” When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.

And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.

The flame will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2).

These promises of God are very clear; He will never leave nor forsake his children.

Waters, rivers, and fire are often used in the Bible to symbolize intense suffering.

Christians suffer just as non-Christians; however, Christians have the promise: I will be with you; they will not sweep over you; you will not be burned.

One key word in this passage is when. When suffering comes— not if-— God will go through it with you.

The promise of God here it is not deliverance “from” suffering but comfort and companionship “in” the suffering.

All people are subject to suffering in this present life; however, the believer has the presence of God, promised, while in the suffering.

God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you ” (Heb.13:5).

When the waters, rivers, or fires of life come, and they will, rest on the promises of God to give you comfort and strength.

If you have never put your faith and trust in God through Jesus, I encourage you to do it today and claim these promises of God, made centuries ago through the prophet Isaiah.

Do Christians suffer? Yes!

If you have questions, I encourage you to seek counsel from a Christian friend, your Pastor or reply to the author.

Man seeking God is a good definition of “religion.” In many ways this is true of Christianity. The Bible says:

” I love those that love Me and those who seek Me find Me” (proverbs 8:17).

” You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29 13).

And in Acts 17:27, the Bible says ” God did this so that men should seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him though He is not far from each one of us.”

The Bible teaches that people should turn from idols and seek the living God. We find, however, that when a person seeks and turns to the living God, He is there and reaching out to receive that person.

Jesus said In Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Again, The Bible says, “ But when the time had fully calm, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law…….” (Galatians 4:4).

And finally, “ Yet to all who received Him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God….” (John 1:12).

People often seek God in order to satisfy an emptiness in the heart, or to gain strength in the time of suffering, or to provide hope in a hopeless situation.

The living God, through Jesus Christ, satisfies all of this, and more: (1) He gives peace of heart and mind, (2) He provides strength and courage, and (3) He gives hope where there is no hope.

While God wants to be your heavenly Father, He can do this only as you turn in faith and by prayer receive Him into your life.

God may be trusted to keep his promise, and He has promised that those who seek Him will find Him.

Please contact me if I can assist you in any way. God loves you very much!

The plan of God for the world as revealed in the Bible is twofold: spiritual and physical.

Jesus selected 12 men to be with Him so that he might train them to do the work of God.

” He sent them out (1) to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God, (2) and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:2).

To preach the Kingdom of God addresses the spiritual need of man. To heal the sick addresses the physical need of man.

We are all have spiritual and physical needs and our Heavenly Father wants to meet both of them.

God provided for our spiritual need when Jesus came into the world, went to the cross and paid the penalty for our sins. ” For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:17).

He also wants to meet our physical needs. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all He has done” (Philippian’s 4:6).

First, put your faith in God by trusting in Jesus, and second, by prayer take your needs to Him.

A gracious heavenly Father loves you and wants to be satisfy your spiritual needs, and then this loving heavenly Father want to meet your physical needs.

Is your struggle spiritual or physical ——–or both?

Whatever it is: financial strain, loneliness, job needs, poor health, rebellious children, anger, fear of death, or uncontrolled sin, you may ask God to help you, and you should ask Him now.

If you would like help, please contact me or a Christian friend for counsel.

Have you ever felt totally unloved and that you were of no real value to anybody? Jesus taught that every person on earth is loved and precious… to God.

Jesus told of a shepherd who owned 100 sheep, and one wandered off and was lost from the flock. The shepherd left the 99 and went searching for the one lost sheep. He searched until he found it and then carried it back to safety (Luke 15:4-7).

He told about a woman who owned 10 valuable silver coins. One turned up missing. it was lost. The woman lit a lantern, swept the floor, and searched carefully for the coin until she found it. (Luke 15:8-10)

Jesus then told of a man who had two sons. One son went to his father and demanded his share of his father’s wealth. The father divided his wealth and gave the son one half of all he owned. The son took the money and went away to a different city where he spent all the money on wild living. But when all his money was gone a great famine came on the land and the boy had nothing to eat.

Starving, he finally decided to go home to his father, to confess that he was wrong to do what he did, and to ask his father for a job as a higher hand —-not as a son—- but as an employee. As he was returning home, his father saw him coming. He ran to the son, kissed him, and welcomed him back home as a son, not as an employee. (Luke 15: 11-24)

The Bible teaches that we are all lost and apart from God. Jesus came into the world seeking and searching for his lost possession. He said, ” For the son of man came to seek and to save the lost ” (Luke 19-10).

One constant in these three stories is the love that the owner had for the lost possessions: the sheep, the coin, the son. If you are lost as the sheep and the coin were or have just strayed away as the son did, God loves you and is searching for you.

Today, God is searching for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. If you are like the son, you must choose to return to your loving heavenly Father.

But if you are a sheep or a coin, God is searching for you. When you do accept his love and ask Him to come into your life there will be great joy in your heart and in heaven.

Are you loved? Yes, you are!

Please contact me or a Christian friend if you desire more information about this decision.

” He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers . His faithful promises are your armor and protection” Psalm 91:4 (Living Bible).

This is a great word picture of how God cares for his children, those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus.

As a bird shields and protects its young with its wings and feathers, so also God provides comfort and protection for those committed to Him.

what are the faithful promises that are our armor and protection? There are many of them in the Bible. For example:

” He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him…..(Hebrews 7:25).

” Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14-27).

” Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone the new has come ” (2nd Corinthian 5: 17).

” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

” Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3: 5-6).

” Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7-7).

These are just a few of the precious promises that God has given to all who call on Him.

He has promised: to save us– to give us peace– to give us a new life– to forgive us — to give us direction– to hear and answer prayer.

If you do not have all of this, you may have it this very moment, when by faith you ask Jesus to come into your life.

Please consult me, your Pastor or Christian friend if you have questions.

The Bible says that “…. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3: 16).

This means that the Christian has been forgiven sins and after death will go to heaven. There is no need to fear what happens after death. rather than facing an angry God, we will face a God who loves us and is our heavenly Father .

But is this all that a Christian has? No! There is more —-much more.

Jesus, said, “…. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

The psalmist said, ” The Lord is my Shepherd , I shall not be in want (psalm 23:1).

The Bible teaches that we are to put our hope in God who: “…. richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (I Timothy 6:17).

The Bible also teaches that “…. the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22 ,23).

Yes, the Christian has the fruit of the Spirit, and the promise of eternal life, when by faith I accept God’s gift of his Son into my life, and I am born again.

Yes, we enjoy the prospect of heaven, but we also enjoy the goodness of God on a daily basis. As believers we have blessings now and also then.

If you do not have this assurance, please contact your Pastor or me with any questions you have.

” Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12: 24, 25).

Unless a seed is planted, it will never produce fruit. If it is never planted and never allowed to be changed, it will never become that for which it was created.

If a Christian is not willing to die to self, there will be no fruit as described in John chapter 15. In this chapter the fruit of the believer is another believer, who also produces fruit– another believer. The branch (the believer) gets life from the vine (Jesus) and the result is fruit.

Jesus said, ” I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I and him, he it is that bears much fruit (John 15:5). (This fruit is in addition to the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5: 22, 23).

If we are not producing John 15 fruit (disciples), who in turn are producing fruit (disciples), we are Galatians 5 believers.

The last words of Jesus to the disciples emphasized this. He said:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make “DISCIPLES” of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “TEACHING” them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mattthew 28:18-20).

The Church today is comprised of Galatians 5 believers and very few John 15 believers .

May God bless you as you die to self and pursue your calling to be a disciple and to produce disciples wherever He places you.

Each July Americans celebrate freedom, liberty and independence. The birth of freedom in America took place on July 4, 1776, when members of Congress put their signatures on the Declaration of Independence. This declaration of Independence was addressed directly to the King of Great Britain, King George III.

The Bible teaches that this world is held in the grip of an evil Prince who boasts that he controls all the kingdoms of this world (Mattthew (4:9). And, these kingdoms are made of people, like you and me.

The evil prince, also called Satan or the Devil, has “…. blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (ii Corinthians 4:4).

Jesus: Said ” The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because he has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed….”(Luke 4: 18).

Jesus came into the world to free us from the power of darkness. He said,” I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

We are able to declare our independence from darkness by putting our faith in God through Jesus Christ. ” If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” II Corinthians 517.

Life in subjection to evil is characterized by “... sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition… envy….”(Galatians 5:19-21).

Freedom given by God is characterized by: “….. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control….” (Galatians 5:22-23).

If you have never declared your spiritual independence from the evil one, put your faith in the Creator God today and then tell your Pastor or a Christian friend what do you have done and ask for guidance in your new life.

If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, thank God for your spiritual independence from darkness.

If you know someone who appears to be living in darkness, pray for opportunity to share with that person the light and freedom that you celebrate.

How do you measure success? how will you know when you are successful?

There are several ways people measure success. In the eyes of many a very wealthy person is successful. To others, it is the person who has reached the top of his or her profession. Being looked up to by our peers is another measure. To the athlete, it is winning the championship. To the student It’s winning the scholarship.

This is how we measure success, but God has a different measure.

King Solomon, perhaps the wisest man to ever live said: “…… the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor wealth to the brilliant, or favor to those with knowledge ….”(Ecclesiastes 9:11).

The Prophet Jeremiah said it this way ” This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these things I delight, declares the Lord’ ” (Jeremiah 9: 23, 24).

Yes, we do need to be educated, and we do need to take care of our physical body, and we do need to earn money. But these things are temporal and may be gone tomorrow. We will not take them into eternity with us.

The truly successful person is the one who knows and serves his Creator. Therefore, the poor and rich, the uneducated and educated, the weak and strong can all find fulfillment in life.

In all of your efforts do not overlook God’s measure of success which is your worship of and your service to Him. Do this and one day you will hear the words: “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

I would love to hear the story of your success as you follow Jesus.

The Bible says that being a Christian your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you and should be maintained as such.

“ ….. do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.” (1st Corinthian 6:19,20).

How do you glorify God In your body? If you desire to live a fruitful productive life for Jesus, whether you are male or female, you must consider how you dress your Temple.

The way you dress reflects who you are. The way you dress will be either modest or provocative. The way you dress reflects the company you keep. The way you dress reflects the thoughts you think. The way you dress may indicate your social life. The way you dress may reflect what you think of yourself.

The way you dress may also reflect your objective in life: to please the world or to please God. If your objective is to please the world you must dress to please the world. If your objective is to please God, you must dress to please God.

The Bible addresses this issue about being a good wife, but by extension these qualities also refer to the character and dress of any man who seeks to please God.

“Do not let your adorning be external, the braiding of hair and putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear; but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3,4).

There are believers today who dress like a culture in order to reach that culture for Jesus. This is highly commendable, and we should not sit in judgment. As children of God, we all have the privilege of choice as affirmed in Romans 14: 12,13.

“So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”

Maintain and dress your temple today for the glory of God and enjoy his goodness. If you have questions, please contact me or your pastor.