This Memorial Day we are honoring those who served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice.  Those fallen who now stand tall in Heaven’s grounds in the sight of Almighty God.

We as spiritual soldiers follow our Leader— the LORD almighty— who will reward those in His service here, and most important… in the eternity.

Honor the LORD in all that you do, and follow in the ranks of the faithful.

Live each day in honor of the LORD and observe His Word in all aspects of life, so when we’re called home to the Holy grounds, in His presence, we will be saluted and given our due rewards.

“Father, we thank You for the honor of serving You, and we thank You for those who serve our Country in honor of You, may Your light be a constant source of strength to our land of the Free, and may Your Glory and enduring mercy bathe us now and always, in  Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy  2-10

(NKJV)

Be Strong in Grace

2 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³ You therefore must endure^[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. ⁵ And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. ⁷ Consider what I say, and may^[b] the Lord give you understanding in all things.

⁸ Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, ⁹ for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk on my high places…

Habakkuk 3:19

Boundless and jubilant without fear that’s How I feel knowing our Father is here!

Your Word sustains and maintains every aspect of my life.  With You, my heavenly Father, I can accomplish things through Christ who is behind my accomplishments.  Because without You…these accomplishments would not be possible.

As Jesus said, “with man these things are impossible, with God all things are possible.”

A sense of confidence lies deep within the heart and soul of the true believer.  When we walk in the Spirit it is a higher realm of life, and as we climb closer to the LORD, He brings us closer to Him.

Prayer, worship music, speaking to Him from the heart, and meditating on His word daily…these things are crucial to an intimate relationship with our Father.  He knows our heart, but we must bear our heart and surrender to His will and trust in Him every second that we breathe, this is faith and supplication in acknowledging His Sovereign Power and Holy Presence.

The power of faith can be astonishing and life changing when the Holy Spirit comes to live with You.  But it is OUR choice…we must ask Him to do so.  We must give ourselves to Him and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, for no one goes to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

The world seems to be crumbling around us, but it’s not fearful to those of great faith.  We know that God is in control.  We know that God has the final say.  We know the words of Jesus, and all of the prophets and great men and women in the Bible, who were inspired through God in the Holy Spirit.  We also know how the LORD always protected His own, even with the plaques in Egypt all around, His children were not affected by it.

So today…it is the same.  There is a decaying of morality all around us, and God is taken out of our courts, schools, and vocabulary.   But, as the Bible says, “I have written the words in my heart so I might not sin against thee” — The Word lives in the hearts of His followers.

So we will be watchmen and women until Jesus returns…until then, know that with Christ we can overcome and leap with joy knowing He loves us.

Rejoice, and look up for our redemption draws nigh!

Hallelujah!

He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places.

Psalm 18:33

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Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk 3:18 

“ …but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 4:14 (NKJV)

While  reading the Bible this afternoon, the word “fountain” hit me like it’s never hit me before.  You know to which I’m referring.  It’s a moment that happens to each of us as a person of faith, when suddenly His Word will quicken and touch us right there and then!

Where the Word will jump out and touch your very heart and soul.  The soul in which He alone created.  He will give you a passage, or a Word, that will grab a hold of you in a powerful and meaningful way.

Fountain.  What does it mean to you?

We’re all familiar with Jesus’ words, “I am the living water, those who drink from me will never thirst again.”  He said it to the Samaritan woman by the well. And it’s mentioned, or referenced, throughout the Bible, in the Gospels, and in the Old Testament.

The Word is pregnant, it grows.  You can never know too much…each time you read a passage or a scripture, new things will open up to you. Depending on what the Father will want you to see, it’ll be tailored made most times for each person. He knows our every need and desire…most times before we even know.

Anyhow, with the word Fountain, I suddenly felt overwhelmed.  I realized more than ever that I have my own personal fountain. I’ve always known that, but I saw it in a different light today. Personal fountain to replenish, nourish and sustain.

 Living water!  And I will never thirst as long as I drink from it.

If I’m tired and weary, all  I have to do is take a sip of water and my body, mind, and soul will be rejuvenated.

If I need to feel refreshed, all I have to do is drink.

Our mortal flesh bodies need water to “physically live”  without water we will  die.  The body can do without food awhile, but water…physically it’s a MUST have.

But so too it’s a MUST have spiritually.

If we don’t drink from the Living Water…spiritually we will die. We can’t live or exist in the spiritual self without the water of the Living God.

As long as we sip and partake in His Living Water we will grow and flourish. The Precious and Living flowing Fountain is there for us to drink at will, 24/7! When we drink we will thrive beyond what we could ever have thought possible.

Drink, live, thrive!

Jesus…our fountain of life, our fountain of joy, our fountain of LOVE.

Amen!

We love him, because he first loved us.

John 4:19 KJV

It is a grand thing love.  Love and all it encompasses is at once glorious, and joyful.  It can also bring pain or disappointment.  The ups and downs of love is a lifelong journey.

The various aspects of love shows in so many relationships, through parents, family, friends, co-workers, so on and so on.  If asked the question, “who loved you first?” –most individuals would say, “my parents”  But think about it.  Who loved us first?

The answer should jump out with clarity— GOD!

He was the One who knew us before we were in our mom’s womb.

He was the One who knew us from the beginning, before we were born!

He was the One who loved us from the start.

He was the One who gave His only begotten Son for us!

Now that is LOVE!

Take a moment to think about that.  The Father, our LORD, our One and Only, forever and always…loved US FIRST!

And the best part about it is…He has never left our side from the beginning of time to this very moment, and He NEVER will.

As Jesus told us so beautifully in Matthew 28:20, “And, lo…I am with you always, even until the end of the world.”

He is ever faithful, and He has never deserted us.  He has never disappointed us.  Sure, maybe at times a prayer isn’t answered “according to our time” — but it will be answered according to HIS TIME.

His time…is perfect.

He is perfect.

He is our first love then and now.

And always.

WOW!  To be loved like our Father loves us…what a feeling!

Amen~

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For His faithful love to us is great; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!

God knows us so well, he in fact knows us better than anyone in this entire world.  We have relationships with various individuals, and each one stands in a purpose of its own.  For example, a relationship with a spouse is intimate and one of closeness in all aspects, and it’s special for sure.  Then there are relationships as a sibling, being a daughter/son, being a friend, a co-worker, a boss, an aunt/uncle, grandparent, the list goes on and on.  However, none of these relationships with these individuals come close to a relationship with the LORD.

He knows us in ways no one else possibly can.  He sees us in secret when we are undergoing issues that we keep to ourselves.  I’m sure most will relate to times of woe when we are alone with our thoughts, hurt, or pain.  Where we cry secretly, and pray quietly.  Or times when we  rejoice inwardly, in the privacy of our room.   No matter what we are experiencing…our Father witnesses it, feels our pain, as well as our joy.  And, He is always there to hold us and bring us through it all.

The times in which we seek to speak with our Father…and pray…and read His Word are times of peace no matter the circumstances.  We seek His face with our heart and soul.  We desire His presence, and we seek the wisdom of His ways, and strength of His power to transform our very soul.

The LORD is the “go to” for “necessity” in which to LIVE.

I can’t think of anyone who would be willing to listen, hold you up, and love you unconditionally every single minute of your Life.  Well, of course there is the love of a mother, and father, who come close.  But it’s on a different level.  There is the love of a spouse, again a different level.

But the love of the FATHER in heaven, it transcends all else.  Amen.

Next time you speak with the Father…whether it’s aloud in song, alone in prayer…or verbally in the quiet of your room…know this…He loves you.

He loves you so much that it’s beyond our scope of vision or mental capacity to understand the depths…so just tell Him “THANK YOU” and love Him with all of your mind, heart and soul.

Amen~

“Father, O how thankful I am to be the apple of Your eye in which You sacrificed Your only begotten Son for your children’s salvation, thank You, help me to remind others just how amazing Your love is, and to be an example of Your light, in Jesus name, Amen.”

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 

For He chose us…. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His [children].”

(Ephesians 1:3-5)

Peace, joy and love…What comes to mind?

Three words to describe our Almighty Father.

His peace is unlike any that the world has to offer.  As Jesus said,  in the Gospel of John:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ”   John 14:27

With those loving words coming from Our Lord of lords, and King of kings, and Savior, can we feel anything but peace, joy and love?

This world is running wild with turmoil, angst, troubles with evil minded individuals who seek to harm us.  But with Jesus, who gave us power through His  name, over evil, we can face anything with Christ who strengthens us.  (Philippians 4:15)

The very foundation in which we build is crucial to the overall way in which we function and live. When we build on the Rock, as Jesus states in Matthew 7:24-27:    “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock”—we are within the safety of His arms,  and therefor can live in security knowing and realizing that we are His and He is ours.

And nothing can separate us from God.  Nothing.

Because we have built our existence around Him, as He created and commanded us to do so, we feel peace, joy and love, irrespective of the circumstances that tend to engulf us daily.

Love Him.

He loves you!

Praise Him.

He loves you!

Feel His peace.

He loves you!

When you accept Him into your heart you open the door of endless joy peace and love.   When  you let Him in, He will come in like the loving gentle Spirit that He is.

Noise and anger in the world?  Not with God.

Having God in your corner is like having a “filter” on the world and the mute button on.  Instead, you’ll have your own personal private retreat of peace, joy and love.

Open His book…and let Him in, then watch what happens.  I promise you this, you’ll never be the same again.

But, don’t take my word for it, TAKE HIS.

Amen~

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:

if any man hear my voice, and open the door,

I will come in to him,

and will sup with him, and he with me.

(Revelation 3:20 KJV)

In the dawn of each new day we are actually receiving a gift from the LORD. We are facing another day to be a vessel and to accomplish that which He has set before us.

The realization of our cycle of life can be encapsulated this way:

1- We have a job to do for the LORD with each new day.

2- Each moment of the day before us lies a path in which to walk while   applying His will to our lives.

3- Life on earth is fleeting, but the gift of ETERNAL LIFE is Forever.

Although there are so many things to do and see and accomplish in this limited life on earth, we know in our hearts that we are awarded Eternal life with the LORD when the time on earth is over.

This is not to say we shouldn’t care about our life here on earth, but instead make the most of each day through the ability that is ours alone. Each one of us has a different plan, and goal to do while we’re here in this world.

Each job is different. Some may have been appointed the gift of counseling to the elderly, or people in general.  Some may be the peace maker in families.  Some may be teaching children.  Some may be the responsibility of parenting and molding children they’ve been blessed to have.  Some may be to make someone smile, be it through encouragement, lifting up, and spreading the good word of the love of the LORD.

No matter what our job is here on earth, we’re to do it with joy and all in the glory of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  Life is changing, that is what life is…changing. For to not change is to stop growing and stop living.  So, in the course of our lifetime we’ll undergo many different roles.  We may slow down to doing one specific task in our daily lives, but the gist of it is…we’re still doing it for the LORD!

Although life is changing…God is not!

He is the same as He was since the beginning of time.

He is still in control.

He is the great I AM!

He is the Alpha and the Omega!

He is our Jehovah and King of the Universe!

And He is timeless. His love limitless.  His Sovereignty Eternal!

Today, as you go about your daily routines, keep Him in mind throughout the day. Offer Him praise, glory and honor Him in all that you do.

And, remember…this is our temporary home, and life is fleeting.  But the best is yet to come…when we enter unto His Kingdom,  into His magnificent presence..it is then that we gather the real rewards… Eternal Life, FOREVER!

Amen~

John 5:24 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 6:51    I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.