Should our world view be different than our eternal view as Christians?

How should we live in an upside-down world?

We as Christians must come to accept this; that God is sovereign over the affairs of man, His will supersedes every aspect of life.

We must come to understand that no man, no form of government can save mankind, only Christ can.

God knew that and had a plan in place before any leader ever rose up and imposed their will on their fellow man.

God's plan is this, Jesus Christ crucified, dead and buried and rose again, conquering sin and death, bringing salvation and redemption to mankind, the only hope for any of us, and the governments of the world rest on His shoulders, and at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and tongue confess that He Lord!

This is what God tells us!

The devil wants to divide the Church by any means necessary, and he has found the poison fruit of which we are eating; Politics.

God is not politically correct, He is not politically affiliated with any party or person, nor does He seek our approval, on any issue.

God has spoken, His truths cut deep into the heart of the matter, His goal is not to give us all the comforts this world offers but to draw us to Him and conform us to the image of Jesus.

Christian brothers and sisters, see where God is working and go to Him, don't fall into the trap of conforming God to the standards of the world, or believing that our way of thinking surely is how God sees things.

God plans will not be stopped, by anyone, by any means, by any army, by any government, His will, His plans are fixed.

Our duty as a believer in Jesus Christ is to worship God in Spirit and truth and bring glory to His name in all we do.

Too many today set under false teachers and beliefs, simply because they worship their own idea of who God is, and believe that He agrees with them always, that is idol worship for that is a god of our own making.
We should pray for our leaders, good and bad, that God would draw them as He does us, pray for their souls. Pray for our fellow citizens that God would save them and change their hearts as He has ours, we should stand on the word of God and the direction of the Holy Spirit, always without fail, and by doing so we become the light that Jesus has called us to be, in a dark world.
God's word says this:

“Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.” Daniel‬ ‭2:20-22‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws. “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” Daniel‬ ‭4:28-37‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.” Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it, “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison. I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”Isaiah‬ ‭42:1-9‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.” John‬ ‭8:12-20‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” And they were glorifying God because of me.” Galatians‬ ‭1:1-24‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Jesus's prayer life was always about His Father’s business. He did not pray as a philosopher, a theologian, or even a preacher, He prayed as the Son of God and He humbled Himself under the authority of the Father. ​

He prayed personally and passionately to the Father, and Jesus taught us to pray this way.
This was a radical change from the way the Priest prayed, this was Jesus showing us, that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that He came to fulfill the law.

Do we approach God the Father this way as His child, are we personally and passionately asking Him as a child asks their father?

Or do we view God as a distant being that strikes fear in us, is He cold and callous, so much so, we don't approach Him prayerfully at all?

Do we understand that there is really nothing that is beyond the realm of prayer, except that which is outside the will of God?

”We have not because we ask not, or we ask with wrong motives,” is what the Bible tells us, this means we are forsaking God when we do life without praying.

As His children, our first, last, and everything we do throughout our day should be bathed in prayer.

But millions of people every day, ignore God, in their daily lives.

Understand this; Prayer is the language of dependence, confession, worship, and love, it should come naturally for us to pray, and if we think of prayer from these standpoints, then why wouldn’t we want to pray?

Simple, we really don’t know much about praying, if we did, we would ask God to help us pray and not miss that intimate conversation with Him.

Prayer unleashes the power of God in us, through us in our lives, and in the lives of those around us, let’s make a commitment to pray continually throughout this year, and the years to come, and see what God will do in our lives, in our Church, our Community, our Nation, our World.

God's word says this:

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [ For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ ]” Matthew‬ ‭6:9-13‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John‬ ‭17:1-26‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans‬ ‭8:14-17‬ ‭NASB‬‬

”Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, T o all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians‬ ‭1:1-11‬ ‭NASB‬‬

”You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “ He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James‬ ‭4:2-8‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Peace, joy, love & kindness are what the world wants, but they are truly only found in Christ, and the world does not want Him. We, on the other hand, should celebrate Him every day, for we have everything in Him.​

If your a student of the Bible you see time and time again that what seemed impossible for man, is never impossible for God.

His plans are set, His timeline is happening, He has invited us into the story, the story of Love, Grace, Mercy, Redemption, Salvation and Eternal Life.

What risk do we take, none, for God made a way when there was no way, through Jesus Christ, He paid it all; you and I, we pay nothing in contrast to what Christ paid for us.

God's plans seems to us to always have some risk involved, but in reality, there is no risk on our behalf.

What part of the story has God written, that you fear today?

Do you think your part is too risky?

We are called to proclaim the gospel, love our neighbor and serve our Creator, and most of all love the Lord our God with all your heart, body and soul.

Each of us has a part in this story, we risk nothing, and gain everything, for the one who paid it all.

The only risk we take is ignoring God’s calling on our lives, in doing so we miss the blessings, the joy, the peace the reward of walking with Him and serving Him.

What has God called you to do today for His kingdom?

God's word says this :

“They related Esther’s words to Mordecai. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.” Esther‬ ‭4:12-17‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” Romans‬ ‭13:11-14‬ ‭NASB

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” Galatians‬ ‭5:22-26‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “M Y SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, N OR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY H IM;” Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-5‬ ‭NASB‬‬

The time has come in our world, where evil men prosper, and wickedness consumes mankind like it did in the days of Noah. ​

Rage rules the hearts of the people, conversation has been traded for violence and bloodshed, civility is now a thing of the past

Violence is never the answer. If we need to defend ourselves we shall, but we can not in any way go after another person with the intent to do physical or mental harm, in any way. That violates the very nature of God and man. And we become our own enemies.

Corruption fills the halls of governments everywhere, terrorism is rampant, depravity rules over men and women, murder is justified and acceptable in the eyes of the wicked as in the days of Jonah, but take heart for we are told these things will happen.

This is not a time to live in fear, this is a time to live by faith, remember the things you have learned, hold fast to the words of God, for we live in days where God’s glory shines upon His children.

God is sovereign over all these, He turns mankind over to the desires of their hearts for this is what they want, and He says to them you have chosen your destiny by rejecting me.

Wickedness is nothing new, it is driven by demonic forces, our own hearts and the cursed world we live in, this is why we are told this is not our home, we are sojourners passing through Babylon, on our way to the Promised Land.

The heart of the problems in our world is our own selfishness.

Paul in his final letter to Timothy encouraged him to press on in difficult days, so others would see the glory of God and can come to know him

Whatever your facing, wherever you are if you are a child of God, then He is with you! He will never leave you or forsake you and He will complete in you what He started. Hold onto Him, His promises, His truth, His word!

God’s Word says this:

“The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the LORD.” Proverbs‬ ‭19:3‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“The king gives stability to the land by justice, But a man who takes bribes overthrows it. A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps. By transgression an evil man is ensnared, But the righteous sings and rejoices. The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, The wicked does not understand such concern. Scorners set a city aflame, But wise men turn away anger. When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest. Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life. A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked. The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the eyes of both. If a king judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established forever. The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother. When the wicked increase, transgression increases; But the righteous will see their fall. Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; He will also delight your soul.” Proverbs‬ ‭29:4-17‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.

Avoid these people. For among them are those who worm their way into households and deceive gullible women overwhelmed by sins and led astray by a variety of passions, always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth. They are men who are corrupt in mind and worthless in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress, for their foolishness will be clear to all, as was the foolishness of Jannes and Jambres.

But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance, along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra.

What persecutions I endured — and yet the Lord rescued me from them all. In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”2 Timothy‬ ‭3:1-17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.

In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.”Philippians‬ ‭3:12-21‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Listen to my words, Lord; consider my sighing. Pay attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for I pray to you.

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watch expectantly. For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil cannot dwell with you. The boastful cannot stand in your sight; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who tell lies; the Lord abhors violent and treacherous people. But I enter your house by the abundance of your faithful love; I bow down toward your holy temple in reverential awe of you. Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of my adversaries; make your way straight before me.

For there is nothing reliable in what they say; destruction is within them; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongues. Punish them, God; let them fall by their own schemes. Drive them out because of their many crimes, for they rebel against you. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May you shelter them, and may those who love your name boast about you. For you, Lord, bless the righteous one; you surround him with favor like a shield.”Psalms‬ ‭5:1-12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I have the great pleasure of getting to do ministry as a Pastor and counselor, God allows me to see deep into the lives of His children, and deep into the lives of those who do not know Him yet as Father.​

The downside, seeing folks where they are because they are not willing to make the necessary changes to advance forward in life, instead, they are held captive by their choices from their past.

If we understood the power of prayer we would pray continuously, prayer is not magical, it is Spiritual. When we pray to God our Father, we are surrendering to His power, His authority, His perfect will.

The first thing we must do if we want to make real changes in our lives is to pray, pray for ourselves, our families, our friends, our communities, our Nation, we need to pray in faith continually to the only one who can make things happen.

Sadly most people pray without faith, but even worse there are people of faith who do not pray.

Praying to the Father is a privilege reserved for His children, so why don't we pray?

From what I see it is because people truly don't understand who they are in Christ, and the privileges and power we have, because we have the Holy Spirit in us.

We must come to that knowledge through prayer, praying for God to reveal Himself through His word, praying for God to reveal Himself in our lives, praying for God to reveal Himself to others through our lives.

Do we understand the creator of everything dwells in His children? The same power that formed the earth, that raised Jesus from the grave, that fell on the apostles at Pentecost, dwells in each of us.

Knowing this we should live our lives fearlessly and faithfully.

All other reasons why people don't pray, fall back to people not knowing who they are in Christ.

The devil will lie to us, tell us God will not forgive us, God won't help us, God doesn't care, that you don't need to ask God you got this! He will make us feel guilty, useless, powerless, we are none of these things, we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.

It is time we take back the authority Christ has given each of us, start living a life of as a child of God, it all starts with prayer, surrendering everything and everyone in our lives to God the Father, hold nothing back.

Until prayer becomes like the air we breathe, we will never start living the life God has for us.

God's word says this:

““Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [ For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ ] For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Matthew‬ ‭6:9-15‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“pray without ceasing;” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians‬ ‭1:1-23‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “B EHOLD, I LAY IN Z ION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, A ND HE WHO BELIEVES IN H IM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “T HE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, T HIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone, ” and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE ”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” 1 Peter‬ ‭2:1-10‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Living in our past won’t change it, or our present situation, we may need to revisit from time to time so we never forget where we came from and remind ourselves not to repeat it.​

We live today, and living in Christ will change our perspective, help keep up focused, and keep our hearts and minds off of what haunts us.

We need to stop trusting in ourselves and what we can do, and start trusting in Christ, and what He can do!

We need to keep all of our hope in Christ, we have enough to deal with each day, let's keep our lives in His hands, letting Him rule in our hearts and minds will help us see how great the Father's love is for each of us.

We should live our lives daily with great expectations of what God will do in us, and those around us when we surrender to Christ.

Waiting on the Lord is never wasted time, it is a time of renewing our faith and growing in grace, we need to wait on Him daily.

God's word says:

“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you — you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat? ’ or ‘What will we drink? ’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew‬ ‭6:25-34‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose.

Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation — and this is from God. For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.” Philippians‬ ‭1:20,-22. 27-30‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“See, the Lord God comes with strength, and his power establishes his rule. His wages are with him, and his reward accompanies him. He protects his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in the fold of his garment. He gently leads those that are nursing. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure or weighed the mountains on a balance and the hills on the scales? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or who gave him counsel? Who did he consult? Who gave him understanding and taught him the paths of justice? Who taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding? Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered as a speck of dust on the scales; he lifts up the islands like fine dust. Lebanon’s cedars are not enough for fuel, or its animals enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him; they are considered by him as empty nothingness.

God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He reduces princes to nothing and makes judges of the earth like a wasteland. They are barely planted, barely sown, their stem hardly takes root in the ground when he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind carries them away like stubble. “To whom will you compare me, or who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. Look up and see! Who created these? He brings out the stars by number; he calls all of them by name. Because of his great power and strength, not one of them is missing.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” Isaiah‬ ‭40:10-17, 22-26, 28-31‬ ‭CSB‬‬

We all have fallen for the power of the grand illusion, the power of our flesh, the power of the world, the power of the devil, are all grand illusions.​

Now don't get me wrong all three of these are powerful foes, they have a hold on the world around us, they are stronger than us and on our own they easily defeat us, but in Christ, we have overcome them all, their power is limited and fueled by illusions and deception.

The truth is, the more we seek Christ, the more He transforms our minds, the more He reveals Himself to us, and the more we will see this daily.

There is more power in the prayers of a person of faith, praying to God in belief than there is in all the Capitols of the world!

Because God, has put His Spirit in us, the same Spirit that moved over the earth and formed it, that sheltered Israel by day and gave them fire at night in the wilderness. The same Spirit that descended upon Jesus at His baptism, and raised Him from the grave.

The same Spirit Jesus promised us, to teach us, lead us, speak through us, comfort us, protect us and seal us for eternity.

He will help our walk daily, we just need to seek Him and ask Him.

Today learn to seek, ask and obey the Spirit of God and see what He will do in your life, do not fall for the grand illusion of the enemy, instead seek the face of God and see Him reveal His power in your life.

God’s word says this:

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact, the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:9-11 CSB

“If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”John‬ ‭14:15-26‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops. Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”Matthew‬ ‭10:26-31‬ ‭CSB‬‬

For every child of God, there will come a time when we must leave all that we know and go into the unknown with God.​

Adam and Eve left the garden, Noah went into the ark, Abraham went to UR, Moses went into the wilderness, Joshua went to the promised land, Joseph went to Egypt, Jesus left heavens splendor and came here to earth to dwell among us, the Apostles left all they knew and followed Jesus and then the early Church sold all they had and went into all the world.

Where is God calling you, leading you? As this year closes and a new one begins, will you go where He leads you?

Taking the step to get up and go, to do what God wants is an act of faith, trust, and obedience but mostly love when we truly love God with all our hearts, minds and strength we will go without hesitation.

Where is God calling you to go?
What is God calling you to do?

Will you trust Him no matter where He sends you? Will you go into the unknown to make His name known?

Whether it is across the street or halfway across the world. God has a calling on our lives, He has already gone ahead of us. Where is He asking you to go, to make your path straight, trust Him!

God's word says this:

“The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew‬ ‭28:16-20‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.”Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-3‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Christmas isn’t about the gifts under our trees, Christmas is about God’s gift that He gave us, Jesus Christ.​

The manger was only a prelude to the cross, Jesus came to be our Lord and Savior, God's gift to us all.

Jesus came to us because we would not and could not come to God the Father, without Him.

Jesus came to fulfill the promises of God, so those who believe in Him could become the sons and daughters of God!

Jesus was crucified and nailed to a tree, He died there for our sins and God raised Him from the grave, He was sinless, yet He bore our sins, and. through Jesus gives us the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

Jesus is the light of the world, let us not miss Him as they did the first time He came.

This Christmas He is standing at the door of our lives, knocking, will you let Him in, or will you tell Him there is no room for Him, in your life!

The Christmas story is about why Jesus came as much as it about who He is. If your hope is in government saving man, if your hope is man, then you have no hope. God settled things long ago, knowing that we could not save ourselves, knowing that mankind left to his own ways would lead to our own demise, we are power-hungry, self-serving, greedy, driven by a corrupt nature we are depraved this is why God took it upon Himself to come and save the world.

He came to seek and save the lost and He paid the ultimate cost, the world is looking for the savior to come, but He came long ago, and the good news is He still reigns today.

Time was split, sin and death defeated and His kingdom set before us. Jesus is the center point of time, He is eternal and the world revolves around Him, it rests upon His grace. From before time began God had a plan, and Jesus made sure it all took place, all of the promises of God are fulfilled in Him. Everything and everyone was created by Him, for Him and through Him, our world rest upon His shoulders.

One day He will return and time and life as we know it will change, now is the time to come and meet Him, now is the time to great the King, there is no greater gift you will receive than Him.

God's word says this:

“The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.” Matthew‬ ‭1:18-25‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John‬ ‭1:1-5, 11-14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. “To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation‬ ‭3:20-22‬ ‭CSB‬‬

The holidays can be fun and exciting, they can refresh our spirits as we close out the year with family and friends in celebration.

But for some, the holidays bring feelings of despair, loneliness, and depression as they look back over the events of the year, or remember loved ones who have gone on before them.

Time really doesn’t heal our wounds, it may cover them up but healing only comes from inside out, as a work of God's Spirit.

We look for answers to questions on why things happen more around the holidays, especially Christmas. We think of Christmas as it should be, joyous, peaceful, fun, time together, reflecting on our blessings with our families, but when there is a void where someone’s missing our hearts get heavy. And we want an answer to why they aren’t there.

Quite simply we don’t have the answers, outside of death comes to us all, no matter our age, and plays no favorites.

None of us know our time, how limited it is, we should learn by now to live each day to the utmost, loving each other and treasuring each moment we are given together. Most of all we need to learn to love and honor God in all we do, especially in our relationships with each other.

We need to learn to forgive others, forget each other's shortcomings, including our own, past mistakes and foolish words. We cannot change what has been said or done, we can only choose not too repeat them.

We need to keep our hearts focused on God above, walk in His ways, keep our hope in Him alone. For in Christ we have hope, joy, peace, strength, abundance, grace, mercy and love.

The very things we are missing are found in Him, and in Him, our loved ones who have gone on before us are now made complete and they wait for us to one day join them with Christ as we enter into eternity together, were never again we will experience sorrow or loss.

That is where joy is everlasting, peace is all we will know, and our hope will be complete.​

God's word says this:
“Even in laughter a heart may be sad, and joy may end in grief.” Proverbs‬ ‭14:13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him! You who are his holy ones, fear the Lord, for those who fear him lack nothing. Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is someone who desires life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help. The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to remove all memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit. One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all. He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. The Lord redeems the life of his servants, and all who take refuge in him will not be punished.” Psalms‬ ‭34:1-22‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. “This is what I command you: Love one another.” John‬ ‭15:9-17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

We are called to a purpose, not to sit idly by as the world passes away but to proclaim the gospel message to those who are perishing and to encourage the redeemed. ​

The gospel of Jesus Christ is for all; it is gives life to the dead (those without Christ) and joy to the living (those in Christ).

We need to declare today the good news to all mankind, for the gospel sets the captives free, gives sight to the blind, and shines the glory of the Lord all around us.

Our world is perishing, people need hope, as a child of God it should be our privilege to proclaim Jesus Christ to all mankind.

Are you doing all you can to proclaim the truth, the love, the hope that is found in Christ? If not this is the perfect day to start!
God’s word says this;

“This is my servant; I strengthen him, this is my chosen one; I delight in him. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the nations. He will not cry out or shout or make his voice heard in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick; he will faithfully bring justice. He will not grow weak or be discouraged until he has established justice on earth. The coasts and islands will wait for his instruction.” This is what God, the Lord, says — who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it — “I am the Lord. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, in order to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those sitting in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. The past events have indeed happened. Now I declare new events; I announce them to you before they occur.” Sing a new song to the Lord; sing his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea with all that fills it, you coasts and islands with your inhabitants. Let the desert and its cities shout, the settlements where Kedar dwells cry aloud. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops. Let them give glory to the Lord and declare his praise in the coasts and islands. The Lord advances like a warrior; he stirs up his zeal like a soldier. He shouts, He roars aloud, he prevails over his enemies. “I have kept silent from ages past; I have been quiet and restrained myself. But now, I will groan like a woman in labor, gasping breathlessly. I will lay waste mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn rivers into islands and dry up marshes. I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not abandon them. They will be turned back and utterly ashamed — those who trust in an idol and say to a cast image, ‘You are our gods! ’ “Listen, you deaf! Look, you blind, so that you may see. Who is blind but my servant, or deaf like my messenger I am sending? Who is blind like my dedicated one, or blind like the servant of the Lord? Though seeing many things, you pay no attention. Though his ears are open, he does not listen.” Because of his righteousness, the Lord was pleased to magnify his instruction and make it glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in holes or imprisoned in dungeons. They have become plunder with no one to rescue them and loot, with no one saying, “Give it back!” Who among you will hear this? Let him listen and obey in the future. Who gave Jacob to the robber, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord? Have we not sinned against him? They were not willing to walk in his ways, and they would not listen to his instruction. So he poured out his furious anger and the power of war on Jacob. It surrounded him with fire, but he did not know it; it burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.” Isaiah‬ ‭42:1-25‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.” Romans‬ ‭1:14-17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“About the times and the seasons: Brothers and sisters, you do not need anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, for this day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled and put on the armor of faith and love, and a helmet of the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:1-11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

When Christ came as a baby, the majority of the Jewish people missed His coming, the signs were all there, the timing was right, and they needed God more than ever.​

The problems were the religious community was caught up in political power they struggled with pushing their own agenda instead of God’s truth.

The Romans were caught up with governing the religious leaders and the king they had in place, they were also busy trying to squash terrorism from the zealots.

The people were living in rebellion doing whatever they could to survive, they were slaves, overtaxed, angry, confused and numb to all that was going on around them.

Sound familiar?

The good news is there were a few who obeyed God, and He made known to them that the time had come, salvation has arrived through Immanuel, the Christ child.

I believe today we have the same mindset as the Jewish nation, religious leaders have an agenda and it is not God’s, political leaders have an agenda to control the people and what they know, and the people are growing numb and rebellious against both.

We are missing the glory of God as He works and offers salvation to all mankind, we miss the meaning of Immanuel, we miss the treasures of life because we have become apathetic, instead of passionate for Christ.

The signs are obvious, they are everywhere if we're not careful we will miss all the signs of our Lord's return because we are focused on us instead of Him.

Simeon and Anna had waited their whole lives for the coming Messiah and knew that God had kept His promise, we should be like Simeon and Anna waiting faithfully on God, recognize His promises and keep praising His name

Let’s turn our eyes off of us, and other people, let's look for Jesus to soon return, let's live as if today is the day, let others see the glory of God shine upon us and mankind again.

God’s word says this:

“So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Christ, fourteen generations. The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother, Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.”Matthew‬ ‭1:17-25‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Now concerning that day and hour no one knows — neither the angels of heaven nor the Son — except the Father alone. As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark.

They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. This is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding grain with a hand mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew‬ ‭24:36-44‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple.

When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised.“For my eyes have seen your salvation.”

‭‭You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples — a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.

His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary: “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed — and a sword will pierce your own soul — that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and was a widow for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers. At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” Luke‬ ‭2:25-38‬ ‭CSB