Bible Prophecy being fulfilled today

Hello my loved ones. I felt led by the Spirit of God to reiterate an "End Times" prophecy that I believe we see vastly growing today.

As mentioned in the Book of Revelations, Chapter 13 takes place during the tribulation period. We see in verse 7. "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Who is "him?" Him, as described in verse 4 is the beast, in which Satan, (the Dragon) has given power to. We see that the beast has been given power over all nations during this Tribulation period. Another scripture set I'd like to point out is found in verse 16 and 17. "And he (Satan) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." What this is saying, and we all heard about this growing up, is that this same wicked One, will have power over the revenue and people won't be able to eat or make a living with out the mark (worshiping Satan)

The reason all this sparked up for me was I stumbled across Barack Obama's United Nation's speech he gave a few days ago. It can be found at (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b7J8JuLj1E) if you'd like to check it out.  We know the United Nations was formed after World War 2 to prevent another war like those from happening again. Well intentions one may say! However, the Bible speaks of a "One World Order" as revealed in the Book of Revelations, that the Beast will rule over during the Tribulation period. I'm not saying anyone now is that Adversary, or the time is now..I just want to share how the events occurring in our world today are paving the way for God's word, found in the Bible, to fulfill itself. A few eyebrow raising points I gleamed from listening to Obama's entire speech was first, his constant push of a "Better model" of unity among nations. He stated to "Push going forward with international rules all nations must adhere to." Another note I took from his speech is the World Bank and International Monetary Fund established and how that should be expounded on as well. (Perfect opportunity to regulate spending/commerce)

I don't consider myself extremely superstitious, just take a moment and ponder how what appears to be taking place, is leading to what Daniel visioned in Ch 7 and what Revelations 13 tells us during the Tribulation period..More to come!!

Lesson for 8/14

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Romans 9:6-18. Its titled, "Living under God's Mercy" The title itself here speaks substantial volume, one may interpret this in such a way that this is referring to "everyone." I encourage you to read these set of verses and understand the context. Last week we spoke we mentioned in Romans 8:28 that, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Very good, which may pose the question of what about those who don't love God? In verse 17 of this lesson we see Paul use the example of Pharaoh during the time of Exodus. It says, "For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same PURPOSE, I have raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout the earth." We recall from the time of Moses, Pharaoh constantly refused to release the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. This verse is saying although Pharaoh didn't love God, He still was used to fulfill God's purpose and plan for the Isrealites. Think about it, if Pharaoh, an oppressor would have freely let the people of Israel go, that would've been okay - but God probably would not have been as glorified as much. With Pharaoh carrying out his purpose as oppressor, the Isrealites were able to witness the power and glory of God; ranging from turning the river into blood in Exo. 7:17 to parting the Red Sea in Exo. 14:21. Exodus 7 reminds us that Pharaoh's heart was hardened, which is why he refused to let the Isrelaites go. Verse 18 of this lesson says, "therefore hath God have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and who he will, he hardeneth. Powerful! I pray this makes sense, but again, it would not have been the same if Pharaoh's purpose didn't get carried out. To apply Romans 8:28 to the time of Exodus, we recall that all things work together for the good to those that love God; the Isrealites loved God! We know that Pharaoh didn't love God, so things didn't work together for him, yet both served according to God's purpose. Pharaoh remained hardedned, which led to the witnessing of God's miraculous glory as He freed His people from bondage. Paul's purpose in this teaching was to reveal to them who the true decedents and inheritors of God's promise. I encourage you to read the entire Roman's 9!

God bless and thanks for reading!

Lesson for 8/7

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Romans 8:28-39. Its titled "Safe in God's Love" The lesson begins with the well know verse 28 - "And we know that all things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." - Lets take a moment to reflect on what was just stated. Regardless of how the circumstance may seem at the moment, we trust that ALL THINGS are working together for us! As we carry out the mission and purpose God has for our lives, He is working each and every aspect out far beyond what we can even think or imagine! Verse 29-30 "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified." - To break this down, we know that being a follower of Christ, professing our faith is a choice, a decision we make. God knows our every being, but as we look at this - To be predestined in this context is to be determined or arranged ahead of time. Us, the believer's destiny is already known, ordered, and arranged ahead of time for a specific purpose of being conformed, or made into the representative nature of Jesus! Please comment your thoughts, but I believe its similar to a template that's enabled the moment we accept Christ; not predestined in regards to when we were born physically, but when we were born again spiritually! - as Christians, we know and believe that all things are working out for those who love God. With that faith in mind, we know we are saved and have the victory at the conclusion of things! The Christian destiny is already known, and is revealed more and more as God sees fit to reveal to each of us! Without causing controversy, Paul continues to explain this to the Christian's in Rome. During that time, the firstborn was considered very valuable and given specific responsibilities, but also special privileges, as God gave to Jesus. We too, are destined by God to be conformed to the image of Jesus, spiritually "that we may be the firstborn of many brethren." As God's love everso manifests, we are justified, then glorified for the love we show and allowing Him to enable us to do what He has called us to do. If God be for us, who can be against us? Please continue to read on for deeper revelation. I'd like to exemplify and conclude with the closing verses. "In all these things (trials, tribulations, persecution, distress, heartache, depression, famine, what ever else we may face/currently facing) we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us!" Verse 38, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  - Amen.

We are safe in God's love!!

Thanks for reading.

Lesson for 7/31

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Romans 6:1-4,12-22 "Death Becomes Life" This is a very fascinating set of scriptures that honestly speaks and teaches itself! If we briefly recall from previous lessons, we know that as believers in Christ, we are saved by grace. Its not about our works, but what Jesus did! Here we find verse 1 of Romans 6, Paul poses the question, "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? You could imagine Paul asking this because as humans, we often try to find a loophole or reason within our thoughts to make something wrong, seem right. "Someone may say well, if I go ahead and lie or fornicate, just to name a few, God will keep forgiving me! So i'm good, right?" Wrong! As proclaimed followers of Christ, we acknowledge that we have died to our sins! Not to say we won't make a mistake or mess up at times; but we are not to continue to LIVE in it. Meaning, day after day after day with no effort of doing better. Verse 4 "For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives." The lesson jumps to verse 12, but I challenge you to read 5-11 for an even deeper revelation! Verse 12, "Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give into sinful, lustful desires." Very challenging at times, to speak for myself. But we must stand strong and deny our flesh; One way is stay rooted in prayer and reading, another way could be surrounding ourselves with other believers, on top of that, distancing ourselves from unwise areas or situations helps tremendously too. The lesson continues on, Verse 13-14 - "Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. We should use it to do what is right for the glory of God! Sin is no longer our master, and we no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." The powerful verse 17 says "Thank God, Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey that doctrine that was delivered to you." Pause, ever remember going to church because your parents made you? Or sticking with something that you really didn't want to do, but you had to? You may have felt someone would judge you otherwise, or you may have been "doing church" to impress someone. Well to tie this together; now we as Christians go to church, sing, minister, encourage, put our best effort forward, because we feel compelled to! We fellowship or have bible study or small groups, because we wholeheartedly want to better serve God! We are not BOUND by same law the Pharisees were inflicting back then, however Paul is telling us that because we are made new in Christ, that should MOTIVATE us to try and keep it! For example, we know the law says do not kill, so as Christ followers, we aim to upkeep that law by not killing others, whether physically, verbally, or emotionally. Sin should not be our master, we should live each day striving to please our Heavenly Father more and more. I encourage you to continue reading, I will close with the last verse 23 of this lesson. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal live through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanks for reading, God bless!

Lesson for 7/24

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Romans 5:1-11. Its titled, "Not Without Hope." As I began to read this lesson, I fell in love with what Paul is writing here. Its a powerful set of scriptures that honestly speak and teaches itself. Verses 1 - 5 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. - Those first verses are amazing, my favorite began with the transition into verse 3. What it is saying is, we can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials. For endurance develops strength of character, which in turn strengthens our confident hope of salvation. It kind of reminds me of working out, we condition, tear our muscles, only to build them up and make us stronger! The lesson continues -  " But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."

Enough said right there! This, the pinnacle belief of our faith; we must remember, that without hope or faith, it is impossible to please God; our hope is found in Jesus Christ, who died and rose for our sins so that we  may be reconciled! Gods love has been poured into us, may we continue to rejoice in the midst of adversity and keep confident as we acknowledge our hope of the salvation we are promised.

Thanks for reading - leave a comment!
God bless

Lesson for 7/17

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Romans 3:21-31. Its titled "God Sets Things Right." Our lesson continues on in our series where Paul is addressing the Jews of Rome. As a brief recap, we recall the Jews of that time and how they withheld the Mosaic Law to the highest standard; they were self-righteous and believed their works alone would give them eternal life. Here we find Paul in verse 21 saying, "But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago." Verse 22, we are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God. Verse 24, "Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins." To pause for a moment, again we recall the Jews of that time who did not want to believe Paul's teaching here. They were still stuck on obeying the law and refused to believe Jesus was the Messiah. They felt Paul's teaching of "grace" gave people free reign to do what they wanted; If we look at Ephesians 2:8 we see that  "For by GRACE you have been saved through FAITH, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Again, the Jews of that time were big on their self-righteousness; Paul reminds them that as Jews, they are no better than the Gentiles. Verse 25 "For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.." God declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, verse 27-28 brings out that is not based on obeying the law. Its based on faith! Whether Jew or Gentile, there is only one, and He makes people right with himself by faith! As we reflect on what Paul is saying, let us note that it is not about our works, or self-righteousness, but it's about what Jesus did! We can't make it on our own strength, but our trust should be in God, through Christ Jesus! God sets things right, in the midst of any and everything that may be transpiring in our lives, and in this world right now. We must have faith that God is in control, "for without faith, it is impossible to please God." - Hebrews 11:6.

Thanks for reading, God bless!!

Lesson for 7/10

Hey all,

The Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Romans 3:9-20. It's titled"We're all under sins power" as in reflect on this title I can help but agree with how true it is. Verse 9 brings out that we are no better than another, all are under the power and influence of sin. Each of us at some point has turned away. The scriptures continue on with detailing this. As you read, pray for clarity and understanding! We all deserve the penalty of death, due to sin but thanks to God's grace and mercy, through Jesus, we are saved! May we continue to strive and build our relationship with our heavenly Father and seek what pleases Him and not ourselves or each other!

God bless! Thanks for reading!

Lesson for 7/3

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Romans 2:17-29, its titled "Ignoring God's Truth Within Us" - I encourage you to pray then read Romans 1 to provide insight on the events leading up to this lesson. To provide some background, Paul is referring to the Jewish Christians in Rome. During this time, the Jewish leaders heavily believed on the value of circumcision. As they were God's chosen people, they began to enforce the law on the Gentile (non-Jew) Christians. Paul opposed the Jewish leaders for being proud and doing wherever they wanted, however, he was not against the circumcision itself, IF practiced as part of obeying God's whole Law. Lets elaborate, Verse 17 Paul says "You who call yourself Jews are relying on God's law, and you boast about your special relationship with him." 18 "You  know what He wants; you know what is right because you have been taught His law." In verse 19 I find it neat how Paul nearly quotes Isaiah 42:16 when he says "You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness." Can you pause for a moment and just imagine how they thought of themselves? The Jews of that time had been given God's instruction, guidelines to pleasing Him. They felt a since of pride, as they again were a chosen people, responsible for teaching God's law to others. Paul boldly says to them in verse 21 "Well then, if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself?" It brings out that the Jewish religious leaders tell others not to idolize, commit adultery, or steal - yet they do it themselves. Verse 23 speaks volume to me "You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it." I am reminded of the warning written in James 3:1, "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." - higher accountability for knowing better, and ignoring. Back to the lesson, the Bible continues on; again, the Jewish ceremony of circumcision was highly valued during that time. Paul says to them in verse 25 that this only has value if you obey God's law. If you don't obey, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. Gotta love verses 26 and 27 "And if the Gentiles obey God's law, won't God declare them to be His own people? In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and posses God's law but don't obey it!" Paul then says to them, "you are not a Jew because you were born of Jewish parents. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people."

To bring this all together, we can apply this to our lives as Christians today. As men and women of Christ, we know the Word of God, as we study and obtain knowledge, lets not ignore or do contrary to what God has shown us is right. May we circumcise our hearts! For example, we can't habitually commit sin, and expect our church attendance or tithing to mean anything. We are God's chosen generation, followers of Christ. May we continue to shine our lights where ever we are! Standing firm and not ignoring the truth that God has given us! Not just hearers, but doers!!

Thanks for reading, 

God bless you!

Lesson for 6/26

Greetings, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Romans 1:18-23, 28-32. Its titled "Ignoring God's plain truth" For a deeper understanding I encourage you to read the entire chapter 1 or even the whole book of Romans! To provide some background, here we find in the events leading up to verse 18; Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ is enthused and anticipating his visit to Rome. He had been hearing reports of the faith the people of Rome were exerting. Verse 11 says “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith." That's a powerful scripture in itself! Iron sharpens Iron, even today we can see through fellowship together how we can share, empower and be encouraged by each other’s testimony and belief! "For in the Gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed." Beginning in verse 18, Paul begins to explain to them the wickedness and ungodliness of people. Very similar to what our previous lessons this month have been bringing out, Paul continues to express how this sinful behavior is inexcusable, as God has made it plain to them and us today!  Verse 20 “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (21) For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." Pause, The evidence is all around! Just take a moment or two to stop and genuinely look back over your life. Even deeper, look at our ancestors; take another moment to think about the sky and creation in itself! We can’t help but reflect on the grace and love of our God. Most people of that time had no regard for this. As you read on, Paul continues to explain this type of unacceptable behavior. Again, he is speaking to these believers, people of faith, us today - that that the people of this world have (29) "become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, (30) slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; (31) they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy." We actually see a lot of this in the world we live in today. The lesson concludes with verse 32 "Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." The sad truth about this last verse is, most people know of God and that the wages of sin is death, but continue to live how they want; unpleasing in God’s sight.  Simply ignoring the truth that has been made plain to each and every human being each and every day. 

May we continue to pray for those who do not know and those who do know and chose to ignore God’s truths. May we remain encouraged and steadfast as we strive to live a life that pleases our Heavenly Father!

Thanks for reading, leave a comment or ask a question!

God bless you all!

Lesson for 6/19

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Zephaniah 3:9-14. Its titled, "Assurances and Joy for the Faithful" If you recall from previous lessons, we discussed the Lord's day, which expresses the day God will bring Judgment on this world. We read throughout Zephaniah 1 how God will wipe away the uncleanness, the idol worship, and those who did not actively seek and Trust Him. Today we find encouragement as written in chapter 3! Before we begin, let us meditate on the title. "Assurances and Joy for the Faithful" At times of trial or discomfort, we today may sometimes struggle to remain faithful. I honestly believe, we again as Christians ultimately want to fully rely on God, and trust His Will for our lives; but in the midst of the storm, it may be somewhat difficult for us to achieve this. At times, for example a newly proclaimed Christian has just accepted Christ, on fire and willing to do what it takes to please God; A tragic event occurs and he sits back and wonders why this is happening to him, and his non-believer peers are advancing, or having "easy" times. Here in this lesson, we will see how God reassures us for remaining Faithful and trusting Him in the midst of everything. Verse 9; again God is speaking through Zephaniah "I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together." Pause, what encouragement for this newly proclaimed Christian in the above example! God is going purify, clean, do away with; judge, the uncleanness so that those who are faithful to Him, which would be everyone at that time, can worship the Lord together. It goes on to say that we will no longer be ashamed for all of our doings, in which we have transgressed or rebelled against Him. If you're any like me, or even most of Jesus' disciples, you may have experienced being ashamed of the sin you've committed. Some of us beat ourselves up and simply feel unworthy of the unmerited Love God has for us; As we mature in faith, we grow to the knowledge of God's unconditional love! Verse 11 simply brings out that this feeling of being supremely ashamed will no longer be! The Bible continues on; God will take those that rejoice in their pride and boast, and leave those who are humble. (purifying the speech!) Verse 13 says the Remnant!! of Israel, to translate for us today; those of us remaining! "Will do no wrong, it says "they will  never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid." What encouragement and peace of mind! Verse 14 tells us to be Glad and rejoice with all of our heart! Not some, but all! We know the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord our God with ALL of our Heart, Soul, and Mind" - Matthew 22:36-38. Here in this verse 14 of Zephaniah we are to do the same, with Rejoicing in the Day of the Lord!

Keep faith all, and rest assured that your faithfulness and due-diligence does not go unnoticed by our Heavenly Father! Joy comes in the morning!

I encourage you'll to read the entire book of Zephaniah for your own understanding and revelation from God! Share your comments, thoughts or questions below!

Thanks for reading and God bless!

Lesson for 6/5

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Zephaniah 1:4-6, 14-16, and Zephaniah 2:3. Its titled "The Day of the Lord" This old testament book focuses on the prophesy of God's coming judgement on Judah and Jerusalem, which in turn represents the entire inhabited Earth. Before beginning, I encourage you to read the entire book of Zephaniah, you will certainly find encouragement in chapter 3! In tomorrow's lesson, verse 4 begins with God saying "I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear." To provide some background, the people of this time were committing idolatry; which means, idolizing, or putting other things before God. Its often also called, "Baal worship" whom was considered an ancient "god" in history. We later learn from Jesus that the first greatest commandment is for us to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. With that in mind, we can see how committing idolatry is a very serious offense to our Heavenly Father. Verse 6, God says "And I will destroy those who used to worship me but no longer do. They no longer ask the Lord's guidance or seek my blessings." Very powerful. Today we often see people steer away from their faith, or no longer call on the Lord to seek guidance, wisdom, or even blessings. For what ever reason, they have given up on God and chosen their own way of living; idolizing their own abilities and material possessions.  Here we find Zephaniah prophesying this for the people then and even for us now. As the you read on, you will see how the Bible describes the events and wrath that God will have on those that renounce and simply don't believe in Him. Zephaniah 2:3 provides hope and reminds us "Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow His commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you - protect you from His anger on that day of destruction."
To God be the Glory. Remember, as Christians, the moment we genuinely accepted Christ as our Savior we have been and are always shielded under the grace and blood of Jesus. It is vital that we keep this scripture set in mind, as we continue on our journey and help bring others to know God!

Thanks for Reading and God bless!

Lesson for 5/29

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 19:1-10. Its titled, "Joyous Faith" As we continue in our lesson series on Faith; may we meditate on this title, at times we may experience trouble and although we have faith that God will deliver us through, it may not be easy to express a spirit of Joy in the midst of the storm. Glory be to God for the amount of joy we have when we are delivered!; We may also express joy when we are giving generously or lending a helping hand to someone that may be in need! In this lesson we find Jesus entering into a town called Jericho; there was a man there named Zacchaeus, the Bible says he was the chief tax collector there and had become very rich. As Jesus was traveling through, Zacchaeus was trying to get a good look at Him, but he was too short to see over the crowds. Verses 4-5 says "So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus! He said. "Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today." Pause..It always amazes me When I read accounts of Jesus saying the name of someone whom has never met Him face to face. The scripture that comes to mind is Ephesians 1:3-4 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." - Even before we were born, before the foundation of the world, we were known and loved! Back to verse 6, it says "Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy." Moving on to verse 7, we see people around them, those that were present in the crowds witnessing Jesus heading to this man's house. They began to murmur and become displeased because this man was considered a "notorious sinner." I can see them now, wondering and saying to each other, "why in the world would Jesus want to be a guest at this mans house? What business does He have with him?"  - Verse 8 says "meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said. "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" Jesus responds in verse 9, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who
are lost." Without deviating from the lesson too much, When verse 9 says "this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham" we can parallel this scripture to  Galatians 3:6-7 - In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”  The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God." That's another powerful lesson in itself! - We are a blessed people of faith! May we express and maintain the level of joy and excitement Zacchaeus had when first seeing Jesus; but then also being willing to give his all to those less fortunate. Despite the people who were standing in the crowds with their negative opinions; we find Jesus, the Son of Man bringing salvation to this man's house and in turn, taking care of the poor, through this same man, who was initially considered a "notorious sinner."

God can use anyone! - Let us continue to not merely have faith, but express JOYOUS Faith!! To God be the glory, thanks for reading.

Lesson for 5/22

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 18:15-17 and Mark 10:16. Most of our previous lessons took place in this very same chapter 18 of Luke. Jesus is sitting with His disciples. "Verse 15-17 says "One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so He could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering Him. Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it" As this concluded in Luke; we find recorded in the the book of Mark 10:16, that Jesus took these same children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. As we begin to dissect this lesson, may we pray now for clarity and understanding. May God use this lesson and many other scriptures and lessons in our lives to draw us closer to Him through Jesus. One point I like to elaborate on is when the disciples saw that the parents were bringing their Children forward, and the disciples scolded, or angrily rebuked them for disturbing Jesus. I find it at times, even in Leadership where people are afraid to ask for help or voice their concerns to a higher authority because they feel as if they are a nuisance or a disturbance; or maybe the person they are trying to communicate with doesn't care or take time out to listen. Well, here we see next that Jesus humbles the disciples by telling them not to stop the children from coming to Him. What we can gleam from this is, as Christians we can't be turning people away; We must show love always! When someone is in need and reaching out, the Spirit of God that dwells within us IS willing and able to help, we just have to let it! The next point is brought out as Jesus continues on, He says "For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." Firstly, we are all God's Children, but when the Bible says the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are LIKE children, not childish lol, but when we look at a child, we see that a little child is completely dependent on its parents or guardians; likewise we are to be totally dependent in the same manner on the Lord! This is how we as Christian adults should humble ourselves. Instead of depending on our own thoughts, strengths and ideas, we should solely rely and depend on God! One of the greatest hindrances to entering the Kingdom is the refusal of many to humble themselves before God; it is the pride factor, which is the opposite of little children. To God be the Glory! We then see how we as the little children who were taken in Jesus' hands, were then blessed! Its an amazing parallel and lesson of how we should exemplify our faith!

Thanks for reading - God loves you and I do too! Leave a comment or question!

"Childlike Faith"

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 18:9-14. It's titled, "Humble Faith". It's a very short but powerful set of scriptures, verse 9 starts off with: "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Today this is a struggle some of us often deal with. Jesus is telling us to not be over confident in our own ability and righteousness; but to be humble. Again verse 14 says "for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." at times we fall into the temptation of having an attitude of self righteousness, thinking we are higher or better than others; relying on self. The truth is, we need God, and if we don't adapt the attitude of humility, the Bible says He will do it for us. There's been several accounts where I knew God humbled me; as I look back I see now that it would have been wise for me to have trusted God and not my own ability.

To God be the glory, thanks for reading!

Lesson for 5/8

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 17:11-19, Its titled "Grateful Faith." Last week in verses 1-10 of Luke 17 we spoke about what it took to have an increased faith. Here in verse 11 we find where Jesus is continuing on his journey towards Jerusalem. When He reached the border between Galilee and Samaria, the Bible says he entered a village and there were ten individuals that had the disease leprosy who stood at a distance, They began to cry out "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" Verse 14 says "Jesus looked at them and said. 'Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy"  -  Before proceeding I'd like to highlight a few points. First, let us witness the faith of these 10 diseased individuals. Clearly they have heard of Jesus and knew He was capable of healing them. They expressed their increased faith by crying out to Him. The second point I'd like to bring out is the instant cleanse and healing that transpired AS they were going to the priests as directed. Again, Jesus says in verse 14 "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy". So here we are in verse 15: "One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" 16: "He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan." Jesus asked the man in verse 17. "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" The lesson concludes in verse 19 "And Jesus said to the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you and made you whole." As we meditate on this let us look back at verse 15, the ONE healed person, could you imagine the excitement and spirit of joy he had when he realized he was healed. Actually, I'm pretty sure the other nine expressed the same excitement, as their supreme and degrading illness had been cured! But, this one healed leper went back to Jesus and expressed his gratitude! This was an illness that had defined this man's life, he realized that God, through Jesus deserved all the glory, honor, and praise for his healing. May we express this same gratitude and appreciation today, when we are healed from a sickness, saved from an accident, promoted on a job, passed that test; and to recognize the more simpler things, daily appreciation should be expressed for the breath in our body, the ability to talk, walk, hear, smell and think! Let us strive to express gratitude as this one healed leper did. As Christians we must try not to forget to give the Glory where its due - not just receive the blessing or healing and go on about our lives. To God be all the glory!

Our Faith heals us, and makes us whole!

Pray, trust and God bless!
Thanks for reading.

Lesson for 5/1

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 17:1-10. Its titled "Increased Faith" Verse 1 begins with Jesus talking to His disciples, He says "There will always be offenses and temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the one who does the tempting!" 2 "It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a milestone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 "So watch yourselves! If another believer sins against you, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive." Very powerful set of verses so far! Jesus expresses the weight of us knowing better, and causing those that may be less fortunate or who knows less, to fall into sin. So far it also expresses how we should rebuke, or correct each other as believers in love; and forgive! Verse 4, "Even if a person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive." After reading this, I look at society and the world today; when wronged, people often adapt the notion of revenge or getting even. As believers, some of us even struggle in this area as well. Verse 5-6, the apostles said to the Lord. "Show us how to increase our faith." The Lord answered,, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!" - If you recall in our previous lessons, we spoke about simple faith being powerful faith! As Jesus said in this verse..It doesn't always require an impossible amount a faith to witness miracles and draw closer to God; small faith! The lesson goes on with verse 7 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty."  - As I reflect on this, I think of a similar analogy of how an employee is on a job and getting paid to do that job, but expects recognition or a raise for something they are already supposed to be doing. Jesus is telling US that we should consider ourselves unworthy servants who have simply done our duty. When we attend church, Bible study, or do good deeds - we shouldn't expect a handout or a blessing from God; this is what we are SUPPOSED to do as believers. Its amazing when we praise God and He showers us with blessings; but the expectation for praising Him should not be for what we can get out of it, but its all for His Glory, and its what He expects of us. Understanding this and forgiving others as God forgives us will help us Increase Our Faith!

Thanks for reading, God bless!

Lesson for 4/24

Hello all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 15:11-24. Its titled "A Family Reunion" This is  a very familiar set of scriptures, as these particular versus focus on the story of the prodigal son. To provide a setting, flipping back to verse 1 of Luke 15: "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them"?? Jesus then told them a parable (or story) - As we approach verse 11 we find that by now Jesus is preparing to tell His third parable, which leads into the lesson for tomorrow! The two sons; the younger son told his Father to "give me the portion of goods that belong to me" The father did, and so the younger son left home, the Bible says in verse 13 that he went to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. When he ran out of money he persuaded a local farmer to hire him in his fields to feed the pigs. Ver 16-17 says "The young man became so hungry that event the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and I am here dying of hunger!" So the young son returns home to his father. Verse 21 brings out how the young son felt he was unworthy of being called his son, as he sinned against heaven and his father. But in verse 22, instead of anger or scorning his son, the father instructs the servants to bring the finest robe, put a ring on his finger, sandals for his feet. They killed the fatted calf and began to celebrate, why? verse 24 "for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found, so the celebration began!" The lesson ends there, however there are several points I'd like to bring out. We all struggle, we fall short, mess up, fade away, and may even turn our backs completely on our faith; and when we do "come to our senses" as the young son did in verse 17, we often feel a sense of guilt or unworthiness. The reason Jesus is telling this parable is because, just as the Father of this young son is forgiven and welcomed back rejoicingly; expresses how our Heavenly Father forgives and welcomes us back as well! I found SUPREME encouragement in reading the 2 parables before this prior to this one. The first one (Ver 7) ends with "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over ONE sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Amazing!! - check ver. 10. "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over ONE sinner who repents." That's a blessing and a joy to read! Each and every ONE of us are unique and special to God! When we repent (Which means not only to ask for forgiveness, but to also turn away from sin) - Heaven rejoices! God, our Father, just as the father of the young son in this lesson, welcomes us back and is ready to love and continue to use us for His glory!

Im thrilled!!! Again, the lesson ends at verse 24, however I encourage you to get an even deeper revelation for yourself. The scriptures following verse 24 mention the negative feelings the older son felt toward his father and younger brother. (Some of us probably could relate) I was in church 2 Sunday's ago and heard one of the most powerful messages focusing on the older son. I found it amazing that God allowed me to hear that sermon, then 2 weeks later summarize this Sunday School lesson! Check out the recording of Pastor Kyle of Victory Church at - http://victorystartshere.tv/2016/04/please-dont-stop-the-music/

Thanks for reading all! God loves you and I do too!

Keep Faith and stay blessed!

Lesson for 4/17

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 8:26-39. Its titled, "A Sound Mind" Before diving in to the book of Luke, take a moment to pause and meditate on the title itself. What is a sound mind to you? One scripture to reflect on without diving in too deeply is 2 Timothy 1:7. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." As we go through life today, when things hit the fan, we often forget to remember this scripture. When feeling fearful, uneasy, doubtful, unloving, and not at peace, we must realize that this is not of God, but its the enemy whom is at work. As the lesson begins, Jesus in verse 27 is climbing out of the boat, "a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet Him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in  a cemetery outside of the town. As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of Him. Then he screamed, Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don't torture me!" It goes on to say that "For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man..." Jesus demanded his name and the man replied "Legion", for he was filled with many demons." As you read on, the demons begin to beg Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit. The Bible brings out that there were a herd of pigs nearby, so Jesus gave them permission to enter in to the pigs. The demons came out of the man and entered into the pigs and the entire herd plunged down in to the steep hillside and into the lake and drowned. Verses 35-36 says "People rushed out to see what happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed." As the scriptures conclude here, I found several fascinating points after reading. The first in verse 28, the demons knew who Jesus was! "Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" They were fearful, and knew Jesus' power! Another point I found interesting was in verses 35-36. After the demons are casted out of the man, the Bible says he is fully clothed and in his right mind; the people that witnessed it, although they were afraid; They then went and told others how this man has been healed, how he was once demon-possessed, but now in a sound mind! As we reflect today, we can find and trust that God can keep us in our right minds. May we keep faith and be a witness to others from where and what we have been delivered from!

To God be the glory!
Stay blessed, leave a comment, thanks for reading!

Lesson for 4/10

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 7:36-50. Its titled "A reversal of shame" The scriptures begin in verse 36 "One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”  And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

What encouragement we get from these set of scriptures! Our Faith saves us!

God bless!

Lesson for 4/3

Hey all! The Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Luke 7:1-10, its titled "Renewed Health" The lesson reads in verse 1: "When Jesus had finished saying this to the people, he returned to Capernaum." Curiously, I looked back at chapter 6 to find out what Jesus was saying to the people listening before he entered.  Interestingly, Luke 6:47-49, Jesus is telling them "Whoever comes to Me and hears and does what I say, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man who built a house. He dug deep to put the building on rock. When the water came up and the river beat against the house, the building could not be shaken because it was built on rock. But he who hears and does not do what I say, is like a man who built a house on nothing but earth. The water beat against the house. At once it fell and was destroyed.” - Powerful words; Now we are here in the city of Capernaum, also know as "a village of comfort" - A highly valued slave of a Roman officer is sick and near death. The Roman officer heard about Jesus and sent Jewish elders to ask Him to heal his slave. When the elders arrive to Jesus they express how the slave so much deserves to be healed due to his good deeds and love for the Jewish people. Jesus then agrees to go with them to see the sick slave. Just as they nearly arrived at the house, the Roman officer sent some friends to relay " “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed." What supreme faith this Roman officer had, he then says in verse 8 "I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” <--- (There is a deeper meaning here I believe, comment below with your thoughts!) Verse 9 and 10: "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following Him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!”  And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed" Its a blessing to see how strong this mans faith was. The friends sent were describing the good deeds of the valuable slave, but it was the officer's genuine faith the enabled the miracle! Another point is the crowd following Jesus; they witnessed first hand as to what amazed and pleased Him. They saw the healing and reward of humble and genuine faith! May we today reflect on this and continue to trust and keep faith! Be a witness, pray for and visit those that may be sick.

To God be the glory!

Thanks for reading - leave a comment or question.

Lesson for 3/27

Hey all, the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow comes from Mark 16:1-8. Its titled "Resurrection Faith" As the lesson begins, we find that Jesus has already been crucified at this point. The scriptures as described by Mark begin with Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, setting out early Sunday morning to anoint Jesus' body at the tomb with the burial spices they had purchased. These 3 women were devoted followers and supporters of Christ. Verse 3-4 says "On the way they were asking each other, "who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb? But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone which was very large, had been rolled aside." It says "when they entered the tomb they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the Angel said, "Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid His body." Verse 7, the Angel tells the women to "go and tell His disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there, just as He told you before He died." To piggyback off of last weeks lesson, in which the discussion focused on the events leading up to the Jesus' death and how Peter denied Jesus. I found it fascinating that the Angel in today's lesson mentions to "include Peter" who broke down and wept after denying Jesus the third time. The Angel knew and stated what Jesus said to Peter and the disciples as previously in Mark 14:28. "But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” - This took place, just as Jesus stated early on. We, as Christians should remember that we are included, and never forgotten. If there is a message, plan, word, or revelation that we were meant to hear - God is going to give it, show it and reveal it! The key is patience and trust! The lesson then ends in verse 8 where the women fled form the tomb, trembling in fear. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, may we reflect and find encouragement in these few scriptures:

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Isaiah 53:5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

2 Corinthians 5:25 "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved"

Acts 4:33 "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all."

Resurrection faith, is powerful faith - Unstoppable, pure and encouraging! I open the challenge to genuinely pray and meditate on what God has done for us. I often think about how at times I still have may hand out, expecting and looking for "things" from God - when in reality, I shouldn't because He has already given the most valuable gift of all - and that's salvation and eternal life, through His Son Jesus!

Faith is amazing!

Thanks for reading all - Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday! 

Lesson for 3/20

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Mark 14:26-31, 66-72. Its titled "Struggling Faith" To get an idea of the setting, the lesson focuses on the events leading to Jesus' Crucifixion. I encourage you to read the entire chapter 14 of Mark; but tomorrows lesson starts at verse 26, where we find Jesus and His disciples heading out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus says in verse 27 "All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say. 'God will strike the Shepard, and the sheep will be scattered.'" - Think of the analogy used, for without a Shepard, an actual herd of sheep wouldn't know what to do, they would run/flee in fear. That is what Jesus is saying His disciples will do during the events that will transpire that night.  Peter stops and says in verse 29 "Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will." Jesus replied and told Peter, "this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me." No!" Peter declared emphatically. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the others vowed the same. - The lesson then skips to verse 66; but to pause; As Christians we never set out to disappoint God. In Fact, most of us want to genuinely follow Christ and live to God's Glory. At times we often struggle with this as we will see Peter did. Back to the verses you will see that by now Jesus has been taken before the council. To provide a setting verse 54 says "Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and went right into the high priest’s courtyard. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.  Jesus' verdict is then made; Can you imagine Peter whom was outside in the courtyard hearing the people say and do all this to Jesus? "“Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!” "Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. “Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away." (Ver.65) Verses 66-72 says,  "One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth. But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed. When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” But Peter denied it again. A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.”Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”And he broke down and wept." The lesson ends there, as you can see, during times of persecution or hardship, its very easy for us to flee in fear and forget who we put our faith in. Its a struggle, even for Peter, a great man of action who witnessed Jesus' perform countless miracles first hand. Most Christians today wouldn't verbally deny God, but the honest reality is we often do by not denying our own flesh, sin and worldly desires. I for one can relate to how Peter feels when he realized what he done. Going from  saying "I would never do this or that!" to the conviction that sets in once I've done the very thing I vowed not to. Peter is eventually reconciled with Jesus after the resurrection, to not jump too far ahead "verse 28 of this very lesson said "But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there." Jesus said this right before Peter vowed he wouldn't desert Him, and what encouragement as next weeks lesson shows this very reunion! Regardless of being, we all struggle at times with our faith. The key, as mentioned in our previous lessons, is prayer. We cannot make it on our own, but with God, all things are possible.

Thanks for reading - God bless!

Fulfillment

Fulfillment

This is not a scheduled Sunday School lesson, however this word has been resonating with me. - its defined in Google as the satisfaction or happiness as a result of fully developing one's abilities or character. The pronunciation of the word itself just sounds like you're full of joy or peace or what ever it is you need to keep you on this journey of life. One thing that stood out to me in the definition was "fully developing one's abilities or character." - In life, I believe our abilities or character are never FULLY developed. We are always or should be seeking to grow; in faith, in skills, in knowledge, in loving, in everything. I began this as a formal paper, but I feel it should be written otherwise. Ephesians 4: 1-3 says  "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,  with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." To me, this is fulfillment - As previously mentioned, I don't believe we as humans are ever fully developed in our character or abilities - so the Bible reveals to me in this scripture that we are to walk worthy of the calling, the journey, the mission that God has called us to take. I believe the first step for us is to allow God to give us our purpose. Let me explain, we are often encouraged and pushed to go out and find our purpose - but the key element often missed is praying that it be revealed.  Proverbs 19 "There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand."  Meaning, we can do all the planning, studying, dreaming, but as time goes on; Only the Will of God will prevail.  Back to Ephesians 4 :2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." When we walk, may we all walk with these traits. These are words of fulfillment to me. If I pop this phrase into any area of my life; I see fulfillment. Sliding lowliness and gentleness with my family, longsuffering and bearing with on another in love in my relationship, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace in my church, job, home, school, or community; it all fits. Its all fulfilling; satisfaction and happiness as a result of. I began this paper intending to go a different route with the point I wanted to set out. The enemy had began to plant the thought in my mind "well what about you?" "what is this person or that person doing to help you fulfill your purpose?" As I began to write - I learned that fulfillment is what you make it, its how you perceive what God is doing in and through your life. Along with the scripture in Ephesians, I find fulfillment in giving and helping others succeed.  I find supreme encouragement in John 15:16 Jesus told His disciples "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you." So, without expecting handouts, recognition, or even appreciation - we should trust that what God can give is far greater! Acting in spite of, caring when its so much easier not to, giving when you don't have much are examples - but more importantly we should love because we are commanded to!

Don't let your thoughts sit in your mind; but write so that God can straighten them out for you to His Glory. Keep your morals, standards, and expectations in life, but genuinely trust that only He can give you the fulfillment you really need and the people to help you along the way!

Thanks for reading. - To my Sunshine, Forever and Always- and -The 5ive for Life- I love yall!!!!!!

Lesson for 3/13

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Mark 10:17-31. Its titled "Simple Faith" The lesson begins in verse 17, where Jesus and His disciples were traveling to Jerusalem, then a man came running up, knelt down to Jesus and asked "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" To answer the man's question Jesus says in verse 19 "You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not cheat others,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother." In verse 20 the man then mentions how he has obeyed these commandments since his youth. Jesus then looks at the man and felt genuine love for him. He said "There is still one thing you haven't done, Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow me." Verse 22 says "at this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions." - Reading this, I found it fascinating once again, Jesus knew this man knew God's commandments; He even knew that the man's wealth and riches were holding him back from following Him. Jesus poses the statement to His disciples "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!" - To deeply analyze and put into perspective, the riches described in this lesson represent what people today often put their faith and trust in OVER God. It may very well be money, but it could also be our time, careers, education, convenience, weapons, and even other people. To not misinterpret this, we should seek to be rich with God's favor, whatever it takes to please Him! and if we are blessed with wealth, time, careers, and education, we should then use it to bless and serve others; we should be willing to give it all up if required, but that's not always easy. Here we find encouragement in verse 27-31 "...Everything is possible with God." Then Peter said "We've given up everything to follow you" "Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or father or children or property , for my sake and for the Gospel will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property - along with persecutions." Pause, to reiterate, Jesus is saying once we let go of whats hindering us from following Him, God will provide and give us more than what we need to carry out His plan and purpose for our lives. Persecutions which for some of us could be, stepping out of our comfort zone, people disliking us, or moving to different locations. We are encouraged as verse 30 finishes "And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then."
Its remarkable to see how the Bible brings out that giving up our worldly desires and following Christ, although may not be easy, but it benefits us now and in the future. Let us not get to the point where we are like this rich man where we know of God, but we can't follow the example He set out through His Son Jesus. Let us not be stingy with our achievements, but serve and love as we are commanded. One humbling scripture that comes to mind is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life"

As Christians we show we believe through our actions, which represents our faith, love, trust and service!

Thanks for reading - Keep Faith and God bless!

Lesson for 3/6

Hey everyone, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Mark 9:14-29 - its titled "Powerful Faith" - Looking ahead at the lesson titles, I became thrilled that the next few lessons focus on this amazing action word "Faith." - Today's lesson begins at verse 14 of Mark ch 9. Jesus comes back down from the mountain to his disciples and He saw the scribes questioning them. Jesus is immediately greeted by the crowd when he arrives on the scene and asks the scribes "what question or discussion are you having with them?" (His disciples) - Verse 17 brings out that one of the men in the crowd, a father, spoke up and said "Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by a mute spirit and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” - Jesus then says "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” - Pause - Why do you think Jesus said that?, as Christians, we are all given the tools we need to carry out the mission God has for our lives, we are never left bearing more than we can handle. Jumping back to Matthew 10:7-8  Jesus tells the disciples "7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."  So, it was previously made known to them that they had what they needed to heal this boy - lets keep reading; we see how its described that the unclean spirit that is inside the boy is violent at times and tries to kill him. The latter part of verse 22, the father of the sick boy says to Jesus "have mercy on us and help us, if you can" - After reading this fascinating verse in various versions of the Bible - they all indicated that this father lacked faith by saying "if you can" ..After the disciples were unable to heal, after witnessing his son being thrown around by this spirit for long, he had doubts. - to be honest, some of us probably would too. Then in verse 23 Jesus smoothly says  “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” - How humbling as he cries out to for help to overcome his lack of faith. So then, Jesus casts out the unclean spirit and commands it to never enter the boy again. Verse 26 brings out how people in the crowd began to murmur saying "the boy is dead" (clearly still lacking faith) as the boy was just laying on the ground.  But Jesus took him up by the hand and helped him to his feet. The lesson then ends with the disciples and Jesus having a conversation when alone "They ask Jesus why couldn't we cast the spirit out?" Jesus answered  in verse 29 saying "this kind can only come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." This is an amazing scripture set - The last verse in this lesson indicates that they didn't pray and fast as they should from the get go. We are often faced with an unexpected event or emergency that arises; and during that state of emergency or opposition, we may not always remember to stop and pray. We are most effective when we take a step back to meditate and just talk to God. All it took for the disciples to be empowered and to resolve the issue at hand was to express faith and pray! We are not alone! Jesus said if we pray and believe; all things are possible!

To God be the glory! Keep Faith - love you all!

Lesson for 2/28

Hey all, the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow comes from Leviticus 23:33-43. "The Feast of Booths"Earlier this month we discussed the Festival of Weeks. Similarly to Leviticus 23:1 - verse 33 starts off with God saying to Moses "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles (also know as booths, or shelters) for seven days unto the Lord. As you read to yourself, the scriptures bring out the instructions for each day, the types of offerings and what they represent. But the big question is why? What was the purpose of this feast? Well, verses 41-43 brings that out. "Ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statue forever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ver. 42 mentions how they were to dwell in the booths for those seven days..The reason for this was 43"So that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" If you dig deeper, I could imagine this being a glorious celebration for Gods people; as they reflect on how life was before they were even a nation, how their ancestors were only mere tribes moving through the desert under the direction and protection of God. They were in homeless condition, but Israel was totally dependent on God to protect them from enemies.

Even today, we can see how God has brought our ancestors through slavery and segregation. We can even look even more personally and see how we are even blessed to be alive right now! As the Israelties, mentioned in this passage of scriptures were instructed to take time to remember where God has brought them from - we are to do the same. Outside of Sunday service, we, us, christian family today should set time out to reflect on how much God has really done for us, starting with the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, to freedom and equal rights for blacks and whites, to every single thing we have - its all because of the grace and mercy of God!

I'm thinking of traditions such as the Feasts of Booth's; sacred time and fasting where we can stop and reflect on how far and blessed we really are. Something to remember and pass on to the next generation after us!

To God be all the glory! I love each one of you all!

Take care and Happy Black History Month!

Lesson for 2/14

Hey all, The Sunday School lesson comes from Leviticus 23: 15-22. Its titled "Festival of Weeks" To provide some insight, going back to verse 1 of Leviticus 23 -  "The Lord said to Moses,  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies." - One thing I noted and enjoyed when researching the various festivals, was an underlining parallel that points to Christ. ^"16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord." As you read on you will see that the Isrealites were commanded to bring different items as offerings to God.  ^"Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. ¹⁹ Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. ²⁰ The priest is to wave the two lambs before the Lord as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the Lord for the priest." 
These scriptures bring out the instruction and sacredness of what God wanted from His people. It was to remind them how He delivered them from captivity. To dive deeper and to see the parallel and prophesied meaning of this feast; back to verse 16 - "Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath" The Feast of Weeks is a symbolic festival which pointed to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church.   Jesus, God's Son, after being crucified for our sins, arose from the grave on Firstfruits. (Which is the first agricultural produce of a season)  He then spent forty days with His disciples in post-resurrection ministry. Acts 1:3 says "After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." When Jesus ascended in to Heaven, shortly after, (Scholars believe 10 days) -  the promised Holy Spirit came down and empowered the disciples! "40+10=50. "Count off 50 days (v.16)" - and in Acts 2:1-2 "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting." Its an amazing parallel, as we know, the Old Testament pointed to the coming of Jesus Christ.

Regardless of how you interpret the Festival of Weeks, aka Pentecost, we as Christians know and believe that Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and offering. Through him, we are saved! May we continue to love, study and pray to show ourselves approved!

Thanks for reading,

God bless!

Love with Grace

 A lot of Spiritual Growth has taken place since the other day. My biggest revelation is to love with grace! I used to ask, why did God reveal Himself to me, or why did He do this great thing in my life? I don’t deserve it! It’s because of His Grace and unmerited favor! I am typing because this is how I minister to not only the individuals reading, but also to myself. We are saved by grace through Jesus Christ. God gave His Son, Jesus. Through many examples Jesus displayed how we are to forgive each other, especially if we are asking God to forgive us. Well, I believe this goes the same for grace. Our Heavenly Father loves us, yet at times we sin against Him, break His heart, don’t speak up/stand for Him, don’t trust or pray like we should – YET he still blesses us. Let me tell you how, you rise up in the morning, look around and have choices of what to wear, most of us get in our car and drive to our jobs. Those are just some of the basic examples, not to mention promotions, raises, awards, and achievements.  One thing I love reading about the disciples were they were deeply poor and still loved and gave their all to serve! They were being KILLED for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus and were content and expressed joy when God spared and provided for them. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” – To tie this all together, each and every moment of our lives, we are blessed with grace! So, just as we express forgiveness, show love WITH grace. Meaning, love that person even if they don’t deserve it. They may disrespect, mistreat you, break your heart, take you for granted, don’t appreciate what you do; we are still commanded to do genuinely express love, affection, prayer and forgiveness to each other.  

I believe we are put in areas or situations to grow and learn; because if you don’t – your entire endeavor was in vain. Cease the moment, there’s no mistake we are where we are in our lives; God has blessed each of us and showers us in grace each and every day. We should do the same! Christianity feels amazing; it’s not all about religion and impossible rules – it’s about relationship with God through Jesus. It’s serious. I see it as a revolving door. What God does for us, we should aim to do for others. The temptations to give up, argue and disagree are there; but remember, God is of love and peace. What works for me now is reciting “I must love with Grace” – because that’s what God does for us; He shows us endless love and favor, even when we don’t deserve it.

Thanks for reading!

P.S - Tomorrow's Sunday school lesson comes from Exodus 12:1-14 "The Passover" Read and be empowered; as this is a significant event that took place during Israel's captivity and exile from Egypt.

God bless!