Last night, I met with my classmates from high school. We met at one of my classmate’s home, that I didn’t think he would even graduate high school. He is one of the wealthy of us all. His home was palatial. It was good to see these men that I spent 12 years of my life with. I went to an all boy’s school. Growing up I was a good kid. I did things that I am not proud of, but that was being a child. I have made my share of mistakes. And I was always looking for a way or help to minimize my mistakes. I wanted to do things and not hurt people. Sometimes it is not possible. Even when I began walking with God. I knew that people would get hurt and I began asking God to correct my mistakes. As my walk progressed, I was changed into the image and likeness of God. This is what God wanted all the time. He wanted me to become his son, with all rights and privileges that go with that. And by the way, I make less mistakes all along the way. It is funny how this world in many aspects parallels God’s world. It should because God made this world. But the point is I am making my way home to heaven. I am walking step by step until I reach that goal. With the grace of God, I will make it.

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Secured Locks don’t guarantee assurance. Everyone wants to be safe and secure. We go to great lengths to have this in our lives. There are security companies for medical emergencies, home invasions or just simply to turn off your lights. They are designed to make you feel secure. Then there are insurance companies to pay breakage to theft. But what do they guarantee? Life is pretty much a gamble or risk you have to take. Don’t you wish that life would come with warranties. It would make things a whole lot better. Did you know that stress is one of the top causes of death in humans? People ask me how I stay so young looking? I tell them I laugh a lot. It seems so simplistic, but it is actually an effective tool in my longevity. The bible says that a merry heart works just like a medicine. But back to security. Do you know that difference between insurance and assurance? Insurance is what we used to help after the fact. It only works for us when a disaster happens. And unfortunately, it is a hit or miss proposition. Then there is assurance. This is what God gives to keep us safe and secure. It is to help before the disaster. And it is also to help after a disaster strikes. The bible says we are blessed coming in and going out. Assurance is only given to God’s children. It is part of our inheritance. The only surety I know of in this world is Jesus, Himself. So, the question is, who or what do you trust in?

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We are taught as a child to be persistent to a fault in our lives. It is how we overcome obstacles or barriers in our life. It can be taken to the ninth degree and we become obnoxious. But depending on how badly we want something to happen, is how far we will go with it. It isn’t bad to be persistent. Sometimes it is quite necessary. There are people in our lives that we haven’t given up on because they are worth the effort. It is a human quality that we all need. There is a parable about persistent prayer in the bible. The story is about an unjust judge, who has no fear of God or man. This woman wanted the judge to help her. At first the judge wouldn’t. But the woman kept coming back to the judge. Eventually the judge seeing that the woman wouldn’t give up, granted her the petition. God is saying that if you have a need and believe that God can help, don’t give up. Be persistent in your prayer to God and He will answer your petition. The longest prayer I have ever had was 22 years. And God answered it completely. For if we know that God hears us, then we have the petitions that we ask of God. There is one stipulation that God has. It is to ask according to His will and we will have what we ask. Be persistent in your prayer for your sake and those that you pray for.

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Change, although it isn’t always welcomed, it is necessary and inevitable. It seems to be such a hard thing to endure, but brings such unique and surprising results. Familiarity is actually the norm in our lives. We strive consistently to have a normal life, where everything is consistent and predictable. Never thinking that change would bring a better life. We want what we want. Even if this life we have will bring us to destruction. It is the most contradictory thing we do in our lives. It is all brought on by the fear of the unknown. Not knowing where our lives will go if we change. It can stop us from achieving greatness in our lives. Fear has destroyed many a life. But how can you have assurance that with change our life will go right? That is the question for the ages. Man, left to his own devises, will destroy everything around him. Man doesn’t have the power to change anything. This power can only come from one place and that is God. And this power isn’t given to man unless he surrenders his life to God. There is no power on earth great enough to change anything. It doesn’t matter what you believe. The power is from on high. God has to change your heart, before your life will change for the better. Then you will be changed in a twinkling of an eye.

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I was raised in a good home. We went to church every Sunday. Mom and Dad wanted us to learn about God, so we could live a decent life. When I was 8 years old, I was watching Billy Graham in New York City. He said a lot of things that I didn’t understand. But when he said, pray with me. I did. I knew that something changed. I wasn’t quite sure what, but I changed. My journey with God was just beginning. It took another 20 years before I finally figured out what it was about. When I surrendered my life when I was 28 years old, I saw the truth. My life had come full circle. I now had a teacher that lived with me. Actually He lives inside me, in my heart. The Holy Spirit came upon me and began to teach me the ways of the God. My eyes were opened to see the truth. Something that I didn’t want to see for a very long time. God took me to school, His school. I began reading the bible like I had never read before. Then God had me to put into practice the things that I learn. My faith started with headaches and moved into miracles. What is interesting is that the bible isn’t divided into 2 parts. The bible is one book, from beginning to end. And this book was written by one person, God Himself. How do I know these things? Because I have a witness who lives in my heart that tells me the truth. And knowing the truth will set you free from the bonds of this world, to serve God. It is time for your journey to begin.

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I look around at the world and see disasters almost everywhere. The storms that occur almost every week are amazing. The flooding, tornados, fires, disease, drought, explosions, ice or snow has hit almost every part of this country consistently. The economy is another disaster. No one seems to be able to agree on most anything. What does this look like to you? Does it remind you of something? I hope it does, but I am not encouraged the people even understand what is happening. When 9/11 happened the United States can to a grinding halt. People realized that they were vulnerable. Our country switched from a peace time to a war time mode. The churches in America were filled to the brim for about three months. Until the US govt. became the savior. 9/11 was the opening shot fired across the bow. The disaster was meant to show us we needed God back in our life. I will never say that God doesn’t have a people who are faithful to him. But I wish there were more people in the kingdom.

1 Cor.6: 20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” KJV

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Today, there is a storm passing through. It is raining and lightning is thundering. Did you know that the earth used to be water by the dew? And it was enough water for all plants to grow. If there is too much water, it floods. And if there is not enough, there is a drought. There has to be just the right amount of rain for the earth to stay in balance. Water is an important source for the earth, which includes us. We are made up of mostly water. We can survive without food for 40 days. But we can’t go more than 7 days without water. Water will be the coming commodity. It will become scarce and very costly. The western United States are already in a political war over water. It hasn’t rained consistently in years. The largest foodstuff producing state has had a drought for 7 years. There is only one source of water, other than rain, in the western US and that is the Colorado River. There has been storm after storm in the US. It has been the most active weather in very long time. You ever wonder why? When Israel went into captivity, the bible says that the land vomited the people out. Not one farmer was left in Israel. The land went undisturbed for 70 years. The land rested from the hand of man. The bible also says the it rains on the just and the unjust. It is time to take stock of what you are doing in this world. Are you fulfilling the will of God in your life? Or you doing what you want? Take care, this land is sick and will not long endure the sin upon it.

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We have 5 senses to be able to relate to this world. They are sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. These senses are always gathering information. The information is stored in the largest computer on earth, our brain. And we can retrieve this information at most any time. If we train our brain, we can use it more efficiently than any computer. But our senses are multi-tasked to provide information to our spirit man. So, we can gather information, both earthly and spiritual. And sometimes they crossover to each other. But why would God make us this way? The answer is simple. So, we can relate to God and our world around us. God didn’t make us to leave us alone. He wanted us to be able to relate or recognize Him. He wanted us to see who God really is. We learn by processing information and applying it. Why would God want us to relate to Him? The one thing that God didn’t give us is power to change our lives. He reserved that for Him to dispense to us. Again, why? Because He wanted us to relate to Him. God is more than willing to help us with anything. But it comes with a relationship with God. As He said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed would have everlasting life.” It is all about relating to God Himself.

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Is it time to sing a dirge? The world has changed. When man began with God, he had dominion over this earth. We could command the rain or a storm to stop. Things would grow at our command. Adam named all the animals, fish and birds. They would do what he said. Man would walk with God in the cool of the evening. Adam and Eve sinned against God and lost all rights and privileges to the earth. God casted them from the Garden of Eden. Man had to struggle for his existence. God said by the sweat of his brow shall he eat. Nothing grew except by man’s labor. But God didn’t give up on man. God offered a new covenant. Man accepted for a while but decided that the sewers were better. God kept coming back and trying to bring man back into the fold. There have been 5 covenants so far. The last one was the most important one yet. This is the covenant God made with the death and resurrection of Jesus. This was the fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham. And it is the last covenant that God is going to make with man. The bible always says that there is a point that God will walk away. We have to go a very long way to reach that point. But I’ll tell you a truth there is a point of no return and it is reachable. Is it time to sing a dirge yet?

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Abraham had a son named Isaac. Isaac had twin sons named Esau and Jacob. Jacob’s family went on to become nation of Israel. But what ever happened to Esau? Before Isaac died, he blessed both of his sons. Jacob received the promises of God and Esau didn’t receive as much. Esau, none the less, was blessed by God, because he was Isaac’s son. Esau moved his family to a place in Jordan, called Petra. There he prospered and built a small kingdom of Edom. They were developed a trading center for the region. People from all over came to Edom to buy and sell. It was a stronghold in the mountains. They had their own water system, farms and herds of sheep and goats. They had a small army because the mountains protected them. But something went wrong. Israel had become the powerhouse of the region. And most countries wanted to destroy Israel. For a long time, Edom didn’t fight against Israel. There came a time when the countries of the region came to fight Israel. They wanted Edom to join them or they would fight against them. Edom joined the armies and fought Israel. But Edom did more than any other country and committed atrocities. God didn’t forget what Edom did to his brother. Because of their pride and unbelief, God destroyed Edom. They never rose up again. And so, it is with anyone who sets himself against God. God will forgive many things, but man must ask for forgiveness.

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