Are you Empty Inside, or Have you Been Filled with God's Holy Spirit?

 

Are you Empty Inside, or Have you Been Filled with God's Holy Spirit?

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Christ said that the Kingdom of God resides within us. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit to be a citizen of God's kingdom. Salvation is not complete without being indwelt (baptized and filled) with the Holy Spirit. We are saved by faith alone in the finished work of Christ upon the cross. However, you must put your faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We come to Christ as we are and allow his Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out.

Many churches teach that when a person accepts Christ, they receive the Holy Spirit immediately. The truth is that a person must seek after and ask God for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9-13). Salvation is a three-step process, you must repent of your sins and make confession of Christ, be water baptized in Christ, and be filled/baptized/indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

The Holy Spirit not only empowers us to spread the gospel, he also transforms us into a new creation (born again). God is the potter, and we are the clay that he molds into his own image. It is impossible to live a holy life separated from the sinful culture, without the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. 

There are nine gifts, as well as nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to a believer according to God's will (1 Cor 12). The fruit of the Holy Spirit should be present in the lives of all believers (Galatians 5).

Please read my teachings on the Holy Spirit from these links. 

Final Hour Holiness Ministries: Speaking and Praying in Tongues

Final Hour Holiness Ministries: The Message of the Full Gospel

Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

The INHUMANE Treatment of Migrants

 

  I agree that we need to deport many (not all) illegal migrants. However, deportations need to be done humanely, and families should not be separated.

 In Trump's first administration migrants were placed in overcrowded jail cells without enough beds/mats, food, water, toilet paper, and other necessities. This is happening again! In an interview yesterday on ABC with the Border Czar of ICE, the reporter asked him if there are enough beds for those arrested. He replied no and said that they need more money from the government to provide proper care. The migrants were treated worse than dogs in an animal shelter during Trumps first administration. this is inhumane and deplorable.

Trump signed an executive order allowing ICE to target Churches, schools and hospitals. in an ABC interview with the Border Czar of ICE. He made it clear that ICE will be entering Elementary Schools. Middle Schools, High Schools, Hospitals, as well as Churches to make arrests and to remove children, as well as adults.

Is this acceptable for children to be terrorized in classrooms? Is this acceptable for children to be removed from Sunday School classes and separated from their families? I'm glad the Catholic Church has spoken out against this while everyone else remains blinded to the evil!

Churches and Schools Targeted by ICE

 

I have a MANDATE from God to speak the truth in love, as well as to speak up for the innocents and against evil.

Churches and schools should not be the target of Trump's ICE. Where is the respect for houses of worship? Where is the love and protection of innocent children??

Link to article:

Chicago deportation plans: Donald Trump authorizes ICE to target schools and churches amid fears of mass deportations in Chicago - ABC7 Chicago

UK hit by 100 Year Storm

 

The UK is being hit by the storm named Eowyn. It is called a once in a hundred-year storm. It is producing 100 mile per hour winds and tornadoes. All of the UK and Ireland are affected by this rare storm.

Several years ago, I dreamed that I was flying over the UK and witnessed hurricane force winds, as well as tornadoes all over the nation. I dreamed that this was a judgment, and that many more judgments would follow. I was told that I should warn them. I did a posting on this then.

We are seeing apocalyptic events start to transpire all over. The unprecedented wildfires in southern California that have burned thousands of homes and businesses, as well as the hurricanes that done significant damage to Florida and North Carolina.

Droughts, blizzards in Florida, 120 plus degree heat waves, earthquakes, as well as plagues like Covid or monkey pox are both signs as well as judgments that point to the end of this age and the return of the Lord.

Link to article.

Red 'danger to life' warnings issued with 100mph winds forecast for Storm Eowyn

My Wife's Vision of President Donald Trump

 My Wife's Vision of President Donald Trump

A few months ago, my wife had a very clear vision of President Donald Trump. She saw Trump dressed as a British king riding on a white horse. He was wearing a crown and red cape with fur trim, as well as holding a Septer in his hand. The crown he was wearing is comparable to the third picture of Trump. She heard the word "Savior", then the white horse became a black horse. Although Donald Trump is an Anti-Christ, he is not the final Anti-Christ. The final Anti-Christ will be Gog (Prince) of Magog (Russia) the prince of Meshach (Moscow) and Tubal (Central Asia Russia) Ezekiel 38.

Trump has said that the constitution is an old document that needs to be replaced. He is now making changes to the constitution, like the birthright citizenship clause that he is challenging. Trump has aspirations of being a monarch, not a president. On his inauguration day Trump said that he plans to increase America's territory. He also said he will not rule out using the military to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal. He also said that he will invite Canada to join the United States because he considers Canada to be the 51st state. He signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. Trump clearly desires to be the king of an American empire. Many consider Trump to be the savior of America, that is why he came on the scene riding a white horse in my wife's vision. The white horse changed to a black horse symbolizing evil or spiritual death. Don't be deceived Trump is not a Christian, he is possessed by an evil spirit to carry out Satan's plans. 

In early 2016, before Trump won the GOP nomination, God spoke to me in a vision and told me that Donald Trump would be president. The following year in 2017, The Lord spoke to me that President Trump would be America's final president. When Trump lost the election to Biden, I lost over 50 followers on my main ministry page. I posted that I believed that Trump would run again and win the next election, and I was laughed at for stating this. However, that is exactly what happened.  Although I am politically conservative, I don't support Trump. The Lord has showed me the darkness that surrounds him.

Here is my writing from January 17, 2017. I share the visions, dreams, and words concerning Donald Trump America's final president.

Visions and Dream of President Trump and the Coming Nuclear War!

On Friday Jan 13, I had a vision of two, dark red, blood moons. This vision was followed by a second vision of fireworks in the sky over Washington DC, and flags flying on inauguration day. Blood moons are symbolic of judgments and war. I believe that the war with China and Russia will begin during the end of our final President’s administration.  Donald Trump will be America’s final President.

Today, Tuesday Jan 17, I had another dream from the Lord about the coming war. I dreamed that I was at a gas station filling my tank with gas. A very large transport truck pulled in carrying a nuclear missile, there was a large picture of Donald Trump on the side of the truck. I heard a voice say, “Trump is going to make more nuclear missiles.” I noticed that the workers at the service station, were mostly Russians, but a few Americans were working with them. Some of the workers were riding on American made bicycles.  I then entered the station to pay for my gas, and I noticed that the Russian workers were very busy and seemed to be preoccupied with something. I said to them, “War is coming soon with China and Russia.” I also said, “The wise will prepare now!” End of dream.

I am reposting this vision from Nov 21.  On Saturday, the Lord gave me a vision. I saw an opened magazine and both the pages were black, with a picture of Donald Trump in the upper right hand corner. I saw a profile of Trump’s face turned to the right, facing the edge of the magazine. Trump had a fierce countenance and appeared very stern. Above Trump’s head, was a full, very dark red, blood moon.  I also heard a female voice singing, “Halleluiah, Jesus is coming!”

This vision indicates that President-Elect Trump, will play a major part, in end time events. The black pages of the magazine, indicate a time of both spiritual, as well as physical darkness. The two black pages may also represent, two terms in office, or possibly the start of the Great Tribulation. The dark red, blood moon, probably indicates the great war to come. Trump’s profile was facing the edge of the right side of the magazine, this may indicate that, Trump will be America’s final president. I am going to pray more for the interpretation of this vision. The good news is that Jesus is coming back immediately after the Great Tribulation! Those who endure unto the end, will be given the crown of everlasting life!              

 

 Joel 2:30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

 

Rev 6:2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. 5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."  7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. 12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken  

 

Is Donald Trump the Messiah and Savior of the world? The Dangers of Trump Worship

 

Is Donald Trump the Messiah and Savior of the world? The Dangers of Trump Worship

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

The if possible does not appear in the original Greek. A more accurate translation is "they shall deceive the very elect."

Many people blindly worship Donald Trump. Some are calling him the Savior of America and the world. He is referred to as the Christ, or God's anointed one. Many people believe that God spared his life to make America great again. Trump claims he will bring America into its Golden Age. The term Golden Age is a reference to the Age of Aquarius. This is a New Age term that can be equated to a time of world peace or the Great Tribulation for those who know the Bible. President Trump is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He claims to be a Christian, yet he admits that he has never asked the Lord for forgiveness in his entire life.

Trump did not put his hand on the Bible while being sworn into office, instead he allowed his left hand to remain at his side. His wife held the family Bible, as well as the Lincoln Bible in her hands. I found this to be suspicious. Donald Trump only worships himself, not God. It is very dangerous to worship a man, we must only give worship to God alone for he is worthy. Charisma Magazine claims that the planetary alliance of six planets on Jan 21 may be a sign of Trump's presidency. This is scary to see how easily the church is deceived. 

Trump has ordered ICE agents to enter churches and schools to arrest illegal migrants. Where is the fear of the Lord or respect for houses of worship? During Trump's first term in office church services were interrupted by ICE agents making arrests, the same is about to happen again on a much larger scale. Trump is also talking about using the military to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal. This is aggression and sounds like the words of a dictator. On inauguration day Trump said that he will increase America's territory. It sounds like Trump desires an American empire. We are living in the end times and both Trump and Putin will play major roles in prophetic events. Please take notice of the pics of books listed about Trump. Worship God alone!

Satan's Throne in Your Home

 

Satan's Throne in Your Home 

It is very sad to see the loss and suffering caused by the wildfires in southern California. However, the Lord showed me that this tragic event is a judgment and wake up call to repentance for those who live there. The judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah was an example to the entire world for those who will live ungodly lives, so are the wildfires of southern California. The final judgment upon this area will be total nuclear destruction. We must pray for a true revival to come to this area. God is able and willing to bring salvation, hope, and healing to those who will receive him.

 I am reposting my teaching on the spiritual dangers of television and movies. Most people are unaware that Satan has a throne in their home. Many people desire to be healed of sickness, delivered from demonic oppression or possession, or to hear from God, but they are being blocked. Quite often the programs that people watch on television are robbing them of God's blessings, as well as bringing demons into their homes. The television set is Satan's throne in most homes. The Lord showed me that music, video games, as well as television programs are blocking prayers from being answered, as well as keeping his children in bondage. Many Christians are receiving visions and dreams from familiar spirits, instead of the Lord because of the compromise of television. Throw out your television set and you will open yourself up to the blessings that God desires for his children.

In the past, the Lord dealt with me on the issue of television. I felt that if I was careful to what programs I watched, everything would be okay, but television was an idol to me, as well as a compromise to my Christian faith. Television is filled with extreme violence, fornication, adultery, occultism, profanity, swearing etc. I was filling my eye gates and ear gates with the trash that Hollywood produces. For the eyes and the ears are gates to the soul, should Christians be filling their souls up with darkness? So, we made the decision to rid ourselves of all television shows, as well as movies, with the exception of wholesome Christian music and preachers of sound doctrine. If you can't limit yourself to Christian only programming, then it is best to throw the thing away! (When I say "Christian only, this does not include "religious" movies/television shows that often are just as compromising and biblically inaccurate.  I am speaking of non-fiction programs such as Documentaries and such.) Be careful to not watch the majority of preachers today for they are the products of the harlot Babylon (wicked culture). Also, avoid Christian rock music for it is demonic!

Even commercials have become X-rated, on CNN they would frequently show this commercial that showed men and women dancing provocatively, taking off their clothes. How much of this are we going to tolerate as Christians? Also consider how tv has de-evolved over time. There are now infomercials about sexual enhancement. Also consider the heavy metal/black metal music being played in the background of movies, shows and commercials. Many claim that they would never allow this type of music to be played within their homes, but they are allowing it in their homes through television. After watching a television show, how many times have you gone to bed and had undesirable music playing in your head? It has happened to me many times.

Also consider how the family structure is being perverted by Hollywood. The children are always fussing or cussing at their parents in many of these shows. Women are always in charge of their husbands, as well as belittling them, and men are always cheating on their wives. The homosexual agenda has really taken over tv as well, there are now tv sitcoms featuring gay parents raising children. A gay man, child, or lesbian woman is featured in many programs today, in an effort to desensitize the American public. I believe that it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for this generation. Many people use the excuse that everyone, including pastors have televisions, but does that make it right? During Noah's generation he was the only righteous man on earth, and because he refused to compromise his convictions, God spared the lives of Noah and his family.

Also consider the occultism within television and movies today. Witchcraft, Satanism, Buddhism, New Ageism, Hinduism, channeling, ghosts, curses, reincarnation, Ouija boards etc., are all being promoted by television. Even children's cartoons are filled with occultism. These types of programs are an open door to demons in your home.

The Lord gave me some dreams, as well as words concerning television, that reflects how serious this issue is to the Lord. The Lord said that I was cut off from him, I asked how? The Lord told me that I was cut off due to compromise by watching television. The Lord also told me that there is No grace for watching television. Grace is given for repentance which means to stop sinning.

A number of years ago, I dreamed that I was going to a movie theater to watch a western. I pulled up into a reserved parking space marked rodeo. When I got out of the car, I was surrounded by five or six, seven-foot-tall men. They said that they were looking for runaway slaves. I told them that I was not a slave. They said that they were going to hold me captive until they could verify that I was not a runaway slave. They put a chain around my neck to lead me away, and then I noticed that one of the tall men looked like Frankenstein, another looked like Dracula. I believe that the tall men were fallen Angels, and I was being held captive by the sin of television and movies. The Lord showed me that even supposedly innocent shows were still wicked to him because they are produced by Hollywood. Everything from Hollywood is accursed to God.

In another dream, I was seated on the couch in front of our entertainment center like I did in the past. Where the tv once was, there was a coffin, and on each side of the entertainment center there were full size coffins. My arms were outstretched, and between my arms was a mini coffin. The Lord spoke and said,” Mystery Babylon has been in front of your face this entire time”. I understood that my arms had been wrapped around television for a long time, I loved it, and it was idolatry to me. Our culture, as well as much of the church system is Mystery Babylon. The Lord then spoke to me as I was waking up and said, “Television is a magnet for demons to enter your home”. According to the Lord, tv is spiritual death. In a recent dream the Lord showed me a slimy pig entering a home through a television set. Consider the following Scriptures in regard to the Christian life.

(Matthew 7:13) Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

(Matthew 7:14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it

.

(Luke 13:24) Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Also, consider this account from God's Word. In Joshua, we read that Israel could not stand before their enemies because of disobedience, Achan took a Babylonian garment, as well as gold and silver from the enemy's camp and hid it, in the camp of the Israelites, and according to God, this accursed thing brought a curse upon Israel. The Lord showed me that in the same way, television is also an accursed thing, that is bringing defeat from our enemies as well and is blocking Gods blessings.

(Joshua 7:1, 10-25) But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so, the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel. So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. “Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.

 “Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.” And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” So, all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.  Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore, the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.

Matthew 15: What Defiles a Person? (Written by my Wife)

 Matthew 15: What Defiles a person?

In Matthew 15, Jesus again tries to teach the Pharisees that the traditions of men are hypocritical.

Rather than focusing on the conditions of their hearts, they worry what they eat.

He calls them "blind" because they fail to see that by creating their own laws, they demean God's ways. 

(Mattthew 15:7-20) [Jesus said,] "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.'"

And He called the multitude, and said unto them, "Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

Then came His disciples, and said unto him, "Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?"

But He answered and said, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

Then answered Peter and said unto Him, "Declare unto us this parable."

And Jesus said, "Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

The Finger of God

 

The Finger of God

Please be in prayer for the many people suffering loss from the wildfires in Southern California. Thousands of homes and businesses have been totally destroyed by these apocalyptic fires. Hurricane force winds and lack of rain have fueled these fires. God himself has sent this judgment upon the LA area because of the wickedness and lawlessness that thrives there.

 This sad tragedy is a wakeup call to repentance for the LA area. It is better to have your materialism burned up than to be cast into the Lake of Fire on Judgment Day. Please pray for a revival to come to this area. God is able to bring salvation, hope, and healing to those who are spiritually dead or dying. It is the final hour and time to get our spiritual homes in order!

 Daylight reveals apocalyptic scenes as Los Angeles is devastated by deadly wildfires

You Must be Born of the Water and Born of the Spirit

 John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Christ said he will return AFTER the tribulation to rapture the elect (Matt 24).

Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Link to my video (Visions of the Nuclear Tribulation)

 Link to my video where I share the visions and dreams the Lord has given me concerning America and the Great Tribulation.

Visions of the Nuclear Tribulation - YouTube

Merry Christmas!!

 

 Merry Christmas from our family to yours! (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Matthew 1:21-23) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

Do you find it difficult to believe that Jesus came to be your personal Prince of Peace? (Written by my wife)

 

When you hear someone wish you a "Merry Christmas," do you find yourself thinking, "Not possible"? There have been times in my life when I have had this same attitude. I may not be able to exactly relate to what you are going through, but I do know that when your heart is broken, when you are living with an illness (explained or unexplained), when you feel lonely and unloved, when you have to choose between paying bills or buying food, when past Christmas memories bring more pain than joy, when someone you love is dying, when you face fear every day either from abuse or other circumstances, when you feel like God just doesn't care, how could one day a year suddenly be merry when all the others are steeped in misery?

(Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

You may fully grasp the concept of the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us.") and even accept that Jesus was born to die for all of our sins (John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.), yet you still wonder if God truly loves or cares about you as an individual. You may find it difficult to believe that Jesus came to be your personal "Prince of Peace."

If God loves us so much, then why is life so full of pain? How do we find the kind of peace mentioned in Philippians 4?

(Philippians 4:7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Because I have experienced these things, I absolutely promise you that you can be in the midst of grieving over a lost loved one, have a mysterious neurological condition that doctors give up trying to diagnose, be facing homelessness, or be laying in extreme pain in a hospital bed after a second cancer surgery, and yet still find God's perfect peace in the middle of the storm. By surrendering my heart, mind and will to Jesus Christ, He has been my Prince of Peace. He continues to be my strength and joy.

(Psalm 34:18) The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

In order to allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with His peace, we need to realize that God never promised us a perfect life, but He did promise we could still "be of good cheer," if allow Him to be Lord of our life.

(John 16:33) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

People who believe God will prevent all bad things from happening to them or their loved ones end up hating God. They cannot find joy in the midst of suffering or trust in their hearts God is always good. They have difficulty trusting in the love of God. (1 John 4:8 ...God is love. & 1 John 4:19 ... He first loved us.)

Not only does God care about our pain, He grieves with us, He intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. & Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.). God IS fighting for us, but we tend to sabotage His plan, and the perfect peace offered to us when we live in rebellion.

Yes, sometimes God uses negative circumstances to test our love for Him, but in general, God does not intend for bad things to happen to His children. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God wants only the best for us. Does that mean God does not have any control? No, this means we will never fully know why bad things are allowed to happen because there is a war going on we cannot comprehend. (Ephesians 6:12) “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

1 Corinthians 13:12 (For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.) reminds us that we cannot understand why things happen as they do because we cannot see the big, eternal picture, but when we get to heaven, it will all be crystal clear. This senseless world will make sense.

If we cry out to God, He will hear our pleas. He wants to protect us and save us. It may seem like evil is winning, and I do not believe that this world will ever improve. In fact, I know it will only get worse. Man’s desire for independence corrupts him more and more. The mentality of not wanting to be told what to do is only getting worse. It is up to you to surrender yourself to God as well as your independence. It is up to you to choose to live right and separate yourself from this world. Only then will the Holy Spirit flood you with peace.

Humble yourself and admit you have done wrong. The free gift of salvation begins with repentance and admittance of sin. Then you must begin to and continually walk in holiness to please God (Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.).

Romans 6:1-2 tells us God's free gift of grace is not to be manipulated and abused for our own selfish will, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Grace is not an excuse to live however you want because you are a “Christian.” The opposite is true. We need to have a holy desire to please our Creator and live a truly Christian lifestyle. We need daily self-evaluation and repentance.

(Luke 9:23 ) Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

(1 Corinthians 15:31) I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die [to sin] daily.

Daily very simply means we must crucify our flesh every day, not just once. Furthermore, you could claim Psalm 139: 23-24 as your daily prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Bottom line here is when we quit using the difficult circumstances of life as an excuse to refuse to do what you know goes against the Word of God, we can truly believe that God's Word is true. First evaluate your heart and actions to see if you are going against His will so He cannot help you. Then learn to focus on the eternal picture and see how much God loves you and allow Him to be your Prince of Peace!

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (Written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
    And wild and sweet
    The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
    Had rolled along
    The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
    A voice, a chime,
    A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
    And with the sound
    The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
    And made forlorn
    The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
    "For hate is strong,
    And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
    The Wrong shall fail,
    The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."