Thought for Today: God Still Loves You

There has been a moment that someone did or said something to you that caused you to do what you wanted to do, instead of doing what was right by God. You have been trying your best to live a life that is pleasing to God, but the world, your flesh, or the devil got the best of you. 

And you have fallen, failed, and in some cases you have just out-right sinned against God. You know it and there is no excuse, you have sinned. The devil is whispering in your ear, “See, I told you.” The world is looking at you and saying “And you call yourself a child of God.” Religious folks are pointing the finger at you telling you God will turn His back on you because you have turned you back on Him. 

As you begin to entertain the lies of your enemies, it opens the door for anxiety to find its way into your mind. And as you begin listen to the thoughts that the enemy is placing in your mind, “God doe does not like you right now, God does not want to talk to you right now, God does not even want to see your face after what you have done or said,” listening to all these opens the door for depression and loneliness in your life. 

I came by on my way to heaven to inform you that the devil is a liar. GOD STILL LOVES YOU. The reason why the world, your flesh, and especially the devil is trying to convince you that God is too angry at you right now to even look your way is because of this truth: If you repent and turn to God and ask Him to forgive you, not only will God forgive you, but He will also show you just how much HE STILL LOVES YOU. 

“God does not want to talk to me right now, Pastor Erick, because of what I did.” That is simply not true. “How do you know that, Pastor Erick?” Thus, saith the Lord, not pastor Erick, but thus saith the Lord “Come NOW (not later but NOW) and let us (you and God) reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Listen to this) If you be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:18).

Your falls in life do not surprise God. Your failures in life do not surprise God. And you need to know this truth: your sins in life do not surprise God. Stop letting religion, the world, your flesh, and especially the devil lure you out of your relationship with God. The word of God says, “If we confess our sins, HE (God, Himself) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The strategy of hell is to try to convince you that you have to clean yourself up before you can go to God again for Him to love you. But the Spirit of the Lord says to you today, “Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). God knows you are not perfect, God knows that you will fail and fall sometimes, and God knows that you will sin. But you need to know this truth: GOD STILL LOVES YOU. For the word of God says, “But God commendeth His love towards us (God showed you just how much He loves you) in that WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). I don’t know what you did, I don’t know what you said, but whatever it is, it did not stop God from loving you. 

Repent, turn to God and ask for forgiveness, and allow Him to not only help you, but clean up the mess that you have created with the decisions you made that did not line up with His word. And know this truth: your sins do not surprise God, no matter how many times you fall, fail or sin. GOD STILL LOVES YOU. For it is written, “Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedest against them by thy prophets; yet would they not give ear therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. NEVERTHELESS, FOR THY GREAT MERCIES SAKE THOU DIDST NOT UTTERLY CONSUME THEM NOR FORSAKE THEM FOR THOU ART A GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL GOD” (Nehemiah 9:30-31).

God’s love for you does not give you permission to live a life that you want to live. When you truly know that God loves you, His love for you will push you into living the best life possible to show Him just how much you love HIM. LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS. No matter what you have done, you need to know this truth that GOD STILL LOVES YOU. Receive God’s love today and Be Blessed.

By Erick Young

Thought for Today: LET’S SEE

Every time the world, your flesh, or the devil comes at you, oftentimes they are not coming after your faith in God. God has healed you or your loved ones from a sickness that could not be healed. God has made a way out of no way in a certain matter in your life. God has provided for you when nothing or no one else could.  God has granted you His peace in the storms, He has shown you His grace and mercy in your failures in life. And so, every now and then the enemy will switch up his strategy and not attack your faith in God, knowing that you have already experienced God for yourself. You know in your heart that God is who He says He is, and that God will do what He said He would do. 

You may be asking, “If the enemy is not attacking my faith in God, Pastor Erick, then what is he attacking?” There are times in life where the world, your flesh, and the devil will begin to attack your INTEGRITY. As a child of God, you have to understand the truth of what Jesus was saying in John 17:16, “They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.”

I know this may sound crazy but as a child of God you need to grab ahold of this truth; YOU ARE NOT NORMAL. The word of God says, “Therefore if any man/woman be in Christ, he/she IS A NEW CREATURE; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” You see, the integrity of a person is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and moral uprightness. 

Your flesh will at times test your integrity, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that you would. Will you hold on to having strong moral principles and moral uprightness? Or will you give into your flesh?” (Galatians 5:17). This is testing your INTEGRITY in Christ. 

The world will present all that it has to offer you, to test TO SEE if you will keep your INTEGRITY IN CHRIST, or will you give into what the world says, what the world thinks, and what the world does? On many occasions the enemy is not attacking your faith in God, they are attacking your INTEGRITY. Are you really who you say you are in Christ?

The word of God says “Be ye Holy for I am Holy” (1 Peter 1:16). And the devil says LET’S SEE if you are who you say you are or if you are just like everybody else. The word of God says “But he/she that is joined unto the LORD IS ONE SPIRIT” (1 Corinthians 6:17). Are you going to hold on to God’s unchanging hand or will you let go of God’s hand and deal with the matter on your own? Are you really who you say you are in Christ? The enemy is not just testing your faith in God, they are testing your INTEGRITY IN CHRIST. 

The word of God says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path” (Proverbs 2:5-6). On many occasions the enemy is not after your faith in God, on many occasions the enemy attacks the INTEGRITY OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD. Are you who you say you are in Christ? The world, the flesh, and the devil are saying to you today LET’S SEE. 

Let’s see if you will hold on to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding when all hell breaks out in your life. LET’S SEE if the Lord is really your shepherd and you shall not want. LET’S SEE if you really believe the Lord is your provider. LET’S SEE if God is your healer. LET’S SEE if God is your help in a time of need. LET’S SEE if you will let God make a way out of no way. Sometimes the enemy will not attack your faith in God. On many occasions the enemy tests your INTEGRITY. Are you really who you say you are?

For it is written, “And the LORD said unto satan ‘hast thou considered my servant Job (put your name right here) that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth (honor and respect) God and escheweth evil? And still, he HOLDETH FAST HIS INTEGRITY, although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without a cause?’” (Job 2:3).

Sometimes the enemy will test your integrity, THEY WANT TO SEE if you are who you say you are in Christ. Hold on to God’s word and LET THEM SEE the power of Christ in you, the Hope of Glory.

Be Blessed

Thought for Today: They Can’t Take What God Gave You

Ever since you began to believe and understand that you are a child of God and that you have made the decision to do your best to live a life that is pleasing to God and receive all that God has for you, it seems like the world, your flesh, and especially the devil have been doing everything they can to take away all the things that you have learned that God has given you. 

You know that it is God’s will for you to be healthy and prosperous in mind, body, and soul. The word of God says “Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2:2). But every time you look up the enemy is attacking your finances, trying to bring on sickness, and doing things that cause your very soul to be weary. They are of the mindset that they are going to just TAKE WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN. 

God said, “I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will MAKE ALL THINE ENEMIES TURN THEIR BACKS UNTO THEE” (Exodus 23:27). But every time you wake up and get ready for your day the devil is right there at your doorstep, ready to cause you problems. The devil thinks that he can just TAKE WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU. 

Jesus said “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). And yet the world, your flesh, and the devil is doing everything it can to TAKE THE PEACE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU.  

The word of God says “Fear thou not for I AM with thee be not dismayed for I AM THY GOD, I (GOD) will strengthen thee yea I (God) will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). And yet your enemies are trying to take the help that God, Himself, said He would give you. 

You are a child of the living God, Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and savior, and the word of God says “And know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be FILLED WITH THE FULLNESS OF GOD” (Ephesians 3:19). All of whom God is dwells on the throne of your heart.  

I will say it again THEY (the world, your flesh, or the devil) CAN’T TAKE WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU. But you can give it away by reacting or responding how they want you to. The devil is a defeated foe. For the word of God says, “For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He (Jesus Christ) himself likewise took part of the same; that THROUGH DEATH HE (JESUS CHRIST) MIGHT DESTROY HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH THAT IS THE DEVIL. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Listen to me, when they come and bring all the lies, manipulation, and accusations at you, don’t give your peace away by reacting to what they say and do, KEEP YOUR PEACE by responding with the word of God, “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

When all hell breaks out and the enemy is coming at you from all directions, don’t just give up the life that God gave you by reacting to the situation at hand. Grab God’s word and say, “By this I know thou (oh God) favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me” (Psalm 41:11).

Religion teaches that when you are a child of God everything will be alright, but that goes against the word of God. Jesus, himself, said “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” (John 16:33).

I don’t know who I am talking to, but anything that God has given you no witch, no curse, no hex, no demon, no power, no principality, no religion, no man, and not even the devil can ever take away what God has given you. But you can give it away by reacting or responding according to your flesh or the world’s way of handling things or doing what the devil suggests you do. They did not give you life, and they can’t take the life that God has given you from you. 

For it is written, “The Spirit of God hath made me (this means you) and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life” (Job 33:4).

Don’t give away the life that God has for you by reacting to the things that they say or do, they are simply attempting to get you to give the life that God has given you away because they know they can’t take it from you. Keep your life by responding with God’s words instead of reacting to their words.

Thought for Today: Staying With God on Your Journey

God is doing amazing work in this journey we call life. Is everything perfect? NO. Do you have it all together? NO! Can you do better? YES, we all can. This life with God is a journey, and when you learn to live this journey one day at a time with God, you will begin to understand what Jesus said, “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. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away and come again unto you. If you loved me ye would rejoice because I said I go unto the Father; for my Father is greater than I”  (John 14:27).

You are on a journey, and on this journey, you have to know this one truth while you are on your way; God is conforming you into the image of Jesus. Now you may be asking “Pastor Erick, where am I going on this journey?” Hebrews 13:14-16 says, “For this world is not our home WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR EVERLASTING HOME IN HEAVEN. With Jesus’ help we will continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of His name. don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to HIM.” 

Each and every day you should have the mindset that you are going to live this journey called life WITH GOD. And as you live each day with God, the Holy Spirit of God will begin to conform (change) you into the image of Christ. For the word of God says, “For whom He (God, Himself) did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He (Jesus) might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29-30)

Listen to me, the reason why the world, your flesh (feelings and/or emotions), and especially the devil want you to think and or feel like you are on this journey called life by yourself is because when you truly grab ahold of this one truth, that while you are on this journey called life GOD IS WITH YOU.  No weapon formed against you will prosper (Isaiah 54:17). 

When you know that God is with you, “I (you) can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13) When you know that God is with you, Jesus said “ He/she that believeth on me the works that I (Jesus the Christ) do shall he/she do also and greater works than these shall he/she do because I go to the Father” (John 14:12).

When you know that God is with you on this journey called life, the words of Jesus come alive in your life on the journey, which says, “Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents, and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). The last thing that the enemy of your soul wants to hear come out of your mouth is EMMANUEL. For the word of God says in Matthew 1:23, “and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is GOD WITH US.”  

Too many of God’s children live their lives with the mindset that whenever something happens in their life, God has to come into that situation. God has to come to provide, protect, or guide them.  

As a child of God, you cannot go on this journey called life with the mindset that God has to come to you, especially when the enemy of your soul comes at you. For the word of God says, “Let your conversation (life) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for He said I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE NOR FORSAKE THEE. So that WE MAY BOLDLY SAY THE LORD IS MY HELPER AND I WILL NOT FEAR WHAT MAN SHALL DO UNTO ME” (Hebrews 13:5-6). And if God be for you, who can be against you? 

For it is written, “Then we departed from the river of Ahava (we started our journey) on the twelfth day of the first month to go unto Jerusalem (their home) AND THE HAND OF OUR GOD WAS UPON US (God was with us) AND HE DELIVERED US FROM THE HAND OF THE ENEMY AND OF SUCH AS LAY IN WAIT BY THE WAY” (Ezra 5:31). 

I don’t know who I am talking to, but the Spirit of the Lord says to you today “GET UP AND LIVE for I AM WITH YOU.” Do not go by what you feel, do not go by what you think, and do not live your life by what you see with your natural eyes. I AM WITH YOU on this journey called life. Live each day with the mindset that God is with you and watch the atmosphere around you shift. 

Be Blessed