“Cover Me!”

Ephesians 4:25

During times of war, the most important person a soldier can rely on is, the man fighting beside him wearing the same uniform. It’s absolutely important for those fighting alongside each other to always remain focused on their enemy, while at the same time, covering each other in battle. One of the most horrifying and disappointing moments of a battle is when “friendly fire” occurs, and a fellow soldier is either wounded, or permanently taken out of the fight. This action can either be the cause of losing a battle, or prolonging it longer than anticipated. What’s worse than friendly fire is, when a soldier deliberately turns against his own unit, and begins to open fire on his own people. This is simply unacceptable, and can literally shift the tide of any battle. It’s always good to know who you’re fighting with, but also to keep a keen eye on everyone who claims to be on your team, because you never know who will turn against you when the battle begins.

Fighting the “Good fight of faith” will always come with its usual contention against our adversary the devil, but when the children of God are unified, they’ll usually progress through each battle and grow accordingly in faith, patience, wisdom, and experience. Unfortunately, many who walk with God have taken the unexpected bullet from another who claimed to be “saved”. Not everyone who says “Lord Lord” will enter the kingdom of Heaven, and many who seem to be believers in Christ, are far from doing the will of the Lord. A great number of men and women are simply tares, growing amongst the wheat. They look like “church folk”, act godly, walk the walk, and talk the talk, but secretly, they have a plan to pull you away from righteousness. For this reason, it’s vital for all who claim the name of the Lord to pray always, without ceasing. The devil never takes a day off, so the Saints shouldn’t either. We should always keep our guard up, even with friends and family members (I’m just saying… we’re in the last and evil days, and trust is earned).

To all my Christian soldiers, stand firm, stay on guard, and be vigilant. Let’s strive to keep our brothers and sisters covered, while aiming our artillery in the right direction.

Não Esqueça…

Deuteronomy 8

Você consegue se lembrar de uma época em que era culpado de ser ingrato pelo bem que alguém tinha feito por você? Talvez você tenha uma mãe solteira que sacrificou tudo o que desejou para que você pudesse ter uma vida boa. Infelizmente, você nunca a apreciou de verdade e agia como se ela não fosse boa o suficiente. Ou talvez você fosse o produto de uma família ideal, onde papai e mamãe o criaram no temor de Deus, nunca faltando nada de bom. Mas você se aproveitou da gentileza deles e escolheu viver sem restrições saudáveis. Em nosso texto, Deus operou maravilhas milagrosas na vida dos filhos de Israel. Quando eles foram obrigados a servir como escravos dos egípcios e oprimidos além da medida, Deus os libertou e então os colocou no caminho para a terra da promessa. Deus deu ao povo uma série de mandamentos e admoestações, para prepará-lo antes de entrar na terra da abundância, mas apesar de tudo que Deus já havia feito por Israel, eles aparentemente se esqueceram e se pegaram murmurando e reclamando com frequência. Deus sabia que se o coração das pessoas não fosse devidamente condicionado antes de entrar em Canaã, então todo o seu aumento iria estragá-los e estragá-los, e fariam com que seus corações se enchessem de orgulho. Muitas vezes, quando Deus nos abençoa, permitimos que essas mesmas bênçãos nos façam esquecer Aquele que as deu a nós em primeiro lugar. Ao contrário dos filhos de Israel, que deixaram de valorizar as maravilhosas obras de Deus em suas vidas, também devemos estar atentos para não esquecer o quão misericordioso Deus tem sido conosco. Além disso, devemos ter muito cuidado para não permitir que nosso crescimento faça com que nosso coração se torne orgulhoso, pois é quando nos esqueceremos facilmente de Deus. Quando nos esquecemos de Deus, nos alinhamos no caminho que leva à destruição.

No Olvides…

Deuteronomy 8

¿Recuerda alguna vez en que fue culpable de ser ingrato por el bien que alguien había hecho por usted? Tal vez tuviste una madre soltera que sacrificó todo lo que deseaba para que pudieras tener una buena vida. Desafortunadamente, nunca la apreciaste realmente y actuaste como si su bondad no fuera lo suficientemente buena. O tal vez fuiste el producto de la familia ideal, donde papá y mamá te criaron en el temor de Dios, sin carecer nunca de nada bueno. Pero aprovechaste su amabilidad y elegiste vivir sin restricciones saludables. En nuestro texto, Dios había obrado maravillas milagrosas en la vida de los hijos de Israel. Cuando estaban obligados a servir como esclavos a los egipcios, y oprimidos sin medida, Dios los libró y luego los puso en el camino hacia la tierra prometida. Dios le había dado al pueblo una serie de mandamientos y amonestaciones para prepararlos antes de que entraran en la tierra de la abundancia, pero a pesar de todo lo que Dios ya había hecho por Israel, aparentemente se olvidaron y se encontraron murmurando y quejándose la mayoría de las veces. Dios sabía que si los corazones de la gente no estaban debidamente acondicionados antes de entrar en Canaán, entonces todo su aumento los echaría a perder y haría que sus corazones se llenaran de orgullo. A menudo, cuando Dios nos bendice, permitimos que esas mismas bendiciones nos hagan olvidar a Aquel que nos las dio en primer lugar. A diferencia de los hijos de Israel, quienes fallaron en apreciar las maravillosas obras de Dios en sus vidas, también debemos tener cuidado de no olvidar cuán misericordioso ha sido Dios con nosotros. Además, debemos tener mucho cuidado de no permitir que nuestro aumento haga que nuestro corazón se enorgullezca, porque aquí es cuando fácilmente nos olvidaremos de Dios. Cuando nos olvidamos de Dios, nos alineamos en el camino que conduce a la destrucción.

Desejar e Executar

Romans 7

Muitas vezes, parece difícil viver uma vida santa de maneira consistente. A batalha inevitável entre o bem e o mal molda todos os aspectos de nossas vidas, e o caminho que nossas vidas tomam é determinado pelo lado a que nos submetemos. Quando uma pessoa é recentemente convertida à família de Deus, ela tem um desejo insaciável de fazer o bem. Sua mente foi renovada, os pensamentos revigorados e as intenções voltadas para fazer apenas o bem. Infelizmente, a temporada de novidades tende a se desgastar, quando os desejos do passado gradualmente voltam às suas vidas. Quanto mais tempo uma pessoa gasta estudando, aprendendo e crescendo no caminho da santidade, é mais provável que ela se torne devidamente equipada para andar no Espírito, evitando as concupiscências da carne. Por outro lado, quanto menos tempo gasto na palavra de Deus pode fazer com que uma pessoa seja influenciada pela injustiça, e seus efeitos prejudiciais. Todos nós podemos ter um forte desejo ou vontade de fazer o que Deus nos mandou fazer, mas se não formos diligentes em nosso compromisso de servir e nos recusarmos a estudar para nos mostrarmos aprovados a Deus, então nossa vontade e desejos só serão residem em nossas mentes, e não em nossas ações.

Querer y Hacer

Romans 7

A menudo, parece difícil vivir una vida santa de manera constante. La batalla inevitable entre el bien y el mal da forma a todos los aspectos de nuestras vidas, y el camino que toman nuestras vidas está determinado por el lado al que nos sometemos. Cuando una persona se convierte recientemente en la familia de Dios, tiene un deseo insaciable de hacer el bien. Su mente ha sido renovada, sus pensamientos se han refrescado y sus intenciones están puestas en hacer solo el bien. Desafortunadamente, la temporada de la novedad tiende a agotarse, cuando los deseos del pasado regresan gradualmente a sus vidas. Cuanto más tiempo pase un individuo estudiando, aprendiendo y creciendo en el camino de la santidad, más probabilidades tendrá de estar debidamente equipado para caminar en el Espíritu, mientras evita los deseos de la carne. Por otro lado, el menor tiempo dedicado a la palabra de Dios puede hacer que una persona sea influenciada por la injusticia y sus efectos dañinos. Todos podemos tener un fuerte deseo, o voluntad de hacer lo que Dios nos ordenó que hiciéramos, pero si no somos diligentes en nuestro compromiso de servir y nos negamos a estudiar para mostrarnos aprobados ante Dios, entonces nuestra voluntad y nuestros deseos solo lo harán. residen en nuestras mentes y no en nuestras acciones.

Blended Psalms

Psalm 56, 84, 86, 93, 136

When I am afraid, I will trust in the Lord, because He warms my heart and sustains my life like the sun. The Lord is my shield, and protects me from all who come against me. The Lord showers me with grace and glory, and He’ll never withhold anything good from me. The Lord is great in mercy, full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, and truth. The Lord reigns supreme! He is clothed with majesty and strength. His throne is established of old. He is from everlasting. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and a good understanding have all they that do His commandments. His praise endures forever. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever: And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Relájate, Dios Te Tiene

Salmo 37:1-8

No te estreses por las personas malvadas y no envidies a quienes se involucran en actividades malvadas. Porque, con el tiempo, sus malas acciones cesarán y se desvanecerán. En cambio, confía en el Señor y continúa haciendo el bien. Solo entonces, se establecerá más y Dios proveerá para todas sus necesidades. Disfruta mucho de cumplir la voluntad del Padre, y Él, a su vez, te concederá los deseos de tu corazón. Enfoque todos sus planes e ideas en la piedad, confíe en Dios sin vacilar y verá que esos planes se manifiestan. Mientras sirve al Señor con diligencia, Él dará a conocer sus buenas obras a los demás, para que vean la verdad de su santidad profesada y comprendan por qué vive de la manera en que lo hace. Durante los momentos difíciles, haga todo lo posible por no estresarse, relajar la mente y esperar pacientemente a que Dios resuelva las cosas por usted. Incluso cuando parezca que las personas malvadas están prosperando y viviendo la “buena vida”, confíe y crea que Dios se ocupará de ellos y cuidará de usted … siempre y cuando mantenga la cabeza fría y se abstenga de hacer el mal. durante tu lucha. Es difícil mantener buenos pensamientos e intenciones puras cuando la vida se pone difícil, pero Dios ve tu lucha y tiene un tiempo establecido para liberarte. Entonces, mientras sufre, concéntrese en obtener toda la fuerza, fe, sabiduría y conocimiento que pueda de su situación, y esté listo para ayudar a la próxima persona que pueda estar en fila para enfrentar un problema similar.

Relax, God’s Got You

Psalm 37:1-8

Don’t stress yourself over evil people, and don’t envy those who involve themselves in wicked activities. Because, in time, their evil deeds will cease and they’ll fade away. Instead, trust in the Lord and continue doing good. Only then, will you become more established, and God will provide for all your needs.

Take strong pleasure in fulfilling the will of the Father, and He’ll in turn, give you your heart’s desires. Focus all your plans and ideas on godliness, trust God without wavering, and you’ll see those plans manifest. While serving the Lord diligently, He will make known your righteous deeds to others, so they’ll see the truth of your professed holiness, and understand why you live the way you do.

During difficult times, try your best not to stress, relax your mind, and wait patiently for God to work things out for you. Even when it seems as if wicked people are prospering and living the “good life”, trust and believe that God will deal with them, and take care of you…as long as you keep a level head, and refrain from doing evil during your struggle.

It’s hard to maintain good thoughts and pure intentions when life gets hard, but God sees your struggle, and has a time set to deliver you. So, while you suffer, focus on gaining all the strength, faith, wisdom, and knowledge you can from your situation, and be ready to help the next person who may be lined up to face a similar issue.

“Don’t give up, help is on the way.”

Proper Perspective

James 4:3

I pray for wisdom, but I ignore it. I ask for strength, but I don’t use it. I seek peace, but from all the wrong places. I strive to do good, but give up before the journey begins. I choose my words wisely, but always when it’s too late. I ask, and nothing’s given. I seek, but can’t find. I knock, but no doors open. Then, I change my perspective. I pray for wisdom, then walk according to it. I ask for strength, then face life with boldness. I seek peace, and pursue it. I strive to do good, and diligently commit to it. I choose my words wisely, and use them to build up and edify. I ask, then I receive what I need. I seek, and find the answers to my concerns. I knock, and walk through doors that lead to the path of righteousness.

From Galilee To Jordan

Matthew 3

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to an exciting episode of, “From Galilee To Jordan” starring, John the Baptist, and Jesus! I’m your host, “holyell”, and I’ll be bringing you all the details of tonight’s most fascinating scenes!

John the Baptist: Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

(Crowds of people from Jerusalem, Judea, and all the regions of Jordan begin to come and hear John speak.)

John the Baptist: Hear me, and let my words penetrate into your hearts. Confess your sins before the Lord, and be baptized.

(Countless men and women confessed their sins, and were baptized. Note, baptism was an outward sign of inward confession. Although the water didn’t save men, the act showed others that a person made an honest confession to follow God.)

(John’s quick popularity caught the attention of the Pharisees and Saducees; the religious groups who held themselves to a higher standard than what God set in place.)

John the Baptist: Ahhhh, look who’s here. Oh generation of vipers! You must have heard about the coming wrath upon all who oppose righteousness. Make sure your acts are righteous, and that your works are good, because if you have bad thoughts and evil intentions, you will be cut down and destroyed.

(This message obviously didn’t rest well in the hearts of those wicked ones.)

John the Baptist: Surely, I baptize you with water unto repentance, but there’s someone coming after me, who is mightier than I am, and I’m not worthy to even carry his shoes. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.

(The crowds of people wonder in amazement of who this other person could be.)

(“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.”)

John the Baptist: It’s you! But, I cannot baptize you. I forbid it! You are…

Jesus: It’s alright. Do it now, because we have a responsibility to fulfill all righteousness.

(“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” I wish I could have witnessed this in person.)

In times when you feel as though you’re unworthy to serve God, remember, you were made to bring glory to His name. So, in all you do, do it as unto the Lord, and He will reward you for all the good fruit you produce in the earth.

This concludes the exciting episode of, “From Galilee To Jordan”. Thanks for tuning in, and have a fantabulous journey!