Mark 4:39 says, “And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

In this verse the disciples experienced the impact that Jesus had on their troubled hearts when “a great windstorm” came against their boat. They were filled with fear and worry, and this caused them to wake Jesus up. He calmly arose and rebuked the wind and waves. He said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” The wind ceased and there was a great calm.

There are many reasons in this world today why your hearts could be troubled. Storms may be battering your life, and your minds may be weighed down with fears and doubts; but God is ready to speak peace into your life.

During these troubled times I would like to remind you what God’s word says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God!”

Today, allow this great peace to flood in and calm the storms in every area of your life.

II Peter 2:9 states, "you are chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His Marvelous light." 

We must realize that God made us a valuable gift to the world. So, what are you doing with it? Actually, nothing on earth is more valuable than making the most of your Life. 

You may think your life is not important; however, God knows how to make something valuable out of it despite what you have done in the past. Don't act like you are not important. Rise up and make an impact on this generation. Let the light of the Word shine and become an instrument to our world. 

Revelation 12:11 says, "They overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony."

The power in His blood is activated in our lives when we speak the Word of God. For us to walk in victory our words must agree with what the blood says.

We grew up hearing the expression "I plead the blood." Pleading the blood of Christ is not begging God to do something, and it is not a statement of unbelief or fear. Pleading the blood is activating what happened through the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is asking God to provide for us what Jesus' blood has already purchased. It is a statement of faith about what happened at Calvary.

When Jesus said "it is finished" He was announcing to the world that the supreme sacrifice has been paid. Satan's hold over us was finished.

So! Let us enjoy every blessing Christ obtained for us. It is not God's responsibility to see that we receive His blessings. It is our responsibility to activate the promises of God through our words. And when we speak the Word, we will see all that God has provided for us become a reality in our lives.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seem."

Hebrews 11:1

Have you found yourself feeling like everything depends on you? That is what the world teaches. But God wants us to live by faith in what Jesus purchased on the cross of Calvary.

You see, Christ redeemed us! And we cannot add to or take away from His redemptive work on the cross. That work was all-sufficient and all-inclusive. It is not being paid for by us. No! When Jesus shed His blood at Calvary, the redemptive work was completed once and for all!

This Easter week, I encourage you to realize that your faith is sufficient to receive all of God's promises. It's time to get your eyes off your own insufficiencies and onto Christ sufficiency. Remember--Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished!" Stop trying to figure everything out. Just believe God. Because when you live in line with the Word and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will see His promises come to pass in your life.

Philippians 4:8--Finally brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Let's face it. When you are going through a hard time, it can be easy to think about your problem constantly. But you must keep the Word of God first place by reminding yourself of a few things.

1. Remind yourself of the times when God came through for you in the past.
2. Pray in the Holy Spirit and meditate on the scriptures.
3. Practice Phil. 4:6-9 by thinking on these things.
4. Follow Jesus' advice. He said, " take no thought.." in other words, don't except thoughts that lead to worry, but resist them with the Word.
5. Constantly remind yourself of God's promises.
6. Sing Word based songs that fit the need.

When things aren't going well remember to think on good things!

Today is April Fool's Day, but it was no joke when Jesus told His disciples that He would one day be put to death but would indeed rise again!

As Easter quickly approaches, let us remember the great price that Jesus paid because of His great love for you and me! There is NOTHING that can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39) and that's no joke.

✝️You are loved!

✝️You are wanted!

✝️You belong!

✝️You are worth dying for!

✝️Jesus loves you!

The Bible tells us that God is in the business of making all things new. We know this first hand because when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we became new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). If you continue reading throughout the Bible you will see scripture after scripture echoing this truth that God is always making new things! 

"Behold, I am making all things new.” -Revelations 21:5

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness."

-Lamentations 3:22-23

Spring is a great time to be reminded of this truth. This is the season of new growth and new life! From the wild flowers by the road to the baby geese by the lakes, you will see the evidence of new life everywhere. God wants to remind us that no matter what you may be dealing with or situations you are facing, tomorrow is always a new day! His mercies are new every morning! The leaves might have fallen down in the Autumn but there will be new trees, new flowers, and new life in the Spring!

This is a new season so get ready for all that God has for you!

Did you know that you can make an impact? It's true! You don't have to be a CEO of a company, an actor/actress, or an athlete to make a difference in this world. In fact, you can make a huge difference just by showing kindness to those around you and living a life that exemplifies Christ. 

We live in a society, especially with the rise of social media, that overlooks kindness. There are people who thrive off of being rude and criticizing others, sometimes for the smallest reasons. People are looking to be seen, heard, and understood. People are looking for kindness that only Jesus can provide and a purpose that only Jesus can fulfill. That's where you and I step in. 

We are called to be His hands and feet on this earth. 1 Corinthians 12:27 says "All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it". While some people can make a difference by raising lots of money for missions or by preaching the Gospel on every television in the world, a lot can be done by just showing kindness and being willing to go the extra mile. It takes every one of us with our gifts and callings to be able to reach the world, and no method is greater than another. God has a plan and a purpose for you!

As you begin this week, think of ways you can show kindness to someone. Whether it is a co-worker at your job, someone at the coffee shop, and even someone in traffic. You might never know what kind of impact you will make on earth but always know that nothing you do for God goes unseen. Remember what 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, "Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us]". 

When an athlete is training for a marathon, they don't skip workouts and eat heavy meals before the big race. Doing so would cause them to become tired quickly and quit early into the race. No, when an runner is training for a marathon, they train for the long run. They take the necessary steps every day to build their endurance so that when they run the race, they will finish. We, as believers, are called to do the same. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of [a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

The keyword in this scripture is endurance. The author of Hebrews knew that our Christian life will come with obstacles just like an athlete would have to prepare for. Living our life for Christ in a fallen world will come with situations that we will have to overcome with the Word of God, yet we know that ALL things are possible for one who believes (Mark 9:23) and acts on the Word of God. You don't have to be crippled by fear or anxiety about the situations you may face because God has given you the tools and the ability to keep fighting the good fight and to endure for the finish line. But again, the key is to focus our eyes on Christ; the One who endured the cross for our salvation. When we realign our motivations to match the attitudes of Christ, we will begin to take the necessary steps that will build our endurance in the Faith. 

God has a plan and a purpose for you, and He desires for you to live a purposeful life on earth. He gave you the tools and the ability to fulfil your purpose but it is your responsibility to take the necessary steps to build the endurance. He calls you to realign your motivations. He calls you to focus your eyes on Jesus. This isn't God wanting to be a killjoy and keep you from living an exciting life. Quite the opposite. By fellowshipping with God and following after Him, you are preparing to step into His calling for your life which will bring fulfillment, purpose, contentment, and most importantly, excitement. So don't give up! Keep your focus on Christ so that you will endure until the very end!

Train hard. Stay focused. Keep the Faith. 

2 Timothy 4:7-8

Paul writes in Romans 8:14 "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God". As believers, it is important to learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. In every situation and with every decision that we have to make, both major and minor, the Holy Spirit was given to us so that He could guide us in all truth.

Jesus told us in John 16:12-14 "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear [to hear] them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future]. He will glorify and honor Me, because He (the Holy Spirit) will take from what is Mine and will disclose it to you".

When we begin to cultivate a hearing ear to the Spirit of God, He will lead us in the right directions in life. It doesn't matter whether it is a big decision or a small decision, God wants to be involved in our lives because He wants to lead us down the right paths. However, when we begin to listen to the world around us and be lead by our flesh, our choices will reflect that. That is why we must be active in renewing our minds daily (Romans 12:2) so that we will be on our guards against the enemy of this world. 

God says in Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore, you shall choose life in order that you may live..."

What Path Will You Choose?

We all have read how we must love the Lord our God and love our neighbors. Jesus spoke of this topic often during His ministry on earth and instructs us to do the same (Matthew 22:37-39). 

Did you know that one way to show love to those around you is to serve them? To put someone else’s best interests before yours. It is by serving others you are showing them the love of God and you can read about this throughout the Bible. 

Mark 9:35, "As he say down and called the twelve. And He said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 23:11, “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”

1 John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 

If you do a study within the Word, you will see that serving others is a form of love and honor. In the same way, we are honoring God through these actions. Matthew 25:40 says "...‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

How can you show love and honor to someone this week? 

Here's the never-ending story. You work hard all week to make it to Friday. Finally, it's the weekend! All of a sudden, the weekend flashes by like a bolt of lightning and the next thing you know, you are on the doorsteps of Monday. Where has all the time gone? Monday always presents itself as the dreary beginning of the work week. There are countless jokes about how Monday is the most hated day of the week because it marks the end of the beloved weekend. BUT! What if we decided to look at Monday with a different perspective?
 
Monday: The start of a new week. New beginnings equals new opportunities. The mistakes and troubles of last week are no longer relevant because you now the opportunity to make this week better! Better yet, you have the opportunity to invite God into your week! Paul says it best in Romans 15:13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises." 
 
When you choose to invite God into every area of your life, including your career, the Holy Spirit will begin to help you and give you joy and peace in every situation. That means Mondays doesn't have to be boring, dull, and monotonous. That being said, as you begin this work week, learn to change your outlook. Think positively and ask God to show you ways to create a better week! When you begin to see the world the way God sees it, no longer will you feel down about Mondays. No longer will you struggle waking up after the weekend. You'll begin to get a fresh outlook on life because you chose to think like God thinks.

John 3:16 says, “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His[One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.

If you want to speak the word of God in power and authority you will have to maintain your love walk. That is practicing a lifestyle of His love on a daily basis. Sometimes it requires sacrificial love, even when it hurts.

When you allow God's love to operate in you, you can freely forgive. Because as you practice walking in love, you can learn to forgive those who have hurt you. As you continue to put God's Word inside your heart, you will be able to rise up and stop the problems in your life because Love is the Secret!

Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

The Word of God has the power to transform our lives and as we meditate on the scriptures it keeps us from being conformed to this world. The more we renew our minds with truth, the greater our lives will be transformed into the image of Christ. That is how we express the life and nature of God in us and like it says in Daniel 11:32: "...the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action”. 

A mind transformed by the Word of God makes us strong. So when tests and trials come our way, we can rise up above them by the words transforming power!

I Kings 18:21 (GNT) Elijah went up to the people and said, “How much longer will it take you to make up your minds? If the Lord is God, worship Him, but if Baal is God, worship him. And the people answered him not a word."

Many people are at a crossroad. We face decisions that will affect the course of our lives, but the road of obedience is what we must choose if we want to follow God's plan. Although it seems hard to say no to our will and plans, the result of obedience will cause our spirits to rejoice. There is no comparison between a life of walking in the flesh and being obedient to God's perfect will! As we choose to follow God's plan, He will lead us to places of abundance in every area of our lives