in every situation! Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”

My beloved brothers and sisters, it’s so comforting to know that God is our refuge, He provides protection, safety, and we can always take shelter in our relationship with Him (Proverbs 18:10).

Outside of being our refuge, God is also our source of strength. God gives us the power we need to endure every circumstance as we serve Him, fight spiritual battles, resist temptation, and bear up under persecution. We are weak, but He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Lastly, God is an ever-present help in trouble and He promises to be our refuge, courage, confidence, peace, and strength. There’s no need to fear because God is an ever-present help in trouble, those who belong to Him can commit their way to Him and take their rest.

Effectively, God is saying, “Trust me. I’ve got this.”

Pray with me:

Father God, thank You so much for the gift of life and for allowing me to see another blessed day. Father God, let this day be a day that Your promises are fulfilled and miracles and divine favor are poured out over every circumstance known and unknown. Father God, You know my heart is heavy with so much going on. You know I don’t always get it. But, I trust that You’ve got this! That said, Father God, I humbly ask that You dispatch Your Holy Angels to protect and keep my family and friends from hurt, harm or danger… not only today but for every day. Father God, as I start this day, I choose to boldly surrender to You all my plans and desires. Please let Your will be done in my life and in the lives of those around me. This I confidently and courageously pray in the precious name of Jesus, Amen and Amen and Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#GodGotThis

The third most cited or quoted Bible verse is found in Romans 8:28 and it says, “And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

The good news is God works ALL things together for good—both His good and our good. As God is glorified, His people benefit. In other words, we serve the God of a ‘win-win’ and those who love God can absolutely trust His goodness, His power, and His will to work out ALL things for our good.

Here’s the deal, the promise that God works ALL things together for good does not mean that ALL things, taken by themselves, are good. We live in a fallen world and some things and events are decidedly bad. But God is able to work them together for good. He sees the big picture; He wrote the Master plan. Psalm 139:16 declares, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; ALL the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Paul’s life is a testament to how God works ALL things together for good. Paul suffered shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment, murder attempts, temporary blindness, and more—ALL within God’s plan to spread the gospel (see Acts 9:16 and 2 Corinthians 11:24–27). Through it all, God was steadfastly working to bring about good and glorious results.

If Paul’s transformation is not enough evidence that God causes ALL things to work for the good, let’s time hop back to the beginning of the book. All throughout his life, Joseph trusted God no matter his good or bad circumstances. Joseph experienced plenty of bad things: kidnapping, slavery, false accusations, wrongful imprisonment, rejection, and famine. But in the end God brought things to a wonderful, life-affirming conclusion. God blessed Joseph’s entire family through those painful circumstances and through Joseph’s faith. (You can read about Joseph’s life beginning in Genesis 37.)

My beloved brothers and sisters, God is impartial, non-prejudicial, and what He does for one, He will do for another. Romans 2:11 confirms, “For God does not show favoritism.” ALL we need to do is trust and possess the confidence that, no matter our circumstances, situations, or environments, God is active and will conclude ALL things according to His good and wise design. With this knowledge we can learn to be faithful, confident, and content in ALL circumstances (see Philippians 4:11).

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#AllThingsWorkTogether

Let’s be honest, it’s even more difficult to stay positive in a world saturated with so much negativity. This world has become so increasingly unpredictable as of late, I find it necessary to remind myself that God is always up to something new. But when I take a look around, it sure doesn’t seem that way. Our nation seems more like a dysfunctional family with constant bickering and fighting.

I find it difficult to turn off all the news and tune in to what God is doing. It is so easy to get entrapped by the negative side of social media and cultural lies. Live in fear. Close down. Be anxious. Stay downtrodden. There’s nothing good in this world anymore. It’s really of no surprise that some of us are growing weary and are ready to throw in the towel. And if I am speaking to you please know you’re not alone. Additionally, some of us live afraid that our God is too small and this world is too far gone. For some reason, we think He has abandoned us, and we have to make it on our own. We live on the brink of exhaustion rather than trusting in God.

Unfortunately, in this world we have to endure many trials, disappointments, and sorrows, but we do not have to shut us down. In fact, God allows them to refine us and make us more like Him. It is the difficult circumstances that help transform us and lead us to be on our knees humbly. The hard things in life are part of the process. Did you know that God can use it for your good?

As I mentioned above, God is always up to something new. He is always at work, even when I️ cannot see or understand. There is purpose because there is a promise. “God is always working things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

If this message speaks to you and your situation, Isaiah 43:18-19 will give you the encouragement and confirmation you need to continue fighting the good fight of faith and the Lord says, “Forget the things that happened in the past. Do not keep on thinking about them. I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen
even now. Don’t you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert.”

That being said my beloved brothers and sisters, take heart today. God is meticulously, intentionally, and strategically working in the midst of every small or large circumstance. He is effortlessly weaving all things together for your good. Pain is part of the refining process, and we all are a work-in-progress (Phil. 1:6). The good news is…God is doing a new thing and is not finished with you yet! God is always up to something mind-blowing, God will make a way, and we can trust Him that it will be for our good and for His glory!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#GodIsDoingSomethingNew

“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I”……this passage just hit a little different.

When David penned these words in Psalm 61 he was journeying through one of the deepest and most painful valleys of his life. Although we do not know exactly when it was written most Bible scholars agree that it was written toward the end of his exile from Jerusalem when Absalom rebelled against him.

Let’s be honest, dysfunction is never really a good thing, especially within the family, and certainly David’s family was a dysfunctional family. Absalom had done his best to take his father’s throne and his father’s life. As a result of Absalom’s actions, David had been exiled from his home and his family (read 2 Samuel 15).

Absalom had done everything in his power to destroy his own father. The only reason David survived Absalom’s revolt was by the grace of God and most Bible scholars believe when this Psalm was written, the rebellion was over and Absalom was dead (read 2 Samuel 18).

Emotionally, David probably wanted to stay in that valley of despair, but he knew that he had to go home to help restore a nation torn apart by a brutal civil war and out of his sorrow-filled broken heart birthed this beautiful, Psalm. Out of that broken heart from that shattered father poured a song of undiluted thanksgiving, praise, and worship to God.

No cap, in David’s song we find help for our own hearts when we are called on to walk through the hard places of life.

My beloved brothers and sisters, I want us to fully recognize that while sorrows will be a part of life, a sweet song can come out of our pain to the glory of God.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#TheRockThatsHigherThanMe