Investing as a Christian

Doing a study about investing in the Bible. If I am to be successful as a Christian, I must keep my focus where it belongs, on GOD, rather than myself. And, in the process, I will be blessed and God will take care of all my needs, and He will multiply my investments so that God may bless others through me.

When I have tithes to give, I always give it to someone who needs it more than I. They usually thank me, and I reply, "Don't thank me. Thank God. It's HIS money."

When I invest the money that God has enabled me to obtain, God creates more money for tithes. That's how it works.

If I cannot profit off of what God has given me, then I cannot bless others in a way that lifts others out of their struggles - I am only able to bless others with my ability to go through it with them.

So, INVEST. You won't be sorry! Do it prayerfully, and with good intention, make sure you tithe out of your profits, and watch how God multiplies your blessings! (Malachi 3:10 - Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.")

The Bible reading today is this:

Matthew 25:

14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

God's Promises about Giving

Do you give often?

How much do you give when you do?

Why do you give?

How does God want you to give?

Are you giving how God wants you to give? To WHO God wants you to give?

Rick Warren, author of "Purpose Driven Life" teaches a series (included at the bottom of this post) on giving, and why it is necessary, and what God promises to those who do it.

I was listening to this and I remembered a time when God kept his promise to me one Sunday at church. I was behind on my rent. It was an odd number that I was behind on in the dollar amount. The church did a love offering for me that day (unexpected) and when I received it, it turned out the EXACT amount I needed!

THAT WAS GOD!

God's Promises about Giving - Part 1

You Know Better Than I

Read Genesis Chapter 39 Genesis Chapter 39:

2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

Is the Lord with you?

Does everything you touch prosper? Are you blessed beyond measure no matter what situation you find yourself in?

Genesis Chapter 39:

21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

Are you trustworthy?

Are you honest in your dealings?

Are you respected by those who rule over you for your thus diligence and loyalty?

Ask yourself this: Did Joseph ever complain about where he ended up? Or, did he, instead, seek to make the best of a bad situation? Did he honor God, in spite of where he was as opposed to where he wanted to be? Or, did he have faith that there had to be a reason for everything and act accordingly?

Lord, I want to be like Joseph in Your eyes. I want all I touch to prosper. I want to be blessed, and to bless those who's lives I touch and am a part of, whether I want to be or not. Teach me to make the best of any situation, good or bad. Show me how to be the ambassador for You that You would have me to be!
In Jesus' Holy Name I pray!

FEAR IS A LIAR

There are some things that God is going to ask you to do afraid. This is to test your faith.

Getting out of your "comfort zone" is not easy, but most of the time it is rewarding!

When GOD is the one who places you out of your comfort zone, this is when you know He is wanting to bless you. So, if you find yourself outside of your comfort zone, then TRUST that you are there for a reason. Embrace it. Learn from it. Stop struggling to get back to where you were comfortable. Allow yourself to experience something new and gain new skills. God is trying to train you for what is coming!

365 times, in the Bible, you will see the words in some form: "Fear not" or "Be not afraid". That is one time for every day of the year.

Fear not FOR I AM WITH YOU, God says. There is NOWHERE you will go that God will not be there with you, forging the road ahead of you, guarding your back, and carrying you when you can't do it yourself!

So, FEAR NOT!

Don't Withhold Anything from the Lord!

Today I was listening to Genesis Chapter 22 in the Bible. It is the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac to God on Mt. Moriah. I have read this chapter many times, but today, it hit me hard.

The verses that spoke to me the most were these:

Genesis 22
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

How often do we hold on to the things we love the most in our life, even at our own peril?

How hard is it to let those things go?

We've all heard the saying, "Let go, and let God!"

In these verses today, I heard my Lord say, "Give it ALL to me, and be blessed in so doing!"

God wants to be more important to you than your children, your spouse, your friends, your things, your family, your job or anything else. Trust God with all these and be content and at peace. Stop worrying and stressing yourself out over things that only God can fix. Stop longing for what only God can give you. Trust that God will provide both for you and Himself.

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

What Happens to Us When We Die?

This is the question that was asked of me by someone I am ministering to online.

Here is my answer:

Where you go when you die depends on you. If you follow Jesus you go to heaven if you follow Satan you go to hell.

This led to the next question: "Is there a hell?" To which I answered, "Jesus said there was.

I followed up with some Bible verses to help.

Matthew 10:28
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Revelation 21:8
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Daniel 12:
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Matthew 25:
46“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

Matthew 5:
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

I did a little research and watched this video. It opened even MY eyes to what happens when we die. It answers a whole host of questions I've always had, but brushed off as something that I really didn't need to know, since I am convinced of my salvation. I am one to always fact check everything I hear with the Bible as best I can. What this man says really makes sense to me...so I am open to conversation about it.

Listen to the Word

It is imperative that you spend a few minutes every day reading the Bible and praying. It is impossible to see what God is doing in your life without the faith that you have to see it.

Every day as I surf the internet, I have made it a habit to listen to the Bible. Over and over I listen to it - a chapter or two a day, sometimes more. Sometimes I listen to the same chapter over and over to make sure that I got what was in it.

It's not like I don't have time to listen. I can listen when I am driving in my car, waiting in the grocery store line, taking a walk, or just sitting at home surfing on the internet. I can even listen while I am cleaning house.

Joshua 1:8
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

I had a conversation one day with someone I was ministering to about how we could minister to people in a hurting world. The conversation turned to tithes and what exactly it meant to "tithe", and with what should we tithe if we had nothing.

We never have NOTHING. God gives us everything we need to do His Will every day. Perhaps His will is not for you to donate a $1,000 to charity that day. Perhaps His will is just for you to comfort someone, or answer their questions, or steer them toward helpful information that could benefit them. When you tithe, you tithe 10% of the increase on whatever God gives you. If all you have is your ability, then it is your ability to serve that should be tithed.

But, in order for you to prosper and have the tools that you need in order to do God's will, you MUST study and meditate on God's Word, His laws, His lessons for you. You cannot understand God's will if you do not hear God's Word.

God convicts you through His Word. Once you hear His word, you will hear Him in a lot of other ways in your life: through your circumstances, in your prayers, through someone you are ministering to, or even something you experience or see. God communicates with you when you are primed to listen, and the best form of priming is to read and listen to the Bible.

If you are wondering how YOU can do what I do, just go to the KJV Bible online. Find Chapter 1 of Genesis (or any chapter you want of any book) in the search box. On the right side of the page is a list of "Bible Options", and at the bottom is a link that says "Listen". It's as easy as that!

I cannot stress the amount of comfort and inspiration and strength this tool has given me!

When I Am Weak You Raise Me Up

Friends, it's like this: Jesus said the world hated Him. And, he also said that IF the world hated Him, then the world would hate YOU or ME if we choose to follow Him.

He said he would be persecuted and crucified. He also said that worse things than what has happened to HIM would happen to US.

He ALSO said that if we endured to the end that WE WOULD BE SAVED and what would happen to those who persecute and condemn us would NOT.

Is it worth it to me to be ridiculed, cast out, accused, and persecuted for HIS NAME's SAKE? YOU BET!

If you are not getting flack for being a Christian, all I can say is you need to question your stand.

2 Corinthians 12:10

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

God does not condone the evil that is on this earth today, but He allows it because He loves us and wants people to CHOOSE to love Him. Jesus said

John 15:13

No greater love hath any man, than that he would lay down his life for a friend.

Then, He called us "friends". (John 15:12-15)

The Bible has a lot to say against people who would force you to choose something you are against. Only the strong survive in God's world. Only the strong will inherit the Kingdom God. Paul said it best,

Ephesians 6:13

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Remember, God does not win souls through fear. He provides a way OUT of that fear through Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:7) There is no Saviour under Allah like that. All the followers of Allah want to do is kill, destroy and create chaos. There is no liberty under Allah!

Finally,

1 Peter 2: 15

For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Proverbs 4:23–26: Guard Your Heart

Question: "What does it mean to guard your heart?"

Answer: Proverbs 4:23–26 instructs believers to, “above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.” When Solomon refers to guarding the heart, he really means the inner core of a person—the thoughts, feelings, desires, will, and choices that make that person who he/she is. The Bible tells us that our thoughts often dictate who we become (Proverbs 23:7; 27:19). The mind of a man reflects who he really is, not simply his actions or words. That is why God examines the heart of a man, not simply his outward appearance and what he appears to be (1 Samuel 16:7).
READ MORE BY CLICKING HERE

Read also:

Guard Your Heart: What Does It Mean? (Proverbs 4:23)

James Chapter 2: Do Not Discriminate

Read James Chapter 2 by clicking HERE

In this day of debating the ethics of "Black Lives Matter" verses "ALL Lives Matter", I think it is time we stop to remember Jesus Christ and how He died because "ALL SOULS MATTER".

Below, Mark Yule gives a great sermon on James 2.

7 Ways to Increase Your Happiness

Leviticus 25:14 Business Exploitation

Leviticus 25:14

“And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:”
If you are looking to start or do any kind of business as a Christian, then you should make sure to consult The Word in everything you do.

Leviticus 25:14 talks about exploiting your customers. According to God, that is not the way business should be done. I went to Bible Gateway to get all the translations of the verse I could in order to get a better understanding of this verse given the content.

Let's look at the word "exploitation" to fully understand its meaning. According to Bing, it is "the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work."

Most business owners are opportunists. It is not a bad thing to be an opportunist, as long as the business is done fairly. If you have a shortage of bread in your city and you decide to become a baker because the opportunity is ripe for it, that is not a bad thing. But to sell that bread for more than 100% profit is not fair to your customers. To sell it for less than profitable is not fair to YOU. While seeking to do right by your customers, make sure that you are also holding the customer accountable by making sure he or she does right by you, and vice versa.

Check out the video below for more information in Christian business principles:

Genesis Chapter 3:1-6 The Great Fall

Genesis 3:1

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
Did God say that? No. He didn't. Let's back track:

Genesis 2
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
The Human mind is tricky. It will make you question what you remember. "Did God say that to me? How exactly did He put it? Maybe this is what He meant?"

Genesis 3
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
God doesn't say what He doesn't mean, and He always makes Himself clear. He told them they could have anything they wanted to eat in the garden from the trees; but that there was ONE tree that they were not to eat from. He didn't tell them they couldn't touch it. Eve added that in there. Eve's mind said that if she didn't touch it, she would be safe from eating it. But one lie deserves another lie to build a rationalization. Satan knew if she was willing to cling to even the tiniest of lies for safety, he could edge the door wider.

Genesis 3
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
As teenagers, most of us remember the thoughts that ran through our minds when our parents told us not to do something. "They just don't want me to enjoy myself" is what it came down to most of the time back then. We rationalized that it was okay to dis-obey because our parents were wrong to do that.

Just like our parents, though, God wanted so much better for Adam and Eve. He wanted them to have a life free from stress and worry, free from sickness and disease, free from danger and free from struggle. Adam and Eve, much like us when we were teenagers, had not experienced the world like that. They couldn't conceive of life going wrong. They couldn't understand why rules were enacted.

Sure, God could have removed the tree from their reach, but would that have taught them anything? Would that have proved their obedience to Him? Would it have proved their love? A lack of options is not a choice. God didn't want robots, He wanted authenticity in His relationship.

He still does.

Satan did a good job of giving Eve different thoughts to muddle her rationalization skills.

Adam and Eve were the beginning of the human race. Whatever they did would effect their progeny forever.

Genesis 3:6

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Eve, who had rationalized in her mind that just touching the fruit was dangerous, touched the fruit and did not die. Seeing it caused her no harm, she took a bite. If we add to the Word of God enough, we start to believe it. This is why Revelation says not to add to or take from the Word of God. Our minds can be tricked by Satan to believe a lie.

How hard was it to follow His instruction? Think about that the next time you tell your 3-year-old not to push a button.

It is important to take God at His every word. It is important to follow His command. It is important to KNOW the Word of God so that when Satan presents over-rationalizations, you can refer to it in it's correct form and maintain the straight path of obedience.

1 Samual 15

22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

The Reasons for Plagues

God visits plagues on people for several different reasons.

Exodus 9

13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
The Pharaoh of Egypt was asked not to let Israel go and be a free people, but to let Israel go for a time of worship. They would return when they were done, if only he'd let them go. But the Pharaoh wanted to control Israel and saw the need to worship God as a petty thing, not worthy of his attention or permission. So, God freed the people of Israel so that they could worship any time they wanted to. A plague was just one way He did this.

The United States has recently entered into a time of petty persecutions for prayer. Schools have disallowed prayer, public events have omitted prayer out of fear of offending those who don't. Nativity sets in public places have been condemned. Bakers who choose to follow Christian guidelines have been sued. Is it surprising, then, that God would send a plague to visit us?

So, those who are on the fence should look at what has happened here as a warning. If the citizens of the United States do not turn from their sins and revere and respect God, it just might get worse.

Leviticus 26:21
“And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.”
Churches in America have an important function to play: It is their job to pray for America, to intercede for those who refuse to take God seriously, and to lead God's children into righteousness, so that plagues do not affect them as a people.

It is NOT the church's job to test God and defy common sense when it comes to how to prevent the plague. Continuing to hold public services in spite of stay-at-home measures, social distancing instructions and good hygiene practices is not the way to prevent plagues.

Holding God in front of them and continuing to worship in spite of the chaos around them is.

We must remember, church is not a place you go to. Church is who you are.

Numbers 8
19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
There is so much to be thankful for. The Lord does not like complainers. The Lord likes contentment. The Lord provides everything we need when we need it -- food, shelter, clothing. Does it matter, then, if your clothes are not name-brand? Does it cover your body sufficiently? Does it matter, then, that your home is not fancy, or that it is small and in need of painting? When the storms come, does it protect you? Does it matter that you are not eating steak or don't have the variety of food you long for? Does it keep you healthy enough to survive?

Read the 11th Chapter of Numbers
Numbers 11:33
“And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.”
When God sends you to do a mighty work, and you are too fearful to do it, it could stir His anger. God does not like the naysayer. He doesn't like those who are negative, or those who stir up fear for those who need to move forward in order to accomplish what He has set out for them to do.

Numbers 14
36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
God will not tolerate false teachers. He will not tolerate bad influences, either. Anyone who causes the children of Israel to think that sinning is more greatly to be desired than obedience is endangering the body of Christ as a whole.

Numbers 31
14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
God has given us the Bible, which contains His Word. Bible is an acronym which stands for "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth". He expects us to read and meditate on His word, and to obey His commands from it!

Deuteronomy 28
58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
God has said "Fear Not" 365 times in the Bible. That is one time for every day of the year. It is a command. He commands us to worship Him, and to move forward in faith, where ever we are, and whatever we are called to do.

It Is Finished

Only one person in history has ever finished everything God gave Him to do.

John 19:30
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Unfinished business is a way of life for most of us.

What we must come to realize is that unfinished business is finished business. It's time to stop dwelling on projects that have aged to such a degree that to try to finish it will further deteriorate it.

It is finished.

The best you can hope for, if you really want to try to build on an old project, is to renew the project. Remodel it. Rebuild it. Start over. Make it new. Make it into something that suits your present purposes -- because the old needs and wants you had no longer exist.

It is finished.

Each night, before you go to sleep, you pray to God -- and you say, Amen. It is finished. The day is done. All your needs have been met for the day. All your hopes have been voiced and laid at God's Feet.

It is finished.

You cannot move forward until you accept that what was is done -- over with -- finished. Now it is time to make room for new -- fresh -- and innovative.

It is finished.

What we have left undone, God nurtures in His own time and proportion. We can give God a broken heart, and He can nurture it into a lesson learned -- a new dream -- a great friendship -- a different and better future. We can give Him a disappointed day and He can nurture it into the food for the soul that we need for a better tomorrow.

But, we must move past the past works of unfinished business in order to build something more useful and worthy of our time.

Jesus finished His business on earth. Every year we acknowledge the resurrection of the soul and the newness of life after accepting His sacrifice.

Now it is time to accept the finished business of your own past in order to bring about needed change for the abundant life ahead that He has in store!

Dr. Dobson Shares An Easter Message of Great Hope

By Dr. James Dobson

We are living in surreal times—it is a moment in history when America and nations around the world have been shut down. Families are under restrictions to stay home, and many workplaces have closed their doors. People are frightened and concerned about what might happen next. Yet for Christians, there is great hope!

Over 2,000 years ago, God the Father sent His one and only Son to bear the sins of all mankind on the cruel cross of Calvary. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ transcends life's circumstances and represents a historical marker that lies at the center of everything we believe. During His earthly ministry, Jesus walked the roads of Galilee teaching a message of repentance and performing miracles. People were desperate just to touch the hem of His robe. They gathered in small and large groups to hear His words, and with open arms, Jesus received young children, tax collectors, the infirmed, the curious, and the criminal.

As Jesus' time to be tried and crucified approached, the disciples were fearful and confused. Was this really the purpose for which the Messiah had come? The future looked bleak and frightening.

Many of us are experiencing our own concerns today. We are facing a pandemic like nothing we have ever seen. While recent news reports are revealing a potential light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, there are still many questions about this disease that remain unanswered. Will we see family members or friends afflicted by the coronavirus? When will a sense of normalcy return to our lives?

While Jesus' mother and the disciples witnessed His brutal suffering on the cross, I can only imagine that they also experienced waves of fear and uncertainty. Yet beyond the darkness that veiled their skies, God was carrying out His plan of redemption. And three days later, light overcame darkness and hope conquered fear as Jesus rose from the dead! Fast forward to today, and God is still on His throne weaving His redemptive threads through our lives. He loves you and has a plan for you.

This is the magnificence of Easter—the same hands that were pierced by our rebellion now reach out to us in compassion and forgiveness. God sent His Son to become one of us to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Truly, we can say with the prophet Isaiah, "But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

To those of you who are overwhelmed by the cares of life right now and are burdened by the weight of the world during this season of uncertainty, I urge you to look to the risen Christ. He is our eternal hope! May His grace and peace surround you and your loved ones, not only on Easter Sunday but every day of the year.

Hope in the Midst of the Coronavirus Epidemic

God has said that, as a nation, we should continually seek to follow His laws. If we do not follow His laws, one of the consequences is illness and disease.

Exodus 15:26
“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”

But, sometimes, just because you get a disease does not mean you have done anything wrong. It might be a test of faith that is meant for you, alone. Job was stricken with disease during his trial of faith.

With the recent Coronavirus awareness and Emergency Declaration by President Trump, God Inspires is hoping to offer those of you who are anxious hope in the coming days.

In Psalms, David continues to have hope in spite of any challenges with his health, among other things:

Psalms Chapter 103
1 ([A Psalm] of David.) Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good [things; so that] thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

We must remember that there is a time for everything. God has our days numbered. NONE OF US is promised tomorrow! But, if we continue in our faith, God's promises of healing will be kept, whether in this life, or the next.

Revelation 22:2
“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

It is not this life that we need to concern ourselves with. It is the next. We need to make sure we are ready, whether we live or die, to receive what God has in store for us in eternity.

In the meanwhile, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

There is only so much we can do as human beings. Just remember, God's Got This!

1 Chronicles 28:20
“And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.”

(Genesis 2:25) Innocence

Genesis 2:25
“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
When you don't know right from wrong, there are no rules. Everything is done with purity and innocence. That is why God judges the heart and it's intentions, as well as obedience. If, in your heart, He finds that you knew the law and disobeyed, then it doesn't matter what the intent was, you are judged harshly. However, if, in your heart, you honestly did not know you were breaking the law, God will judge you blameless. (Jeremiah 17:10)

(Genesis 2:22-24) Adam's Rib

Genesis 2
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
This does not mean that a man should forget about his parents, never have anything to do with them again and go to the woman's family and take up a new life. If that were so, Jesus would not be preparing a place for us at His Father's House.

It simply means that a man and his wife become "one". Where ever the man goes, the woman goes WITH him. Whatever the woman goes through, the man goes through it WITH her. Everything he chooses to experience, he must consider how it will effect his wife, and vice versa. It is a matter of INCLUSION, not a matter of choice.

(Genesis 2:18-21) Why God Created Woman

Genesis Chapter 2

18 And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [was] the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

(Genesis 2: 16-17) - It's all for a purpose

Genesis 2
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
God did not tell man to not eat of the Tree of Life. He told him not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If you don't know the difference between good an evil, you can't be held accountable, in God's eyes.

The Bible is filled with knowledge of the law. Once you KNOW the law, you are held accountable for keeping it.

Until we read the law, we look to society to teach us the difference between good and evil. None of us have grown up without someone who taught us to be who we have become -- good or evil.

God wanted man to remain innocent. When there are no rules to live by, man enjoys life abundantly. But, it was an oxymoron to give man a rule, because inevitably, man was going to break it. There is no line on this earth that man will not cross out of curiosity; and, as we continue reading the Bible, we will learn that there was a reason that this had to happen:

God created man to show all of His creation how much He loved them. He couldn't do that until man had a reason to need it.

(Genesis 2:15) I'm working for the Lord

Genesis 2:15
“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”
Man was given a job the moment he stepped into Eden. God wanted man to work. Work should not be seen as a "struggle", but as a "fulfillment".

A man who has nothing to do will do nothing but die. And, the death will come quick. God gave man his ambition. God's goals are what creates "happiness". When man's ambition works against God's will for our lives, THAT is when "struggle" in our lives creates discomfort and chaos.

Do we work to serve God? Or, do we work to serve ourselves? THAT is the question you should ask each and every day before you go to work.

Read Colossians 3:23