A HOUSE DIVIDED

In Matthew 12: 25 Jesus reveals to us an incredible truth: “…every kingdom
divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided
against itself shall not stand.”
The Lord makes it very clear that He isn’t one who says one thing then contradicts
what He said later. Nor does He do something then does the opposite later.
In Malachi 3: 6 it says, “For am the Lord, I change not…”
Listen to what James says in James 3: 9 – 12 concerning what we say and do:
We should not bless God then curse men. A fountain cannot send forth sweet
water and bitter. Can a fig tree bear olive berries?
Both James and Jesus are addressing the fact that you cannot say or do one thing
then do the opposite. A house divided cannot stand. Why would the Lord tell
you not to be double minded or double tongued if He was?
When it comes to temptation James says in James 1: 13 that God cannot be
tempted with evil neither will He tempt us with evil.
James also says in James 1: 18 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above and comes down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness
neither shadow of turning.”
Jesus came to demonstrate the character and nature of our Father God.
Everywhere Jesus went He healed the sick and diseased; He opened blind eyes
and deaf ears; He raised the dead.
Jesus was one who blessed and did not curse. Jesus demonstrated the incredible
love of God. He revealed to us that our Father God is the author of blessing not
cursing; good and not evil.
Before I went into ministry, I was involved in the medical field. I was trained as a
Medical Technologist. I worked as a Senior Diagnostic Sales representative for
Abbott Laboratories, training lab technicians how to use our diagnostic products
to help physicians diagnose different medical conditions.
I had extensive training in anatomy and physiology. The human body is an
incredible machine that has the ability to heal itself. Our body produces
antibodies to fight sickness and disease. Our bodies have many defense
mechanisms to defend itself against sickness and disease.

Our Father God created these incredible bodies with all these wonderful abilities.
Why would God then fight against His own creation and be the author of sickness
and disease?
A house divided against itself will not stand!
Why would God be one who blesses us then turn around and curse us with
sickness and disease? Why would God give you good things as the Word of God
says in several places then take then away?
A house divided against itself will not stand!
Jesus clearly states who does what in John 10: 10, “The thief comes not but to
steal, and to kill and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly.”
The devil steals, kills and destroys. God is not the thief, who blesses you with
something good then takes it away. That is stealing. God doesn’t give life than
kill it. God doesn’t create something good then destroy it.
A house divided against itself will not stand!
Don’t become a house that is divided but calling God good then credit Him for the
evil which the devil does.
Our Father God is a good Father, period!

If there is one scripture my congregation hears me quote many times it is Romans 12: 1 – 2 which says, “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
First of all, this scripture is written to brethren.  These are people who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  They are saved, forgiven and going to heaven.
However Paul is telling us that there is something else we must do.  Yes, they saved.  Their spirits are made right before God.  Their sins are forgiven: past, present and future.
But our flesh is not changed.  Therefore it is our responsibility, if we are to enjoy the benefits of being saved, right now, here on earth, we need to not be conformed to the world but be transformed by the Word of God.
Our spirit is perfect unto God but we need to make some changes in our understanding of who we have become as born again believers.
That word, transformed, speaks of the process of metamorphosis.  The process of being changed.  We need to grow into that new creation that we have become when we got born again.
The best example we know about metamorphosis is the caterpillar who transforms into a beautiful butterfly.  From something that crawls on the ground, susceptible to enemies, to something that takes wing and flies into the air.  
What is interesting is that the caterpillar has everything within itself to become the butterfly.  It only took a transformation while in its cocoon.  
As newly born again believers we need to obey Romans 12: 1 – 2.  Though our spirits are born again, our flesh, our thinking and our actions need to be changed.  That change can only come by the discipline of reading and studying the Word of God.  Like the caterpillar, all we have inside of us, our spirits joined with the Holy Spirit, will emerge in power and blessings as we begin to be transformed by the truths we learn about our new creation in the Word of God.
We will go from creatures of fear and susceptible to the enemy, to taking wing and becoming all that God says we are: more than conquerors, seated with Christ in heavenly places, given authority and power in the name of Jesus.
 

There is a great story in Matt. 15: 22 – 28.  It is the story of a woman, who was a Greek, a Syrophenician, a non-Jew, who fell at Jesus’ feet and asked Him to heal her daughter who had an unclean spirit.
Jesus replied to her request in Mark 7: 27, “but Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread and to cast it unto the dogs.”
We know the end of the story.  Jesus healed her daughter because of her insistence which demonstrated her faith in the fact that she believed Jesus could heal her daughter.
We need to look at two words here: children and bread.  I love the note I found in the Dakes Bible which addressed these two words and what they meant.
“Jews were the first children of the kingdom.  Their bread here refers to the benefits that the Messiah was to bring to them, which included salvation for the body, soul, and spirit.  Salvation from sin, sickness, demons and satanic powers.  These are family rights, legal rights, promised rights, human rights, Divine rights and redemptive rights of all the children of God.”
The one who receives Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, becomes an adopted child of God.  (Gal. 4: 4 – 5).
We also become children of the Kingdom of God.  We therefore have inherited the rights and privileges as kingdom heirs, which includes our salvation.
The full meaning of the word, salvation, is deliverance from sin, sickness, disease, demonic and satanic powers.  We are truly the children of God with all its rights, privileges, promises and benefits.
Healing is the children’s bread.  Since we are the children of the Kingdom of God, that healing bread is available to all who receive it in faith, in Jesus Name.

Proverbs 3: 5 – 6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”
Psalm 37:7 “Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shall be fed.”
The word trust is found over 135 times in the Word of God.  Something mentioned that many times must be very important to the Lord.
The word, trust, in the Old Testament has several definitions.  Most of these meanings refer to things such as: having hope; to flee for protection; security, assurance and refuge.
In the New Testament the word, trust also has several meanings.  Most of these meanings refer to things such as: to confide in; to expect; to have faith; to commit; to have confidence in and to rely upon.
It is pretty clear that we are to trust in the Lord.  Not just some light commitment to God, but to trust with all our hearts.  We are to place our faith and confidence in the character of God who keeps His words concerning our direction, our protection and our provision.
I believe there are two enemies to having a total trust in God: self-confidence and self reliance.
Having self-confidence is just trusting in our own abilities, our own strength and our erroneous thinking that we are in control of our lives.
Self-reliance is believing no matter what I have to face in life, I will be able to take care of it myself.  I don’t need any help.  
These enemies to trusting in God are very dangerous, especially when it comes to our eternal destinies.  In Romans 3, we are told that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  All humans are sinners.  
To think that you can determine your own course in life in wrong.  To think that you can determine your own eternal destiny is even a worse wrong.
The Bible is very clear about how mankind left to their own devices will become worse and worse (Romans 1: 21 – 32).  
If you confess to be a Christian, then you should believe what the Word of God says about self-confidence and self-reliance.  Salvation comes to the person who realizes that depending upon yourself to control your life on earth and being able to determine or earn your eternal salvation is sin.
Salvation comes by totally placing your trust in God to order your steps in this life.  Your eternal security only comes by placing your faith in the fact that the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross paid the price for your sin.
To become born again means to die to self-confidence and self-reliance and to place your total trust and faith in the hands of our loving Father God.

The dictionary defines the word, trigger, as a lever to release a catch; something pressed to activate a firing mechanism; to activate an action.
Today we will be referring to that final definition: to active an action.
As humans, our mind is an incredible organism.  Our mind or brain has the ability to store an enormous amount of information.  Unfortunately, some of that information, what we call memories, are things we would like to forget.
Times of loss, betrayals, sickness, embarrassment, so many times of sorrow and pain that we would like to forget.  Thank God, over time, many of those memories begin to fade.  They no longer seem to haunt us every day like they used to.
Then, bam, an encounter with someone, a song, a smell, a new environment brings back a painful memory.
These things are called triggers.  They active an action.  They are like that mechanism that activates that gun to fire.  Only in this case, that encounter with someone, that song, that smell, that thing you see, brings back that painful memory.
Those triggers create thoughts.  Thoughts that were unexpected, set off by a trigger.
Sometimes you cannot help but have to face that memory or thought.  What can I do to stop those thoughts? Many times you cannot control the trigger but thank God we do have some instruction in the Word of God to help us deprive that thought or memory from its power to cause pain, sorrow or suffering.
The answer is found in II Corinth. 10: 4-5 (KJV) “for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, (not of human design), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (those things that have a strong hold on you.)

A while ago, my wife was going to have her Woman’s Luncheon.  She had  prepared some food and had ordered and paid for other food to be picked up the morning of her meeting.
A day before the meeting the weather forecast called for 4 – 8 inches of snow with the storm ending sometime after 10am.  This was very troublesome news since the Woman’s Luncheon was at noon, with those preparing for the lunch coming around 9am.
I remember someone once teaching me, we should always be exercising our faith.  Not just any faith, but faith in the Word of God.  The Bible teaches me that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  The Bible also says that faith boldly declares the Word of God.
My wife and I began to boldly declare that this storm would not hinder the attendance at her meeting.  We took it a step further and commanded the storm to pass us by.
I was pretty confident my prayers would be answered.  Sadly when I woke up the following morning it had snowed and it continued to snow.  Like physical exercise, faith needs to be exercised. I was exercising my faith.
I just figured my faith, not having been exercise enough was a weak faith.  Needless to say, I was very disappointed, wondering why God didn’t answer my prayer of no snow.
After a while of complaining that my faith didn’t work, I believe the Spirit of God revealed something to me.
God may not have answered my prayers my way, but He did answer them His way.
It had snowed all right, but not the 4 – 8” the weatherman had predicted.  In fact it only snow about 2”.  What was also a blessing was that the snow didn’t continue until sometime after 10am, it stopped snowing around 8: 30am.
My prayer may have not been answered my way, but it was answered God’s way.  Because it snowed just a little, a couple of woman cancelled but it opened the door for some other women who missed the sign up deadline.  
And because it snowed so little and stopped much earlier than predicted, our parking lot got plowed and sidewalks cleared, long before the luncheon workers arrived.
God didn’t answer my prayer the way I wanted, but He answered it the way He wanted it answered.  Is it possible that God is wiser than me?  Absolutely yes!!!
It is no wonder the Bible says in Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.”
Pray in faith.  Declare in faith, the Word of God and just let God answer your request in His way, which is the best way.

Several years ago, my wife, along with our two Cairn Terriers were taking a walk in a local state park.  It was a very hot day and we figured a nice walk in the cool woods would be fun.
We had walked the main trails of this park several times and were very familiar with where they would end.  However this time we decided to venture on some smaller trails mainly used by mountain bikers.
After walking for almost an hour we realized we had no idea where we were or where this trail was leading us.  
Besides not knowing where we were, one of our dogs decided he had enough walking and decided to just plop down in the trail.  He had had enough.  I had no choice but to carrier him because he refused to continue walking.  
Even though we did not know where we were or where we were going, I knew that if we followed in the direction of the afternoon sun we would be traveling west.
I knew that eventually if we continued traveling west, we would come to the western edge of the park where they had built a new group of homes.  We knew if we just followed the sun, we would eventually come to a place that was familiar to us.
I thought, just go in the direction of the sun.
The Word of God teaches us that there will be times in our lives where we may feel lost and confused as to where we are going.
Proverbs 3: 5 – 6 says that we should trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths”
What the Word of God is saying here is that when we may think we are lost and now knowing how things are going to turn out, we are to trust in the Lord.  Essentially like we did on our hike; we just followed the sun.  In this scripture we are to follow the Son and He will direct our paths.
Life can be scary sometimes.  We decide to go a certain way and think we can figure things out and we end up being lost and confused.
When we place our trust in the Lord and we have taken the time to know His word we can be assured that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us.  He is always by our side ready to guide and lead those who place their trust in Him.
We have also been given the Holy Spirit whose job is also to guide us and lead us.
As believers we are not to be moved by what we see or hear, no matter how lost these things may cause us to feel.
The Bible says that without faith we cannot please God.  Faith is not moved by what we see.  Faith believes what God says, not by what we see or feel.
We will never be abandoned or left to try to find our way in times when we feel hopeless and lost.
Place your trust in the Lord and He will always be there to guide you and rescue you when you think you are lost.

Sometimes people think that recognizing God for the many blessings is just an act to satisfy a God who needs to be lavished with our praise and thanksgiving.  That seems to make our loving Father a very selfish person, which is farther from the truth.
When we give thanks to our loving Father, we are actually opening ourselves to some great things for our benefit.
Giving thanks to God acknowledges the fact that we recognize our Father God as the source of all our blessings.  According to Proverbs 3: 5 – 6, it gives us the benefit of God’s direction in our lives.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”
Giving thanks to God on a regular basis keeps our mind on God which will produce the peace of God in your life.
Isaiah 26:3 “Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusts in Thee.”
Giving thanks to God acknowledges your faith in the Word of God that says if we dwell in His presence (by recognizing that blessings come from our loving Father), we are in that secret place of the Most High, recognizing God as our refuge and our fortress placing us under God’s protection.  
I will continue with some of just many, many reasons what we should give thanks in my next blog.

RANSOMED FOR ALL
One of the biggest misconceptions held by some believers is the fact that they believe that Jesus only died and paid the price for the sin of those who receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
Nothing is further from that belief.  John 3: 16 says “ For God so loved the world…”  That term, “world”, means every human that ever existed, past, present and future.
That is hard for many to comprehend.  Mankind is inherently evil, possessing the nature to sin.  
Romans 3: 20 says, “therefore by the deeds of the law there shall NO flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
No one can keep the law that reveals to us what sin is.  Romans 3: 23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
All human beings are guilty of sin.  According to the law, the penalty for sin is eternal death; the eternal separation of sinners from God.  However God, even knowing the sinful state of mankind, the whole world, sent His only Son, Jesus, who voluntarily paid the penalty for the sin of all of humanity.
I Peter 1: 18 – 19 (amplified) “You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from your forefathers, not with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but you were purchased (ransomed) with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah) like that of a sacrificial lamb without blemish or spot.”
Ransomed (dictionary) The redeeming of a captive by paying money or complying with demands.  The price demanded to obtain the release of a captive.
The entire world, guilty of sin, with no hope of ever being able to save itself, was ransomed, redeemed, potentially set free, by the blood of Jesus Christ.
It is hard to believe that every human, despite their sin, was made clean in the eyes of God by the blood of Jesus.
However there is a requirement to receive that forgiveness of sin.  John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world (through the ransom paid by the blood of Jesus), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH IN HIM, should not perish but have everlasting life.
How sad that those who we considered the greatest sinners in history never obtained eternal life, by repentance and believing that Jesus died for their sins.
Even though the ransom was paid for every human ever born, there is a condition to receive that pardon.  Ephesians 2: 8 – 9 “For by grace are you saved THROUGH FAITH, and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God.  Not of works lest any man should boast”
Every person you will ever encounter in your life, even though they appear to be the worst sinner in the world, was ransomed by the blood of Jesus.  Their sins have been covered because God loves them.
Sadly they may not receive eternal life because they either reject Jesus as their ransom or they just don’t know they have been set free by the blood of Jesus.
Maybe you are the one God has chosen to inform them of the fact that they have a choice to make.  Receive their liberty by receiving Jesus as their savior and Lord or reject Him.  We have been given the ministry of reconciliation.
Let us be bold to offer people a freedom they may never have heard of.

A gavel is defined is a wooden-like hammer that is used by a presiding officer for commanding attention or confirming an action such as a vote or decision.
It can be used to call for attention or to punctuate rulings and proclamations and is a symbol of authority and right to act officially in the capacity of a presiding officer.
In a court room, once the judge strikes the gavel against the wooden base, the decision of judgement is final.
The gavel serves as the sound of a final judgment.  True believers in Jesus Christ and His word are warned against passing final judgment on others.
First of all, notice the definition says that the gavel is used by one acting as a judge or an official with the power to pass FINAL JUDGMENT.
No human being has the capacity to pass final judgment on anyone.  Only God knows the true motive of a person’s heart.  
Too often some Christians will see the behavior of another believer and decide or pass judgment on some action or behavior of that person and decide or pass final judgment.  They pass a final sentence on that person.  Again, only God knows the true motive or action of a person. No person has the authority or the right to judge another person.
There is a warning by Jesus found in Matt. 7: 1 – 2 (amplified) “Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourself.  For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you use to deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.”
Jesus goes on to say that how can we see a very small particle that is in our brother’s eye and do not consider the beam of timber in our own eyes.
The Bible is very clear that no one is without sin in their lives.  Jesus died to suffer the punishment we deserve because of that sin.  
So how can we as sinners judge another person’s sin.
I was always told we are not to be fruit inspectors.  However Matt. 7: 16 says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.”  Jesus told us this to be aware of false prophets.  We can decide whether or not I will receive what they teach because of the fruit they produce in their lives.
Yet I am not to pass final judgment on anyone.  Final judgment says they are going to go to hell.  However I do not know what their final outcome will be, because at any point they could repent and be forgiven by God.
I do not have to receive from them, but I better not pass final judgment.  That job is reserved for God and God alone.  If anything, I should be praying for them.  Only God knows what their final outcome will be when they die.
So put away your gavel.  If you want to judge anyone, judge yourself and be quick to recognize any sin in your life and repent.
For the Lord, He is good and His mercy endures forever.

Throughout the Bible, I see something that if we do it on a regular basis will produce some great rewards and benefits.
So many of us want to lose weight and get into shape.  I believe that billions of dollars have been made by companies that advertise a pill or some kind of drink that promises to cause us to lose weight and get into shape.
However, even though millions of people have bought these products, they did not produce what they had promised. The only people who have benefited from these fake products are those who were successful in convincing us to buy them.
The Biblical practice I am talking about is not a false promise.  This practice will produce some great rewards.
Proverbs 4: 20 – 21 (read)  “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.  Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.”
This word attend is very similar to the word, continue.  Jesus said, if you continue in my word then are you my disciples indeed.
To continue or to attend speaks of something you must do on a regular basis, until it becomes a habit.  It’s all about the habit of reading your Bible on a regular basis.
These scriptures speak of a habit consisting of four practices.
1.Attend or continue to read the Word of God on a consistent basis.
2.Incline your ears.  Listen to the Word of God which includes speaking it aloud or hearing it as you are being taught by a teacher.
3.See the written word on a consistent basis which includes keeping it before your eyes like reading it.
4.By consistently hearing and seeing the Word of God, it will eventually get down into your heart and become a part of you.  It may even become memorized by you.
What is the reward for this habit of doing these things?
Proverbs 4: 22 “For they are life unto those that find them, and health (medicine and healing) to all their flesh.”
Wow! What an incredible reward or benefit by developing this habit.  
A great, fulfilling life and health, healing and medicine to all our flesh.
These promises, benefits and rewards are not false ones.  They are guaranteed by the Lord Himself who inspired Solomon by the Holy Spirit to write these truths.
Just like exercise and proper diet will benefit our bodies, the benefit will occur only after we do these things consistently over the long haul.
It is the same with this Biblical promise.  The benefits and rewards will come when you practice this Biblical habit over the long haul.
Start now and the rewards will be great.

So many places in the Bible tell us not to worry, not to be anxious, not to be
concerned about the tests and trials we face in this life.
Phil. 4: 6 “Be careful for nothing.”
James 1: 2 “Count it all joy, when you fall into divers (or all types) of temptations
(tests and trials).”
Proverbs 3: 5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding.”
Sounds so simple until you are faced with the things we have to face in this life.
Sickness and disease, financial challenges, criticisms, rejections, family issues and
all the bad things we hear going on in the world.
How are we supposed to not worry or be anxious about all these things?
I think Paul had an answer for his life.
Phil. 3: 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.”
Paul admits he had not been able to do all things right. He had a lot to worry or
be anxious about. Here he shares the ONE THING that he has found to work for
him.
Forget about yesterday, whether it be your past failures or even successes. That
is not an easy thing to do, especially if situations and people remind you of your
past failures.
You can’t forget the past unless you reach forth, concentrate on and rehearse the
things that lie ahead. Unless the Holy Spirit reveals to you what lies ahead, we
really don’t know what tomorrow or a month or a year from now will hold in our
future.
However I think Paul found something that he reached for in his future. It is going
beyond the immediate and reaching or concentrating on the ultimate future or
what I call having an eternity mindset.

No matter what we face here on earth, we have the promise of eternal life. You
have to think beyond the immediate and think upon the ultimate end. Do you
remember what you were worrying or being anxious about last year or five years
ago.
The Word of God says that many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord
will deliver us from them all. Whatever we have to face today or tomorrow, the
Lord will deliver you just as He has done in the past.
An eternity mindset thinks about life eternal with Jesus in heaven. Put your
problems into perspective. In a blink of an eye, your life on this earth will be over.
We are not to fear death. It is just passing from this life to eternal life.
Think on these things.

II Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…”
The Bible contains scripture which is given to us by the inspiration of God.  Men under the influence and inspiration of God wrote what the Holy Spirit gave them to write.
That word, inspiration, speaks of the breath of God.  Like the filling of a balloon by the breath of someone, that air in the balloon contains the very DNA or being of the person who breathed into the balloon.
The Word of God is so powerful because it contains the very DNA or being of our Father God.
That word, inspiration, in the Greek speaks of three things:
1. Creative energy.  Since it is the very breath of God, it carries great creative power.  When we speak the word of God in faith it is going to produce what it was meant to produce.
Isaiah 55:11 says that every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God SHALL BE. It also says that that word will not return void, but it will accomplish that which God pleases and it shall prosper in the thing whereto He sent it.
When we speak the Word of God in faith it will not return without producing results and it will prosper and carry out what it was meant to accomplish.
2. That inspiration or breath of God in the Word of God also speaks of a fragrance.  When we have something that stinks in our lives, the word of God will produce a fragrance that will remove any stink.  When the word of God is read by someone a fragrance is released that will sweeten any foul smelling situation.

3. That inspiration of God also speaks of the production of a sweet sound.  Like music, it will calm and bring peace.  A flute without the breath blown into it is useless. Once the breath is blown into it, beautiful music will be produced which brings peace and calm to any storms we may face.
The Word of God is not something we just read for the sake of earning a certificate for reading your Bible.  The Word of God is the very breath of God.  When we open our Bibles to read God’s word a creative power is released, a fragrance is released that overpowers any stinky situation in our lives and finally the Word of God will produce a beautiful music into our lives.
No wonder Proverbs 4:20 tells us that if we incline our ears to the Word of God.  If we do not let them depart from our eyes and we keep them in the midst of our heart, they will be life unto those that find them and health to all our flesh.
Let the creative power, the wonderful fragrance and the music produced by the Word of God, work in your life by hearing, seeing and speaking the Word of God every day.
 

While preparing for my Sunday message, I noticed something very interesting in the story of David and Goliath.
It is no surprise that the Spirit of God shows us that in this story no matter how large the enemy or your situation looks; no matter how small you look or your resources look in the natural, no weapon formed against you shall prosper.
In I Samuel 17: 5 – 7 we are shown in detail, the weapons of Goliath.  He had a helmet of brass, a coat of mail, which protects his body.  He had brass coverings for his legs. He had a target of brass which acts as a breastplate.  He had a spear and I Samuel 17: 51 tells us that Goliath had a sword with which David used to cut off Goliath’s head.
Goliath also possessed a spear and a shield.
While reading about Goliath’s mighty weapons, the Lord reminded me of Ephesians 6: 13 – 17 which describes the weapons the believer of God possesses.
The difference between Goliath’s weapons and our weapons is found in Ephesians 6: 11 and 13 which say, “put on the armor of God.”
II Corinth. 10: 4 also tells us that, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, (or manmade), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
Goliath may have been twice the size of David.  Goliath may have had powerful weapons, but David weapons and our weapons are more powerful than any enemy or situation because they are of God.
Another great weapon that David possessed was faith in His God.  It says in I Samuel 17: 43, “And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.”
David declared and decreed the faith he had in the Lord and said in I Samuel 17: 45, “Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”
Vs 46 “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand and I will smite thee and take thine head from thee and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
We have mightier weapons than any enemy, situation or circumstance that tries to come against us.  Stand upon the Word of God that says, “No weapon formed against us shall prosper, in Jesus Name.”

As a Pastor I have heard who I thought were strong believers, say things like, “Look at Job, he was such a great man of God and look what happened to him.  If bad could happen to Job, how can I think bad things cannot happen to me.”
I used to think the same thing, but as I grew to understand a principle that the Word of God mentions over and over again, I corrected my stinkin thinkin.
That principle is called faith.  Heb. 11: 1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Real faith believes what the Word of God says.
Just to reveal to us what I mean, let us look at some scriptures in the Word of God.
Proverbs 6: 2 “Thou art snared with words of thy mouth; thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.”
Proverbs 13: 3 “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.”
In other words, our words have power.  
Proverbs 18: 21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
Your faith speaks.  Many times what you really believe down deep in your heart is what you believe.  What you believe in your heart and speak with your lips will come to pass.
These scriptures revealed to me something I never saw before in the book of Job.  
Job 3: 25 “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me; and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”
It seems apparent that all that came upon Job is what he greatly feared and was afraid of for quite some time.  Was Job speaking death and destruction over himself?  Did his fears and what he was afraid of come to pass?
If I have learned anything from the teachings of Jesus and the Word of God is this: Fear opens the door for the enemy.  If I speak the word of God in faith and that word will produce in my life, would it not make sense that if I speak words of fear, those words will also produce in my life?
That is why there are so many scriptures that talk about trusting in God; leaning upon Him; speaking faith-filled words to destroy those fears that come against us.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
“I will not be afraid for my heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.”
“I will say with confidence, the Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me.”
Over and over, we see scriptures we can use to defeat the fears that try to come into our lives.  Find these scriptures.  Speak them over and over until they get into your heart.  Then speak those faith filled words and fear will depart from you.
Don’t allow fear to open the door to the enemy.

When you receive direction from God to do something specific, be prepared to discern the diversions that will come your way that will try to divert you away from what God has called you to do.
As a Pastor I have come to understand that when the Holy Spirit gives me a message to preach or teach and it requires a lot of preparation, there seems to be things that come my way that will divert me away from my preparation.
I may receive direction from the Holy Spirit to something specific, then all of the sudden someone needs to meet with me, or there is a problem someone has that they believe needs immediate attention on my part or they disagree with what I am doing.
It requires discernment on my part to determine if that thing that will divert what I am trying to do is really that important.
A problem that someone believes needs my immediate attention is usually not a problem that occurred overnight.  It is usually a result of something someone has been doing wrong over the long haul that will not be solved in one meeting with me.
There is a great example of this found in Nehemiah 6: 1 – 4.  Nehemiah was called of God to complete the wall in Jerusalem.  Three enemies of Israel requested a meeting with Nehemiah.
Vs. 2 “Then Sanballet and Geshem sent unto me, saying Come let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.  But they thought to do me mischief.”
Nehemiah discerned that these enemies of Israel were just trying to divert Nehemiah from completing what God told him to do.  
Nehemiah responded, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down; why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you.”
His enemies were not thrilled with his response and kept insisting that he meet with them.  As Nehemiah continued to refuse, they make up lies concerning Nehemiah’s intentions.
However, Nehemiah was not diverted from what God called him to do despite their false accusations.
We must also be careful to discern what diversions people or situations may present to us.  
Being a person of prayer and always being ready to hear the directions of the Holy Spirit, will give you the ability to know God’s voice and His direction.
Then you will know what is God and what is not.  The enemy will use people and situations to try and divert you from completing the task that the Lord has given to you.
When you are determined to follow the directions of the Lord, be prepared to make people angry because you chose to follow the Lord, rather than be diverted by something someone else thinks is more important.
Nehemiah completed his assignment and you will too, if you discern what things the enemy will try to use to get you to disobey the Lord.

Clean up your act.  That was a phrase I heard of growing up.  In other words, change your actions because you need to get it right.  How about the phrase, “get it together”.
They both meant the same thing.  When a person receives Jesus as Lord and Savior, they are promised to have eternal life with God in heaven.  However while we are on this earth, we need to obey Romans 12: 1-2, which tells us not to continue to be conformed to the worlds way of thinking, speaking and living.
We are told to renew our minds to the Word of God.  Things we thought were right or wrong, or the way we should think, speak and act, we will find out are not according to God’s ways.
We essentially need to clean up our act.  Change the way we think, speak and live.
How do we do that?  Psalm 119: 9 “Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.”
Psalm 119: 11 “Thy word I have hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”
Knowledge of the Word of God and obedience to it will prevent us from being deceived by something that feels or sounds good or winds of doctrine.
It is the responsibility of every believer to read the Word of God and listen to the Word of God and very importantly be instructed in the Word of God.
One of the main responsibilities of the local church is to teach those who attend, the truths found in the Word of God.  
Eph. 4: 11 tells us one of the responsibilities of the pastor/teacher of that church.
Eph. 4: 12 “For the perfecting (maturing) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
Vs. 13 – 14 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (mature) man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.  That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
If you want to clean up your act; get it together and mature in the things of God we need to take heed to what we read in the Bible.
I have always said, there is nothing worse in this world than a half-baked Christian.  They do not know the full counsel of God and think, speak and live like unbelievers in this world.
Be responsible for growing up, getting established, getting your act together by reading, hearing and being taught the Word of God on a consistent basis.

Ephesians 2: 8 tells us that we are saved by the grace of God, through our faith.
In other words salvation is a free gift to those whose faith is a reliance on the
sacrificial death of Jesus Christ who died for our sins.
We are pardoned by our faith in the finished work of the cross. To believe in
Jesus means to trust in and daily depend upon Jesus each and every day of our
lives.
Salvation is free. Jesus is the one who made the sacrifice for our salvation.
However, we too, are required to make a sacrifice for the Lord.
Romans 12: 1 – 2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren (fellow believers), by the
mercies of God that ye present your bodies a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy, acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable service (rational worship). And be not
conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
The sacrifice we need to make in our lives, is transforming our minds to the word
of God. The sacrifice we need to make is to see, hear, read and be taught the
word of God.
We need to make the time and the effort to see, hear, read and be taught the
word of God. This will involve a sacrifice on your part to make this practice a
priority in your life.
It is the sacrifice of giving up other things that would prevent you from being in
the word of God.
In the parable of the sower of the word, Jesus shows us those things that will try
to prevent us from seeing, hearing, reading and being taught the word of God on
a consistent basis.
Mark 4: 15 – 19 tells us what things will try to steal what is required to make this
sacrifice.
1. Hard hearts and heads that refused to receive the word of God, which
permits satan to steal it.

2. Afflictions and persecutions which challenge your ability to trust in the
word of God.
3. Cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches and lust of other things, which
choke the word and make it unfruitful.
The sacrifice we need to make in order to grow our faith is to resist all these
temptations and make the time and effort to see, hear, read and be taught the
word of God.
If Jesus sacrificed His life for our salvation, surely we can make the sacrifice to see,
hear, read and be taught the word of God on a consistent basis.

Including myself at one time, many Christians do not fully understand the love of God.
Look at the most quoted scripture in the Bible: John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son…”
When it says the world, we are talking about those who do not believe in God or are totally opposed to God.  Yet God loves them.  He loves because He created everyone.  Though they may not recognize Him.  God sees them as His wayward children.
Romans 8: 35 (KJV) “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?”
Vs. 38 - 39 “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Nothing can come between us and the love of God.  Even when we don’t acknowledge Him or obey Him.
I Corinthians 13 describes the characteristics of love, agape love, the God kind of love.  It is unconditional and unearned.
Many read this thinking that this is how God is telling us to love.  It is impossible for us to love this way without a submission to the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 103: 13 – 14 “Like as a father pities his children, so that Lord pities them that fear Him.  For He knows our frame.  He remembers that we are dust.”
It is so sad that many Christians blame God for some of the adversities they face in life.  It is sad that many Christians blame God for sickness and disease whether mental or physical.
We seem to think we are better than God.  We would never to anything to hurt our children because we love them.  Are we better than God?
Psalm 103: 8 tells us that our Father God is merciful.  He is also a God who extends grace to us over and over.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve.  Grace is getting something we do not deserve.  
I believe if more believers would take the time to read the actions of Jesus they would see how Jesus revealed the true character and nature of our loving Father.  Jesus desired to teach the people the truth.  Jesus healed the sick and diseased.  He feed the hungry.  He raised the dead.  No where do I see Jesus hurting anyone.
Jesus revealed the infinite love of God.
Everywhere in the word of God I see our loving Father pursuing His creation to extend love, grace, mercy, provision, protection and hope in their future.
Read the New Testament and see the love of God.  Open your heart and mind to receive His love and it will change your life, in Jesus Name.

In Luke 10: 38 – 42, there is the story of Jesus being invited into the house of Martha who had a sister named Mary.  
In this story Jesus must have been teaching and it is written that Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and heard His word.
 Martha on the other hand was very busy about much serving.  Luke 10: 40 says, “But Martha was cumbered about much serving…”
This word, cumbered, means distracted, drawn different ways and overcharged with care.  Martha actually complained to Jesus, saying in verse 40, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone.  Bid her that she may help me.”
Listen to Jesus reply to Martha in verse 41, “And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things…”
That word careful meant to be anxious and agitated.  Then Jesus said, “but one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.”
Let’s look a couple of very important points Jesus made here:
1. Mary chose the better thing to do.  She made it her priority to listen to the words of Jesus.  Jesus said that the word she heard would not be taken away from her.  In the parable of the sower of the Word, Satan will try to steal that word from you, but in this case he cannot.  Why?  Mary made a free-will decision to hear and receive that word.  Satan cannot steal anything from you that you chose to keep.
2.Jesus made the point that being distracted, drawn different ways and overcharged with care is bad.  Also being anxious and troubled isn’t the will of God for your life.
The Holy Spirit made it a point to have this story in the Word of God to teach us about proper priorities.  Jesus said in Matt. 6: 33, to seek FIRST the kingdom of God.  The only place to learn about the kingdom of God and His righteousness is in the Word of God.  
Mary chose to listen, to seek above everything else, the words of Jesus.  That should be our priority also.
Don’t allow yourself to be distracted, drawn in different ways, overcharged with care, anxious and agitated over and above the necessity of stopping everything and listening to the Word of God.
As Proverbs 4 puts it, incline thine ear, keep the word before your eyes, and hide the word in your heart.  That is the better thing; the only thing that is really needful.  With that decision comes the promise we read about in Proverbs 4: 22, “For they are life unto those that find them and health (healing and medicine) to all their flesh.”

Recently I taught a message on the most powerful weapon we possess as citizens of the kingdom of God.
The weapon we possess is the word of God spoken in faith.  
I have heard people says to me that they spoke the word and nothing happened.  They quoted II Tim. 1: 7, against the fear they were experiencing but nothing changed.  They quoted Isaiah 53: 4 -5 against the sickness that was attacking them but nothing happened.
Just quoting that word of God against what is attacking you is not going to work.  The weapon given to us by Jesus, is speaking the word of God in faith.  
What is the difference between just quoting the word of God and speaking it in faith?  Speaking the word of God in faith, is speaking it out of a believing heart.  That word is deep in your heart, spoken without any doubt.
How do you get that word down inside of you so when you speak it, you are speaking it in faith.  
Proverbs 4: 20 – 21 tells us the secret.  It is the process for developing heart faith.
“My son, attend to my words; INCLINE THINE EAR unto my sayings.  Let them not DEPART FROM THINE EYES; keep them in the MIDST OF THINE HEART.”
This the process of getting that word of God into your heart.
1. Attend or pay diligent attention to my words (the word of God).
2.Incline thine ear.  Listen to them on a consistent and habitual basis.
3.Don’t let them depart from your eyes.  Read them on a consistent and habitual basis.
4.By listening to and reading the word of God on a consistent and habitual basis, that word of God will eventually get deeply seated in your heart.
5.You can hear by speaking it over and over again.
6.You can see that word of God by reading it over and over again.
7.Then and only then will it get deeply seated in your heart.
Now when you speak the word of God out of your heart it will be spoken in faith because it has become a part of you and possessing great power when it comes forth out of your mouth.
I have practiced this process and without even trying to memorize the word of God, when I need to speak it, I realized that I have memorized it.
According to Ephesians 6: 17b, that word spoken out of your heart, is called the sword of the Spirit, and is the most powerful weapon we possess as believers.
So remember, hear, see and speak the word of God on a consistent, habitual basis, one scripture at a time and it will get seated in your heart.
Do this with the scriptures that you need to use as the sword of the Spirit that specifically address the attacks you are facing, and you will have the victory in Jesus Name.

DIGGING FOR HIDDEN TREASURE
There is a parable in the Bible which speaks of a principle of the Kingdom of God, taught by Jesus.  
It is the story of a man who finds a treasure in a field.  He sells all that he has to purchase that field because of the treasure in which he has found.
I had a question when I first read that parable.  Why did the man have to buy the field?  He already found the treasure.  
What Jesus was trying to convey to us, was that the treasure that man had found was only the treasure he found on the surface of that field.  That man knew that buried within that field was much more treasure that could only be found by digging up that field to expose more treasure.
He couldn’t dig up the field, if it didn’t belong to him.  He knew that it would require time and effort to dig up that field and find the treasures hidden deep below the surface.
To purchase that treasure- filled field would require a personal sacrifice on his part.  Not only was it was going to initially cost him the effort and time to dig in that field, but knowing what was buried beneath that surface would be much more valuable that what he would have to invest.
A parable is a down to earth story that everyone could relate to that revealed an important truth.  What was that truth that Jesus was trying to reveal to us?
The Word of God, the Bible, is like that field.  Once a person is willing to at least read it, surface treasures will be revealed.  Truths that will change one’s life.
However, those who recognize the treasure they have found and develop a hunger to dig deeper, realize that it will cost them something to find further truths.  If that person is hungry for more truth it is going to cost them something to qualify to further dig deeper into the Word of God.
Anyone willing to dig deeper into the truths found in the Bible are going to have to sacrifice time and effort to find those truths.  They are going to have to dig deeper into the Bible.  A person hungry for those truths will be willing to pay the price to find them.
In Matthew 6: 33, Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  In other words seeking for those treasures hidden within the Word of God is going to have to become a priority in your life.  Other things will need to be second to finding those truths in the Word of God.
Seeking His righteousness, is seeking in the Word of God, what God considers right and what He considers wrong.  It is seeking to find out what makes one righteous in the sight of God.
Those truths will only be found by those who are willing to sacrifice all to dig deeper into the Word of God.  Those truths will only be found by those who are willing to dig deep into the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you, those things which are hidden to those who are not willing to pay the price and be disciplined to seek those truths.
In the Bible is the wisdom of God.  As Proverbs 3: 13 – 15 says, that wisdom, those truths that will only be found by those willing to pay the price and disciplined themselves to dig, will bring happiness to that person.
That hidden treasure is more precious than silver and the gain thereof than fine gold.
If you want to be rich in the things of God, be willing to pay the price and make the effort to dig deeper, because hidden within that field, the Word of God, is hidden treasure more valuable that silver and gold.

John 8: 31 – 32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
I have the habit of correcting people when they misquote this scripture.  They say “and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall SET you free.”  Instead of the word, make, they say the word, set.  I guess no big deal but I like to think of it this way.
You can set a caged bird free but he will always be a bird.  When you make someone free, a change of character has taken place.  You are not someone who remains the same as before you were made free.
II Corinthians 5: 17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…”
If we have been made free, from what have we been made free?
Romans 8: 2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
The law of sin states that if you sin, you are condemned to eternal death.  Romans 3: 23 says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  In other words if we commit sin, we fall short of the standards that God requires to be righteous in His sight therefore condemned to eternal separation from God.  By the sacrifice of Jesus, we have been made free from that law.
Galatians 5: 1 says, “Standfast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled AGAIN with the yoke of bondage.”
What was this yoke of bondage that the Galatian believers were once entangled?  Paul had preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the church at Galatia.  He told them that by the death and resurrection of Jesus, they were made free from all the requirements of the law needed to please God.
After Paul preached such a liberating message, men called Judeizers, came into the church proclaiming that they had to keep the laws from which they had been freed.
The message of the Jewish leaders, Sadducees and Pharisees, is what kept so many people seeking to find peace with God, in bondage to rules and regulations no one could keep.
This wonderful good news, the Gospel, proclaims freedom from such rules and regulations which were impossible to keep. 
We have been made free from the bondages that men who do not know God and His word, have tried to put upon the people.
Romans 5: 1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Having such freedom is wonderful, but Galatians 5: 13-14 tells us what we are to do, living with such freedom.
“For brethren, you have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for the occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Isaiah 26: 3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, who mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.”
If there was ever a time when believers needed the peace of God in their lives it is today.
We are being bombarded by bad news from every side.  Whether it is politics, our economy, the financial state of our lives, new diseases attacking us and all the evil that is around us, we need peace in our lives.
Biblical peace is not the absence of afflictions, calamities, persecution or rejection, it is a supernatural assurance that all is well.
The Bible is very clear about steering clear of things we do not need to hear.  However sometimes it is not possible to stop seeing or hearing bad things that are occurring all around us.
Isaiah 26: 3 tells us that if we keep our minds stayed on God, we can have perfect peace.  Our mind is the issue. 
To keep our minds stayed means to lean upon and to take hold of.  Lean upon and take hold of what?  Romans 12: 2 gives us key to what our minds are to take hold of and to lean upon.
“Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your MIND, that ye may prove (or know) what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God”
The will of God is found in the word of God.  If we train our minds to seek first the truths found in the word of God, we would know the will of God for our lives and the plan of God for our lives.
Jeremiah 29: 11 tells us what God has always intended for our lives.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
One translation says: a hope and good that you can expect for your life.
As you renew your mind to what the Word of God says about God’s promises, privileges and benefits for your life, all those threats to your welfare, peace and future will be powerless to affect you.
Isaiah 26: 3, not only says that if we keep our minds stayed on Him (leaning upon  and taking hold of all those promises of protection, provision and our great position with God) that we would have peace, it also says that we place our trust in Him.
Greater is He that is within us that he that is in the world.  The he that is in the world could be our flesh and the devil.  Either way we can have that perfect peace if we train our minds to the Word of God and have faith that that Word will be fulfilled in us, in Jesus Name.

-Pastor Jim

It amazes me that every time I want to look up some information on a minister or a ministry, at the top of that information list is their overall wealth.

Why Christians associate wealth with evil is beyond me.

Deuteronomy 8: 18 says, “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is He that giveth thee the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

The Lord knows it takes money to establish His covenant.  I look at this two ways:  God promises to bless those who are obedient to His word.  And God knows it takes money to spread the Gospel around the world.

When I look up a ministry faithful to preaching and teaching the Word of God, they are usually financially blessed.  I noticed that not only are they preaching and teaching the truths of God’s word by every means possible like, TV, radio, books, CD’s, DVD’s, Facebook, YouTube or websites but they are also providing the needs of others.

I see feeding programs, medical help, assistance after natural disasters, building programs, etc., all of which cost millions of dollars to carry out.

God has blessed these ministries with the money that they need to carry out these outreaches.

I also noticed that many of these major ministries run by an individual who may have received the direction of the Lord are personally blessed.

Just to mention some Biblical characters whom God blessed with wealth: Abraham, Gen. 13: 2 “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold.”

David, who is honored by Jesus being called the son of David, was very wealthy.  He contributed metric tons of gold to the building of the temple.

Solomon, who built the temple unto the Lord was considered one of the wealthiest men who ever lived.

I believe all these saints of God enjoyed their blessings from the Lord but their hearts and their motives were right unto God.

Having money or wealth is not the issue, it is the love of money. (I Timothy 6: 10

Matt. 13: 22 talks about the deceitfulness of riches as being a stumbling block to growing faith.

Even the rich young ruler mentioned in Mark 10: 17 wasn’t condemned because he had riches but as Jesus mentioned in Mark 10: 24, “How hard it is for them that TRUST in riches to enter into the kingdom of God.”

It is all about your attitude in wealth.  Trusting in your money, being deceived by placing wealth before your love for God, being ungiving and stingy when you are blessed with wealth and refusing to give back to God a portion of what He has given you is the problem with having money or riches.

The Bible is very clear about God’s willingness to bless those who acknowledge God as their source and their willingness to obey and serve God and His word above all else.

Psalm 35: 27 “Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

- Pastor Jim