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We Are The Light

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God was the light – Genesis 1:1-5

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

The great light foretold – Isaiah 9:2

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

God gives us new light – 2 Corinthians 4:6

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the light – John 8:12

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

We are the light – 1 Peter 2:9

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

We are to walk in light – Ephesians 5:8

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

We are to shine our light – Matthew 5:16

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The darkness cannot prevail – John 1:5

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

All things in darkness are revealed in light – Mark 4:22

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

Others are converted when we shine – Acts 26:18

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

It’s Time To Stop Pretending

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John 5:36-40

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Most of us instinctively draw back from dealing with this stubborn commitment to independence from the world, pretending we are all right as we are. It is much easier to pretend we are thirsting after God than it is to face the challenge of giving up our commitment to independence from sin.

Psalm 42:1

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

What is the answer? We must ask God to search our hearts, expose our self-centered motivations, and help us to see just where it is that we stop short of panting after Him.

You see, the more deeply we sense our thirst, the more passionately we will pursue water. But we will never sense that thirst until we are willing to face the fact that we may be drinking more from our own self-constructed wells than from the wells of God.

We cannot continue this way. The days of pretending are over.

Proverbs 14:12

12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Our own reasoning will lead us to destruction. Without God’s counsel we will perish.

1 Corinthians 10:20-21

20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

We cannot pretend to be one way and be another. There is no middle ground. You are either free from your sins and fighting temptation or you are in bondage and fighting to pretend you are free.

James 3:14

14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Don’t fight to prove that you are something that you are not. Do not lie against the truth of who you are. It is better to face and fight our demons than it is to try and hide them from the view of others.

Philippians 3:12-14

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 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,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

If we forget about something then it is dead to us. Until what leads you into sin is removed from you through the grace and mercy of God then they are not forgotten (or behind you).

Life for us now consists of discarding wrong attitudes and habits accumulated in the past. In modern, psychological terms, we must lose our baggage. For us, the past is dead, buried in the waters of baptism. With that behind us, we must diligently make unwavering progress in putting out the leaven of sin, growing in God’s love, producing the fruit of God’s Spirit, moving toward the Kingdom of God, and putting on Christ’s perfection, His image in us.

Count Your Blessings

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Do you know that you are blessed?

The first part that we usually long after and want to see in the beginning is for the blessing to help us in the purpose that will eliminate harm or enhance life. Yet while we are so consumed in the miracles benefits we often miss the other purposes that are only realized after the fact.

Exodus 14:19-31

[19] And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
[20] And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
[21] And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
[22] And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
[23] And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
[24] And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
[25] And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
[26] And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
[27] And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
[28] And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
[29] But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
[30] Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
[31] And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

19 – The lifting of the pillar of cloud from their face represents that temporary moment where we as flesh see our own vulnerabilities prior to the blessing.
20 – The angel came between the   camps, representing how God goes out before us in our battles. The cloud came as darkness for one and light for the other. If you are following the will of God for your life than what is blessing you begins to open up a pathway and puts fear into the enemy.

21- Moses’s hand going out represents what God seeks from us as humans; a willingness to serve by faith and to be what seemingly goes against our sight.

22 – The emphasis of dry ground demonstrates the cleanliness of how the spirit cleanses our soul by salvation and sanctification; the waters as a wall are how the Holy Ghost preserves our salvation to walk in righteousness (dry ground). This also demonstrates Gods love and compassion for the feet that He knew would be weary to walk in moistened ground.

23 – Represents the attempted intimidation and pursuit of the enemy towards us.

24 – God’s host begins to demonstrate his power over the enemy.

25 – God dismantled their mobility so they could not only cease their pursuit of us but not able to retreat for another attack.

26 – The hand over the sea now is a demonstration of God’s authority and power that destroys the enemy as we obey.

27 – The sea returning to its strength shows that if we abide in the perfect obedience of the spirit the Holy Ghost within us goes from a protector to being empowered from within.

28 – We then see the totality of the destruction of the enemy; this also opens up the full completeness of salvation, totally saved, no not one enemy survived.

29 – Speaks to their survival and the truth and proof that God had prevailed.

30 – Seeing them dead shows us today that he who the son sets free is free indeed, not to be attacked with these same specific circumstances again.

31 – The miracle then became a testimony, thus giving something as we move on to the next wilderness that we will have something that we will look back on that will remind us that we have all the attributes that we need to overcome over and over again.

It’s Time to Turn on the Light of God

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Matthew 6:22-34

[22] The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
[23] But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
[24] No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
[25] Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
[26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
[27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
[28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
[29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
[30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
[31] Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
[32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
[33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
[34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

The substance of your temple is your seeker, and your seeker must be single or only focused upon God. The eye here represents your ability to seek God. As we seek God and remove other things out of the equation of what consumes us, we become “single” or as one; this is similar to how you would make yourself as one with a person that you would want a relationship with!

Ephesians 5:6-14

[6] Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
[7] Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
[8] For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
[9] (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
[10] Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
[11] And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
[12] For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
[13] But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
[14] Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

The light gives wisdom to what is around you. It invokes knowledge by what it gives light to. Oh how the love and light of God will expose the plan of the enemy and how we can be guarded and so much more prepared than we normally are! It baffles me to no end to think that we consider ourselves “prepared” yet we treat God like a flashlight and just expect the gift of wisdom and knowledge to bail us out each time we get in trouble or periods of darkness! God wants the lights on all the time! We need to remember that light has no fellowship with darkness. Light only has the ability to illuminate and overcome darkness.

Luke 12:2-3

[2] For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
[3] Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

The light of God not only will uncover truths and revelations for your life but will also reveal to you the parts of us that are not so good. I know this is one of the hardest things to preach (TRUST ME), but it is in the good purpose of good to rid us of sin to strengthen us to fight against temptation by using the light! We will never be caught off guard or by surprise by anything when you have a clear view of what it is that you are facing!

John 1:1-17

[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[2] The same was in the beginning with God.
[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
[4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
[5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
[7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
[8] He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
[9] That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
[10] He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
[11] He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
[12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
[13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
[15] John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
[16] And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
[17] For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 8:12

[12] Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

As the word that God spoken to it brought the light that we dwell within the word, so is the light of Christ within us as well! Shine your light so that others can begin to see the good things in your life! It will provide a way to Christ through your love and obedience.

The Post I Wish Could Be Heard Around The World

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As you read this, please think of so many around you that stand in need. Please lay aside all pride and selfishness for a few minutes and allow yourself to submit to a good solid prayer for someone else. Pray for people around you. Pray for people that are suffering in other countries. Pray for our children. This is such a period of time where we need to be in continual prayer before God.

Normally I write in a catchy, positive way to try and lift you up and set you on for your day. I literally cannot do that today. I do not feel that call to write those words for now. All that I can ask you today is to begin to sow good things in your mind for the things that are not as though they will be! Ask that God turn around situations that could potentially lead to far worse of things. Ask for the light of God to be shone into darkness. Pray for God to send you as a witness of Him.

Please pray with our ministry as we continue to strive to see mountains moved in our families, communities, counties, and countries.

Send A Message: We Miss You

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I want to write a message today that reaches out to many that might think that they are so often missed. This one is for you.

There have been many times in my life where I was looking for others to encourage me and it was not there. Either I was looking for advice or some kind of positive outreach to give me that breath of life that lets you know you still exist. I couldn’t tell you how many times, especially in the earlier years of my youth, that I longed to feel like there was someone that was truly there. No matter how old you are today, people continually still want to fill this void in their life; and over time we find some way to occupy it with persons, objects, or by some kind of abstract thinking to just “get us by”.

The fact of the matter is that people are living in depression each and every day and are finding better ways to mask what they feel inside. People long to feel like they have someone that loves them, cares about them. We as Christians DO know of something that we could give unto others that could help them begin to live, but yet, we get weary from fears and worries of rejection. I once had these same struggles, and believe me, living in this for too long will lead you down the wrong road.

So let me get real and stress this clearly and with joy! I’m glad people were not afraid to lead me to a better life. I’m glad I got out of the lifestyle that I was living in. I’m glad that I finally found happiness. I’m glad that I finally got saved through Jesus Christ! I’m glad that I got filled with His spirit to the greatest abundance! I feel like I can finally see the light in the midst of all the darkness that we live in! Praise God! I’m free today!

I want to remind us all to reach out to people that are in need to say that we miss them being at church, miss them being in our lives, and that when they are in need that there is a solution, Jesus Christ!

Do We Use Discernment Anymore?

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THE WORD

Romans 8:27 – And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

One of the toughest spiritual gifts to willingly learn and use is the gift of discernment. One of the ways you can understand how discernment works is when you are following the Holy Ghost during a church service to ensure you are obeying the perfect will of God, keeping things in a spiritual order as God would lead, and helping to prevent things that would disrupt the freedom of God from being in control. That is the long way of putting it but is where you might see it used the most.

To put it in an easier way, you would not just let anyone get up and minister to you without having a good spirit dwelling within them. You know (and discern) that through the light of God lives a person’s spirit and are you able to bear witness of that light through what they speak and obey. You can begin to use discernment every day of your life. Whether it comes to what you see or hear or what you do around or say to others, discernment can be used in all venues if you allow the spirit of God to lead you. God would not have you willingly walking around in sin if it can be shown to you to turn from it. We can begin to discern that it is not the right situation to surround ourselves with and can learn to change where we are and what we do. It is possible! As we pray we can begin to discern from people how they either have God’s love or are lost from God’s direction and are in need.

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Learn to be spiritually led each day! The best thing to start with is prayer and thinking upon the good things of God. Once you start there, build yourself up and see how much begins to change. You will be surprised! God would not have you live in darkness. God would have you be a light to it, compelling people to change. Learn to change your environments and get out when you know things are too much for what you are capable of dealing with. Remember, we often make our biggest mistakes when we think we are strong enough to discern it for ourselves and not with the spirit. God is the best leader and guide!

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Do No Evil

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THE WORD

James 1:23-24 – 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:For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

I could not be more troubled about how much it seems that evil is ever present around the people of God. I want to ask some questions that will put us in the frame of mind of what I’m writing on today: How hard do we really try to walk away from something we know that we are seeing or hearing is wrong? In all reality we may find the answer is not too hard at all. If something (being the spirit of God) leads you to know that something wrong is going on, and you have the power to make a decision to change that behavior, then it is our responsibility hands down! If we learn to walk with God’s higher standard then they will know that there is something that drives us to be above the temptation of sin. Could we say a witness of the Lord?!? How much do we restrain ourselves from saying things that we should not in a situation where we are affected? Not too much at all. Keeping ourselves from saying irrational things is one of the hardest things to do simply because we feel enabled from our own self-right of justice. If they wronged us, they are going to hear about it, right? There is a difference in doing things in love versus out of spite or with an attitude! You have to always remember that everyone will answer for their actions and that self-control is only truly successful by the quickening of the anointing in you to help you prevent such decisions! How difficult is it to trust God when you feel like that you are surrounded in darkness? It is truly easy if you allow God to do it! We are the light of the world, but God is the fire that burns within! His spirit will keep you each day and never let you feel stale! If you learn to stir up the gifts and callings every day through worship, prayer, fasting, reading, and ultimately obedience then you will begin to unlock something that will (as the old song sings) shun the wrong and do what is right!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Make every active attempt each day to avoid the evils that you can and pray for God to lead you out of every temptation that would prove difficult for you to walk away from.

What Being A Light Brings For You

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This post might not be for everyone, but that’s okay. I feel led to write this one today, and I hope that to whomever this is for, that it speaks to your life.

I remember so many times in the earlier years in my life how easy that it was to get in a place where I felt like I was far away from anyone that could try and help me. What I didn’t realize at the time was that when I would begin to isolate myself and allow myself to be further and further from God and closer and closer to sin, I was essentially walking further and further into darkness.

More often than not I didn’t want people to see me in that condition or try and help me because I felt so unworthy for people to even look upon me. When people become so possessed with sin, it becomes as a terrible disease and corrupts the very will of a person.

I praise God for being delivered from all of that depression and desire to want to leave the world and wanting to lead such a miserable life! God truly changed me! I’m so happy about that, if you only knew!

Now that I am of a better understanding of the word of God and am willing to listen, I have learned some valuable lessons. I have learned that if I focus continually on God that my carnal mind is NOT allowed to bend the will of God in me. The light of God in my mind that stays focused each day is able to see the tricks and plans of the enemy WAY ahead of time (because your watching AND praying!) and I actually retain joy and peace that it build within me.

A light in my life most importantly lets my character be a witness to others! That’s what we are! Witnesses of Christ to a forsaken world! Remember that!