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I will praise you in the storm and I will lift my hands; for You are who You are, no matter where I am.
We are literally watching prophecy unfold before our eyes as the recent events with Palestine and the U.N. are setting the stage for the coming apocalyptic storm. Changes are taking place all over this world and the darkness of evil as the hearts of most have grown cold. Is there hope for those who have put their trust in Christ or will we be destroyed along with the rest of the unbelieving world?
The blessed truth is that there is a perfect plan unfolding for those who refuse to be moved from their position in Christ. You may feel like you are too overwhelmed to continue in the battles you face, but the power of God is always the conquering force within you in all of your struggles. There is not a moment that your future is ever compromised by problems in your life. You have been given the guarantee of victory in all things. God is working his divine, eternal destiny through every single one of them.
We read in Isaiah 40:31, “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” Those who can trust that God is still sovereign in their darkest struggle and pain shall not go unrewarded. He will give you the power and hope you need to stay in the race and not give up. It was by his grace that you were taken this far and he will not let you be destroyed now. Surrender your fears and frustrations to God and let him give you his peace to endure.
As the news brings stories of wars, famines, earthquakes, and fierce storms of every kind, we rest in the knowledge that God is using it all to fulfill his plan of salvation to the very end of time. It is a troubling time for everyone but your prayers for help are being heard by Christ who knew your name long before you were ever born. In Daniel 9:18, Daniel lifts his voice to God saying, ” For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness but because of your great mercy.” It is the love of God that we call upon in times of trouble. He sees beyond our weakness and failure and is willing to help us in spite of it all.
Do not be surprised at the evil going on for we are told in God’s word that there will be a spirit of deception that will fill this earth in the ending days. Those who belong to Christ have nothing to be anxious over for your future is secure as God has ordained every one of your days. Jesus told us that we would still be able to have joy despite our many problems because he has overcome the impact of every single one of them. By his authority, all things that come against you must work into the plan that he has for your life. You cannot lose when you belong to Christ. This world may be perishing but believers have a royal heritage that transcends the boundaries of this life. We are being tried and tested as the refining fires are molding us into the image of Christ.
It may seem like your prayer has not been answered or that your struggle is getting worse but the God who calls out each star by name without losing one is certainly not going to lose you in any battle that you face. You are a winner and your destiny is sealed. Don’t let your pain weaken your faith. There is always the hope you need to carry on for your steps are guided by the hand of God. Lift up your eyes to the hills from whence comes your help. Hold on, dear believer! Your God sees where you are and he will rescue you.
We are nearing the end of the race. Christ is coming soon to bring us to our home with him. The increase of evil is a sign that the devil is growing anxious knowing that his time is short. God’s power and authority are unchanging. He is still in control of everything. All things will work out according to his purpose.
My heart and prayers are with all who are going through serious problems and struggles. You may feel like you are alone but you never will be!
I am humbly asking all who visit here to remember and pray for our brothers and sisters in restricted nations who are being persecuted for their faith. We must stand with them for they are one with us in Christ.
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The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1)
Whatever you face, God will make a way to take you through it!
God’s word stands true and he fulfills every promise despite the problems we face. This world is not our final destination but only a place of preparation for what is to come. In this life, we are going to endure hardships of every kind until Jesus returns to make all things new. He has defeated death and made us victors in all that we endure. No matter how fierce the battle, believers cannot be defeated by the fiery slings and arrows of the enemy. I trust in the promises of Christ. He is my stronghold and my very present help in time of need. I believe in prayer and know that my God hears my every plea.
With all that said, I have to share with you that my faith has been severely tested and stretched to the limit during these past months as I face a powerful battle in my life. There are times when I feel completely overwhelmed. Yet no matter how weary I may be, God has given me the grace to endure. I will never give up or lose hope. All the trials that I have faced in my life only taught me that God has been my help through every single one of them. He sees my tears and knows my pain. He is not far away leaving me alone. Scripture says, ” The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit”(Psalm 30:18). I don’t have to see Christ or feel him to know that he is my hope and strength to get me through anything I must endure in this world.
Sadly, for quite some time I have been living with the pain of a failing marriage. Despite doing all that I could, it is apparent that I cannot change the outcome. Even though I have been praying night and day for God’s strength and guidance, things have gotten worse. All I can do now is to continue to pray and surrender my will to Christ. He alone knows the outcome. It breaks my heart to say that I cannot make someone stay and love me when he has chosen not to. I feel betrayed and hurt facing an uncertain future. But as difficult as this has been for me, I know that God still has a plan for my life.
I want to make it very clear that without any doubt, God has authority over all that we face. He can and will do mighty things to help his people and that is why I always advise those struggling in failing marriages to pray and not give up. I am still praying for all who are going through troubled marriages. We have good reason to hope that God can reach the wayward or unbelieving spouse. Sometimes he takes them to the end of their own strength so that they have nowhere to turn but to him. However, I know that it is hard to understand the times when that doesn’t happen. It does not mean that God doesn’t care. The truth is that he cares much and he grieves with us in our pain. Unfortunately, we are living in a lost and perishing world and the enemy has blinded most to his schemes. His main target is to break up homes and destroy families evidenced by the fact that over half of all marriages end in divorce. What a sad statistic that is. Yet God still has the power to give you a future with hope.
When you do all that you can and it seems like you are being hard pressed on every side, remember that in Christ, you cannot be crushed. He will take your broken heart and your fallen dreams and use them to build you up for his purpose. It may not seem like you will ever recover from your pain or that your tears will never end – but that is not true. King David wrote in Psalm 69 “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck, I sink in the deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.” And yet David kept trusting his God even when all hope seemed lost.
Our problems and struggles do not dictate our future. It is planned out by Christ Jesus who will not fail to help those who trust in him. I know that my pain has no power to destroy the hope I have through Christ. Despite what I face in this life, my God will always be bigger.
And then, in spite of all I have been going through, I recently discovered that my one cat, Bella, has cancer. I am always rescuing animals and my pets are like family to me. I am tearful and saddened by this diagnosis for I know that she does not have long to live. In a time when my heart is broken over my marriage, this just added more pain to my life. Is the will of Christ even in the death of a pet I love? The answer is “Yes!” Christ has a plan for all things! Nothing happens apart from his knowledge and permission. Each day, the enemy wants me to believe that God has failed me or that he doesn’t care. He tries to convince me that I am alone. Yet, I know by faith that I will never be alone. Psalm 23 reminds us that, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” All of our enemies, our struggles and our pain has been rendered powerless to destroy us. Christ has a way to heal and make us whole no matter how broken we are. I trust him. My Bella may be gone soon, but I know that even then that Christ will be with me and help me through it.
My friends, I pray you understood all that I said. No one wants to go through a divorce but unfortunately that is not always a choice. If you get to that point, you need to draw even closer to Christ and rely on his strength to get you through. All of your trials and struggles were known to God even before you were born. He can use all things and cause them to be used for good and the purpose he has for your life. Nothing is impossible for him. If you can keep trusting him despite your struggle, you will not be conquered. You will have the victory in everything even through your pain.
I am praying for all who are facing a similar situation and don’t know where to turn. You future is uncertain and it is difficult to understand how you are going to ever get through this. It is only in knowing your God that you can have peace despite your heartache. When people ask me what they can do for me during this painful time, I ask for their prayers. I know that this battle is going to be tough but it is not my own strength that is going to take me through it. I take hope from Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.
God’s promises of mercy and grace are new to us every morning. He does not fail us and he never leaves us. No matter what trouble you have in life, there is always going to be the help that you need through Christ.
My dear friends, I pray for all of you who come to this site. I thank you for your understanding during this difficult time in my life and I appreciate those who are praying for me. Because I belong to Jesus, I will not drown in my tears. He will help me.
I am humbled that God continues to give me his messages to write. God bless you and please keep his truth in your heart. There is no pain that you have that the touch of his hand cannot heal.
UPDATE ON MY CAT, BELLA
As I wrote, I had found out during the time of my divorce that my cat, Bella, had bi-lateral kidney cancer and would not live long. Kidney cancer like hers kills quickly. I would hold her every night and pray that God would let me keep her just two years longer. I was in the middle of a painful divorce. I was watching my marriage die and at the same time I was watching Bella die. I kept praying but I trusted that God could take me through it. No pain we suffer is beyond God’s ability to help. I knew that and I believed that but I prayed for more time with Bella.
Sadly, my divorce went through. That does not mean God did not answer my prayers. It just meant that in this fallen world, he was allowing my spouse to have free will in his choices. It was tough on me but I never felt that Christ was not with me. I surrendered my brokenness to him daily. He was all I had and he was more than enough. I was not destroyed but made stronger for what I endured.
The strange part is that after I wrote this article, my Bella started to eat again. She gained weight and seem happy and comfortable. Each morning I would go see how she was doing. Each morning I would praise Christ. Two years after my divorce, Bella became ill again and died peacefully in my arms. As sad as I was to lose her, I knew that Christ was the one who gave her the two years more of life that I asked. The Vet said he could offer no explanation as to how she lived that long with cancer. I knew exactly Who allowed her to live two additional years.
The bible says all of our days are numbered before one of them come to be. Jesus said not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the will of the Father. God has a will and a plan not only for us but for all that he has created. Cancer could not take my Bella until Christ ordained it to happen. He is merciful and he knows what is best. Even the sting of death is under the authority of Christ who conquered its power. He will either heal you or allow you to die to be with him. Either way, if you are a believer, you can’t lose. He has the perfect plan.
Take heart, dear friends. This message is meant for you. I am praying for all who come to this site. You are loved so much more than you could ever know.
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Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life (Psalm 138:7)
Have you ever been in a painful trial in life which made you feel like you were all alone? The storms you face in this world can sometimes make you feel isolated and without hope. And, although well-meaning friends want to help you, there often is little that they can do. You really want to believe that God is with you in that battle, but that may be hard to do when the enemy surrounds you on all sides! When you come to these lonely places, it is then that you must take all thoughts captive to the truth of the promises of Christ!
In Scripture, David told King Saul that he would go against the giant Goliath who was threatening to kill the Israelites. Although he was only a young man alone, David knew that the force and strength of his God would be with him. As David ran toward the giant armed only with a sling and 5 stones, he was confident that he would be victorious against the enemy – and he was. David won this battle before he even started because his hope was steadfast in his faith that God would not fail him. He never hesitated by allowing worry to have entry to his mind. He knew the God that he served enough to take him at his word.
All of the battles that you face as a believer are fought on holy ground because the power of God is with you. You are in the company of the army of heavenly forces who know well how to deal with the enemy. You are never left to fight alone. As David understood that God was giving him his victory, so must you know that you are a conqueror against all that comes against you. You must never let your situation cause you to be anxious. Worry is nothing but the whispers of lies from a defeated enemy! Satan wants you to make you feel alone and hopeless so that he can get a foothold into your mind. Don’t give him access.
The truth is all the force that you need to defeat your feelings of hopelessness. Your financial struggles, marriage problems, health issues, addictions or heartaches are all under the power of a Sovereign God who knows how to take you safely through them. Your weaknesses are not hidden from the eye of an omniscient God who offers you his strength when you have none of your own. He is never limited by the scope of your impossible situation. His power is not confined to boundaries and it supersedes the scientific laws of this world. Most importantly, your painful struggle was seen by God long before you were born and he prepared a way to take you to victory. He has not forgotten you now and he never will.
It is the lonely places that put you next to the heart of your God. For it is when you have nowhere else to turn that you realize that God’s power was all that you ever needed. Jesus paid the price so that those who believed would be made more than a conqueror in all the battles of this world. Never surrender your joy no matter how bad the problems in your life seem. Though you may not understand it now, Christ is working it all out to fit into the perfect plan that he ordained for your life. The One who keeps all your tears in a bottle will not let you drown in despair. Jesus said “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs on your head are numbered. So don’t be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows”.(Matthew 10:29-31) There is nothing you must face that will not be measured and timed by God’s own hand.
Whatever is overwhelming you in your life right now has a purpose to bring you closer to God. The winds of trouble and the storms of your life must all submit to the will of God for you. Your battle will never be stronger than the refuge and strength of your God! The bible tells us, “Weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning”. (Psalm 30:5) That means that every painful struggle has a timing for it to end. And it is only then that you will understand the power of God whose love for you never failed.
I pray that those who are struggling or in a painful trial will know the peace of God that surpasses understanding. No matter what is going on in your life, please remember that it will never be bigger than your God!
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THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD
It does not matter where you are in your life; it only matters where God is going to take you. His light is our solace in a lost and perishing world. The word of God promises us that we will have peace despite our situation and that he has a plan to give us a future with hope. Jesus has paid the price for our victory in every circumstance. There is never a battle that can defeat you. It is only when you understand that you are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ that you can believe that God’s strength and his perfect plan for you life are all that you need.
Too often the storms of life can leave you weary making it a struggle to stand in faith. The enemy who roams this earth seeking to kill, steal and destroy will use every effort to make you doubt that God cares about your difficult situation. Satan is the father of lies and he will try to use your heartache and pain to rob you of your joy. The truth is that he cannot steal the purpose and plan for which God sent his only Son to redeem for us.
We read in 1 Peter 5:10 that, “The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” The storms that this life brings will be turned around for your good and will bring you to the knowledge of how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.(Ephesians 3:18} It is only after you have been in a painful battle and watched as your God defeated all of your problems that you can grow in unwavering trust.
Nothing can overcome you when your life is in Christ. He is your power and the force to go on even despite the pain you may be experiencing. God is never limited by the impossibility of your situation. He who spoke the world into existence has a way out of every trial you endure. In Scripture we read that it was God who shut the mouth of the lions and saved Daniel when he was thrown into their den for not bowing down to the king. It was God who went with young David to defeat the giant. It is always the strength of God who meets us at the battle and takes down our enemies. We have nothing to fear because the word of God promises us that we cannot be destroyed.
You may be facing a serious illness, an addiction, a broken marriage, or financial problems but you need to know that God is willing and able to take you through your struggle that you may be anxious for nothing. We are told in Isaiah 26 that God will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in the one who can do all things.
You can be hard-pressed but never crushed by your problems. God knows your name and saw all of your days before one of them came to be. Jesus will guide your steps and be the light when the darkness of your situation is overwhelming. And he will never leave your side.
There will always be battles that come against you in your life, but Jesus tells us to take joy for he has overcome them all!
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You cannot be destroyed!
Of all that comes against us in this world, death is probably the one most feared. Yet, for believers, death is the only thing that releases us from this evil world and frees us to be with our LORD who has planned great things for us. The prophet Isaiah says in chapter 25 that the Sovereign Lord will swallow up death and wipe away the tears from all faces. Death only came to us when man sinned. But God had a plan to save us from death by sending his only Son, Jesus, who paid the ultimate price for our transgressions and bought for us eternal life in heaven. It is a free gift that cannot be earned. Jesus says in John 5:24, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life”.
To those who have Christ in their heart, death has no power to harm but only to release us to be with God who has riches and reward with him. We will be clothed in heavenly garments for with Jesus, death has been swallowed up in victory. Isaiah 25:8 says, “Where,O death, is your victory? Where O death is your sting?” My friends, death cannot destroy a child of God.
Our life on this earth is just a waiting period for God to come a rescue us and bring us to him. While we mourn those who pass on before us, we take joy in knowing that we shall be united with those believers that have gone before us in a place that Jesus has prepared for us. In Revelation 21:4 God word says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”. For that reason, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 not to store up treasures on earth where it can be stolen or destroyed but to store up treasure in heaven which will last forever. Our bodies may be on this earth, but our spirits should be longing to be with our God forever in heaven. The temporary joys of this earth hold nothing compared to the eternal unspeakable joys that God has planned for those who love him.
Friends, heaven is not just a state of being, it is a real place filled with glorious rewards. The word of God says, “No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him: (1 Cor 2:9) It is so wonderful that Satan is committed to getting believers to forget that we cannot be destroyed but only freed to receive all that God has planned for us. What destroys our body cannot destroy our spirit. In 2 Corinthian 5:1, Paul tells us, “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven , not built by human hands.”. That is a promise from God for all who believe.
Those who are facing a serious illness, take heart for God is with you and nothing can stop the perfect plan that God has for you if you have asked Jesus into your heart. Jesus is able to heal and restore you and bring you to wholeness. He will not leave you to fear or be afraid. He is with you right now. For those who have lost a loved one and the pain is still with you, you have the promise that God willl one day wipe every tear away.
I pray for the peace of Christ to fill you at this time and to help you to understand that his love is sufficient for all of your needs. You are being prayed for right now. You are not alone in your pain and you never will be.
