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True Love

God’s love is unconditional. Unconditional love has no limits and no restrictions. We cannot stop His love and we cannot hide from it. We do not have to ask for it and it does not change on any day. God loves us even when we cannot love ourselves. We may not understand God’s love, but it is more real than anything we can ever experience. It’s True Love. God loved his creation from the very beginning and made us in His image. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angles nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:38-39 NKJV. God’s love is everlasting! It will not run away, it will not fail and it will not end. I find comfort in knowing that even on my worst days, God has not stopped loving me. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” John 3:16-17 NKJV. Jesus is the bridge to God. In order for us to experience the fullness of God’s love, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. God gave us a choice because that is His character. He did not force his love upon us, but has granted it to us through His son. No one can love you like God loves you. We have been conditioned by society to believe that if you love someone, you give them what they want to make them happy. But I say love is more than just gifts and feelings. Love is about actions and intentions. God loves us but he gives us what is most beneficial to our physical, mental, and spiritual well being.

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The Whole Armor of God

Are you wearing your armor? Are you protected? How do you know? We can only imagine the days we wake up and everything is perfect…But in reality, there will always be a test, a trial, and even an attack. It would be nice to solve every problem that comes our way, but we both know that is not the case. We may not know what’s coming, but we can be prepared when it gets here. Did you know that the enemy is always looking to attack, to trick, to steal, and to kill? “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” Ephesians 6: 11-18 ESV. Paul gave us each piece of armor that we must “put on” which requires us to make a decision. I’m going to break down verses 14-18 so we can look at how each piece of armor is important.

  1. The Shield of Faith (verse 16)
  2. The Helmet of Salvation (verse 17)
  3. The Sword of the Spirit (the word of God) (verse 17)
  4. The Belt of Truth (verse 14)
  5. The Breastplate of Righteousness (verse 14)
  6. The Gospel of Peace on your feet (verse 15)

Your Faith is your shield against all the flaming darts of the evil one. Since everyone has a different measure of faith, imagine the greater your faith, the greater the attack. Because we live in the world, the devil knows our weaknesses and he will use all his evil tools to knock us off our game. Our faith is our belief in who God is, what he has done, and what he will do. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him”. There are many stories in the bible of how people demonstrated their faith toward God. One in particular that stands out to me is the woman who had bled nonstop for 12 years and believed that she would be healed just by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment(Matthew 9:20-22). Now if that is not faith, I don’t know what is!

Your salvation is in Jesus Christ who saved you from the penalty of sin, which is death. Not just a physical death, but an eternal death. Eternal death is being outside of the presence of God. We must renew our minds daily with God’s word to stay sharp and aware of what’s going on around us. Your helmet is one of the most important pieces of armor you have on. If your head is exposed, then you are in trouble. Your spiritual and mental health are very important; one of Satan’s most powerful tools is discouragement. If he can discourage you, then he can do just about anything. Do not let this be you. Put on your helmet and be encouraged! You may have won the battle but you are still fighting the war!

The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, is your primary weapon. You need this weapon. There will be people who will challenge the word of God and you must defend it. However, you can only do this if you know His word. It is important that we study and hear His word daily. In the same way, you build up your physical man by eating and drinking, you must also build up your spiritual man by prayer, fasting and meditating on the word of God.

The belt of truth is your security in Christ. If you think about the purpose of what a physical belt is used for, you know that it helps hold everything in “place”. It’s important that we hold tight to the truth of God’s word and that we know how to discern the truth from the trash.

The breastplate of righteousness is your protection. God put his commandments in place not only to teach us lessons but to live in a way that pleases Him. We must obey all of God’s commandments, not just the first ten. The choices we make can either harm our spiritual life or build it up. The more we put God first and live out what His word tells us, the more righteous we become. Although many fall short of the Glory of God, we have been made righteous through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is the added protection to our breastplate because we cannot face the enemy alone.

Your peace is your secret weapon. If your not walking in peace, then your in big trouble. Philippians 4:7 tells us “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” If your peace is lost, find it; if you dropped it, pick it back up; if you gave it away, go get it back! Keep your peace strapped on your feet, that way, whatever you walk into, good or bad, you will not be anxious!

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You are the Salt of the Earth, Light of the World

Matthew 5: 13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” NKJV.

As believers, we must be the salt that seasons the places and people we encounter. If salt was tasteless, then what good would it serve? In the verse above, I believe Jesus is trying to encourage us to make sure our relationships stay satisfying. Our behavior should resemble that of Jesus. He was active in ministry, faithful to God, sincere, patient, humble, obedient, giving, and so much more! Now, Jesus was also perfect and without sin; two things that we will never be because we are human. Although none of us can compare to Jesus, we can do our best to follow his behavior and commit to a real relationship with him.

As believers, we must be a light in dark places. God has given us spiritual gifts, talents and abilities that we should use to glorify him and bring Heaven to Earth. It is up to us as believers to spread Jesus throughout the world and teach about him being crucified. Jesus is the light of the world and if we truly follow him, we will not walk in darkness but will carry the light of life. In Genesis 1:3-4, God created light and He saw the light and that it was good. He also divided the light from the darkness. The reason I included this scripture is because God was intentional from the very beginning! His light lives in us and we must not hide ourselves to make others feel good. I encourage you to let your light shine wherever you go.

How to remain Salty

  • Love one another
  • Forgive one another
  • Be honest with yourself and with others
  • Build healthy and Godly habits
  • Pray together
  • Confess your sins
  • Stay in the word of God and continue to mature spiritually
  • Don’t stop here, there is so much more you can do!

Ways to shine your Light

  • Use your spiritual gifts, talents, and abilities for good
  • Teach others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ
  • Serve God through good works whether in your church, community, job, etc.
  • Be a cheerful giver
  • Be intentional of how you spend your time with God
  • Keep your conversations pure
  • Again, there are many more ways, so don’t stop here!

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Finding Peace in the Midst of a Storm

Storms are loud. They strike, they shake things, and they can be damaging. The spiritual storms we experience in life are sudden, emotional, scary, dark, endless and maybe even violent. They affect our personal lives mentally and physically. They affect our family, friends and those we are most closest to. Right now you are probably in the midst of a storm, entering a storm or exiting one. They happen to everyone and they are very common. Many storms are out of our control; we don’t know when they are coming and how long they will last. They are unavoidable. God may put us through something to teach us to rely on him more and less on ourselves or material things of this world. When we try to fix on our own problems without seeking the help of our heavenly Father, we fail and our problems are worse than when they started. This is called leaning on your own understanding. Something we are all guilty of, even myself. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not to your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” NKJV. God will continue to show his faithfulness to us no matter what we go through. We must stand firm in the midst of a storm and claim God’s Peace! One of my favorite verses is in the book of Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” NKJV. I encourage you to seek God during a spiritual storm and continue to worship Him in spirit and in truth, ask for His will to be done in your life, and declare his peace over your situation.

Like and share if you enjoyed this short read!

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Olivia

Q: Talk about a time when your faith was tested. How did God reveal his glory to you?

A: “My faith has been tested numerous times, but one circumstance that truly sticks out to me was this year, 2020 when I left my full time job as a nurse to pursue full time entrepreneurship. Literally, one week after leaving my job I had an abnormal biopsy and had to get surgery to get precancerous cells removed from my body. This was a test of faith on my physical health, my finances, and my mental health. I was stepping out on faith and then for this to happen at the timing it did was extremely discouraging. But God revealed His Glory to me by showing me that He already had everything taken care of. I was able to get the precancerous cells removed from my body before they advanced. Because I had left my job, I didn’t need to take time off and I was able to come up with the money to pay for the surgery quicker than I would have been waiting for a paycheck. The surgery went well, my body was healed and I am doing great with no more abnormal cells!”

Q: What does being “Set Apart” mean to you?

A: “When I think of being set apart, I think of the scripture, Deuteronomy 14:2 “You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.” Being set apart means being special, different, and not like everyone else. Being set apart to me means that every day you are making the intentional decision to live a life pleasing to Christ!”

Q: Talk about a time when you had a storm in your life. During the storm did you draw closer to God or distance yourself from him? How often did you pray/talk to him? How did you keep your peace or what did you do to stay calm? What did you learn?

A: “Three years ago at the beginning of 2017, I was getting out of an extremely toxic relationship. Everything in my life was changing and I had to make intentional choices daily to cut off certain relationships, habits, and choose not to go to certain places. I drew near to God during this time like never before. I prayed by journaling daily, praying in The Spirit, and sometimes the only prayers I had were my tears. I kept my peace by knowing that God wanted to help me move on and find the light at the end of the tunnel. God never made me feel bad that my storm was caused by my own foolish decisions but instead held me close and just wanted to help. I learned during this time that God will help us if we ask and if we draw near. Isaiah 30:18, “So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.” 

Q: Matthew 5:13-16 says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” NKJV. What are some ways in your opinion, that you can make the earth “saltier” and be a light to those around you?

A: “I believe I can make the earth “saltier” and be a light to those around me by being my true authentic self in Christ. Many times The Lord gives me things to say that I know others do not want to hear, choosing to speak Truth despite what others may want to hear is how I maintain my saltiness. Choosing to share what God is doing in my life through my writing, on social media, or through conversations is how I can continue to be a light and share God’s goodness.”

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Journi

Q: Talk about a time when your faith was tested. How did God reveal his glory to you?

A: “My faith is currently being tested. It is the first time I’ve activated my faith. I am standing on the truth that God alone is my provider in all things. I am being tested daily with those around me telling me that they can provide and that I’m crazy. God is revealing His glory that He is faithful and that it isn’t me that has the power, but He does and it is Him that supplies.”

Q: What does being “Set Apart” mean to you?

A: “Being set apart  means that God is my Father. My flesh does not govern any part of my life or decisions. I continually submit to God and the reality of what Jesus says I am. I reflect and confess daily. The things that my flesh hasn’t yet agreed to, I allow my spirit to control and do what is in my Fathers will. I am not concerned about my earthly image but how my Father views me is more important.”

Q: Talk about a time when you had a storm in your life. During the storm did you draw closer to God or distance yourself from him? How often did you pray/talk to him? How did you keep your peace or what did you do to stay calm? What did you learn?

A: “I had moved in with a family member and they tried their hardest to separate me from my significant other. The enemy spoke lies to me left and right and I took the bait. I began to detest and go against my boyfriend. I was clouded by my senses. Once I prayed in the spirit, God gave me a vision. That vision alone showed the reality of the pressure I was receiving from my family members. During this time I grew closer to God and the mysteries of His heart. I prayed a few hours a day. I kept my peace by worshiping and praying in the spirit. I learned that if I don’t spend time with the Holy Spirt, my flesh would overpower my spirit, confuse me, and lead me to make the wrong decisions.”

Q: Matthew 5:13-16 says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” NKJV. What are some ways in your opinion, that you can make the earth “saltier” and be a light to those around you?

A: “Some ways are preaching the gospel, by representing Jesus’ love and character, giving to others, and giving encouragement.”

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Brianna

Q: Talk about a time when your faith was tested. How did God reveal his glory to you?

A:  “My faith was tested in 2019 when I was unemployed. It had taken me a while to land a job after applying for every position, company, and location nearby that I possibly could. After some time I finally landed a job; unfortunately it was a terrible one and I was underpaid, unappreciated, and overworked. I kept praying to God to make a way to land a better job where I can be happy and proud of the work I do. Going through the same process of again added more stress. I did not have many interviews and each one was a closed door in my face. I quickly become discouraged. I kept asking God, “Why are you doing this to me? Don’t you know I am at my literal breaking point?” I didn’t know how much longer I could take it. During the week of Christmas, I was waiting to hear back from a potential employer and decided to accept whatever happens. I told myself, “Let it be in God’s will.” I got the call two days before Christmas that I got the job. Throughout the year, I felt that God was taking me through various tests to build my faith more. I believe it was to reassure me that God CAN do anything but it will be in HIS timing. I had to learn to be patient and stand still. I definitely do feel my faith has strengthened because of this journey.”

Q: What does being “Set Apart” mean to you?

A: “To me, being set apart means to walk a different path than others. Everyone has their own journey and are in different chapters to their story. You cannot compare your chapter to someone else’s when you don’t know their story. All you can do is live your truth and separate yourself from the rest of the group. You have to be yourself and own that.”

Q: Talk about a time when you had a storm in your life. During the storm did you draw closer to God or distance yourself from him? How often did you pray/talk to him? How did you keep your peace or what did you do to stay calm? What did you learn?

A: “Earlier this year I suffered a panic attack from driving home at night on the highway. To have that feeling that you are going to die, was the worst feeling of my life. Since then, I’ve been haunted subconsciously of that night and very anxious while driving since then. Over time, I knew that something had to be done and I wanted to go back to how things were before that panic attack. I talked to my grandparents and they insisted I give our Pastor a call. My Pastor prayed over the phone with me and reminded me that Satan has put thoughts in my head and was attacking my mental health and peace. Since then, I started to have talks with God before I drive my car and while I am driving. I usually pray to God, repeat a bible verse about faith, and declare that everything is okay. Over time I felt the fear and anxiety start to diminish and through it all, I felt closer to God than ever before.”

Q: Matthew 5:13-16 says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” NKJV. What are some ways in your opinion, that you can make the earth “saltier” and be a light to those around you?

A: “One way to be a light to those around you is to simply be present, uplift and encourage one another. With all that 2020 has brought up, it has been chaotic and dark for many people. I feel that we must reassure people that there is hope and purpose in what we are going through and seek God to find meaning even if they can’t see it yet.”

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[Pray]. Prayer. Praying

P: Praise R: Repent A: Ask Y: Yield

Why should you pray? And who and what should you pray for? Here’s a list I compiled.

  • Pray for your loved ones
  • Pray for your friends
  • Pray for yourself
  • Pray for your health
  • Pray for your career
  • Pray for your neighbor
  • Pray for your finances
  • Pray for the poor
  • Pray for the needy
  • Pray for the sick
  • Pray for the lost
  • Pray for the hurt
  • Pray for the vulnerable
  • Pray for lonely
  • Pray for the broken-hearted
  • Pray for the hungry
  • Pray for the church
  • Pray for the young and the old
  • Pray for healing
  • Pray for peace
  • Pray for relationships
  • Pray for strength
  • Pray for forgiveness of sin
  • Pray for guidance
  • Pray for justice

The last thing I will add is that your prayers will probably exceed this list and they should. Your prayer life should not be limited to anything. You can pray for whatever you want and whoever you want. If you feel that they need it and if you believe that your prayers will be answered. Pray on!

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Faith to Believe

Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1 says it best, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This verse tells us that although we have never seen God, we still believe that he exists. Faith is the beginning of your salvation. Everyone has their own reason for why they believe and that is okay. Some people may have been led to believe as a result of an event happening in their life or by someone sharing Jesus with them. Others may have grown up in the church and learned of who God was at a very young age. As a result, God became the foundation of their life. If you have accepted Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior and believe that he died for your sins and was raised from the dead, then you are saved. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gist of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV.” Now it doesn’t stop here. Now that you believe, your lifestyle needs to show this. And let me just say there is no step by step process because everyone is different and we all go through unique life experiences that lead us to where God wants us to be. So what did God leave us? His word, which is the holy bible, and it is a gift from him that will help us and guide us through life. There are many stories, principles and commandments God left for us to help us live a life that glorifies him. As long as you take time to read and study the bible, God will speak to you and you will soon learn his will for your life. Now none of us are born perfect and can never be perfect because sin dwells in this world. But the more time we spend with God, we will be learn how to live a life that pleases him. We need to die to our flesh each day and be led by our spirit to do the will of God. I encourage you to do what pleases God and not what makes him angry. He loves us unconditionally and no one can ever take that love away from us.

Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” NKJV. It is so important that we stay in the word of God so that we can rest in his peace when we are tested and defend his truth when the enemy challenges us. I encourage you to meditate on His word, pray without ceasing, and fast regularly.

“Our Faith is based on our understanding of who God is.” – Charles Stanley

How has you grown in your faith over the last few weeks, months or years? Be sure to like and share!

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Prioritizing God

For God to be a priority in your life, you must make him a priority. When we want something, we work hard to get it. Why not have the same attitude when it comes to our Heavenly father who provides us with everything we need? God gave us free will which means he left it up to us to choose him or ourselves. It is easy to choose ourselves and ignore the fact that Jesus died for our sins. But is this the right way? Unfortunately not, choosing ourselves over our Savior leads to a selfish, sinful lifestyle and this will only leave us with temporary satisfaction. We are fleshly beings and we must submit to God so that we can be led by the Holy Spirit to do what is good and pleasing to God. We must model the behavior of Jesus. Make time for God so that you can get to know him and develop a real relationship instead of just going to him in times of trouble. God wants to hear from us all the time, not just when it is convenient for us. Below are some ways where you can start making God a priority in your life.

  1. Spend time with God daily by reading your bible
  2. Worship him through acts of service (Good works)
  3. Through prayer and fasting
  4. Giving Thanks to God daily, praise him through good and bad (in all things give thanks)
  5. Go to God 1st (He is always listening when others are not willing to)
  6. Meditate on Proverbs 3: 5-6 (“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.”)
  7. Follow all his commandments, not just the first 10.
  8. Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness
  9. Obedience is better than sacrifice!
  10. Don’t limit yourself to this list, there is so much more you can do!