One common theme I often hear being talked about among Christians today is that the world is getting crazier, darker, more evil and more confused.  As we get closer and closer to Christ’s return, evil will abound the Bible tells us. (2 Tim 3:1).

Are you letting the darkness of this world trouble you?  Stress you out?

If so, I want to remind you that you are not of this world. For you and me, and anyone that has made Jesus their Savior, we don’t have to live in the darkness of this world.  For us, the days will become brighter and brighter as God shines His light in our lives.

One of the ways that God shines His light into our lives is by giving us His wisdom.  As we get closer to Jesus’ second coming, the Father will continue to bring revelation into our lives that will allow us to receive more and more of His wisdom.  

I was just reading about a preacher in the early 60’s that started preaching what is referred to as the...

I’ve had the wonderful blessing of giving birth to three children.  When I was expecting my first I was unable to take birthing classes due to our work schedules, so I went into labor not knowing what to expect and kind of just winging it.  I discovered that when a contraction would come, if I closed my eyes in pain, all I could think about was how much it hurt and at times it was unbearable.  But then I discovered, if I would look straight ahead and find a focal point to stare at (for me it was the light switch plate) then I could deal with the pain much better and concentrate on my breathing.  I remember one time that my husband, Rodney, walked through my line of sight during a contraction and broke that focus I had on the light switch and I was once again thrown into overwhelming pain.

I’ve discovered in life that I need to fix my eyes on Jesus, as steadily as I did that light switch plate.  If I focus on my problems, then they...

Can you think of anyone in the Bible who went through a more overwhelming ordeal than Job  (other than Jesus)? Let’s recap what happened to him IN ONE DAY...Job 1:13-19 “Job’s sons and daughters were having a feast in the home of his oldest son, when someone rushed up to Job and said, 'While your servants were plowing with your oxen, and your donkeys were nearby eating grass, a gang of Sabeans attacked and stole the oxen and donkeys! Your other servants were killed, and I was the only one who escaped to tell you.'

"That servant was still speaking, when a second one came running up and saying, 'God sent down a fire that killed your sheep and your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.'  Before that servant finished speaking, a third one raced up and said, 'Three gangs of Chaldeans attacked and stole your camels! All of your other servants were killed, and I am the only one who escaped to tell you.'

" That servant was still...

Confession...what image does that word bring up in your mind?  Going to a priest to tell him all the bad things you have done?  Confessing to the cops that you committed a crime?  Confessing your love?

The Bible gives us three different images for the word confession and they are all essential in our Christian life.  They will each revolutionize your life.  Let's check them out:

1) Confessing Jesus as Lord.  This is what saved you.  Romans 10:10 says "For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."  What did you confess to get saved?  That you were a sinner?  No, that Jesus is Lord.  Romans 10:9 "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

When Jesus came He took on the sin of the whole world.  He solved the sin problem.  God is not sending anyone to hell for...

When we are walking in love, a supernatural shield of protection, called the shield of faith will be active.  As if right out of a superhero movie, we have a very real shield that will put out all the fiery darts of the enemy!  

1 John 5:18 "We know that whoever is born of God does not keep on sinning.  But whoever has been born of God guards himself, and the wicked one cannot touch him." 

When we are obedient to God and walk in love we are supernaturally protected.  I talked about it in last week's Facebook Live teaching in our Love Series.  I've included it here with this blog for you to watch in case you didn't see it because I went through a number of Scriptures about why love never fails.  I showed you how walking in love actually protected Jesus physically and can do the same for you.  Just click the play button at the top of this post.

This shouldn't surprise us.  One of my all-time favorite chapters of the Bible is Psalm...

You are in a battle.  It can be easy to forget that and just let yourself be overcome by stress, worry, and fear as a normal part of life...getting pulled along like a log going downstream...feeling like you have no control over the matter.  But then Satan wins. That gets me a little mad. How about you?

Ultimately we know that Jesus has already won the war, but you and I have millions of opportunities to enforce Jesus’ victory...or not.  If Satan is allowed, he’d love to hit you with some regret, disappointment, sickness, lack, weariness, doubt...really anything that will keep your eyes off of the Word and who you really are.  As Joyce Meyer has so popularly declared, the battlefield is in our minds. That’s why stress, worry, and fear are so prevalent. Satan is engaging us in battle. Unfortunately, too many Christians just surrender and say or feel that they are too weak, too unworthy, too sinful, or too powerless.  

Today, look at...

When you are worried or stressed, do you pray more or less?  Sometimes the situation is so all-consuming that we don’t even remember to pray!  Other times we pray a lot but it seems like nothing is happening.


There are all kinds of reasons we should pray and there are all kinds of different prayers, but today let’s talk about that kind of prayer where you need something from God.  You have a petition for Him - you know, all those things you worry about. A petition is defined as “a formal written request addressed to a sovereign superior for a particular right or grace.”

I bet if you were writing a petition to an important government official you’d put some time into it, wouldn’t you?  You’d do some research on the subject matter and you’d have some reasons to explain why you think the official should grant your request.  You’d write or type it out on nice paper making sure it didn’t get...

The world is filled with advice on how to overcome stress and fear.  Here’s one tip I recently read in the Huffington Post: “Go outside and wander around until you find a rock or crystal that you like and is small enough to keep in your pocket. In the morning, afternoon and before sleeping hold the rock for about a minute. While you do, imagine that the rock is emanating enormous strength, power and courage and filling your entire being with radiant power. Carry the rock with you and turn to it as needed. The rock itself may not have any inherent power, but you imbue it with great power.”

Wow, what if there was a rock you could spend one minute with morning, afternoon and night?  What if there was a rock that emanated enormous strength, power and courage and filled your entire being with radiant power? What if there was a rock that you could carry around with you and turn to whenever you needed?  And even better yet, than what this article is...