Words of Encouragement

Coming to God through Jesus is the only way for us to have the joy of repentance. Our dark lives gain the light of Christ and we can say, the joy of the Lord is our strength.


Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10



Happiness in Jesus. Repentance brings joy. The people heard the words of God and began to weep because of the realization of their sinful behavior. Yet, Nehemiah tells them, no do not weep, do not be grieved, instead be joyful and celebrate because the joy of the Lord is your strength.


When God brings to us our sinfulness, we too weep at the realization of our sins. Yet just as quickly as we are grieved because of our sinful behavior, God comes and brings us joy. Jesus allows us to move from grieving to rejoicing because of his sacrifice of blood.


We can celebrate God's goodness unto us. When deserved to be completely destroyed, God's love bought us back from captivity. Jesus' blood brought us with a price from the captivity of sin. When the Holy Spirit convinces us of our sinful condition and we come to the place of repentance, we now have access to the great abundance of God's love. What a reason to celebrate!


I pray for us today, that God would help us find the joy in repentance. There is a time of repentance for the unsaved, but there is also a time when the saved must come to repent for those sins that have crept back into their lives. God will quickly forgive and restore your joy.

Words of Encouragement

While this is a building, it is also the place that God's people come to worship, the local church. Do you think it matters to God how we treat the church? Yes, because it is a reflection of what we feel about him.


The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. - Ezra 6:15-17


Happiness in Jesus. Joy in the House of God. The people have been in exile for 70 years because of their disobedience to God. Now they are here with the priest, the Levites to celebrate the rebuilding of the House of God. They are glad to be able to rejoice in the house of God.



This house they took little concern about and dismissed it's importance, is now the house they are happy about. They remember what it was like not to have a place of worship. Can you image that? What if the house where you go to worship God was taken away? What you take for granted would suddenly seem so important.


That is what has happened to the people. What they took for granted had been taken away and they remembered they had lost the place where they could go and meet God. We too must not become neglectful to the privilege we have to come to the house of God and find joy in his presence. We want to be thankful when we have the opportunity to worship God. When we can go to the house of God and rejoice in him, we can find his joy meeting us there in that place.


I pray for us today that we would be thankful for the opportunity to praise God in the places we go for worship. Yes, we can worship him anywhere, but we still must not take for granted the opportunity to worship him together as a family or a body.

Words of Encouragement

What if you could eat all the delicious deserts you like, and never have to worry about doing an extra hour on the treadmill or stepper? Oh, that would be great. However, it is wonderful that we can feast on the delicacies of the Spirit of God and the "weight" we gain is a good thing. (picture by James S. Williams)




for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. - Ecclesiastes 2:25-26

Happiness in Jesus. Happiness Comes From Pleasing God. The question asked, is who can find enjoyment or even eat without God. It is asking us to really examine how we are able to live.

The wicked gather and try to gain wealth but it is meaningless because it is like chasing the wind which you can never catch. That is what happens to the unsaved, all that they run after for happiness turns out to be like wind slipping through their hands, it will not bring true happiness. The unsaved have fallen prey to the belief that they can find happiness in things, positions, possessions and relationships. However, it is like the wind, they never catch it.


However, the one that pleases God, not only gains happiness but wisdom, knowledge and God's provision for what they need. The saved have a tangible gift of joy, it does not slip through the fingers like the fleeting happiness of the unsaved.


Today, Lord help us to seek our happiness in you. When we seek to please you we find true happiness. Anything else we pursue will only take us down dark rodes and we gain nothing. Thank you for giving us that which is real and that will sustain us.

Words of Encouragement

Just clowning around sometimes with friends can bring happiness. Yet, as happy as those moments with friends can be, it is not the ultimate source of happiness. These friendships man wane over time, but being a friend of God never loses it intensity.


The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' - Matthew 25:20-21



Happiness in Jesus. Sharing God's happiness. Have you ever had a friend that had something you really wanted? Then to your amazement, that friend shared it with you. How did that make you feel? I can image you must have felt really loved or cared for that your friend thought enough about you to share his or her treat with you.



This is what God does with you and I. When God gives us talents (something valuable) he wants us to use it wisely and increase it. When we do, God says to us that we will be given another special treat, we will be able to share in his happiness.



The word happiness carries many meaning. In this instance it is the allowing of one to share in the joy or delight of God. This joy cannot be gained in any other way, than offered by God. What a blessing to be able to come and experience the joy and happiness of God. It is important for us to know that when we are obedient to God, he increases our joy and our happiness. It also shows us that our happiness is not depend upon outside factors. It is not because of what I have or what I will be able to get, it is based on the obedience to God.



Today, I pray that we would be obedient to God so that we can experience true happiness in him. Lord help us experience the treasures that you have for those that love you.

The Week In Review

Destined for Greatness
(Preached at Langley Avenue Church of God 2/17/08)

We have heard this scripture read before, Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” KJV

But we don’t get the impression the people live this way, with this understanding when we listen to the news and the media today. We hear some disheartening things about the world we live in, and especially our youth. Let me give you some of the statistics of what’s happening in our world:

* There were 2.6 million new marijuana users in 2003. That was an average of 7,000 new users each day. 69% of these new users were under 18. That is 4,830 teens (and of those 52% are girls). If these trends are still true today, then that means 2,560 teen girls and 2,270 teen boys will start smoking marijuana this very day.

* Stats show that 80% of teens are involved in some type of music piracy within a six-month period of time and of this number a large percentage say they are born again believers or attend church.


* Statistics show that every day 1,000 new teens start to drink. If these numbers are still true today, then 1,000 teens will have their first drink this Sunday.

* 5.1 million teens say they binge drink.


* Statistics show that nearly ½ of all teens say they have had sex by their 18th birthday. Their hope was for the romantic feelings they saw in movies and the media. However, the reality of it set in and of that total, 61% of girls said they wish they had waited, and 40% of boys said the same.

* 1n the year 2000, there were 14.5 abortions per 1,000 teen females (ages 15-17)

These are only a few of the statistics of things happening in our world. When you hear this statistics, it might make you feel things are hopeless. What has happened in the world (especially in the Christian world) is we have heard these types of statistics about our youth and we have written them off. We have decided that many of these things are simply going to be, so why fight them. Our youth have been called such names as generation X as if they have no identity. But did you know something important about statistics? Statistics are numbers that report information that has happened and can only “Project” what might happen.
In other words, these numbers are not a truth until it has happened. I’m here to tell you this; it is not God’s plan for you to be just another negative statistic. He has not planned it in his heart that our youth will become only stats of hurt, disappointment and sinful life styles. In fact the scripture said you were fearfully and wonderfully made.

What does that mean? When something is fearfully made it means extreme care has been used to get that thing just as the creator wants it. It has not been done haphazardly. To be wonderfully made means God took delight in how he made you. You are marvelously made, done up with the brilliancy of God and with his magnificence. So you and I were made with extreme care and when God looked at his finished work he delighted in it and thought his work was marvelous, brilliant and magnificent. And anything God took such time with, surely his has a plan for. God had a plan for you when he formed you in the womb of your mother.

You can find encouragement for that purpose in the word of God. Sometimes people find it hard to think the Bible can give you a hope for today, with today’s issues. Yet I want to tell you, that the Bible can do just that. Today, we will look at the lives of two young people in the scripture that will reaffirm this very point of you having significance in God.

DAVID
The first person we want to look at is David. Many know or have heard of David the great king or David and his battle with Goliath. Yet, we want to take a step back before those times. Let’s set the scene for David’s entrance into the scripture.

1 Samuel 8:5-7
They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

The children of Israel did not want to follow after the priest anymore. Samuel was old and his sons were not doing as they should and the people decided they wanted to be like other nations and have a king. Samuel disapproved of it. But God told him to give them what they wanted.

Now Samuel did allow the people to pick a king and they picked Saul. Do you think they picked him because of his valour, or his strength? NO they picked him because he was taller than everyone else. The looked at outward things and made their decisions. Saul was an okay king for a while and then he became full of himself and God decided, I’m taking the kingdom away and I’m going to pick a king my way. So God calls Samuel to go and anoint the new king. We see this in 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (David anointed).

As we read the scripture about David he simply shows up on the scene, we never knew anything about him before. Yet here he is, ready to be anointed King. David shows up in the mind of the writer as he writes about David, but let me interject here. David may simply be showing up as a youth in this picture ready to be anointed king, but he was always on the mind of God. God knew when he formed David in his mother’s womb what his purpose for him was. He knew that he was fearfully forming him – with extreme care to have the attributes of a king and to show the wonderful, and marvelous work of God. So as we look at David he does not look like a king yet, but God sees his future and what he will become. So this small boy does not look like kingly material but he is not done yet. Read the history of David and you find that he becomes a great warrior, a fugitive hero (where he runs from Saul with a handful of fugitives as his followers. He becomes king of Judah. After Saul’s death the tribe of Judah elects him king. He becomes king of Israel on the death of Ishbosheth, Saul’s son. He immediately works at uniting the kingdom together. He is David the psalmist. Many of the psalms are attributed to David. He is also in the ancestral line to Jesus Christ).

So, what is the point? Come back next week for the next installment.

The Week in Review

Invest in Your Marriage and Reap the Benefits

Often times we, as married people are so busy with life that we neglect the importance of investing in our marriage. We become busy with life and we may soon find ourselves married to a stranger. How do we fight against growing apart?

50% of marriages will end in divorce. While this is a projection, it is said to be close to the norm. The Barna Group statistics show that Christian marriages are slightly higher than any other faith. However, those that have marital counseling before they are married are more likely to survive. It is said that out of those marriages that have counseling 1 in 39,000 will end in divorce that is 0.000256 percent.

We have all heard the saying, a family that prays together, stays together. This saying has much truth in it. It is important that married people spend time in the Word to help them with right expectations. This is one of the greatest weapons, I believe, the enemy uses to destroy us. If we have false expectations about what our spouses should do for us, we begin to doubt if this is the person we should be married to. The first thing we can do to protect our marriages is look to God and ask him what should be our expectations. We would quickly find that our spouses are not to be the source of our joy and happiness.

Yes, we promise in our vows that we write to do everything to make each other happy, but it is a promise we are not able to keep. No matter what you do to try to make your spouse happy you will fall short. The reason is our total happiness should not come from each other. Our true happiness has to come from God. When we seek God for our joy and happiness, this is what makes us “full”. When we are full (like a pitcher of water) then whatever is added to the pitcher is the overflow. So when my husband is home on time, it is the overflow, when he’s late, I’m still full so it does not take away from my fullness.

“and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19). When we understand and know the love of God, this is what will fill our lives to the fullness of God. Is there anything fuller than that?

1. The first step in investing in our marriage is to seek our happiness and joy from the right source.

Lord, today I pray for marriages. Help us to invest wisely in our marriages by first allowing you to work in us your fullness. Help us to bring ourselves to you so that you can accomplish in us what needs to be accomplished. Help us to find our source of joy and happiness in our fellowship with you. When we do, then we have much to offer in marriage. Amen.

Picture Gallery

This was our annual Avon Luncheon. It is to honor the representatives that have sold over $10,000 each year. While this was a banquet about business, I am always seeking godly wisdom in everything I do.

This is a picture of two repesentatives Robert and Lynette. Robert sold Avon before, left and came back with the help of "Super" representative Lynette Rhymes. The spiritual principle I see in this is, we must be willing to extend a hand to others so that they too can grow and be able to come and "feast" at the banquet table. No not the Avon table, but at the banquet table that God has prepared for those that love him.

These were two newer representatives that I believe Lynette is mentoring. As she helps them to grow their business, they too will turn around and help someone else. That is what God wants us to do for the kingdom. When he gives us the tools we need to grow, then we are to turn around and help someone else grow and the process continues.

This is me with my Avon District sales manager, Barbara Sanders. She is a wonderful woman. She gives to all that are around her. She is willing to invest in others. Not just where Avon is concerned. She invested in me. That is what God wants us to do with others. Are you willing to invest in people so that they can reach their full potential?

This is me with my great and dear friend, Lynette. Lynette has kept me from leaving Avon on a few times when I was ready to let go. Sometimes we need those encouragers that will help us hold on. I have invested 26 years with Avon. Can you image that (I know you're thinking you don't even look that old!)

These women are also part of the Avon family. The woman in black, is one of the top salers in Avon for our district. She sales over $40,000 a year. Yet, she is still very sweet and encouraging. Isn't that what God wants us to be, sweet and humble? It does not matter how high we rise, he still wants us to stay approachable to those coming behind.

Words of Encouragement

When you receive understanding of something that has been eluding you, it is like a light going on overhead. God wants the light to go on for us. He wants to help us understand the mysteries of his word.

Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, - Luke 24:44-46

What are You Thinking? Opened Minds. I believe this is one of the greatest things God does for us next to the gift of salvation, he opens up to us his scriptures. What if you had to go to a city or a destination but you didn't have any directions? What would you do? You might try to ask someone that has gone before, but then how do you know they have given you correct information, you have no way of checking it?

Do you simple go out and just hope you get where you want to go? Do you know that is what so many people do with their souls? They don't have the direction but they just travel out and think they have it right. The wonderful thing is we don't have to go on our own thoughts, which we realized earlier this week can sometimes be warped and not accurate. Instead, God is waiting to open to us the road map for life.

God is waiting to open to you and I the right way to go. He wants us first to realize it is opened to us through Jesus, his son. Jesus becomes the door that you and I must enter to receive the blessings of God.

So today, I pray for us that we seek God to understand the things of God. We don't have to go simply on what somebody said (even though that is good to have people help you understand the word of God). We must come and seek him for ourselves. He will open to us the storehouse of his blessings. So this weekend when you go to worship, go seeking God to give you his thoughts and that he make your way, his way.

Words of Encouragement

Is your love wider than the expansive sky? God's is! Let us ask God to help us love people his way. He can grow our capacity to love his way. (Picture by James S. Williams)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. - Mark 12:30

What are You Thinking? Whole Thinking. As I continue to walk this way I am sometimes confounded by individuals belief about God. How do we think we are loving God simply because of the stuff we do. Oh, you know, sometimes we can believe that we love God because we go to church, or we tithe or we serve on a position or post, so we believe that is enough. We in a sense, say look at me God, I'm doing your work.

Instead, as I read these words I think differently. I read a whole thinking. In other words, I must love God with all my heart and soul...that means all my desire turns toward him. I must love God with all my mind...that means my desire is to think godly thoughts at all times. I must love God with all my strength...that means my efforts are all to do God's will.

This requirement is far greater than me simply "doing" something for God. It means I am willing to let go of myself completely into God's capable hands so that he can live through me. He lives through me when I am willing to turn my heart towards him. He is able to live through me when my desire is to please him. He is able to live through me when my thoughts are to do and think his way. That means I pray right, I worship right I love right. And then he is able to live through me because all my efforts are for his purpose.

Today Lord, help us to live for you and to love you. If we say we love you then we will obey you. That is how we show our love. It is good for us to do, but let us not become comfortable simply doing busy work and not taking the time to give you access to us in our entirety. Help us to yield.

Words of Encouragement

When you look at the sky above, do you ever wonder, "there is more above than my eyes can even see". It makes me think that God you are far grander than I can even image. God's greatness searches our hearts, and he determines if our life is being lived according to his will. (Picture by James S. Williams)

"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." - Jeremiah 17:10

What are You Thinking? Examined Thoughts. The scripture says God examines our heart and mind. Do you wonder why he examines both? I had one of my professors write a comment on my paper last week and It is fitting to give you the meaning of that quote here. He said that the decline of the preacher starts first in the head before it gets to the heart. In other words, it is what a man thinks, that is who he is or will become.

If my thoughts are evil, do you not know that eventually my life will follow? Yet, if my thoughts are pure, then my life will begin to follow. I will no longer feel good in sin, because the thoughts I am having are being changed.

It is important to God what is in our hearts and our minds. He says he will examine them and according to what is there, he will give to us. If it is blessings, blessings we will receive, if it is punishment or chastisement, then punishment or chastisement.

Today, let us ask God, examine my thoughts. If there is anything there that should not be, please Lord we ask that you remove. If we are not walking as you would want us to, help us to align our hearts and mind to your way. So that we can become a man (or woman) that is thinking your thoughts and becoming the vessels of honor you have built us to be.

Words of Encouragement

In order for landscaping to be beautiful, someone has to dedicate time to cutting the grass when it grows too long, removing the weeds and feeding the lawn. When it is done, the right kind of landscaping is had. It is the same with our minds. We must allow someone (Holy Spirit) to remove those weeds, cut away those things with are not needed and feed so that one can grow.







You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. - Isaiah 26:3-4

What are You Thinking? A Mind of Peace. Have you ever tried to focus on something for a long period of time? What normally happens? You begin to get distracted and that which you were focusing on is lost. That is what happens in our minds. We become discouraged by our situations and circumstances because our minds lose focus and begin to drift to the wrong things.


What we need is to be able to keep our minds steadfast, but how do we do that? It is by the disciplines that we have in our lives. Someone said in order for something to become a habit it takes at least 30 days of continually doing it, for it to take root. So, if we want to have a mind that stays focused on God, we must cultivate activities in our lives that will help us to do that. We must read our word. We must pray and listen to the Holy Spirit's direction. We must mediate and encourage ourselves as we remind ourselves whom we belong to.


So today, if you want a mind of peace you have to seek it from God. He offers it to you, but you must do something to receive it. You have to change your focus. God will do his part, by giving it to you, but then you must live in the way that you can continue to receive. I pray that we would trust in the Lord for he is our rock, eternally. He never stops being God! He promises us that he will keep us in peace if we but focus on those things that are lovely, pure, and trustworthy. We can find these things in him.

Words of Encouragement

Have you ever looked down a road and because of the visual, it seems to be getting smaller? The truth is the road is not narrowing, it is an illusion of our vision. That is the same with our spiritual vision. We may look at things and they are warped or an illusion. We need God to help us see correctly. (Picture by James S. Williams)

Wicked men are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm. A man is praised according to his wisdom, but men with warped minds are despised. Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food. - Proverbs 12:7-9



What are you thinking? Warped thinking. Have you ever wondered to yourself, "what was I thinking?". There have been times in our lives when we have had thoughts that were not on the mark. We sometimes can have those thoughts that lead us to be despised. Oh, in our thinking we believe that we are something more than we are, but in fact, we are foolish in what we are thinking.

The writer of the proverb says it is better to be a nobody with a servant that to pretend we are somebody but do not even have food. That is what foolish thinking will do. We begin to listen to those subtle lies of the devil that makes us believe too highly of ourselves. We begin to think we are better than we are and in fact are poor. We are poor in spirit and poor in understanding of the things of God.

We must acknowledge that we are not capable of understanding wisely without God's input. We have warped thinking. Warped thinking leads us to destruction and to unrighteousness. We need to request from God his wisdom so that we can stand firm.

I pray for us today, Lord we seek your wisdom and your understanding because without it we will think wrong thoughts and we will do wrong things. Help us, change us and make us what you want us to be.

The Week in Review

James and Joselyn after CD recording. Father's are so vital to the need of their children. Let us pray that God help the fathers be in their roles.

Raising Healthy Children

(As presented at the WCG Conference in 2005)

What do we look like? Some of the problems that we experience with our children come from us. I knew when the Lord gave me this assignment that I was going to be doing some growing. I remember standing in the mirror and saying, Lord what are you going to do with me? And boy did he show me.



I was having some problems with my youngest child. She had just entered pre-school and was having a very hard time separating from me. At first I thought it was just the normal stuff, but it seemed to take on more and I became worried about it. I asked God to show me what was the problem. He was quiet at first. I had to go back and ask the question again, but in a different way. I asked him Lord is there something that I’m doing that’s causing this problem show me.



As I stood there, I had a picture flash before my eyes. It was like I was watching a movie. The first frame showed my daughter, she was having a fit, frowning, and fist held tightly together and making a noise (make noise). Then the frame moved to me, yelling at the kids, face frowning, hands held tightly and hissing the same way and saying, “I’m tired of this”. The frames went back and forth and then underneath it said, “You have taught your daughter how to have a tantrum”. I had to repent right then and there. I said Lord; I need your help I can’t do this alone. See I didn’t realize that what seemed minor wasn’t. It was making major impact on my children.



I took that three year old sat her down and told her I was sorry. I told her we were both going to do better. Now I want you to know this little fact that I didn’t put in, this is also my strong willed child. So there are times when I have wanted to just chuck her out, but God said let me tell you how to handle the situation. Before we would fight so to get her to get in the car seat. There would be threats, hitting, screaming, and that was just me but she wasn’t getting in that seat unless I forced her, and then she would get out anyway.



God said, give her a choice to do it, but put it in such a way that she’ll do what you want, but it will satisfy her to know she did it for herself. The first time God told me that, I was like, I’ll look foolish trying to bargain with a child, I should just make her do it, I am the mother for goodness sakes. God said, has that worked before? So I did it his way. My children get 3 stickers at the beginning of each day to put on their conduct board. If they don’t follow the directions or don’t do something we have set out, they lose a sticker. So when we got in the car I told her to get in her seat and she didn’t want to. So I turned to her and in a calm voice I said. “Jackie, I know you don’t want to lose your sticker do you? I know you like to keep all your stickers. Since I know that you’re going to make the right choice and put your seatbelt on.” I turned around and gave her a count of 4 to do it. I saw her face, she fought it, but she put it on. I turned back around and said, that was good Jackie, and I knew you could do it. Now I need you to take that mean face off. I know you like to keep all your stickers, so I know you’ll make the right choice. I turned back around and I saw her fighting her own self, but she stopped frowning.



We went from fighting daily, several times a day to hardly any fights or blow-ups at all. She has also come out of her shell more. People at church remarked about the fact that she will give them a hug or wave. See in my frustration to get her to obey, I was creating an angry child. She was learning that the way to handle when things don’t go your way is to be mad and angry about it. Instead by my example I had to show her how to handle things not going your way. I’ve seen angry parents, with angry kids. I’ve seen fearful parents, with fearful children. In order for us to make sure we are creating the healthiest environment for our children, we have to take personal inventory.



How do you handle anger? Do you get angry with others and become unwilling to forgive? Did you know that even if you try to hide that anger, it has to go somewhere? Most times it comes out on those closest to you. Your children feel a lot of your anger. You become frustrated with them because they are not living up to your expectations and after awhile they stop trying and begin to set up a defeated end. They believe that they can’t please you so they stop trying. Anger.



Unforgiving heart? How do you think you’ll be able to get your children to understand forgiveness when they see differently in you? Don’t you know you are the first reflection of a spiritual relationship? If you are not forgiving of mistakes or errors in judgment or action, how will they believe that a God they don’t know will be willing to forgive them their mistakes or errors in judgment and actions when the person they know isn’t forgiving?
What about fears? Fears have a way of moving from one area to another. Maybe your fear is failure. You don’t want to fail at things so either you never try so that you won’t be disappointed or you try and become a perfectionist. I’ve seen that effect in the children. You’ll have children that may be talented but they won’t try because they don’t want to fail. That’s fear that you have nurtured in them. Or either they will try to be the best at everything. They will stress about things because they are trying so hard to do it the best and never enjoying what they are doing but trying to be perfect. The enemy uses that against the child. Either a child like that won’t be willing to accept Christ because they don’t think they can do it right or they will try to live up to this incredible standards which are sure to fail, because they are self inflicted and not set by God. The problem is it’s about “self” doing and not about Christ doing. Fears also have ways of causing you to plant the wrong seeds into your child’s life. God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear and as long as fear is able to reside in you, you are not living as complete as God wants you to. You are making your decision through your fears; your fears become the deciding factor on what and how you do things. This affects your children, because they learn there is something greater than God. You teach them not by your words but by your actions that there are some things that God can’t handle. That’s so sad. Your children must see you handling the fears and the situations in your life the same way you want them to in turn handle theirs. They have to see it in you. Another way fear mask itself is in control. Because there was some area in your life that carries fear, you try to control situations or people. If you can keep the control, you believe that you can keep things from going contrary to what you want them to. We don’t have control of anything. God is the only one that has complete control. When we are this way, we plant that seed in our children. You’ll see a child that is unable or it is hard for them to just relax and be a kid, because they are trying hard to keep everything under a tight emotional control. Fears.



There are so many other areas that we have to watch ourselves in. Depression. If you are depressed and not taking steps to handle it, you set your child up to try and become pleasers. They don’t want to see you down, so they can begin to think it’s their job to make you happy. I’ve heard parents say that regarding their children. They may feel that they have to please others to be accepted and appreciated. That’s a dangerous attitude for anyone to have. You can set them up for abuse, both physically and emotionally. What I want us to do is take inventory of ourselves. What things are hidden that may be causing current and future problems for our children? If you can’t see them, ask God to open up your spiritual eye to see clearly what it is. Now I don’t want any one to go from here thinking that everything wrong with a child is the parent. It isn’t. You just want to make sure you are not allowing anything in you to hinder anything in your child.



I ask you this question. Why should you make these changes in your life? I’ll tell you why. The Lord took me to psalm 24 to show me something very important (Read Psalm 24). You should make the changes for this reason. Everything belongs to God; you, me your children, everyone. We forget God is the owner and the final authority on everything. He gives us his credentials in the first verses of this psalm. He owns the world and all that’s in it. And he can say that because he founded it and he established it. He then asks us the question who can come to him? He says those that are pure, in other words his children. And when we come, he promises that he will bless us and give us righteousness because he is the God of our salvation. He then encourages up to be lifted up when things will come to bring us down. Lift up your heads. Why, because God is strong and a mighty warrior. He is the king of host.



So know that what you have in your hands to do can get done. It might look like a failing situation. But see God has never experienced failure. He is always successful. So if we put everything in his hands, it can be a success. Raising our children can be a success. It may not look like it from time to time, but keep at it.



Today I leave you with this charge. Allow God to work in you and through you what he has given you to do. Your first ministry is that of caregiver, mother, nurturer of the precious gift of life. Allow the giver of the gift to show you how to do it with success. So that you will be able to say, “And my child or children increase in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” Why? Because “the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him or her, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD;”

The Week in Review

“The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth” Originally preached by Jewel D. Williams
at Faith COG 8/06(Part VI)

This was the final piece of this message:

Where he goes I’ll follow
I said to the Lord “This road I do not know
Where does it lead, where will it go?”
Can its destiny to me you please show.
And in his voice of wisdom he spoke,
“Do not fear,
be ye of good cheer.
I will never leave you alone.
The way to you will be shown.”
I asked him then,
“The way I am to go, you will tell me when?”
This is frightening, I must admit.
“Answer please my King”, my prayer I submit.
And answer he did.
He said, “Do not fear,
be ye of good cheer.
I am the way, the truth and the light.
I will show you what is right.
I will light your path. Now look down my child”
I looked down,
A set of footprints were before me on the ground
This way I had not walked before,
From the Savior an answer I employed,
“Whose footprints are these?”
This promise he gave to me
“Those are my footprints you see
Place one foot into mine
And you’ll be in line
to follow me.
Do not venture to the left or the right,
Walk with me in your sight.”
So go, for I am sending you.
You have my power to see you through.
You have my strength and you I will protect.
My will never neglect.
I am sending you, be of good cheer
Your way I will make clear
As I placed my first foot into his print
he said,
“Remember my child, you I will not leave
so to me you must cleave.
So Go! For you are not alone.”

Graduation Day - Picture Gallery

This was in the chapel during the awards ceremony. The stained glass windows were beautiful.













This is the president of Mid America Christian University (MACU), President Fozard.















I was surprised by my instructor with an award. MACU presented me with Outstanding Student of the Year for Christian Ministries. This is an award that is given to a student based on the professors and instructors. Some of the kind words spoken were:

Shows passion for her work assignments...constantly thinking of ways to connect her current learning with the practice of ministry. Always prepared...Excellent work...appropriate and stimulating interaction online...an encourager of others. Excellent work...studious and punctual with assignments. Exhibits mature leadership in her interaction with other students.



This was an honor for me. It was also a reminder to me of this weeks lesson. When I looked at myself, I could not see a college graduate. I thought I was dumb. Yet, when I allowed myself to begin to see God's vision for me, he began to lift me from the ground and those things that were holding me down. I was able to take off and begin to soar. I'm not stopping!! I don't plan on landing. I believe I can go as far as he will allow me. I begin in August at Liberty University for my M. Div with a concentration in Pastoral Counseling. After that, whatever the Lord shows me.









Jewel D. Williams, the Graduate!! Isn't God wonderful to his children? It is a blessing to see what God can do, when we let him.

Words of Encouragement

It was a wonder to watch the clouds beneath my plane. I could see the clear blue sky and the clouds looked like white snow covering the ground. It was a sight I could not have seen without help. God helps us to see the beauty of his world, when we come and seek his help.

that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said:“ Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. - Daniel 2:18-20

What can you see? The Revealer of the Vision. Daniel sought God to reveal to him the mystery of a vision that the king Nebuchadnezzar had. The king was going to destroy the wise men of Babylon because they could not tell him the mystery of his vision. Daniel sought God to reveal it to him so that he and his friends would not perish.

God was faithful and revealed to Daniel what the dream meant. Daniel rejoiced because it was the wisdom of God that revealed to him the hidden things. Daniel could not reveal the mystery without the help of the one that reveals the mysteries. God is the revealer of the visions. God is the one that will open to us the hidden things. When we come and seek him, he will open to us that which we request.

He won't always show us the full picture, because if we saw it all, then where would faith come in? Instead he reveals to us what he deems we need to see. We can then rejoice like Daniel at the wonder of those things that God shows us. He shows us to keep us from destruction. The "authority" or the king of this world wants to destroy us because we lack vision. We wants to destroy us because we cannot see clearly.

Yet, when we go and ask God he will give us what we lack. He will open our seeing so that we can be saved. So today, I pray for us that we seek God to show us his plan and his way. When we go to worship this weekend, let us go asking God to reveal himself to us in ways that we have not experienced before. Lord open our eyes so that we can see.

Words of Encouragement

As the plane continued to gain altitude, it began to break the clouds that were overhead. It was not until we broke through the clouds, that we then were able to see the sun. It is so with us. When we are able to break through the clouds (clouds of doubt, fear, etc.) we are able to see the "son".

And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper. - 2 Chronicles 26:4-5

What can you see? Obedience brings clear vision. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king. The scripture says he did right in the sight of the Lord, according to what had been past on to him. He sought God through Zechariah who understood the visions of God. As long as he sought God, he was prosperous.

It is important to understand that we do not always see everything clearly without help. Sometimes we must seek others to help us understand the things, the mysteries of God. This king was willing to seek one that understood God's visions. It calls for a humble heart to acknowledge that one is in need of help and to go get it. An obedient spirit is willing to listen to others as long as they direct them in the things that are pleasing to God.

When this king did that, he was prosperous and was able to increase in his wisdom and understanding. It is important to know that the more we seek the things of God the more we grow, the more we are lifted "up" above the situations that would make us become "ground dwellers". Like the plane we were on, it was not until the plane broke the clouds that we began to see the beautiful sun that was hidden behind the clouds. God reveals the "Son" to us, when we obey him and allow him to rise us up to see his vision for our lives. We overcome the clouds of doubt, fear, mistrust, misunderstanding (just to name a few) so that we can soar freely.

I pray for us today that we obey God so that we can have a clear vision of

what is before us. Help us Lord to see with your eyes. When we are asked what can you see? We can answer I see the Lord, high and lifted up. I see his glory and I see his plan for my life.

Words of Encouragement

As the plane takes off, you begin to get a wider visual of the area. Those things I could not see when I was on the runway are now made available for me to see. Isn't that like God? When we allow him to move us from our place, we are able to begin to see clearer what is in front of us.

And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you.Your throne shall be established forever. According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? - 2 Samuel 7:16-18


What can you see? God's promises. The prophet speaks to David the promises of God. David in wonder, ask God who am I that you would bring me so far? Who am I that you would do such wonderful things in my life? It is amazing to think about the favor that God places on our lives. We wonder like David, why are you doing it? What is my house so important to you?

We can answer those questions this way, we are important to God because he loves us. God has promises for us, he is only waiting for our obedience so that he can release them into our lives. We cannot stand on the runway any more, he is waiting for us to lift off. He is waiting for us to take off so we can begin to have the truth of his promises revealed to us.

David had to listen to the words and accept them from the prophet so that he could see the vision realized in his life. God was promising him the kingdom would be established forever. That kingdom would be far greater than he could even image. Obstacles do not keep God from fulfilling his promises.

It would seem that because of the disobedience of the children of Israel, God would not keep his promise. But God is not one to lie. He is not one to forget about those things he promise. The king that would reign forever would be Jesus. He would come through the lineage in such a way that God's promise would be true.

I pray for us today to just trust in God's promises. He is calling us to soar! He is calling us to take off, let go of the comfort of the "ground" and reach upward towards him. When we do, he promises he will reveal the vision of our destiny to us. He will not show us the full story, but he will give us glimpses along the way. Will you take off? Will you let go of the comfort of this place and let him take you to new heights!

Words of Encouragement

How many times have you seen a plane that should be flying come to the runway and not take off? Then why do we come to the "runway" and stand still?


After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. " But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." - Genesis 15:1-3

What can you see? God, the giver of the vision. Abraham made a declaration at the end of the 14th chapter of Genesis that he would not take anything from the king of Sodom. Abraham did this to declare that his riches and his good fortune would only be attributed to God and no one else.

It was after this that God's word was given to Abraham who is still called Abram. God begins with a word of encouragement for Abram not to be afraid and a promise of being his reward.

Abram's response is what can you give me? In other words, you have withheld from me the one thing I want, an heir. How then, can you be my reward, when I don't feel like I have been rewarded. In fact, I feel cheated out of those things that I want most in my life. I believe this is the heart of Abram as he speaks with God.

He is like the plane that I was on. He had moved from being at the gate. He has moved to the runway, except he isn't taking off. Abram was at the place of wanting more, of moving out of the comfort zone of life. Yet, he finds himself stagnant. He isn't able to move because he can't see clearly the purpose for the delay. He doesn't understand why God has delayed that which he is seeking.

Let's be very honest, haven't you felt that way? Yes we want to be very spiritual and holy, but there are times when we are like the plane sitting on the runway, but not taking off. We are stuck because we cannot understand why God has not rewarded us for our obedience. We know we don't deserve it, but we still feel he has promised to us that if we are faithful he will be faithful to us. Don't you think that Abram wondered those 25 years after his promise, if maybe he misunderstood?

I'm not saying he rejected the vision, but there had to be times he just could not see it as clear. There are times in our waiting on God to move that we don't see the vision so clearly. We need God to remind us. We need God to come to us as he did with Abram and say, do not be afraid. I am your shield and your reward.

We do not have to be afraid of our vision slipping away, because the giver of the vision will shield it until he is ready to bring it to pass. So today, I pray for us that we remember that God is the giver of the vision. Those things that rest on our heart, he can take care of them. He can protect our vision and he can bring it to be. Lord this day, help us to prepare to take off and no longer be caught stagnant because of fear.

Words of Encouragement

Are we sometimes like this plane? It has all the capabilities to soar, but it is grounded and unable to see all the "visual" possibilities. (Taken at the O'Hare Airport, by Jewel D. Williams).

What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading. All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?" - Lamentations 2:13-15

What can you see? Is the vision clear? The word Lamentation actually means to express grief or to lament. The prophet Jeremiah laments over the condition of the people of God. They have listened to the many words that have allowed them to do things their own way, but have rejected the truth of God's word.

Because of their disobedience, they find themselves in need of comfort and care. It is the same for us today. If we continue to be disobedient to God's truth, we find ourselves in places of discomfort.

The people listened to those that spoke words that allowed them to feel comfortable in their sins. The messages they listened to allowed them to while they may have sound good to them, were not good for them. It is the truth for us today. If we are going to stay clear of being in a place of captivity, we must have clear vision and see what God is showing us.

I flew to Oklahoma this weekend and as I was sitting on the plane I began to think about our visual, how we see. When I first got on the plane, all I could see was other planes around me. I couldn't see ahead of me, below me, my visual ability was limited. It was not until we took off that I began to be able to see more of what was around me.

It is not until we "take off" that we are able to see clearer. We must take off the sins that so easily beset us. We must take off our attitudes, our wrong beliefs and our fleshly pursuits. When we to that, we then can be healed. We do not want the prophet Jeremiah's lament to upon our lives. We do not want his words to ring true in our lives. We do not want to be in need of healing, but unable to come out of our captivities because we have been running after the wrong vision.

Today I pray that we see clearly what God has for us to see. Lord help us to see your truth and to discern what would lead us into captivity. Lord today give us your vision so that we will not perish.

The Week in Review

Picture of the University of Chicago, taken by Jamie Williams. I encourage all the children to see the beauty of God's world from their perspective.

RAISING HEALTHY CHILDREN
(As presented at the WCG Conference in 2005)

3. Increase in wisdom: the ability to discern or judge what is true, right or lasting. If our children are not as healthy as they can be emotionally, this will affect where they are spiritually. I want you to know we play a big part in that. We are our children’s first teachers on what is true and what is right. We are their first teachers on how they should handle the things in their lives. Let’s look at some of those areas we can affect.





How to suffer – I know that as a parent our first response to this is I don’t want my child to go through any pain, so out of my love I will protect them from the things that will hurt them. Yes there is some wisdom in that belief. Now you don’t want to sit back and watch your child burn him or herself when you can take them away from the fire that will hurt. There are however times when your child will suffer and what you do with that situation can make a great impact on them and help them to grow in their understanding of God, grow in wisdom. Let’s read Hebrews 2:9-10 and 1 Peter 2:20



But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:9-10



For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 1 Peter 2:20



Let us look at the example we have here. God the father allowed his son to suffer. What did Jesus suffer? He suffered physical pain, he suffered spiritual pain and he suffered emotional pain. He suffered the physical pain by bearing in his body the nails, the crown, and the piercing. He suffered spiritual pain by feeling the isolation from his father when he took on our sins. He felt the emotional pain of not feeling the closeness to the one most important to him, his father. God being the wise father he is allowed the suffering even though it broke his heart, because he had a purpose he wanted fulfilled through his son’s life.



You and I as the parent must look at suffering the same way. Yes it is a hurtful place to seem to be standing by and not stopping the suffering, but God didn’t just stand by, he was there.



My middle child who is now seven has asthma and suffers from pneumonia quite often. She has problems with sinus infections and the list is endless. When she was about 3 years old she got really sick. It started as a virus and it got worse. I remember waking that morning and feeling the Lord telling me there’s urgency. I kneeled beside my bed and said Lord speak to me, tell me what it is and what do I need to do. He did. He told me what signs to look for in my daughter and how to tell the doctor so he would understand the problem. When I called and told the doctor he sent us immediately to the hospital.



To make this story short, it was really serious. The doctors tried to tell us in as nice a way as they could that we could have lost her. She had to have surgery because she had pneumonia with fluid around her lungs. She ended up having to have a blood transfusion and we were in intensive care for 11 days. She had to have antibodies given for about two months after that. They had to put a pic-line in her arm, so the medicine could go straight to the source. I was ready to ring the neck of the doctor putting that long thing in her arm. She was in such pain. I held my tongue, because I knew that for her to suffer this pain it would be for the betterment of her entire body. When everything was removed and we came home, there was a mark on her stomach from one of the bandages. It was the letter F. I’ve used that letter on her stomach on several occasions to explain to her about her suffering.



She asks me sometimes mommy, why do I have to be sick? I don’t like to be sick? I told her you know, mommies don’t know everything, but I believe I can speak with confidence on this matter. God in his wisdom knows something’s that I don’t. And you couldn’t be sick and feeling bad (suffering) if God had not allowed it to happen. Maybe he is allowing it because he wants you to know something about him that’s very special. First he wants you to know that if he is allowing this to happen to you it is because he looked through time and saw this was going to bring about something wonderful in who you are to become. God also said to himself, Jamie, can handle this as long as she trusts in me, because when she is weak, I’ll make her strong. Maybe he’s using it to develop your compassion for others. Maybe he’s using it to build something in you that he will use later to give him glory.



He may also be allowing you a special glimpse into something about him that others take for granted. Because breathing is something that you sometimes have to labor for, he’s allowing you every time you take a breath to think about how you have found favor with him.



You know that “F” on your stomach, that’s God’s mark on your life. He’s allowing you to know that you have found favor with him. He will support you as you continue to trust in him through whatever you go through. It’s a reminder for you that nothing is greater than him, no matter what it looks like.



See we need to tell our children that in the midst of their suffering that can have the favor of God on their lives. They may not have an “F” on their stomachs as a reminder but they have God’s favor as a mark on their lives. Allow them to see that through their disappointments, their upsets, their losses of friends and loved ones that God can support them. If our children can get that while they are young, oh God what a different generation this will be.



Encouragement: We also can encourage our children. My oldest daughter had eczema quite bad when she was younger. She would get such bad flare ups that her skin would look like she had been in a fight with a mountain lion and he had shredded her skin around her neck, arms and legs. She would get it very bad in her hair, and she scratched so bad that she scratched herself bald in places. We would try to give her medicine for her skin and it would burn so much until my husband had to sit on the kitchen floor with her in his arms and hold her until she stopped screaming. She didn’t want us to give her the medicine because it would hurt, but we knew that she had to have it so that her skin would heal. As much as I wanted to remove the hurt, and the pain I couldn’t, it was something we were going to have to go through. So I pulled out my pom poms in the spirit and began to cheer her on. I told her I was proud of her. She asked me why. I told her you could be angry because God hasn’t removed this from your life, but you aren’t. He isn’t punishing you. God in his wisdom knows more that you or I. We will continue to ask for complete healing, but even if he doesn’t, it doesn’t mean that he isn’t still worthy of our praise. I watched someone doing the micro braids and ask God to help me learn how to do them, so that I could keep her hair as pretty as I could. He answered me. I learned to braid and it has helped her to feel pretty again. Her hair is now longer than it was when she first scratched it out. I make sure I affirm her that what we see isn’t who you are. So your outside is doing some really crazy things right now and maybe you don’t see your beauty, but it’s there. See dear sisters, please let us get this great message to our children, you are not your circumstances. The things that happen to you are not who you are. You are not your sickness, you are not poverty, or whatever lot you find yourself in. If we do this we take away the ammunition that the enemy will use against our children to make them feel defeated and useless. He will begin to whisper in their ears, you are of no value, and you might as well give up. Don’t set them up for his tricks. Bind his hands and pull out your pom poms and cheer them on to victory.



When a child comes into this world they are going to feel pain. The birthing process brings about pain. No matter how much medicine we give the mother, the baby will still have to go through some pain. It couldn’t feel good somebody twisting your head and coming from a place of comfort to an unknown place, there has to be some pain, some suffering.
Well that’s what God wants us to know today suffering can birth something inside of your child. If God is allowing something in the life of your child, help them as the doctor does the new born baby, guide them, coach them with your gentle hand to go in the right directions but know that as you do, you are helping to birth in them, God’s glory.

The Week in Review

“The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth”
Originally preached by Jewel D. Williams

at Faith COG 8/06(Part V)

So what does this truth call for you and I to do?

We must die as Jesus did. – You and I must crucify self so that when we do, we are nailing the sin in our lives on the cross so that they no longer have control over us. Let us stop walking as sinners, but as saints because that is what we have become. That is what Jesus gave his life for, so that you and I could walk in victory. We have the victory right now. We believe that when Jesus died and rose again, he took control from Satan over the people of God. Yes, Satan is still walking to and fro and he still has control over the lives of the unsaved. The day you are saved, he loses his control over you. He cannot do anything to you that God does not allow him to. And he is really stupid. He is stupid because God takes the things he does for harm against us, and God uses it to grow us. See God knows those areas in our lives that are weak or still under the control of the flesh and he will allow Satan to tempt us in those areas because he is going to use the trial to bring about new growth in us. God would not allow you to be tempted if he didn’t know you could make it through, God does not set you up for failure. And secondly Satan wouldn’t tempt you in these areas or try to trick your out of your victory if he didn’t think you could pass. If you were going to fail, he wouldn’t have to bother you. But he bothers you because he knows if you trust God you will pass the test. The oxymoron is you and I allow him to take our victory. Think about that, you already have the victory and you give it away. Stop giving him what is already yours.

We must be made alive to Christ. – We then rise from the grave (the places were we were buried. We were buried under the weight of sin, shame, and guilt) to a new life in Christ. Christ rose in power and when we rise, we rise in power. We rise to do those things that Christ did. The truth is, you and I were raised by the power of Christ not to simply come to church Sunday after Sunday never changing and growing. The power of the cross and the resurrection gives us the ability to move from our ordinary life to an extraordinary one. So me, a simple mother of three, with a past history of abuses, with no self worth, with no sense of value, with no power to overcome the past hurts can now become a great warrior in the battle for the Lord. See before I could not see the vast wonders before me. I could not see that my prayers would availeth much. I could not see that I could preach the word of God and that it would set the captives free, and it would bring new life into that which was dead. I did not see that I could use all my gifts to the glory of God.

Are our lives reflective of the one we believe in? I don’t know about you but I want to see the miraculous show forth from my life. I want to see God’s power do wonderful things through me. And so I stand as one that carries a burden for the church just as Paul loved the church and cared for her, so I stand to say, do not allow anything to move you from the truth of God’s word. Do not be fooled either that you can do as you wish and because you got saved you can continue in sin. One of the greatest areas I see of issues in the lives of individuals is they want to hide sins. If you confess them to God he will forgive you of your sins. The problem comes in when you listen to the enemy tell you don’t let anyone know what you did, because God forgave you, that is all is needed, besides who does your sin hurt? You would be surprised how your sins and its consequences can affect the lives of others. Do not expect God to listen to your prayers until you go back and correct what you have done to someone else. We have to start being willing to be transparent before the Lord and before each other. That’s why Adam and Eve covered up; they were trying to hide their sins. God is calling for his people to be transparent before each other. We cannot do anyone any good with hidden sins. Do you know that God can’t grow you until you confess those hidden things in your life? Don’t say, well I confess them to God so that is all that counts. It is not. God is concerned about our relationships with each other. You might have to go to some people you have offended because of your sins and ask them to forgive you. Now if they don’t that’s between them and God, but now you have cleared your path to God. That is God’s truth uncut. See I am not going to give you a message to sooth you, or pacify you, but the truth because truth sets you free, lies only call for more lies and when you lie, even if it is by omission, you are trying to protect yourself. Self-preservation. That is not of God. Truth uncovers, and truth does what is right even if it calls for hurt to self. Truth people, God wants truth to be evident in your walk.

Let me tell you the truth on why this is most important, no sin can enter into heaven. Hell is a real place. Hell is a place of eternal torment. And let me give you my understanding of what makes the torment so horrific, God’s presence isn’t there. I had a conversation with someone about the fact that all, even the unsaved have someone they can say love them. You feel love from your parent, your spouse, friends or brothers and sisters. And do you know that in hell you won’t have love. And the most terrible part is this, when you stand before the judgment seat of God, you will for that brief moment experience the fullness of God’s presence and in that presence is love, to have it quickly taken away. So you will be in hell forever remembering how that love felt, but to have it no longer. Your heart will long for it, but it will never be quenched. Your mind will remember it, but you will not ever get it. See the Jehovah’s Witness preach their truth that if you die you will go to an eternal sleep and not be in the presence of God. That is not true. You will be awake, feeling the torment, the agony of hell. You will be aware eternally of what you have done. I weep to think of an eternity without feeling the love of God, an eternity without feeling joy, peace, rest, or his comfort. And the greatest torment is knowing you could have had all these things, but you refused and sent yourself to hell, not God.

So today, I come to say to you, let us not lean to our own understanding. Let us eat God’s word so that we can be equipped to stand in these last and evil days. Many are coming and have already entered this world that want to deceive you. The enemy wants to lull you into a false sense of security in yourself. He wants you to doubt what you have been taught. He wants you to walk away from the truth of God’s word. But I come in love and say do not be deceived. I come to say, do not give away the liberty you have been given in Christ. Christ came to set you free from sin and death. He requires you to walk in his ways. God gives you his Spirit so that you can walk this Christian walk. He does not expect you to do this alone. So no amount of work, self-denial, will make you reach heaven. Only the precious gift of salvation offered because of the Son of God can open to you heavens gates.