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Life Lessons

Draw From The Living Water

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John 4:10-24

[10] Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
[11] The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
[12] Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
[13] Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
[14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
[15] The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
[16] Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
[17] The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
[18] For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
[19] The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
[20] Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
[21] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
[22] Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
[23] But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
[24] God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

A certain woman came unto Jacob’s well around the 6th hour. Jesus asked her of a drink of water, knowing good and well was not wanting earthly water.

When I think about water, I consider where it is located. In shallow ground, it is exposed and susceptible to all forms of bacteria and corruption, and therefore is not fit for consumption for survival. When God’s word is not drawn from nothing but from the surface, it has not been purified and will not take you very far.

The things that we need to draw from in God are in the deep! They are spiritual, and are drawn from that humble prayer and great leap of faith! When we draw from the living water, we won’t continually thirst every day because we will finally come into peace that we wouldn’t find elsewhere! A refreshing; like a cold glass of water that you could only get from the depths.

Jesus even said, if you knew who was that told you this! Sometimes we forget who it is that we serve, the all-powerful, miracle working God!

If we are drawing from earthly, fleshly water, we’re drawing from man, opinions, analysis, doctrine, and ideas, we will definitely thirst again! The water that Jesus gives shall spring up, giving everlasting life, where we won’t long for anything else, including this natural water, or this world.

I know that other people come in and worship because they know and understand what it is that they worship. The hour is now where people need to come together and worship God in spirit and in truth. We have to not only heed God’s spirit in a service, but also the truths of his word, for it are through the truths that we are made free!

You Are Not Forgotten

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Genesis 37:2-11

[2] These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
[3] Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
[4] And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
[5] And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
[6] And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
[7] For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
[8] And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
[9] And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
[10] And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
[11] And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

When Joseph received the dream that he shared with his brothers, he was only 17 years old. There are many of you out there that have a dream that God has gave you to fulfill. Joseph could not help the dream he received, and was only trying to share his vision with others. He wasn’t aware though of how his brothers envied him, and they did not receive it; in fact they rebuked the dream, questioning him in the process.

There will be many people that we face in our lives that will reject your dreams that God has placed in your life. Maybe it is to be a worship leader, minister, or a teacher: Just remember that if God gave it to you that he will not forget the vision that he supplied. Through the next phases in Josephs life, he faced being sold into captivity, faced temptation from another woman, being placed in jail, and truly did not see the full success of his dream until he was 30. There might also be some hardships and time that will pass before you can ever see the fruition of what God has placed in your heart. He told people to remember him, and they forgot him.

There are many people that we can count on in our life, but at some point we will be left behind by them. It’s just a natural occurrence, and should not be let down by this. The beauty of this story is that Joseph, after all of the trials he faced, still had the heart to help those who wronged him. Being placed as the governor of the land to follow through on his calling, God knew from the first day where he would be. All he had to do was endure.

So I will end this post by saying this: You are not forgotten, and if you just endure with your faith that God will come through for you, the opportunity to make a difference for others will come. Not in our time, but in Gods. Take the hardships as they come with love, and just remember the ones before us that showed in the scriptures that we are not neglected without justification for benefits by God’s blessings. Have a great day!

A Place For Me

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The word place can be defined as an area set aside for a particular purpose, a stead, a location, a home, a space, a position, a dwelling or a room. Some examples of usage are: A place where I can go, He took my place, He made a place for me at the table, this is my place!

At a previous service a while back my heart was stirred by the testimony and scripture that was given by Brother John Vanover. He talked about a special “place” that was made for Moses. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: (Exodus 33:21) He said this place was not just for Moses but exists for all of God’s children. It is a secure place, on a solid foundation. A place of refuge.

I have been so blessed by this scripture over the last several days. I thought about the place that God has made for me to stand in. It is a place that was given to me without money and without price. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: (John 19:7) Jesus took my place so I could have a place.

Not just any place, not stuck back in a corner, or in a dard basement but I have a front row seat. Hallelujah! I can’t help but get excited when I start to describe my place. I know I don’t deserve to be here but I am so very glad to be right beside my Father. If I need something to eat, I can just reach out to the table that is spread with the very best. If I need to talk to my Father, I just have to turn toward Him and He inclines His ear to hear what my petitions are. If I am hurt or sick or down hearted, He is so close by that He can just wipe my tears away, touch me with His healing hand, or just reach out and lift up my head so that I can see all of His goodness. Again I have to say Hallelujah how wonderful it is to be part of God’s family.

If you are reading this and thinking I would like feel that way, I have good news for you. You have a “place” right beside God, too. When God gave His only begotten Son to die on Calvary he made a “place” for whosoever will. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)

If you turn aside the place that Jesus made for you then you will have to go to a place that was made for the devil and his angels. A place called Hell. A place of eternal torment where the fire is not quenched. Choose that good “place” that was made for you.

That if thou shalt confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raise him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:8)

Patience, Patience, Patience

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One of the toughest pieces that we have to learn about our character and our witness to this world as a Christian is our patience. It is the most single tested value within your core, and without it, we won’t last long before we want to give up and throw in the towel on everything we stand for.

A thought that came in my mind when I was praying to God about working a greater patience in me was that proven faith shows demonstrated patience, which brings wisdom from the experience, and hope from knowing you made it through all of it.

To try and bring this point of view out little by little, I have various scriptures that I want to tie all together. I hope these bring out a point of view that helps you like it did me. Please, by all means, comment and give input! It is all welcome!

For starters, patience is defined as the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

With that said, wow. I have found myself more often then not being weak when I should be strong in many situations in my life.

  • The God of Patience

Romans 15:5

“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus”

So in other words, show it towards one another! That did not have any clauses to leave it out from anyone! It is neither selective to who we prefer, nor who we do not. We must open our hearts and have a greater understanding to everyone and everything. That shows a stronger witness inside and out. Publicly and privately.

  • Christ’s Demonstrated Patience And Mercy

Isaiah 53:7

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Matthew 27:14

“And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governer marvelled greatly.”

Hold the phone for a sec. Let’s take away the wonderful from this for a second and be real. Just the fact that Jesus Christ faced all of the persecution that he did and saying nothing is enough to show the demonstrated patience. We can’t even hear a mean word from someone without rising up inside and wanting to speak our peace, or feel like that we need to feel like justification has been delivered to them. Now, let’s put back in the best part. He opened not his mouth and endured the suffering so that we could have a place in Heaven eternal. That makes my heart soar!

  • More Mentions

2 Peter 1:6

“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;”

James 1:3-4

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”

Romans 5:3-4

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience, and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Isn’t that just amazing, when we begin to dig in and read all of the pieces for yourself and put them all together? I love the word of God! I just hope as we all continue to be molded each and every day, that we can learn from our tried patience and experiences to raise ourselves up with encouragement from hope, and not be ashamed of what God has brought us from!

Hannah’s Deserate Plea

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1 Samuel 2:1-10

[1] And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
[2] There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
[3] Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
[4] The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
[5] They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
[6] The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
[7] The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
[8] He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
[9] He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
[10] The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Hannah was willing to relinquish the very thing she was asking for.

What a heavy price she paid. When Samuel was born she only had him to herself for a couple of years before giving him up to Eli. After that she only saw him once a year when she and Elkanah went up to Shiloh for the annual sacrifice. Was the outcome worth the price? Hannah thought so because as she released Samuel into Eli’s hands she prayed another poetic prayer of triumph exalting God.

I believe that Hannah’s prayer and resulting sacrifice paid the price for the anointing that was on Samuel over his entire life. She thought she was asking for a child for herself but Israel got a Judge and a Prophet of unparalleled character and worth. God closed Hannah’s womb to see what that would produce.

Things could have turned out far differently. What if Hannah had chosen self pity when she found herself barren? How about discouragement leading to bitterness and bitterness to despair? She could easily have succumbed to resigned resentment or smoldering anger with God.

When we look at Hannah we see a woman who paid a price few would willingly pay. Yet after Hannah gave Samuel up to God, the Lord visited her again and gave her three more sons and two daughters. She was abundantly fruitful in her life but it all started with barrenness.

Receive Them Joyfully

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Luke 19:2-7

[2] And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
[3] And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
[4] And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
[5] And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.
[6] And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
[7] And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

We all know the story of Zaccheus. I’m sure that if you ever attended Sunday school at some point that you have heard it. For those that have not heard it, I will attempt to give an understandable version of it.

Zaccheus was the chief tax collector in Jericho. He was a rich man, and despised by those around him because he took not only the money for the Roman taxes but also kept for himself. In principle, the more money that one could get from the people, the more they could keep.  When he heard of Jesus’ arrival to Jericho, he wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  Being a man of small stature, Zaccheus was so determined to see Jesus that he dropped all he was doing and climbed a tree to try and get a view. Despite the crowd around him, Jesus saw up in the tree and told Zaccheus “Come down at once, for today I must stop at your house”. Being the person that he was, people all around were clearly upset, even by speaking that Christ was going to be a guest with a sinner.

A lot of messages focus on the fact that he was short and climbed up the tree to make the extra effort to get closer to Christ, but we want to take a deeper look into what happened in the before and after.

Zaccheus was a person who did not care to take from people that were poor for his own good. Therefore in essence he was in the wrong for some of his actions. The crowd around him even judged him by calling him a sinner. However, once he knew that Christ had acknowledged him, he came down quickly and received him JOYFULLY.

There will be many people that we come into contact with that may not be on our list of friends or even people that we dislike ourselves. But as Christ was demonstrating, he showed that it IS possible to look beyond the flaws of someone to try and show love to them. There are many people out there today that are “hanging up in the trees”, desperate for something to fill the void in their life. If we are not too careful, we’ll be as the crowd and pass judgment and not give a second thought to it. Don’t pass them by! God can inspire you with the words to say that will not only show compassion, but also a chance to lead them to salvation. This can go beyond friends into the very home that you live in. If you want to see your parents and relatives notice the light you shine, show them that same love that Jesus showed. Get along at home, practice forgiveness, and love them regardless. And in the process of all that, PRAY! He can change their lives! And you can be the light that leads them to deliverance!

Where Is Our Concern?

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Matthew 10:7-14

[7] And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
[8] Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
[9] Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
[10] Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
[11] And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
[12] And when ye come into an house, salute it.
[13] And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
[14] And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

These are some great instructions that each and every one of us need to apply wherever we go. It might sound outdated, but when applied to our day and time, teaches us that we need to give freely and not let our close possessions get in our way. Sure there are great things in life, but most of the time it leads us to get in a lazy state of mind. A question that we have to ask ourselves is, “Do we have any burdens?” And generally, the answer to this from our lazy state is no. We have programmed our minds to think that it is okay to not care. This is not okay in any capacity. Where Is Our Concern? We are truly blessed in abundance, and we have what it takes and are well equipped to face the burdens we ignore. Don’t take life and spin in circles; go forward! Shake the dust off your feet! We need to put behind us the things that trip us up, and do God’s will with all of our heart. Even if you are not noticed! Our compassion needs to increase! There are people out there that need help, and YOU have the power within your means to help them. Whether it be a song, kind word, good deed, whatever…you have something to give that is important and meaningful.

Matthew 28:18-20

[18] And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
[19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
[20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Believe that you can make a difference in your house and your church. By the words of the great commission, Jesus spoke the promise that he is with us always! That could quite possible be the most reassuring thing that we have of hope to hang on to. Don’t lose hope! You are going to make it! Say those words to yourself and believe it!

Giving Back To God

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1st Samuel 1:26-28

[26] And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
[27] For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
[28] Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

The following passage was the words spoken by Hannah, who which God gave a child to. In her prayer, she told God that she would dedicate her son to him for his whole life. In short, she made a commitment to God to give something back in return for her desire. The key part of this that was brought out very well in the lesson was the fact that with Hannah there was more selflessness and less selfishness. In the day and age that we live in selfishness is often justified with our own version of why we need something that allows us to do nothing back in return. This is totally the wrong attitude to have if we are to be a loving, selfless people. One part of even my life I notice daily is that everything is so important in the very moment that I’m in. What can we do to change that? First of all, we need to draw selfishness out and replace it with selflessness. We have always heard that it is better to give than to receive. Our attitude towards God needs to get away from “What can you do for me” and more towards “What can I do for you”. Our relationship with God is a two-way road, and we need to always remember to give back to God by using the gifts and talents that he has given each and every one of us. It should become normal to want to give back, not to retain without giving.

So the question you need to ask yourself is, what am I going to give to God today?

1st Samuel 17:23-26

[23] And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
[24] And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
[25] And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.
[26] And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

When all of the men of Israel retreated in fear of Goliath, David stood around them and had the boldness to say “that he should defy the armies of the living God?” This statement showed a clear display of faith to believe that our living God could conquer all that is ahead of us, no matter the size of the trial to come.  Even in the days of Davids youth, he faced things like killing lions, which would have been considered one of the more trivial tasks to carry forth. David had many tough jobs, and in our day we all have many tough things to face. Let your youth be youth once again, and remember to carry the zeal and energy that God has placed within you. With boldness in your resolve to believe in our living God, there is no trial that you cannot conquer!

Strength From Humility

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Before I begin, let me define my title:

Strength – the quality or state of being strong: capacity for exertion or endurance

Humility – a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride

In the fast paced world that we exist in today, you rarely hear acts of true humility. More time is spent telling you about the stories of despair, tragedy, and destruction. Not that I am taking anything away from that, there (to me) has been such a loss of focus on the great acts that still take place every day.

Along with listening to constant negativity, I find it very hard to see anything good from anyone anymore. In fact, everything that comes to me in conversation is always about what they are going through, who they have a problem with, who doesn’t like them, what makes them upset, what drives them crazy, the list goes on and on. Here is the part that leaves me heavy hearted. There are all kinds of people out there, who stand in terrible need, and yet never get anything but the tough treatment and neglect from everyone. These kinds of people don’t have enough willpower within themselves anymore to be able to stand on one’s own and be able to handle is in front of them. They are desperate for help, and get passed on by. They are looking for humility from others so that they can receive something they don’t have within: Strength.

I know you think I’m going to take a laid back perspective, and say things that we should do, that no one actually will perform. Not only am I going to stray from that view, I will surprise you with this concept:

A self-centered personality can be easily lessened in one’s life by finding strength from humility.

If life is always about you, then you can’t possibly be of help to others. More boldly, if life is always about what you need, how can you ever hear God’s voice telling you to help the person right in front of you?

Let me give you 2 verses to support my following statement:

Proverbs 22:4

[4] By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

1st Chronicles 16:27

[27] Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.

Here is the last part I will leave you with today. If we can take more moments in our life to not just worry about ourselves, but applying Godly humility to others: that is, leading them to a source that will last them far beyond just a little help from just you. And in that Godly humility that you show to someone else, not only will you get strength, but God will strengthen you, and add blessings upon blessings to your life. Just like the old adage, it’s always better to give then receive! And now it should all make sense, strength from humility! God Bless!

Tuning In To God’s Voice

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With the mass abundance of technology that’s available today, it’s really easy to find the medium to turn on some form of media and find someone to listen to. We can turn on the radio and listen to our favorite broadcaster, turn on the TV to watch our favorite show, turn on the computer and go to our favorite web site, turn on our cell phone and call our favorite person, the list goes on and on. Do you notice that in mentioning all of these things, that there was something in common? Each of these mediums, regardless of how they were communicated out, have a voice. They all have a way of getting their point across to you.

And the only way the the point is effective to you is if you actually turn on the device, pay attention, and listen. Oh man, that is so significant. Even as your reading my words, your following the very meaning behind my voice, my point, right?

So I pray with all that is in me, that you read this scripture and follow what I have to say next, and apply it to your life quickly:

John 10: 4-5, 16, 27

[4] And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
[5] And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
[16] And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
[27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me

So many times we’re looking for that great big answer, the great big solution. The quick fix-it in our life, the one thing that could put all the pieces together, and yet, we will not follow the one true voice that will lead us to that answer. We that know that voice, sometimes willingly choose to follow the voice of the stranger, and will lead our own self’s astray. And there are those, that do not know the voice of God, that are looking upon us, and seeing our example, and following that! This alarms me to no end. This needs to change now! We need to follow the voice of our shepherd, our God, and let him lead us, even when we think we know the way better, and quit trying to follow the way of popular opinion, or whatever would lead you astray. God knows what you are going through, and will be there to meet your needs, and will speak to you in your life, don’t be deceived by any enemy, by anyone who would want anything other than God’s plan for you. Tune in, by prayer, through the spirit, and REALLY hear what God has to say.

Let me end this with a funny note that would perhaps make this make more sense. Would you take advice from someone who has known you your whole life, or someone you just met 5 minutes ago? God has known you your whole life, follow his guidance! He will never leave you, nor forsake you!