A Spiritual Guide

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Tuesday June 30, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Psalms, please read chapters 31-35 in your Bible or Click Here to read them. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm " title="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm " target="_blank"http://www.biblegateway.com/p...%2031-35&version=9

Today's Message: Praise The Lord, Always
Often, we may not feel like praising God because of some of the circumstances we face. Satan loves to keep us wallowing in our sorrows, but when we praise God through them we will not only find joy, we will kick Satan to the curb.

David faced constant danger, grief, trouble, or humiliation, but regardless of what he was facing he always trusted God and went straight to Him in prayer. “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.” - Psalm 31:1-4. As a Christian we seem to face more challenges then others simply because we choose to follow Christ. Satan will stop at nothing to use our circumstances as a way to prove to the world that we are fools for standing up for Christ. However, the great thing is that God is right there with us and no matter what He will deliver us out of the net that Satan casts over us.

David gives all of us hope that no matter how new or old we are at serving God we are forgiven of our sins when we come to Him. As godly as David was, there were times in his life where he let his flesh make decisions for him instead of God. When Nathan the prophet confronted David with his iniquity, he confessed his sin and his need for mercy and forgiveness. “I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” - Psalm 32:5. The word Selah, means to pause for a moment and reflect on that verse. When we acknowledge our sin we are telling God that we admit we did wrong, when we confess our sin to Him we are telling Him we are not hiding our sin, but confessing that we did commit the sin. Then, God is merciful to forgive us and it is all forgotten. The truth is, God already knows what we did, I always imagine Him sitting on His throne, looking down at what we are doing and just shaking His head as He sees His children try to hide their shame for the sins they just committed. He knows that we have this flesh that is hard to control sometimes, especially when we are not walking with God. Remember, we are like sheep who easily become lost when we are not guided by our shepherd. We do not have to be ashamed, we did wrong and we have to admit that, but that's the hardest part. Once we confess, we are forgiven and a huge burden is lifted off of us as God takes it all away. What a wonderful God we have!

What a privilege we have to join with David and the multitudes since his time, praising the Lord for all the blessings He has given us, even the blessing of discipline. “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” - Psalm 34:1-7. David praised God no matter what he was going through and he always encouraged those around him to do the same. When we praise God during church services, at mealtime, and during daily devotions is good and right and fills our hearts with joy, but if we take that even further and do it throughout the day, especially when we have burdens in our heart we will always see joy in the midst of them. Those who live in the world and even some Christian's never understand how a person going through so much pain is always so happy. That is the joy of the Lord. Amen!

I will tell you that for the past few weeks I have been writing a commentary for my website on God vs science and I will tell you what, there are so many deceived people out there. The more I learn the more I praise God every day that I know the truth. I will gladly shout off the rooftops that, “I Am A Child Of God! Praise God! Halleluiah! Amen!” It is those constant praises and the power of God that keeps me lifted and full of joy as I see so many corrupted people defending Satan himself. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” - Romans 1:16.

Today's Prayer:

Dear Lord,
There are so many opportunities for praising You and rejoicing in You.  Your mercies are renewed daily and Your provision is experienced in our lives each moment of every day.  Though we cannot predict the future we can predict Your faithfulness because You are a God that does not change.  Every promise You’ve made is true as we have seen in the Biblical records.  This gives us reason to trust You for the dawning of a new year where we will once again experience Your guiding presence in our daily lives. In Jesus' Name.............Amen.
Have a wonderful and blessed day/night and enjoy the rest of your week.
God Bless,
Christina

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Monday June 29, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Psalm, please read chapters 23-30 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm " title="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm " target="_blank"http://www.biblegateway.com/p...%2023-30&version=9

Today's Message: Don't Feel Like It
Physical and mental pain can ruin any joy that we have, but giving praise to the Lord, even when we don't feel like it brings powerful deliverance and wonderful blessings.

David, who grew up a shepherd boy, now king, saw himself nothing more than sheep being led, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to to write the most famous Psalm in the Bible. "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." - Psalm 23. No other livestock requires more attention than sheep. Left alone, they can easily become separated from the flock and get lost, who are also the most defenseless and helpless animals that God has created. By nature we are all like sheep, as long as we have the Good Shepherd watching over us we are safe and can not fall into danger. "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep..........I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." - John 10:7,11. However, if we stop following Him, we easily go astray, get lost and head straight for the wolf in sheep's clothing, whom is none other than Satan himself.

After David's recovery from an affliction which had very nearly proven fatal, he wrote this Psalm. "I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." - Psalm 30:1-5. David began to praise God for healing him and encouraged all to praise Him and thank Him for His grace. Distress of the body is common and sooner or later comes to almost everyone. This distress was the instrument that God used to urge David to write this Psalm, glorifying our wonderful God. David knew that God was the source of his recovery, he prayed wholeheartedly and wholehearted prayer always leads to praise and glory, despite what looks hopeless. We overcome the fears of affliction when we recognize that it is not chance but God that lifted us up.

Whatever else God in mercy, grace, and wisdom may have in mind for His children who experience afflictions, there is one thing very clear, the Lord is near those who are suffering. We can not question why we are faced with bodily pain and suffering, it's not anything that we have done or a punishment from God, as we learned from the book of Job. Instead of wallowing in sorrow for our suffering to end we need to praise God, the only thing wallowing will do it make things worse. "But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;" - II Corinthians 1:9,10. It is we who convince ourselves that there is no hope, but if we put our trust in god and praise Him during every bit of affliction we face, we can always be sure that God will deliver us our of our pain. Praise God!

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
There may be readers who are suffering today, but we know that You alone are the source for healing those fragile bodies. Lord, touch them and give them comfort today knowing that You are near and will heal them when the time is right. Lord, we too struggle at times with suffering, whether it is physical or even mental, help us to rid ourselves of habits and attitudes that bring a complaining, ungrateful or begrudging spirit. Renew us with a persistent spirit of joyful praise, contentment, and gratitude for as long as we live. We can rejoice in your goodness toward us and in Your steadfast love that never ceases. In Jesus' Name.........Amen.

Have a wonderful day/night and week.
God Bless,
Christina

P.S. Please forgive me for being behind on posting the daily messages, I myself have been suffering physically, but I am rejoicing because God has delivered me from my suffering. Praise God! All should be back to normal as of today. Thank you for being such faithful readers, I may not even know you by name, but know that I am praying for each and every one of my readers. If you have just found me, welcome and know that I am praying for you too. God bless each and every one of you.

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Thursday June 25, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Job, please read chapters 38-40 in your Bible or Click Here to read them. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job" title="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job" target="_blank"http://www.biblegateway.com/p...%2038-40&version=9

Today's Message: God's Grace
When our world turns upside down and everything and everyone seems to be against us, God has promised that He would never leave us. His grace is sufficent enough to help us overcome all the circumstances we face.

While Elihu continued his condemnation against Job, a storm was brewing, which halted in his speech. Suddenly the voice of God was heard out of the whirlwind and all his accusations came to an end. “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” - Job 38:1-4. God was saying to Job, “Why are you giving advice without any knowledge of the truth? Brace yourself, be a man, and answer me. Did I not create the earth? Then why are you questioning My wisdom over your own understanding.”

Day after day, Job was left to wonder why he experienced all the disasters, but there was not even the slightest word to explain his suffering. Instead, God revealed His greatness, power, and wisdom, through His creation. God asked Job about 80 questions no man can answer, reminding Job of man's limited knowledge and of God's infinite wisdom “Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?” - Job 38:31-35.

The Mighty God, who created the universe, also created us, cares for us, patiently listens to our prayers, and provides us with what is best for us in the light of our eternal destination. Even the wisest astronomer or the most spiritual person can not explain or change one star in the marvelous array of Pleiades, one of the most beautiful clusters of stars visible to the naked eye.

Job's only reply was, “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.” - Job 40:4-5). Job realized how unqualified he was to question why the Lord would allow him to experience such pitiful humiliation and intense suffering. When we consider the greatness of God's wisdom, we recognize how unfit we are to understand God's ways. We all need to see how unqualified we are to question His wisdom. Nothing is unforeseen and no one is overlooked or left out by our Creator. He imparts inner strength and sustains us by His indwelling Holy Spirit who guides us and reminds us that God's grace will help us overcome all of our circumstances. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” - II Corinthians 12:9.

Today's Psalm: 84:11
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Today's Prayer:

Dear God,
It's amazing to know that You tenderly care for all our needs. Even though we may not always understand what is going on, Your grace is beyond measure and more than sufficient for our daily needs. When we are weary and discouraged You restore our soul and renew our hope, in this life, and most especially through life’s circumstances.  Thank You for Your anointing and outpouring of blessings that overflow in our lives. For all that we have we give You thanks! In Jesus' Name.........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night and enjoy the rest of your week, the weekend is almost here, Praise God.

God bless,
Christina

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today Tuesday June 23, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Job. Please read chapters 30-33 in your Bible, or Click Here to read them. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job" title="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job" target="_blank"http://www.biblegateway.com/p...%2030-33&version=9

Today's Message: Just Keep Praying
When circumstances arise we as Christian's are told to keep praying and God will answer our prayers, but sometimes it seems as though we pray and pray and pray and God is not listening. God is in fact listening, it's when we stop that He backs off, but if we just keep praying He will answer, one way or another.

There is no other person in biblical history, other than Jesus Christ, that suffered so much physical and emotional pain and public humiliation as Job did. There seemed to be no end to the cruelty of the people who made his suffering even more painful and miserable. “They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face. Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me. Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.” - Job 30:10- 12. There seemed to be no end to the anguish which Job suffered, even contempt from those who spit in his face as he cried out in prayer. Godly men and women are often falsely accused, criticized, and condemned as hypocrites. The best saint often receives the worst disgrace from the self serving crowd.

What was more discouraging to Job was that he felt as if God was not hearing his prayers. “He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not. Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me. Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance. For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living. Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.” - Job 30:19-24. Job, must have felt as though the whole world was against him and that he was destined to die miserably. During times like these, our faith is often put to the test. We are to walk by faith and not be dependent upon the things that we can not see. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” - Hebrews 1:1. However, that can be a challenge at times. In order to over come our circumstances, we must put our trust in God and the promises of His Word at all times, faith does not originate on it's own, it is a gift from God and we must ask Him to increase our faith every day.

One of the most difficult trials for a Christian is praying, especially when circumstances arise, and to continue praying even though there are no signs that God is listening. However, the effectiveness of our prayers can not be judged by immediate results. There are many reasons why God delays in answering prayers, nevertheless He answers them all. There is a poem that I read once, called No, Slow, Go. It relates to how God answers prayers, I do not know the poem by heart, but this will give you an idea of what I am saying.

1. No, at times God says no, this may because what we are asking for may bring harm to us or to others. Or it may be something that He knows will hinder our relationship with Him.

2. Slow, at times God says no for a time because He is preparing us to be able to handle what we are asking for. Or we are desiring the thing we are asking more than God, therefore we need wait a while.

3. Go, this is when God says yes, we are ready to handle things.

One thing I would like to point out is that God rarely answers a prayer in the way that we expect, usually it is far better than what we have been asking for. Also, be very careful of what you are asking for, sometimes He just may answer a prayer that you really do not need answered to prove a point. The very fact that our requests are sometimes granted and sometimes denied is proof in itself that we are cared for by a God of love whose ways are governed by His wisdom and always for our own good. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:38,39.

Today's Psalm: 5:3
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

Today's Prayer:

Dear God,
I want to praise You, my great Redeemer, for who You are and for Your acts of kindness seen so many times throughout my day.  I never cease to praise You because You never cease to work on my behalf.  Your mercy and love, Your strength and comfort, Your sustaining power and guiding hand are only a tiny fraction of the many reasons that lead me to praise You.  Instead of a murmuring and ungrateful attitude, I want to join with the multitude of believers and sing of my Great Redeemer’s praise to everyone, everywhere, all the time. In Jesus' Name..........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.
God Bless,
Christina

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Sunday June 21, 2009 (Happy Father's Day!) and we are continuing our studies on the book of Job. Please read chapters 21-24 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job" title="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job" target="_blank"http://www.biblegateway.com/p...%2021-24&version=9

Today's Message: Spiritual Defeat
Spiritual defeat inevitably faces the Christian who lives year after year, never reading through the Bible because they ignorantly believe they have sufficient wisdom without God's Only Written Word.

Job's friends mistakenly assumed that all his problems were the result of his secret sins. They assumed that wicked men are miserable and, since Job was exceedingly miserable, he must be very wicked. Job responds to his friends and the question arises: Why do the wicked prosper and go unpunished? “Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.” - Job 21:7-9. We often do not understand why we face disappointments, sufferings, or being misunderstood, but we can believe and trust in God, since He always gives His best to all who desire to do His will.

Eliphaz, continued with his blunt, critical, and cruel condemnation of Job, telling him to repent and return to God. “Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?...............Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” - Job 22:3-5,21-23. There are still self-righteous, overbearing, opinionated people like Eliphaz, who are quick to pass judgment on anyone who doesn't believe as they do or who experience difficulties or sickness.

Job, confident in his faith declared, “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” - Job 23:8-12. Job believed that, since God was faithful to His Word, He also would be faithful to His obedient servant. Furthermore, he believed that although God seemed nowhere to be found, his faith did not rest in his fears and feelings, but in His Word. The devotion of Job should be an inspiration to all of us who are not as concerned about knowing the "reason" for our suffering as with knowing God and His Word, the only true source of guidance.

Some have assumed they were a Christian because they were a member of a church, but they have not experienced the transforming power of God's Word, they may talk like a Christian and yet they do not desire Christ as Lord of their lives. To have a Bible but no desire to know how God would have them live is useless. Until they repent of their sins and accept Christ as both Savior and Lord, the Bible has little value. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” - Colossians 2:6-8.

Today's Psalm: 126:6
“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
We are so thankful that there is nothing in our past or future that can separate us from Your love or daily provision for our lives. You provide the necessary tools to overcome the difficulties we encounter from earliest childhood to present day.  Though the enemy seeks to disrupt our lives, pollute our minds and sear our conscience we will not be defeated by evil.  Instead we overcome evil with the steadfast goodness You instill in our hearts as we hold dearly to the light of Your Word.  We say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passion as we eagerly wait for our great hope in the second coming of Your Son, Jesus, who will unite us with You in heaven. In Jesus' Name..........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night and week.
God Bless,
Christina

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Saturday June 20, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Job. Please read chapters 17-20 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job" title="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job" target="_blank"http://www.biblegateway.com/p...%2017-20&version=9

Today's Message: Redeemed
As Christians we are constantly being misjudged, even by family and friends, however Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer, has faith in us and will always help us endure all the pain and suffering we face.

After countless accusations from his friends, Job lost all hope of any recovery, he was ready to join God in heaven saying, “My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?............... Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow. …........ But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you. My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.” - Job 17:1-3,7,10,11. Job just wanted all the pain to be over with, including the endless slandering by his friends. There are times in all of our lives when it seems everyone is against us, even God. However, God is in fact with us and all we need to do to get His attention is call on Him. That is where many people fail, it's easy to have a relationship with God while everything is going well, but it becomes harder as things start falling apart. You see, what actually happens is that we get so confident while things are going well that we actually stop seeking God's help. We slowly lose that mentality that we no longer need God (usually without realizing it) and that's when things start to fall. Now, this is not punishment, it is merely God's way of showing us that we need Him every day.

Bildad spoke a second time, and this time his words were more severe, making the assumption that his suffering was due to him being a sinful hypocrite, trying to exempt himself. “He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place? Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him..............His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street. He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings. They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.” - Job 18:4-6,17-21. Here is a man, who is supposed to be a friend, literally telling Job that he was dying because of his wickedness and that not even his family will remember him. I imagine by now Job was anxiously waiting for God to just take him out of his misery, but these accusations must have left him heartbroken and thinking that he was going to die being misjudged as a sinful hypocrite. He knew that his heart was right with God, but his friends refused to believe that. There is no worse feeling then being accused of things that you know you did not do, especially when your family and friends will not believe you. We can overcome, even the worst of criticism, simply by putting our faith and trust in God.

With every lash of condemnation from his friends, came a greater depth to Job's confidence in his life beyond the grave. The only way he was able to bear the unjust reproach of his friends was by living in the expectation of the glorious appearance of his coming King. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me? Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.” - Job 19:25-29. This revelation of life after death is one of the greatest told in the Old Testament. God leads us to see, through Job, that we have no valid excuse for complaining about our suffering, material loss, or being misunderstood by others because Our Redeemer will come to take us away from all pain and suffering.

According to the Law, a redeemer was the next of kin who was responsible for redeeming (buying back) an enslaved kinsman or his lost inheritance (Leviticus 25:25). Today, Our Redeemer is the Lord, Jesus Christ. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” - Romans 3:23-25.

Today, I am going to close with the chorus of an old church hymn, Redeemed.

Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.

Today's Prayer:
Dear Jesus,
I want to fix my eyes, my thoughts, and my affections on You, my blessed Redeemer. Though You faced enormous opposition that would provide understandable excuse for altering Your redemption plan, You endured Calvary’s cross for us.  When I consider the depth of Your commitment I am determined to be faithful even when no one else approves of my Christian walk. Jesus, help me to endure by keeping my eyes, not on that which is seen, but on the future rewards that You promise to those who are faithful. In Your Name, Jesus..........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
God Bless,
Christina

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Friday June 19, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Job. Please read chapters 13-16 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online. http://www.allonlinebible.com/Job/13" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/Job/13" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-16,last/13.html

Today's Message: More to Life
In the middle of our worst trials, we must not lose sight of the fact that this life is not all there is. For a Christian, we will enjoy an eternity in heaven.

Satan stops at nothing to prove to God that He does not have any faithful servants here on earth. However, God knows us better than Satan and in the end he is the one who will suffer more that any of us, and he knows it too, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." - Revelation 20:10. Satan knows that he will suffer severely an eternity for the pain that he caused God's people.

Satan's accusation against Job was that he would give up everything, even his faith in God, to save his earthly life. However, the boldness of Job's faith and faithfulness brought on a new revelation of his relationship with God. It was the turning point in the conflict between God and Satan. Job made it clear to his friends that although he was being afflicted he placed his trust and life in God's hands, whom will justify him. "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears. Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified." - Job 13:15-18. Job also made it clear to them that God was his salvation. Today, Jesus is our salvation and we too need to place our trust and life in His hands. He alone can get us through every bit of the pain and suffering that Satan instills in us.

Although Job gave up hope of recovering his health, wealth, children, or high esteem among the people, he did not become bitter or resentful toward his accusers or toward God. Instead, he looked forward to being with the Lord after his death. "If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands." - Job 14:14,15. Job was assuring his friends that there will be a time when after death, he had the utmost confidence that he would live again and be changed. When we realize that our lives are in His control, we will put our complete trust is hands knowing that He will fully accomplish His purpose in us.

Job, sets an example for all of us to follow, we can not let circumstances control our lives. Many people want to blame God or others for the wrongs in their lives. Instead of making the best of their situation they easily become dissatisfied, bitter, or engulfed in self-pity. Their self-image depends on others' reactions. When others praise them, their self-esteem rises; when they are criticized or their plans fail, they feel defeated. However, Job didn't need praise from people in order to maintain his faith since he retained his confidence in the wisdom and justice of God. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." - Romans 8:16-18. All who accept Christ are children of God, therefore we will be glorified through our suffering.

Today's Psalm: 50:14,15
"Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Your grace and tender mercies are present in the midst of the suffering that develops in our lives and the lives of those whom we love. Your power working within us takes the bad things that Satan hurls at us and turns them into testimonies of praise and thanksgiving when we seek to glorify You in the midst of all suffering. Only You can help us to not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good.  As we share in Your sufferings, we also share in Your glory.  Be glorifed in our lives; in the good, in the bad, and in the mysterious circumstances of our lives. In Jesus' name.........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed night/day and weekend.
God Bless,
Christina
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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Wednesday June 17, 2009 and today we are continuing our studies on the book of Job. Please read Chapters 5-8 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online. http://www.allonlinebible.com/Job/5" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/Job/5" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-8,last/5.html

Today's Message: Comfort From Others
As Christian's we are constantly being watched, but often it's not to be observed as an example to follow, but to be caught doing something that would prove us to be hypocrites. We need to be extra careful of how we comfort our fellow believers because Satan is the accuser of the brethren and will try anything to cause friction, especially between Christian's.

When Job's friends came to see him the best thing they did for him was to sit still and be silent for a week. In addition to his physical sufferings, his financial loss, the death of his children, and his wife's bitterness toward God, all three of his friends misjudged his integrity and continued to unmercifully attack him day after day. Eliphaz, his eldest friend spoke first. “Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause...........Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.” - Job 5:6-8, 27. Do you see how Eliphaz was trying to get Job to admit that he needed to confess his hidden sin? And on top of that he tried to tell him that he needed to hear this for his own good. I bet you have come across some people like that in your life? And the crazy thing is that we start to second guess ourselves into to thinking that we really did do something wrong. This is nothing, but the work of Satan himself, he will stop at nothing to get us to question whether or not we are living righteously for God.

After listening to lengthy accusations, Job replies in a pitiful plea for God to take him out of his misery. “But Job answered and said, Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.............Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!” - Job 6:1-4,8,9. Job was at lost for words, he felt as though God was piercing him with arrows that were drying up his spirit. All he could say was, God destroy me and cut me off. I imagine that it was pretty agonizing to suffer so much and instead of being comforted by his friends he was being accused of being a hypocrite. Yet, through it all, he remained faithful to God. We can not allow circumstances to hinder our relationship with God, of course we may have questions and wonder why we are going through these things, but as long as we remain faithful to Him we will overcome any situation. There was a time in my life when I felt the same way and prayed for God just to take me away from my misery, but instead He strengthened me and now I wake up every morning praising Him for the things He showed me through my pain.

Too often, friends like Eliphaz give hasty, harsh rebuke without sensing the intensity of the suffering. They jump to conclusions based on what they observe merely on the outside and rarely try to see beyond the circumstances. They are quick to believe that we must be doing something wrong instead of just being there to comfort us during our time of need. However, we can not let people destroy our faith in the Almighty, we may not always understand God's reason for affliction, but He will not allow us to suffer beyond what is best to accomplish His perfect will in our lives. All suffering is geared at strengthening our spiritual connection with God, it prepares us and grows us into perfect and upright Christian's. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:37-39. Jesus is our strength and as long as we have Him by our side nothing can separate us from God. Today, instead of filling discouraged, look to God and praise Him for what you are going through. The more you praise Him, the more you will receive the better blessings that can only come from a relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Today's Psalm: Psalm 34:1
“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
We don’t always know where our present steps will take us on life’s journey, but we do know they lead us to heaven as we walk with You. Our steps here may lead to cold, dark mountains or deep valleys, but ultimately we will rest where the steps of Jesus end at heaven’s throne. There we will no longer have questions about our future, for we know that we will spend eternity forever worshiping You as we give You glory, honor, praise, and thanksgiving. Give us peace and joy for our journey here below and heavenward anticipation for our future above. In Jesus' Name, I pray...........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.

God Bless,
Christina

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Tuesday June 16, 2009 and we are beginning our studies on the book of Job, Please read Chapters 1-4 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online. http://www.allonlinebible.com/Job/1" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/Job/1" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-4,last/1.html

Today's Message: Why We Suffer?
As a Christian we are faced with so many challenges, persecution, judgment, and yes, even suffering caused by sin. However, one of the biggest challenges we face is the question of why we suffer when we are doing everything right.

The book of Job is the eighteenth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains forty-two chapters. The author of the book is unknown and it was written to all people who experience suffering for unexplained reasons. The purpose of the book is to explain the question "Why the righteous suffer?". What we are to learn from the book is that there is a spiritual reason behind the suffering of the righteous. Suffering is not necessarily evidence of God's displeasure, but evidence that we are perfect, upright, and abstain from evil.

Job, a man who God Himself said was perfect, upright, and abstained from evil, had everything he ever wanted and more, a loving family, wealth, possessions, and fame, but in a matter of minutes everything that meant anything to him was gone. Satan was determined to prove to God that Job would not remain faithful to Him, but little does he know the heart of God's people. One thing that will shock you the most in this book is to find out that Satan can roam where he pleases, even the gates of heaven. He was wandering around, looking for trouble when God showed him Job. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." - Job 1:6-11. Do you see how Satan was questioning Job's faithfulness. He assumed that, like every self-serving person, Job was faithful only because God would reward him. During his intense suffering and testing, Job's wife even suggested that he walk away from God, and die. She too had suffered loss, but it seems that her greatest loss was her faith in God. No matter what we are going through we can not allow Satan to hinder our relationship with God. He is there to take care of us and help us, not to hurt us.

Job realized he was not the owner of all he possessed, not even of his children, but he was merely the Lord's manager of things entrusted to his care. From there, it was just one more step of faith for Job to accept that God, in His infinite wisdom, had the right to reclaim His possessions anytime He chose. Instead of cursing God, Job worshiped Him, "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." - 1:20-22.

Behind all the world's evil is Satan in his continuous effort to destroy all that is good. But Satan is under the constant surveillance of God and can do nothing without His permission. He delights in using family, friends, coworkers, and even fellow church members to criticize, belittle, and condemn one another. However, Our God, the Master Planner, is still in full control. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." - Hebrews 13:8.

The book of Job is very special to me, I almost lost my life and if it wasn't for God directing this book to me I would have saw Jesus quicker than I thought. Hopefully as we read through it together you will find peace and understanding as well.

Today's Psalm: 1:1
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Your grace and tender mercies are present in the midst of perplexing situations that develop in our lives and the lives of those whom we love. Your sovereign power working within us takes the bad things that Satan hurls at us and turns them into testimonies of praise and thanksgiving when we seek to glorify You in the midst of suffering. Only You can help us not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good. As we share in Your sufferings, we also share in Your glory. In Jesus' Name, I pray..........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.

God Bless You,
Christina

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Monday June 15, 2009 and we are completing our studies on the book of Esther. Please read Chapters 8-10 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online.

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Today's Message: Justice is Served

The world says “I will get even” but the Christian knows that vengeance belongs only to the One True King, The Lord Jesus Christ. He alone will see that justice is served.

America is said to be the land of the free, but lately it seems Christians are not apart of the “free”, we are often persecuted, mocked, maimed, and sometimes it seems there is no merit in being a Christian, this is even more true in many other countries. However, no matter what obstacle, trial, or suffering we face nothing can replace the relationship we have with our true King, Jesus Christ. He is with us and will not forsake us, and today we will see proof that Christian's can prevail and make a difference in the world.

The wicked Haman appeared to be invincible and his decree to execute all the Jews seemed final. The law had been made and approved by the king of Persia, Ahasuerus, and under the law of the Medes and Persians a decree could not have been altered, even by the king himself. However, all that was about to change after Haman had been executed. “On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews...........Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews. Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.” - Esther 8:1-3,7,8. King Ahasuerus, not only saved the Jews, but gave Esther control of it. What a wonderful change of events, instead of the Jews fearing for their lives they can now rejoice knowing that their lives are not threatened.

Before Haman's execution he had his astrologers cast Pur meaning, they had cast stones or other objects as a means of divination to determine the most favorable time for the execution of all the Jews. Haman's "lucky day" fell on the thirteenth day of the last month, Adar. “Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.…........Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; “- Esther 9:1,2, 24-27. The fixed day of execution, which came to be known as Purim, was turned from death to deliverance by the intervening providence of God. Haman did not realize that Mordecai's God is always in control of the affairs of earth.

Esther and Mordecai are testimonies proving that even in a nation dominated by wicked people, God can and will protect all His children. However, He does expect us, like Esther, to respond courageously, in faith, to those who try to threaten, mock, or maim us. We can find peace and enjoy a wonderful life as a Christian, we just have to be willing to stand up to the majority and keep rejoicing that we are the minority, the True Christian's of the world. Praise God!!!!

Today's Psalm: 89:14
“Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
My hope is built on Jesus’ blood and righteousness. It is on this solid Rock that I stand and anchor my soul until the storms of life are passed. You uphold me by Your Spirit giving me faith that smiles when skies are frowning, faith that is purified by my suffering. Firm and fearless, help me to be as I walk the path designed for me. When thorns at times will pierce me, may my faith be unwavering as I hold to You, my King above all Kings. In Jesus' Name, I pray.........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day and week.
God Bless,
Christina

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Hello My Friend./Guest,

Today  is Thursday June 11, 2009 and we are completing our studies on the book of Nehemiah. Please read chapters 11-13 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online.  http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-13,last/11.html

Today’s Message: Ignorant to God’s Word
To resist worldly influence calls for tough decisions to be made in order to remain faithful to God's Word. We must not make the mistake of being ignorant to His Word in order to compromise with the world or obtain the things that we desire.

After the walls of Jerusalem were completed, Nehemiah went back home to Babylon, only a few people lived inside the city. Most of the Jews lived in nearby suburbs so they could grow crops, pasture their animals, and make a living more easily. Because of this, there were not enough people living in the city to help maintain security  and to protect it. “And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities. And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.” - Nehemiah 11:1-2. Do you see how this can be disastrous? The people were more focused on providing for themselves that they were on keeping God’s city growing. It’s very important that we set aside our own needs in order to help God’s community grow. God will always provide us with the things we are in need of and even many of the things we really do not need, but we must be willing to put God first.

Upon arriving back in Jerusalem, Nehemiah finds the people once again ignoring the Word of God and returning to sinful practices. He discovered the Levites working in the fields instead of serving in the Temple. The tithes that were designated to support the Levites remained in the people's hands, the House of God was forsaken, and the Sabbath day was desecrated by the majority.

Eliashib, the high priest, who had been a co-worker with Nehemiah in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, even went so far as to prepare Tobiah a place to live the courts of the House of God. Eliashib associated with Tobiah, the Ammonite, probably because of a marriage relationship even though Tobiah had been one of the enemies who had tried to stop Nehemiah from completing the walls years earlier. “On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.” - Nehemiah 13:1-5. Do you see where the people erred? They erred because they did not stay in God’s Word, had they read it daily he would have known the stay away from the Ammonite’s and Moabite’s, this would have saved them a lot of grief from marrying the wrong people.

Nehemiah again took a firm stand for the Word of God and would not consent to their compromising attitude toward sin. He would not tolerate dishonoring the Sabbath day or intermarriage of idol worshipers with Israelites. His reforms were resisted by an influential group of Israelites whose children had intermarried with Moabites or Ammonites, but he did not back down. “Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business; And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.” - Nehemiah 13:29-31. Like Nehemiah we too can make a difference in our world, but in order to do that we must not forget our Creator. All of His instructions or commands are given for a reason and that reason is not to deny us things, but to keep us from living a long, suffering life by making a huge mistake.

Too often Christians compromise with the world because they lack knowledge of the Scriptures, they excuse disloyalty to God by saying they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But where there is obvious opposition to what is clearly stated in God's Word, we must take a positive stand for Christ. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” - Galatians 5:1

Today’s Psalm:119:161
“Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.”

Today’s Prayer:
Dear God,
We give thanks to You that we can walk in victory because of Your Son Jesus Christ. Once we were held captive by sin and its enslavement, but we have been set free through the redemptive work of Jesus and His glorious resurrection. Each day brings new challenges, but we overcome them through the blood of the Lamb. Help us to stand firm in our faith and immovable in Your truths, as we daily serve You. We are encouraged to know that nothing we do for You is in vain though we may not see immediate results. Keep us obedient and trusting. In Jesus’ Name……&hell ip;Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.
God Bless,
Christina

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Wednesday June 10, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Nehemiah. Please read chapters 9-10 in your Bible or Click Here to read them.
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Today's Prayer: Brand New Heart
God can bring a miraculous change about when one gets sick and tired of living in sin and repents. God is willing and able to give us a brand new heart as long as we allow the Holy Spirit to be our guide.

The Holy Spirit is essential to have in our lives if we ever want to know the true meaning of God's Word and how to live according to them. Later in the message I will explain how we receive the Holy Spirit for those who may not know.

The Feast of Tabernacles lasted from the 15th day through the 21st day of Tishri (the seventh month of the Jewish religious year, September/October). On the 24th day of Tishri the Israelites gathered, while fasting, to read the Book of Law (God's Word). "Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God." (Nehemiah 9:1-3). Do you see how the Israelites separated themselves from strangers? It is very important that All Christians separate themselves from the world, and that includes worldly Christians. If we are to hear God's Word and apply it to our lives then we must be willing to give up a friendship with someone whom the devil, unknowingly, uses to get us away from living a godly life. If they are a true friend they will not reject God.

Upon reading the book of Law, the Israelites confessed their sins and worshiped God. Then the Levites told them to stand up for God and praise Him above all things they are blessed with. "Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee." (9:5-6). As you read this passage you will see that the Levites acknowledged that God is the creator of all things. We are to always thank and praise God of the fact that He is the creator of all things and that He uses everything to instruct and guide us in the way that we should be.

The Levites, while reminding the Israelites of the blessings that were given to their ancestors as they wandered in the wilderness, revealed to them how God provided a way for them to be instructed and guided. "Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst." (Nehemiah 9:20). This good spirit was of course the Holy Spirit and we too are guided by Him. How do we know that we are guided by Him? All who accept Jesus as their Savior receive the Holy Spirit inside of them and are guided by Him. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38). Everything that we encounter, whether it be to serve God, to be corrected by Him, or to be instructed by Him comes from the Holy Spirit. 

The Israelites then made an oath to restore all tithes and sacrifices that the Law had earlier ordained. Though they were living in poverty they agreed do whatever God asked them to do for to serve in the Temple. The whole assembly, in unison with their governor, repeated with one mind, one heart, and one mouth. "And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;..........For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God." (Nehemiah 10:28-29, 39). "Entered into a curse", means that the people vowed to be connected to the Temple as one, meaning that together they were one body of God and if they were to separate from the Temple they would be cursed (live in affliction). We as Christians are One Body in Christ, therefore we too are to be one body of the Church. The second we separate from the body we are cursed, think about times when you have been away from God for a time, life seemed to be emptier and more oppressed, well imagine that if you did not have God at all.

It's time for all who have been slipping and have fallen from God to repent and return to Him. It does not matter what happened in the past, He loves you and accepts you. You are still saved by the blood of Christ and are a child of God. Seek the Holy Spirit, He is right there inside of you, all you have to do is awaken Him by asking Him to stir a new spirit within you, He will give you a new heart and a new purpose.

Today's Psalm: 9:1
"I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
When we gave you our heart, we made the willful choice to no longer conform to the trends and philosophies of this world. Instead we ask You to daily renew our minds so that we see this world and its philosophies through the eyes of Christ.  We are put to the test daily in deciding what is truth and what is error. May Your Holy Word be our reference point and Your Spirit be our Guide as we are exposed to countless philosophies based on human understanding and the basic principles of this world rather than Your eternal foundational truths. Sharpen our discernment and grant us courage so that we readily know truth from error and are fearless in saying so. In Jesus' Name............Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.
God Bless,
Christina

Visit: Following Jesus
www.readytofollow.com

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Tuesday June 9, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Nehemiah. Please read chapters 7-8 in your Bible or Click Here to read them.
http://www.allonlinebible.com/Nehemiah/7" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/Nehemiah/7" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-8,last/7.html

Today's Message: Cover to Cover
From cover to cover the Bible has everything we need to live a long, prosperous, joyful life, but we must be willing to learn all of it to enjoy all of these blessings.

God's Word is given to us in order to give us instructions on how we can live the best life possible, it teaches us about love, honor, discipline, and even how to obtain our desires. The key is to read and learn all of God's Word, not part of it.

After the walls of Jerusalem were complete all of the Israelites gathered together to hear Ezra read the Book of Law. Thousands of Jews assembled in Jerusalem day after day from sunrise until noon to hear Ezra and the Levites read and explain the Book of the Law. This resulted in a renewal of the Covenant relationship of the Israelites with God and the restoration of scriptural worship. "And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law." (Nehemiah 8:1-3). Do you see how the people were eager to hear God's Word? It's not enough to read His Word, we must want to hear it. Otherwise we will never understand the true meaning of what He wants us to know. God speaks to us through His Word and, as we read it, our various acts of disobedience, whether by ignorance, omission or commission, are brought to mind. This will lead to our conviction, confession, and cleansing. We will then become not only hearers of the Word, but doers as well. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:" (James 1:22-23).

After Ezra and the other Levites explained the Scriptures, a marvelous revival took place. The people, overwhelmed by what they were taught, wept as they realized that they had forsaken God's commands. "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (8:8-10). Ezra told the people that they no longer needed to mourn or cry over their sins because God had forgiven them. They were to rejoice as God had forgiven them and given them the strength to live for Him. We too need to be reminded that once we confess our sins we are forgiven and no longer need to mourn or cry over them. Rejoice! You are forgiven and are cleansed from all of your sins!

A growing number of Christian's are relying on others to tell them about God's Word or even worse, reading books that claim to be the Bible, yet have taken out or even added to God's Word, which God's warns deeply against. "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18-19).

You say you do not understand the Bible and that is why you do not read it? Well, there are one of two reasons why you can not understand it.

1. You are not saved.
In order to understand God's Word you must have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (I Corinthians 2:12). The only way to receive the Holy Spirit is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38).

2. You are not reading with your heart.
It's not enough to read the Bible, you have to want to read it. I can understand that there might be some gruesome events recorded in the Bible, but unless you read all of it you will never know how those things came to play. Think about life today, we face all types of issues, including war, famine, poverty, and even homosexuality. The Bible is no different than what we deal with on a daily bases, except it takes place centuries ago.

Take the time to read the Bible daily, read it cover to cover and do not stop after that. God designed the book so that you are about to learn something new every time you re-read a verse. Take you time, you do not have to rush, God is with you and will help you understand. Of course, it's perfectly fine to meet with others for Bible study or read messages like these to help you understand as well, but never underestimate the power of reading God's Word for yourself.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.
God Bless you,
Christina

Visit: Following Jesus
www.readytofollow.com

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Sunday June 7, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Nehemiah. Please read chapters 4-6 in your Bible or Click Here to read them.
http://www.allonlinebible.com/Nehemiah/4" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/Nehemiah/4" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-6,last/4.html

For those of you who are regular readers of these messages, I want to note a bit of a change in how I write them. The Holy Spirit is leading me to be a little more interactive with the verses so please bare with me for a few days as I adjust to this new format myself.

Today's Message: A Dedicated Christian
Do not expect a lot of people to be happy that you are a dedicated Christian, but the opposition and testing will make your faith more precious than gold.

You can be sure once you set out to do something for God the devil will try numerous times to discourage, distract, or disqualify you from fulfilling His will. There are examples all through the Bible proving this fact, even Jesus Himself was constantly subject to the devil's opposition. We'll discuss that a little later in the message, but right now let's take a look at the opposition Nehemiah faced as he was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. 

Nehemiah was determined to rebuild the walls, yet there were many determined to get him to stop. "But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall." (Nehemiah 4:1-3). Do you see how Sanballat's anger caused him to gossip and speak badly about the Israelites? And to make matters worse he got others involved. The devil was trying to get Nehemiah and the Israelites to feel inadequate, as if they were not qualified enough to do God's work. You will rarely see a bitter person stay to themselves, they will always get other bitter people to join in with them. That's why it is very important that we stay faithful to God and His Word, this often happens to Christians as well. He will teach us to recognize gossip and give us the strength to ignore it and keep moving forward.

Nehemiah counteracted Sanballat's attempt to stop them, "And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work." (4:14-15). Nehemiah encouraged the Israelites to keep going by reassuring them that God was with them and would protect them and their families as well. From that day forward they continued on with faith knowing that God was with them. "And God had brought their counsel to nought", means that God showed the Israelite's that the enemies mockery and opinions were meaningless to them. We will always be subject to unwanted, sometimes critical advice, even from other Christians, but always remember that their mockery and opinions are meaningless as well. What is important is completing God's Work, of course, we are going to make mistakes along the way, but that's how we learn and grow. God knows our hearts and He will guide us and show us exactly how He wants things done regardless of how many enemies we face.

Do you think that the opposition stopped there? Of course not. Sanballat again attempted to stop their work, this time by trying to convince Nehemiah to meet with him. After Sanballat made five attempts to meet with Nehemiah, he then accused him of rebelling against the king of Persia. When this failed, he hired a prophet to foretell Nehemiah's death. However, none of his attempts were successful and the wall was completed in fifty two days. "So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God." (Nehemiah 6:15-16). Do you see how the enemy knew perfectly well that God was the one who made the rebuilding of the wall complete? All they could do was hang their heads in shame knowing that they were defeated by the Almighty God who was in complete control the whole time.

As I said earlier, Jesus Himself faced opposition from the devil. He tried to tempt Jesus several times, but failed because Jesus held true to His faith in God's Word.
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:1-4). We will constantly face temptation, which is a form of opposition, if the devil can distract us and get us to focus on the things we desire from our flesh then he has defeated us. However, if we keep our focus on God and His Word than nothing can stop us from being defeated.

Incedently, we are not the ones at battle, God is, and when we realize that He is the One who allows the opposition, we need not panic. It's not us that the enemy opposes, it's God and we just happen to be the fuel that adds to their hatred. However, God gives us the strength to overcome the enemy and that strength comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. His spirit indwells in us and allows us to continue and conquer the battle until victory is won.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
We give thanks to You that we can walk in victory because of Your Son Jesus Christ.  Once we were held captive by sin and its enslavement, but we have been set free through the redemptive work of Jesus and His glorious resurrection.  Each day brings new battles, but we overcome them through the blood of the Lamb.  Help us to stand firm in our faith and Your truths, as we daily serve You.  We are encouraged to know that nothing we do for You is in vain though we may not see immediate results.  Keep us obedient and trusting. In Jesus' Name.......Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed week.
God Bless,
Christina

Visit My New Website: Following Jesus
www.readytofollow.com

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Saturday June 6, 2009 and we are beginning our studies on the book of Nehemiah. Please read chapters 1-3 in your Bible or Click Here to read them.
http://www.allonlinebible.com/Nehemiah/1" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/Nehemiah/1" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-3,last/1.html

Today's Message: Path of Resistance
God's path is rarely the path of least resistance, but God gives us the wisdom and strength to keep going forward to victory as long as we seek Him in every area of our lives.

The book of Nehemiah is the sixteenth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains thirteen chapters. The author of the book is Nehemiah and it was originally written to the Israelites. The purpose of the book was to continue showing the history of Israel and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. What we are to learn from the book is that there is not opportunity without opposition and that faith without works is dead.

When Nehemiah's relative Hanani arrived in Persia from Jerusalem, he told Nehemiah of the pitiful conditions that existed there. "The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire." (Nehemiah 1:1-3).

Over a period of about four months, Nehemiah fasted and prayed, "And it came to pass, when I heard These words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned." (1:4-6).

King Artaxerxes saw Nehemiah's grief and asked why he was so sad. Nehemiah then  explained to the king that he grieved over the ruins of Jerusalem. The king graciously responded by appointing him governor over Judah and commissioning him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The king even provided some of the materials. " And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me." (Nehemiah 2:6-8). God answers every prayer request that we send up to Him, but He rarely answers it in a way that we expect, often we get more that we ever hoped for.

Soon after the king sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem he faced opposition from Sanballat and his crowd of followers. "But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem." (2:19-20). Of course, the closer we draw near to God the more opposition we face from the devil. He will send many people and objects in our path to try and stop us from being so faithful to God.

There are three basic characteristics that contributed to Nehemiah's success. First, he has a desire to do the will of God. God's will led him to leave a life of luxury in the kings palace to endure the hardships of Jerusalem in order to restore the City of God. It is very important that our first desire be to do the will of God, no matter where that might take us. Enduring the hardships allows us to not only draw even closer to God it also blesses us even more that er expect.

Second, he not only prayed, he fasted and confessed their sins as well. He recognized that obedience to the Word of God is essential to answered prayer. Never under estimate the power of fasting and prayer. Jesus himself said that some requests can only be answered by fasting and prayer. "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:20-21).

Third, he never gave up and was determined to get the people to join him in rebuilding the walls. He refused to become discouraged and give up on accomplishing God's will, regardless of any opposition he faced. Accomplishing the will of God is dependent upon remembering that He is Sovereign over all the affairs of our lives. "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
May we desire to do Your will, to hide Your Word deep in our hearts so that we will not walk in the ways of sin but instead the paths of righteousness. Help us to seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness above all so that we will do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with You, our Lord and God. In Jesus' Name...........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night .
God Bless,
Christina

Visit: Following Jesus
www.readytofollow.com

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Thursday June 4, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Ezra. Please read chapters 6-8 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online.
http://www.allonlinebible.com/Ezra/6" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/Ezra/6" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-8,last/6.html

Today's Message: Source of Strength
God's Word is the source of strength by which His children cannot be defeated. His work can only be sustained and strengthened through obedience to His Word, which is the foundation of our Christian lives.

After the foundation was complete the Israelites began building their own houses, it did not take long before their focus became more on the houses rather than the Temple, which caused them to cease from completing it. Prophets Haggai and Zechariah reminded the Israelites that the real reason the Lord's work went unfinished was because their first interest was in building their own homes. These anointed men boldly preached the Word of God and inspired the people to continue rebuilding the Temple. "Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall? Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building? But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter." (Ezra 5:1-5). The building of the Temple had been left unfinished for many years, but once God's Word and authority were recognized they 

Ezra was born during the Babylonian captivity. He was a descendant of Aaron, Israel's first high priest. The key to Ezra's great effectiveness in accomplishing the will of God is clear, he prepared his heart to seek God. "This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him............For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." (Ezra 7:6,9-10).

The key to Ezra's success was threefold, first, he prepared his heart to seek God's Word, second he committed himself to obey His Word, and third, he planned to teach it to others. He also depended upon God in prayer, fasting, and recognized the sovereignty of God and gave Him all the glory. "And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me." (Ezra 7:25-28). Ezra was committed to seeking, doing, and teaching God's Word. This should be a reminder that, if we want God to bless our lives, we too must set our hearts upon the whole counsel of God.

God's Word is One power that Satan can never overcome, it is the most powerful weapon anyone can use to defeat the enemy. "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4:12-13). The Word of God becomes our inner strength as the Holy Spirit enlightens and guides us as we read it. And, as we accept it by faith, He then enables us to teach it to others.

Today's Psalm: 19:14
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
As we live in the Light of Your Word the devil’s venomous plots are exposed. We are not caught by surprise, but prepared to be on the offense rather than the defense. As we wear the full armor of Your Word we are protected and can fight against all the devil’s evil tricks. We walk in truth and confidence as we stand strong against the powers of this world’s darkness and the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world.  We pray for the power of the Holy Spirit, continuously asking for Your discernment strength, and guidance as we face any obstacles in our way that try and stop us from following Your Will. In Jesus' Name.........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed night/day.
God Bless,
Christina

Visit A Spiritual Guide
www.aspiritualguide.net

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Wednesday June 3, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Ezra, please read chapters 3-5 in your Bible or Click Here to read them.
http://www.allonlinebible.com/Ezra/3" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/Ezra/3" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-5,999/3.html

Today's Message: Willing to Sacrifice
Too often we put our wants and desires ahead of God's will for our lives, but those who are willing to sacrifice their time for God will always receive His blessings.

Zerubbabel and the returning Jews left the luxuries of Persia for the hardships of Jerusalem. What once had been the glorious promised land was now a heap of rubble. However, they pressed on and began rebuilding the Temple. Many needs for existence such as food and shelter for their families and animals claimed their attention, but personal necessities were set aside until they had first rebuilt the altar of God and reestablished worship to the One True God. "And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening." (Ezra 3:1-3). The decision to serve God does not guarantee that one will live a life with out any problems. Satan will use everything in his power to convince us that we cannot finish the task we have set out to accomplish. However, we have the Power of the Almighty God with us and He will always give us the strength to endure every obstacle we face.

As the builders completed the foundation of the Temple the priests and the Levites began rejoicing and all the people around them began praising and giving thanks to God as well. Some of the elders were weeping after the foundation was laid. "And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off." (3:10-13). It is unsure why the elders were weeping, perhaps they were weeping with joy over seeing the altar complete or they realized their past sins and how they contributed to the destruction of the Temple. It is a good thing for us to sorrow over our past sins, which have brought the judgment of God upon us, but after repenting and forsaking them we are to forget about them. We should not continue to grieve over past losses that blur opportunities for the present and the future, but thank Him for His mercy and grace. We need to daily move on with our lives and join the Israelites as they praised and gave thanks to God.

When our hearts desire to be obedient to God and His Word, the Holy Spirit will teach us to abandon our dependence on ourselves and material things and rely on God to provide for us. Now, this does not mean that all we are to do is sit there and pray and read and everything will be handed to us. Yes, is a great thing to do, but we must be willing to do whatever God calls us to do. If we just sit there we will never fulfill His purpose for our lives. Sacrificial giving, devoted work, and faithful attendance in church are outward manifestations of a restored relationship with God. Every single thing we do for God brings us closer to Him, we may be called to do some pretty boring things, but they are not boring to God. He is actually testing us to see if we are worthy of handling more important things. If we are unwilling to do the small stuff what would keep us from walking away from the big stuff? "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:31-33)

Today's Psalm: 23:3
"He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Your grace is beyond measure and more than sufficient for our daily needs. When we are weary and discouraged You restore our soul and renew our hope, in this life, and most especially through the eternal perspective of life's circumstances. Thank You for Your anointing and outpouring of blessings that overflow in our lives. Thank You for the work that You call us to do, it's comforting to know that we are so  important to You that You call us to do even the smallest of tasks. In Jesus' name........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.
God Bless,
Christina

Visit A Spiritual Guide
www.aspiritualguide.net

P.S. I apologize for getting this out a day late, I was doing other work for God.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today us Tuesday June 2, 2009 and we are beginning our studies on the book of Ezra. Please read chapters 1-2 in your Bible or Click Here to read them.
http://www.allonlinebible.com/Ezra/1" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/Ezra/1" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...,1-2,last/1.html

Today's Message: Waiting on God's Promises

God's promises always come to pass exactly as He says. He knows when and how to meet our needs, our task is to wait on the Lord. The book of Ezra is the fifteenth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains ten chapters. The author of the book is Ezra the prophet and it was originally written to the Israelites. The purpose of the book was to record the Israelites return from exile, after Jerusalem had been destroyed, to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. What we are to learn from the book is the basic principles of repentance, returning to God and restoring our relationship with Him. Following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, the Israelites were forced to live in captivity in Babylon for seventy years, due to their sins. "And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations." (Jeremiah 25:11-12).

About 200 years before the time of Ezra, Isaiah prophesied that Babylon would be overthrown by a man named Cyrus and that he would rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. "That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.................I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts." (Issiah 44:28,45:13). These prophecies reassured the Israelites that, following the judgment foretold by Jeremiah, God would restore them once again to the promised land.

King Cyrus, of Persia made a proclamation throughout all of Persia to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. " (Ezra 1:1-3).

There are times when God will call us to do things that may be a little bit uncomfortable to us, but He is always with us guiding us to do exactly what He needs us to do, when the time is right. Most of the new generation of Judah had never been in Jerusalem so the only reason they would even leave Babylon would be to rebuild the Temple in the old, ruined city of Jerusalem, which was about 900 miles away. There were only a few willing to endure the long four month journey on foot, but they knew that they were going back to the place where they could restore true worship of God. "Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered. Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;" (Ezra 1:5-7). Unlike their ancestors, who traveled from Egypt to the promised land, there was no pillar of fire by night or a cloud by day to guide them and no manna fell from the heaven, but there is not one complaint recorded about their journey.

God promises to give us everything that we need and even the things that we desire, but He never said that we could receive them instantly. Some times we do get an answer quickly, but more often He is preparing us and growing us to fulfill a purpose and when all things come to pass we will receive what we sensibly desire. When we recognize that God controls everything that affects our lives, we can truly enjoy His peace, while fulfilling His purpose, regardless of the circumstances, for God works all things together for good to all who love Him. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28).

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Though I am called to go through many hardships, there isn’t one that I face alone. For in my weakness You are made strong, in my folly You are the God of infinite wisdom, and in my fear I take hold of the hope You offer to me which is firm and secure. You will not abandon the work of Your hands but fulfill Your purpose for me as You strengthen, sustain, and instruct me during times of testing. I do not want to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. In Jesus' Name..........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.
God Bless, Christina
Visit A Spiritual Guide www.aspiritualguide.net

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is June 1, 2009 and we are completing our studies on the book of II Chronicles. Please read chapters 32-36 in your Bible or Click Here to read them.
http://www.allonlinebible.com/2" title="http://www.allonlinebible.com/2" target="_blank"http://www.allonlinebible.com...%20Chronicles/32,1-36,las t/32.html

Today's Message: Long Suffering

We can rejoice that God is long suffering and patient with us, but it is a sin to assume we can take advantage of His graciousness by continued disobedience. Josiah began to reign at the age of eight. He reigned on David's throne for thirty-one years. Josiah's religious leadership ranked him with David, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah as an outstanding godly ruler, for he took a firm stand against idol worship and other evils that had saturated his kingdom. "Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images." (II Chronicles 34:1-3).

Josiah was the last king to restore Temple worship to the One True God before the destruction of the southern kingdom and Jerusalem. Josiah's leadership abruptly ended when he attempted to stop Pharaoh Necho's plans to attack the Assyrians. He was fatally wounded at Megiddo, but he fulfilled the will of God who spared him from the tragedies that were to soon come upon Jerusalem and the Temple.

The last four kings of Judah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, were all evil, and led the nation in a descending course to its disastrous end morally, politically, and spiritually. During his reign of 11 years, Zedekiah, the youngest son of Josiah, rebelled against Babylon's domination because he thought he had the support of Egypt. "And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel." (II Chronicles 36:10-13). There are going to be numerous times in our lives when we try to reach the lost, only to get the door slammed in our faces, or even worse, but no matter what happens we can not stop. It's nothing personal, it's them, they are lost and do not know what they are doing, many are even living in sin and afraid to seek God for forgiveness. All we can do is pray, press forward, and move on just as Jermiah did.

Nebuchadnezzar's soldiers eventually broke through the north wall and mercilessly butchered both young and old. This time there was no room for repentance, the Lord left the Israelites to their ruin, some escaped, but most were carried off as slaves to become exiles in a foreign land. "And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years." (36:19-21).

Long suffering means to have patience when enduring pain or sorrow. What this means to us is that God instills patience on those who are enduring pain or sorrow. "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left," (II Corinthians 6:4-7). God also is long suffering toward us as he waits patiently for us to seek Him for forgiveness and repentance of our sins.

The long-suffering of God can be seen here in that He sent the Israelites messengers, prophets, and priests to teach and warn them to repent and turn from their wicked ways. God has compassion on all His people, but He will not be mocked. He will not allow a person to continue to live in sin knowing perfectly well that all he has to do is call on Him for forgiveness. It's as if a person says I am going to murder this person because God will forgive me for it. We can not say that we want to live for God and not do anything to change the way we live our lives. God will not stand for it. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7).

Long suffering also teaches us that God will not allow the devil to tempt us beyond what we can not handle or get out of. Many temptations face every one of us, but the Word of God provides guidance so that we might find a way out of it. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (I Corinthians 10:13).

Today's Psalm: 86:15
"But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
We’re so thankful that when our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from You, an eternal house in heaven. May we be consoled in knowing the greater the suffering here on earth the greater the glory awaits us in heaven. We make it our life long goal to remain strangers in this world as we maintain friendship with You. We press forward that goal to win the prize for which You have called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. In Your appointed hour our bodies will be transformed so that they will be like Your glorious body. We eagerly await that transformation day when anticipation becomes reality for all of Your children. In Jesus' Name.......Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed night/day and week.

God Bless, Christina

Visit A Spiritual Guide www.aspiritualguide.net

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Sunday May 31, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of II Chronicles. Please read chapters 28-31 in your Bible or Click Here to read them. http://www.allonlinebible.com...%20Chronicles/28,1-31,999 /28.html

Today's Message: Never Give Up

The devil will stop at nothing to get us to give up on ever seeking victory over our struggles, but we have the one and only powerful God in our corner and He will lead indeed lead all who seek Him to victory. After the death of wicked King Ahaz, his godly son Hezekiah became king and assumed leadership of a nation where idol worship was both popular and prevalent. "Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done." (II Chronicles 29:1-2).

Hezekiah indeed inherited a mess to clean up from his father. He had placed the kingdom of Judah in subjection to Assyria, which was fast becoming the world's most powerful kingdom. Its seemingly invincible armies had seized control of both Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel. In addition, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had jurisdiction over 46 walled cities inside the kingdom of Judah. Hezekiah could have given up all hope of getting his kingdom back in order, but instead of being bitter or angry he chose to do something about it. Hezekiah knew that if he just sat there nothing would change so he put his faith in God and did what he knew was right, in the midst of a nation full of sin, he began cleaning up the city, starting with the house of the Lord. "He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place." (29:3-5).

I am sure Hezekiah felt a little overwhelmed at times and maybe was a little frightened too, but he knew that God was with him and regardless of the circumstances he never gave up hope that his kingdom would turn away from sin and back on God. God is with us too, in fact we have something even better than what Hezekiah had, we have Jesus. We no longer have to kill a bunch of animals to be cleansed from sin. Jesus took the place of all of them when He shed His own blood to cleanse us from our sins. Hezekiah was successful, he observed the Passover, reopened the Temple, and restored worship of the true God. "Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the LORD." (II Chronicles 31:1-2).

As with Hezekiah, who inherited serious problems because his father was evil, we too may be the victim of other people's sins, but Christians need not fear the future or the unfortunate circumstances of the past. The Apostle Paul said "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14).

We do not need to be concerned about any sins that we inherited or other situations we can not control. Dwelling in the past does nothing for us except make us bitter, angry, depressed, and hateful not only toward others, but ourselves as well. We need to press forward with our faith in God knowing that He will bring all things to pass and help us reach our goals.

Today's Psalm: 86:13
"For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank You for sending Your son, Jesus to cleanse me from all my sins. Thank You, Jesus for dying on the cross for me. You willingly became the sacrificial Lamb whose death freed me from the heavy shackles of sin, degradation, and eternal damnation. My response to Your act of mercy and grace toward me is that I place my faith in You and recognize that Your love, so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. Lord, give me the strength that I know only comes from You to overcome each and everyone of my struggles. I will press onward and forward knowing that You will bring all things to pass and lead me to victory. In Your great name, Jesus.........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed Lords day/night.

God bless you, Christina

Visit A Spiritual Guide www.aspiritualguide.net

Hello My Friend/Guest, Today is Friday May 29, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of II Chronicles. Please read chapters 25-27 in your Bible or Click Here to read them. http://www.allonlinebible.com...%20Chronicles/25,1-27,las t/25.html

Today's Message: A Perfect Heart

God wants to bless us with the things we desire, but He also wants us to seek and praise Him for them. We must have a perfect heart for God if we ever want to have what we desire and keep it. After Joash was murdered by his servants, his son Amaziah became king of Judah, although he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord his heart was not entirely set on Him. "Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart." (II Chronicles 25:1-2). We can be sure that even if we have the smallest portion of our heart off of God we will easily lose sight of Him. We must serve God with a perfect heart that loves and adores Him and all His commands.

Amaziah was determined to regain the territory that was left to his people in Edom, instead of trusting in God and seeking Him for guidance he hired soldiers from the northern kingdom to help him fight against them. A man of God came to him and warned him not to put his complete trust in Israel, but to seek God and He will lead them to victory. "But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. " (25:7-8). God has the power to help us through every situation, but the key is trusting in Him to lead us through. We need to seek Him first and ask Him to guide us in the way that we need to go and the most important thing is to remember to thank and praise Him for all things.

Amaziah was successful against the Edomites, but instead of praising God for the victory he brought out idols and began to worship them. "Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel." (25:14-16). An idol is more that just some image that one creates, it's a hobby, goal, person, career, or thing that takes the place of God. That possession becomes a god and soon the one and only True God is forgotten, which eventually ends with much suffering.

This held true with Amaziah as he challenged the most powerful king of Israel and was defeated, not only did he lose the kingdom and all it's treasures he was murdered as well. A perfect heart for God is one that seeks Him above all things for guidance, instruction, assistance, and answers. Of course we are going to make mistakes, but when we make them and turn to Him for help He will take care of us. It's not that God does not want us to have the things we desire, He wants us to seek Him for them and to give Him the glory for receving them. All the money, fame, or power in the world can not replace the blessings we rececive when we seek and praise God for our success and even our failures for all things work together for our own good and God's glory.

Today's Psalm: 101:2
"I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
The perfect peace that You grant to the believer comes when our hearts and minds are one with Yours. Though we cannot avoid the strife around us we can experience perfect peace in our hearts as we meditate upon Your Holy Word which is the one thing You ask of us. Full devotion to You makes our spirit steady, trusting, and secure. You are the unchangeable God in a changeable society, so we hold onto Your steady all powerful Hand in the ups and downs of life so that we are prepared to handle all things that come our way. In Jesus' Name...........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night.

God Bless, Christina