Encouragements of HOPE AND BLESSING

Hope and Blessing

It is Good and a blessed thing to know that we can carry all our cares, worries and burdens to GOD. He is a friend who is closer than a brother. He is the Alpha and Omega. He knows everything about us and He is everywhere. He knows when we sit and when we stand. He knows when we go and come. Every hair on our head is numbered. There is nothing that we can hide from Him. If we go to the ends of the earth He is there. If we make our place in heaven He is there. There is no escaping His love or his judgment. He is a loving father who takes care of all our needs. He is a God who knows our heart desires and finds delight in giving our heart's desire to come true. Even when we are unfaithful, Our Lord God is always faithful. He still carries us. Even when we forget to pray or give thanks. He is still there with us keeping an eye on us, so that, we won't stumble and fall. Even the 1000 times we failed, God is still there waiting with open arms. How can we reject a God so loving? How can we stop loving our master? How can we escape His love? NO! we cannot. Our Lord Jesus is always-always there. He is there like an ever present help. Though the mountains move, and the storms rise, Jesus is there to calm it down. No evil can come against us because the blood of Jesus has cleansed and covered us. Jesus is our Master and we should not take for granted the Love of God. For, One day soon, He is coming. And at that moment, we need to rise up with Jesus when the trumpet blows. There with Him, we will reign, and take dominion over every force of darkness. Jesus is king and we will be with HIM worshiping Him. O what a beautiful day that will  be! The Joy is in-explainable. Folks, we must be ready and prepared for His second coming. He is the only way, the truth and life we must Follow. There is no other way but to trust and obey our Master and Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Everything we need is with GOD

God the Supplier of  all my NEEDS!!

Jesus is touched with every feeling of need that we have. As many as touched Him were made whole. He has gone through everything that we have.

If you have not wasted any time and have given your employer an honest day's work, then you do not have to back up and get your check in a timid way. You can walk up boldly, and get your pay.

We can come boldly to the throne of grace. That is where Jesus is right at this moment making intercession for us, He is in the presence of God now for us.

There is a reservoir full of grace of God. We can tap the resources at any time. There is enough of the grace of God to supply all our need.

God will supply our physical need. God supplies the food for the sparrows. He takes care of the lilies of the field. We are of much more value than sparrows. Your Heavenly Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him, Luke 12:30.

My God is a God of abundance. He said that He gives us life and life more abundantly. He does not just barely give us enough to get by on.

God will supply all your Spiritual need. At the midnight hour, when the power of darkness is the strongest, we can look up and have cheer. We can be encouraged. Our spirits don't need to be discouraged. We can encourage ourselves in the Lord. "Delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Prodigal son was in a far country. He lost everything that he had. He was in need. No man gave unto him. He was down and far from home. He came to himself and saw that he was in need. He said, "I will arise and go to my father and say, I have sinned against heaven and against thee."

The father did not turn him away. he was moved with compassion. He was concerned about his great need. He restored to him all he had lost and more.

Your Father has all you need. He will put shoes on your feet and a coat on your back. The table is spread and the feast of the Lord is going on. He is bigger than your need.

Just put everything that you need in one package and label it "all my need" and bring it to the Lord now; it will please Him. My God shall supply all your need by Christ Jesus, Phil. 4:19.

Find us on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/GodlyPraises

Impossibe to Praise God with lack of TRUST AND RESPECT

 Impossible with lack of TRUST AND RESPECT

Trust and respect are elements at the heart of healthy relationships. Hurtful experiences in a sick family environment undermine proper respect and damage the ability to trust. But why are these elements so vital, and what can be done to rebuild them?

Good communication is one of the most important tools. Knowing others' thoughts, ideas and feelings allows problems to be addressed and resolved. Using negative and hurtful words, and not listening attentively, will stifle attempts at communication. "But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife" (2 Timothy 2:23). Failure to show respect to other family members will undermine their willingness to express what is really on their minds. No one wants to be held up to ridicule or belittled. We only really open up to those with whom we feel safe. A dysfunctional family is not a safe emotional environment. As a result, its members do not learn healthy communication skills.

If you grew up in such an environment, then you must learn new and different skills if your current family is to have a different atmosphere than your family of origin. Much of this hinges on building an atmosphere of trust and respect (1 Peter 2:17; Hebrews 12:14). Trust is built up by consistently carrying through in many little things. People feel respect when they are paid attention to and treated with courtesy.

Your mate will never open up to you until he or she feels safe in doing so. How do you create this safe environment? First, you must ensure that private comments are never repeated in a way that embarrasses the person who confided them to you (Proverbs 25:9). Also, confessions of inner fears or insecurities must never be saved up as ammunition to be thrown back in the face of the one who said it the next time there is a disagreement.

Where there are people, there will inevitably be conflict from time to time. But when an atmosphere of trust and respect prevails in the home, that conflict will be resolved in healthy ways. Concentrate on building trust and showing respect by both your actions and your words, even in times of conflict (Philippians 2:3). With time, there will be tangible results. None of us can make someone else change, but we can choose to make changes in our own lives.

Find us on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/GodlyPraises

How can Christianity be a religion of love when-------?

How can Christianity be a religion of love when "Christians" so often condemn those whose lifestyle and views differ from their own? Christianity is a religion of love because Jesus reveals God to be Ultimate Love. The spiritual journey is one of our learning to "bear the beams of love." That process of transformation is what we traditionally call sanctification, or growing in holiness. We use words like "enlightened, awake, whole, saved" to describe the same process. Our goal is union with God, ourselves, and others -- a consciousness that is as transparent to divine love as is humanly possible. Each of us is at different stages in that process. We live within different levels of maturity. Jesus left us a final gift. It is a peace that needs no guarantee of security. You cannot build a wall around it and it cannot be sold or earned. You cannot even attain it by the most zealous adherence to the Golden Rule. Think of the most abhorrent individual. It is not enough to forgive him, you must embrace him. Not when he is penitent, but when he is most adamant in his abhorrent behavior. Most people love about as well as they can most of the time, given their own limitations and their own level of maturity. That's why even great atrocities of prejudice can usually be traced to some form of immature love. Nations sometimes launch unjust wars for the sake of love of country. When Christians label non-Christians and even other Christians as infidels, it is because they love the part of the truth they have grasped but their love is still narrow and immature. Most sin is distorted love. Knowing that, can't we be a bit more generous with each other? "I might be a Christian except for the Christians I have met." That or a similar statement is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. Compiling a list of individuals or groups who have misappropriated the mantle of Christianity is a monumental task. The names listed would be familiar to most. Many of the vast numbers that have pillaged, cheated, abused and defiled in the name of Christ are among the legends of our western civilization. The task is further burdened by the many more that have, with pureness of hearts and the highest standards of contemporary morality, proselytized in the name of such "Christian" causes as the "white man's burden" and "manifest destiny." Add to the list, those groups that validate their particular brand of Christianity by distinguishing their beliefs and practices from even the slightest variance in the beliefs and practices of all others. A Christian is not someone who is "saved" through the rubrics of membership or the mere ascription to beliefs. Being a Christian is not about exclusion. Being a Christian is not about separation or discrimination. Being a Christian is not about deciding who may be right or wrong. Being a Christian is not about securing what is rightfully yours or imposing justice on or even for others. Jesus left us a final gift. It is a peace that needs no guarantee of security. You cannot build a wall around it and it cannot be sold or earned. You cannot even attain it by the most zealous adherence to the Golden Rule. Think of the most abhorrent individual. It is not enough to forgive him, you must embrace him. Not when he is penitent, but when he is most adamant in his abhorrent behavior. Admittedly, there are few among us that can pass that test. At best, we try or we struggle with the concept. Fortunately, there is no litmus test for admission to the Christian church. Christians today are burdened with the same doubts, fears, bigotry and arrogance that have betrayed and divided the church for almost two-thousand years. Still we persist in gathering in worship. We persist in calling ourselves Christians. We persist, as individuals, in the face of repeated failures. Ultimately, being a Christian is less about answers than it is about questions. Being a Christian is less about the final destination than it is about the road we travel. Being a Christian is about a journey of discovery. Being a Christian is about taking that journey together. Discovering the way to get to the ULMIMATE DESTINATION. Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GodlyPraises

Finding JOY

Finding JOY

Nehemiah 8: 9-10 "This day is holy unto the Lord your God. Mourn not nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet. Send portions to them whom nothing is prepared. This day is holy unto our Lord. Neither be ye sorry. The joy of the Lord is your strength!"
God is a God of joy! God is a God of strength! We are His people. We are a people of strength. No man can take your joy! In the book of Nehemiah 8, we find a celebration called the Feast of Trumpets. It was a time of joyous and glorious celebration. Tonight is a night of celebration. We are not a defeated church. We are not a defeated people. We are a triumphant church. God is a triumphant God. The people of God are the people of joy.
It's time to rise up and claim the promises that God has for us! There is an awesome power in joy! The joy of the Lord is your strength. We have been given power to overcome. God is a good God. We need to be happy because he is on our team. He loves you. He is a God of joy.
In Psalms 43:4, David said, "Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy; yea upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God."

If you want exceeding joy, there are two things you need. You need an altar and you need a song. Too many people are going through life with man-made joy. We look forward, with joy, to the next weekend. We look forward, with joy, to the next activity. We look forward, with joy, to the next vacation getaway. But joy, exceeding joy, seems to elude us. We are losing our vision of what true joy really is. You need to find yourself an altar and get in the presence of God. Every once in a while, you need joy to come in the prayer room. You also need a song! Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Sing unto the Lord. Judah ushered in the Presence of God. Trumpets sounded with joy. Music can be a feel-good, even to a backsliden king!
In Psalms 16:11, David said, "Thou wilt show me the path of life, in thy presence is fulness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore." What path are you on? Where is your road traveling to? We gotta get into the Presence of God. That is exactly where the fulness of joy is. Need more joy? Get in God's Presence. Go to God's house and get you some joy. Get on God's power team and you will have more pleasures than you ever thought about. Joy is being in His Presence. If we can get into His Presence, it will be ok.
Your pain will not last forever! God did not suppress or depress you. God wants to bless you and strengthen you with His joy. Put on a smile. Be happy. God's got it all under control. Psalms 30:5 says, "For His anger is just a moment, in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Joy is coming! Gird up your loins. No man, family, friend, co-workers and enemies can take away your joy. The devil is a liar. He is a miserable jerk, the father of lies and he lost what you need. God is the God of joy!
In Isiah 61, we find that we shall receive as spiritual Israel the oil of joy for mourning. Oil is a type of the Holy Ghost. There is joy in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a Revealer of Revelation. The more you get to know God the more joy you will have. If your spirit is heavy, He will clothe you with praise. Put some praise in your mouth and God will change your attitude. You will see things through the eyes of joy. No man can take your joy! God also says, I am gonna double what you need. Need a double portion? Worship God! Praise Him in the Holy Ghost. You will get what you need and more.
Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." The kingdom of God is within you. Don't worry about worldly possessions. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Get in the Spirit. There is righteousness there, peace is there, joy is there. Go get it. No need to go around with your head hung low. The joy of the Lord is your strength.
In Galatians 5: 22-23, we find what the Holy Ghost should be doing to us. The first three are the keys to total victory. Before you can have anything from God, He must first give you love then joy and peace will follow. We are not a defeated people. Our God is an awesome God. He reigns from heaven and lives in our heart by the power of the Holy Ghost. It is time to manifest the power of God in our lives by releasing joy to reign forever. We are not a defeated people. We are a people of exceeding joy and praise to God.
It is time to rejoice! It is time to be happy. It is time to get some joy. We are a blessed people. You cannot curse what God has blessed. Get wild. Get crazy. God is a God of joy. He is our righteousness. He is our peace. He is our God. When sinners repent, just one, that's all it takes. It smells like a flesh flower. Heaven is full of joy. He ain't got the Holy Ghost yet. Just the fact that he sees his need for God makes heaven joyous. Wonder how heaven feels when he gets baptized in Jesus' Name? What about when they receive the Holy Ghost? What a party! We just sit here when thousands of promises are given to us from this pulpit every year. Accept them. Bask in them! Joy is in the house!

Jesus tells us in the book of John to keep His commandments. God owes us nothing if we will not keep His word. But if we will walk according to His word, Man will He bless us! God is a God of His word! His word is rich with promises. His promises are full of joy. Jesus said, These things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy may be full. There is a transferal of power here. It starts out with God's joy then He says my joy shall be yours and it will be all you can contain.God is full of joy.

Luke 6:20-23 Rejoice, leap for joy,

no man can steal your joy.

Claim it. Take it. Seize it.

No man can steal joy from you.

Neither can the devil .......unless we allow it!

THERE IS POWER IN JOY!!!!!!!!!!!