On my computer I have a tool button that says, Favorites.

I actually use it quite often, it’s one of my favorite buttons. I have all the web-sites that I frequent most under this tab. When I use my favorite button it provides a short cut for me so that I don’t have to go through a full google search. When you search for something you have to weed through all the other programs that either sound like what you want or are spelled like or who knows what some of the things listed are on the list for. So I really appreciate having my favorites located in a convenient place, saves me lots of time and frustration.

I also have favorites in my Bible. I know that the entire Bible is awesome and full of wonderful promises and many other powerful words of truth but I do have some favorites. My favorites usually consist of scriptures that have faithfully seen me through the greatest trials of my life. These scriptures are engraved in my spirit and soul for life. When something or someone sticks with you through thick and thin, it inescapably becomes your favorite. Some of my favorite scriptures have actually saved my life. When receiving an evil report concerning my health, my favorite stepped right up and took on the challenge and brought me through without any residual of the attack. My favorites have faithfully kept my family safe for many years. My favorites have prospered me and shielded me from harm. My favorites have brought me through the fire without the smell of smoke. My favorites never left or abandoned me even when facing the fury of the enemy. I love my favorites and they will always be a part of me. I hope that you have a list of favorite scriptures that have been faithful to you and been with you, sticking closer than a brother.

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In a world that everything has become acceptable and blindly tolerable, you must decide and take a stand for what is permissible for you. Be true to yourself by choosing the only standard that will bring a favorable eternal outcome. Being true to yourself means being honest in your own heart. If you are not up to par in your walk with God then just admit it then make the adjustments and grow up and move forward. We all know it is miserable to be out of the will of God. Many times you can see the distress and void on people’s faces. They pretend to be having a good time (spiritually and naturally). They smile yet all the while they are kicking against the pricks of their God given destiny. They try to engage in vain amusements and mind cluttering activities so they won’t have to think about the sorrow and emptiness that press daily on their hearts.

Being true to one self means to stop the facade and get off the roller coaster of worldliness. It means getting down to business with you. It means pointing your own finger in your own face and saying stop, no more pretenses, it’s all or nothing, I choose to go forward.

Being true to yourself means staying with your decision to obey God no matter what anybody else chooses to do.

Being true to yourself means stepping back and letting God take the lead in your life. We can do nothing without God, yet we can do all things through Him.

Make the decision that today is your day, to be true to yourself and begin living the blessed life that Jesus purchased for you!

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2Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Many times when doing my own editing for things that I write I miss simple mistakes that I’ve made. Oftentimes it’s only when my wonderful husband has reviewed the text and found numerous errors that I realize that I need a second pair of eyes to help me see things that I may have missed. I think the reason that I miss so many of the mistakes is because I know what I wanted to say so when I proofread the text my eyes skim over the words with the mind-set that I wrote it with. It is not as easy for me to see as someone else who did not write it. Sometimes it seems like my eyes are playing tricks on me because I could have just read over something and then I go back and find two more errors. Well, why didn’t I see it the first ten times I looked over it? My eyes see the error but my mind does not acknowledge it.

Can we see a parallel in spiritual things? The bible tells us to examine ourselves. However, why don’t we see what others see wrong in our lives. Sometimes we get fighting mad because someone who loves us told us one of our faults. We carry on for hours, getting angry because they saw something about us that we did not see or we saw it and did not consider it a fault. We begin to reason and pacify ourselves by thinking, “They don’t know me because if they knew me they would know that I am not like what they think they saw in me.” We wrongly conclude that if we didn’t see it in ourselves it couldn’t possibly be true because if anybody knows me it’s me. Wrong, many times we don’t see it because we created it or allowed it at some point in our lives and now it’s so much a part of us that our brains don’t see the wrong in it. We approved it for years sometimes.

I believe when the bible tells us to examine ourselves I believe God was referring to us seeing ourselves through the light of His Word, not according to our own standards and natural thinking. Your mother may have told you that a certain way you behaved as a child was cute but God’s Word may not consider it cute at all. So the next time you do self editing made sure you use the Word of God as our standard.

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Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Are you a peacemaker? Well child of God you are blessed!

Another word for peacemaker is mediator; somebody who works with both sides in a dispute in an attempt to help them to reach an agreement.

As children of God we have His nature and His ways are continuing being imprinted on our hearts. God’s ways are far above the ways of mere unchanged men. When we spend time with God in prayer and meditation in the Word of God, we begin to sound like Him and look like Him in our character and personality. We take on a new culture, the Kingdom of God culture. We become imitators of God. We begin to resemble Him when we are going through a temptation, test or trial. When the storms of life come we find ourselves responding like Jesus instead of the traditions and cultures we were raised in from the world.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace! He is our Mediator, between God the Father and mankind. He secured a covenant or agreement of Peace between God and man. He got right smack dab in the middle and brought us together as a family again.

Sometimes we may find ourselves in natural situations at work, in our homes, with extended family and relatives, with children, neighbors etc. where we need to bring peace between two or more parties. Yes, I know you are probably like most of us who would rather just stay out of it and mind your own business so to speak. However there are times when you maybe lead of the Holy Ghost to rise up and be a peacemaker in certain situations. In times such as these just know that God is with you and in you and He will give you what to do and say. Be bold to do what you have seen the Father do or say. Stand strong for the truth and never be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ even though you maybe criticized and persecuted for it. The truth sets people free. So obey when He is prompting you to get involved in certain situations. You are His child and you are a peacemaker. Rejoice, you look just like your Heavenly Father!

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Facebook!

Face defined:

• To be positioned or turn so that the face or front side is directed a particular way or toward something or somebody.

Hebrews 12:2-3 (AMP)

Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.

We live in a world that has many distractions and alluring attractions. This could be very detrimental for Christians that lack disciple. When we neglect to cultivate the fruit of discipline in our lives we open our lives to be controlled by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. These three things operating in a person’s life will only produce misery and sorrow.

The scripture above says look away from all these things that will distract you and then look to Jesus. When a person turns from something it doesn’t automatically mean they will turn to something better. The bible teaches us what to turn from and what to turn to. Turning is a voluntary movement, which means you must participate; God will not do it for you.

We must endeavor to stay spiritually sound and full of the word of God so that we can recognize and distinguish a distraction from the main attraction (which is Jesus. When Christian’s allow themselves to become spiritually dull they lack the sensitivity to discern worldly distraction from Heavenly attractions.

God wants us to keep our focus on Jesus. The way that we accomplish that is by facing the Book. The book that I am referring to is the Word of God.

James 1:25 declares, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 

The Word of God will keep our lives clean from the defiling distractions of this world. The Word of God will keep our motives pure and our hearts committed to the cause of Christ. The word of God keeps our focus on the right things. Christian’s who keep their face in the book don’t use corrupt communication. Christian’s who keep their face in the book don’t gossip and slander. Christian who keep their face in the book imitate Jesus, they look like him in the storms of life. Christian’s who keep their face in the book are pleasant to be around. Christian’s who keep their face in the book live to honor God. Christian’s who keep their face in the book are not trying to find the next weak prey to defile with fornication or adultery. Christian’s who keep their face in the book continue to look up because they know that their redemption draws near.

So turn from every distraction and FACE the BOOK, in it there is life!

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Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 

I love decorating my house for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I totally enjoy the light from the Christmas décor. I was decorating one of my small Christmas trees and noticed that some of the lights were not lit, so I opened a new box of miniature lights and began stringing them on the tree. To my amazement the new string of lights was only half lit. However I quickly knew what to do, I began looking at the strng of lights on the side where the lights were not shining to see if one of the lights was blown out. I was skeptical though because I did not know how I would be able to tell which one was blown out seeing that these lights were so small. I thought this would be a long process but to my surprise I immediately spotted the problem. One of the light bulbs had fallen out of its socket, so I quickly reinserted the missing bulb and BAM, there was light!

God said through the prophet Isaiah, “Arise, shine for thy light has come.” We are no longer without light in the earth as a matter of fact we are the light. Jesus said to us let your light shine, implying it is up to us if the light is on or off. Yes, light has come but is it on. We have vessels that provide light, such as lamps, in every room of our home but not all of those vessels are on all the time. They are equipped to shine light but it’s up to my family when we let it shine.

Unlike household lamps spiritual light is always needed because we are in a dark world. There will always be somebody who needs light. We are never to turn the light off; in doing so we could cause somebody to stumble or somebody to fall or someone to miss their destinies call. Light was not created by God to be hid but rather to be lifted up for all to see.

When I held up the string of lights, half of the string was lit and half was dark, causing a dimming effect. This string of lights was not providing the bright illumination that it was created to provide. It was handicap because one of the lights had fallen out.

Handicap defined:

• Something that hinders or is a disadvantage to somebody or something.

We may not think that just one light missing would make that big of a difference but it did. One light out of place caused half of the whole string to malfunction. God has set each of us in His body as it pleases Him, meaning our light was strategically placed on the string of lights to do its part to bring illumination to the world. We all need to shine bright in this dark world, your light matters to the body, we need it. Don’t let it go out or grow dim but let it shine everywhere you go……….Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!

People will come from all nations just to see your Holy Ghost glow! They will follow you as you lead them out of the darkness to the marvelous Light, the Lord Jesus Christ!

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John 1:10-12

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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:

Jesus came all the way to the earth that He made and walked among men that He created yet they knew Him not. Jesus was among His own people, those who had read and heard about His coming however they did not receive Him once He came. Jesus possessed power that he could impart to those who would receive Him as the Son of God. When that power was released into a person’s life they immediately became sons of God. Power that translates us from darkness to light. Power that changes our son-ship and heritage. Power that erases our past sins and transgressions. Power that cuts off the curse, and initiates and perpetuates the blessing. Power that exchanges death for life. Power that destroys yokes and lifts burdens. Power that raises us up from the dead and seats us alive in heavenly places in Christ.

When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior there is made available to us unlimited power and ability. We are the sons of God through faith in His name.

There will be times when you will not be received as a son of God. People may reject your claim of son-ship but God never will. The bible says as many as received Him, that number is unlimited. Don’t be alarmed at rejection, Jesus wasn’t, He just kept on moving, doing His Father’s business.

We are the body of Christ, the true sons of God, we are the expressed image of God, and we are those who manifest the Glory of God in the earth. Be bold in your faith, kick it up a notch and answer the travail of the earth with a power burst of God’s glory!

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Genesis 3:13

And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 

Beguiled defined:

• To mislead or deceive somebody.

• To rob somebody of something, or cheat somebody out of something.

Eve was stripped of life by a mean crafty serpent. He cheated her through deception. Jesus has thus warned us to guard ourselves against deception. The enemy comes to mislead or give the wrong impression about something. He lures through lust and attracts through curiosity.

God sent the Holy Spirit to us to guide us in all truth; He will never mislead or deceive us. God told Adam the truth about what to eat and what not to eat. The Father was guiding them in truth, He was not trying to lure or deceive them. The word of God is safe, we can trust God and His word.

There are many serpents slithering throughout the world, seeking to beguile innocent souls. Stay with what the Word of God is and has spoken to you. “ … It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

It is the word that God speaks that we are to live by, not the words of crafty serpents. So be sober and vigilant, keep the standard of the word of God before your eyes being loyal to hear and do it. When we esteem and honor God’s word above any other word it will keep us from being beguiled.

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1Thessalonians 4:13-18

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The scriptures tell us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God.

The Word brings supernatural comfort to the believer through faith. Comfort supplies relief.

When we think about heaven, physical death, and experiences of the spirit realm, such as these, we need the faith of God in our heart to believe. When we are ignorant of these truths our hearts sorrow as those without hope. However, when we turn our attention to the Word of God and receive what God has to say about this particular arena of life we find answers and freedom from fear of the unknown. God has not left the subject of death a mystery to the born-again Christian. God has insight and revelation for all who come to Him. The above scriptures so beautifully reveal to us the path of those who die in the Lord. Oh what a wonderful Heavenly Father we have, He is so mindful of us. He knew that one day in all of our lives we would experience the death of those near and dear to us so he sent His Word to heal us and deliver us from all destruction, yes, and the destruction of sorrow.

The scripture above says comfort yourselves with these words. The words that God speak are full of power, they are spirit and they are life. When we receive His words into our spirits and minds they release faith and provide comfort. The anointing that is in God’s Word destroys every yoke and lifts every burden, this includes sorrow. So we hear and we receive and we believe and we rejoice because we are comforted through the knowledge of the truth and the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah!

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Giants are known for their size. They are many times portrayed as fierce and dangerous to encounter. Many child hood fairy-tales when I was a child would equate giants with monsters who hid out in secluded areas away from society. Most people were afraid of them and did not want to be around them. They were generally displayed as having super-human strength and great power, and rarely lost battles. However I would like to talk to you today about a different kind of giant.

Giant defined:

• Somebody whose talents or achievements are particularly outstanding.

1Peter 5:5-6

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Humility gives birth to gentle giants. These giants are taller and bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. Their strength is supernatural and is released through their submission to God. Their courage is a by-product of meditating God’s Word both day and night. They are not insecure or self conscious because they don’t look like everyone else in their submission to God. They allow love to determine their path in life and relationship to others as they consistently welcome every opportunity to put others needs before their own. They use their strength and power to help others around them, not to tear down and cause hurt. 

These are gentle giants and they live among us every day. They are committed to kindness and love and are a dangerous force against the spirit of fear. They stand far above others in their loyalty and work. 

They are gentle giants whose height in life is a result of their submission to God. They are lifted up by God Himself for all to see a demonstration of His power resulting from humility.

So be diligent to resist pride and keep it defeated way under your feet. True giants are the creation of supernatural humility.

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