“I WILL GUIDE THEM…I WILL NOT FORSAKE THEM.” ISAIAH 42:16 NIV

One day when he was skiing in Colorado, Peter Lord said he saw some people wearing red vests with the words BLIND SKIER. He thought, ‘I have a hard enough time skiing with two good eyes, how can they ski successfully with none?’ The answer was – they had a guide whose instructions they totally trusted and followed! As the guide skied beside them, he’d tap his ski poles together and assure them he was there. Then he’d say, ‘Go right! Turn left! Stop! Slow! Skier coming up on your right!’ What a picture. Life is like skiing downhill blind. We can’t see even 5 seconds into the future. We can’t see the struggles to come or all the other skiers who might run into us, or over us. And those fears are heightened when we recall how often we’ve been blindsided by people we trusted and circumstances we didn’t see coming. Humanly speaking it leaves the strongest of us feeling vulnerable. And that’s when we must place our confidence in the God who never changes and never fails. Here’s what He has to say to you today: ‘I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths. I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them’ (Isaiah 42:16 NIV). What is it that gets you through the unfamiliar places, the dark places and the rough places in life? God’s rock-solid promise: ‘I will guide [you]…I will not forsake [you].’ And His assurance is all you need!

‘God bought you with a high price. So…honor God with your body.’ 1 Corinthians 6:20 NLT

Respect your temple (1) At the resurrection, ‘Our earthly bodies…will be raised to live forever’ (1Corinthians 15:42 NLT), but in the meantime you must ‘honour God with your body’ by observing a few basic principles like: 1) Exercising regularly: Half of us who start exercise programmes abandon them within six months. The secret is to start slowly. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park the car and walk, play ball with the kids instead of watching TV. God designed your body to move, and strolling from the car to your desk every morning doesn’t cut it! Exercising thirty minutes 3-4 times a week reduces blood pressure and stress, and boosts your sense of well-being. 2) Eating right: Many of us eat for the wrong reasons, like fatigue, anger, and low self-esteem. Eat to live, don’t live to eat. Insufficient fruit, vegetables and fibre and too much fast food can wreak havoc with your health. Practice self-control. Remember, ‘Those who belong to Christ…have given up their old selfish feelings and…things they wanted to do’ (Galatians 5:24 NCV). 3) Getting enough sleep: Pastor Tony Jenkins consulted his doctor about his wife’s snoring. ‘Does it really bother you that much?’ he asked. ‘It’s not just me,’ Jenkins replied, ‘It’s bothering the whole congregation!’ Seriously, we live in a sleep-deprived society but most of us require 7-9 hours shut-eye. You can probably get by on less, but do you just want to ‘get by?’ The Psalmist said, ‘It is no use…to get up early and stay up late…The Lord gives sleep to those he loves’ (Psalm 127:2 NCV). So turn off the TV and the computer and turn in at a reasonable hour!

Is Your Name In The Book of Life?

‘GRACE WHEREIN WE STAND, AND…TRIBULATION [THAT] WORKETH PATIENCE.’ ROMANS 5:2-3

 We’re too impatient! If God doesn’t speak to us in the first five minutes of our prayer time we get up, shrug it off and decide ‘He isn’t talking today.’ Where’s the tenacity of our spiritual forefathers who would take hold of God in prayer and refuse to let go until they received ‘a sure word’ from Him? (See 2 Peter 1:19). There are two things you can count on as you walk with God: trouble that works for you and grace to stand while you’re going through it. Have you been praying for patience? Get ready for trouble! There’s no other way to get it. Patience grows in the soil of adversity. How do you test the strength of an anchor? Expose it to the fury of a storm. Understand this: some of the people you can’t stand right now are the very ones who’ll mature you! Our problem is – we pray for things but don’t recognise the answer when it comes. God has a purpose in all things, He also has a process. As you get to know Him better you begin to recognise both. Here’s how it works: you ask God for strength and He allows you to go through times of testing. You ask for wisdom and you get to deal with problems that require solutions. You ask for success and He gives you the ability to work – not necessarily harder, but smarter. You ask for favor and He gives you responsibility. Salvation is a gift, but patience is a reward for overcoming. So stay where God has you today and learn the lessons He wants to teach you; tomorrow you’ll be glad you did!

‘YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.’ JOHN 3:7 NIV

                     BE BORN AGAIN.’ JOHN 3:7 NIV

The Bible says 130 years after Adam first sinned, he was still fathering children ‘in his own likeness’ (Genesis 5:3 NIV). And as Adam’s descendants we have all been born with the nature of fallen man. Sometimes people say, ‘He’s just like his old man.’ Or we say, ‘My dad was an angry man, now I’ve got his temper!’ ‘My dad couldn’t stay with my mom, now I’m going through a divorce.’ ‘My dad was an alcoholic, now look at my drinking and drugging!’ ‘My dad was a workaholic, now I put in14 hours a day.’ ‘My dad wasn’t affectionate with us, now I don’t know how to be loving toward my children.’ History repeats itself over and over through our fallen nature. Here’s a fascinating example: ‘Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her’ (Genesis 20:2 NIV). Abraham was willing to sacrifice Sarah to save his own neck. What would you have done? Before you answer, notice that Isaac wasn’t even born when his father did this. Yet years later he did exactly the same thing in the same place (See Genesis 26:7). It’s genetic! It’s in our DNA. But there’s good news. When you receive Christ as your Savior He breaks that cycle. When you’re “born of the Spirit” you get a new Father and a new nature (See John 3:3-6). You don’t have to walk in the likeness of your earthly father any more; you can walk in the likeness of your Heavenly Father and become more like Him every day. Fed up with your old nature and ways? Ready for a new birth? Turn to Christ!

   Three reasons why you need Jesus...
1. Because you have a past.
You can't go back, but He can. The Bible says,” Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever"(Hebrew 13:8). He can walk into those places of sin and failure, wipe the slate clean and give you a new beginning.

2. Because you need a friend.
Jesus knows the worst about you, yet He believes the best. Why? Because He sees you not as you are, but as you will be when He gets through with you. What a friend!

3. Because He holds the future.
Who else are you going to trust? In His hands you are safe and secure today, tomorrow, and for eternity. His word says,” For I know the plans I have for  you...plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray I will listen"(Jeremiah 29 11-013TLB) If you'd like to begin a personal relationship with Jesus today, please pray this prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I invite you into my life. I believe you died for me and that your blood pays for my sins and provides me with the gift of eternal life. By faith I receive that gift and I acknowledge You as my Lord and Saviour. Amen".

Dear Lord Jesus, I give my life to you as my Lord and saviour so that my joy will be full. Lord Jesus, I dedicate my soul, spirit and body to you. I know you have delivered and saved me. Amen."

Did you pray this prayer? YES NO

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!
By praying to receive Christ as Savior, you have become a member of God’s family. He calls you His child! The Bible tells us the angels in heaven rejoice every single time someone accepts Christ and our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20).

The Bible in Ephesians 2:5 says "We are saved by grace through faith and not by works," and it is the promise of a relationship that lasts forever. This relationship grows as we learn more about God’s character and nature. God shows Himself to us through the Bible and we can talk to Him through prayer.

We want to help you get started. Please click the link below to begin learning more about our heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit, prayer and how to read the Bible.

www.LooktoJesus.com

Step: Be Sure
If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can be sure you are a Christian. You are not a Christian because you go to church, or because you do good things. The Bible says "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). Christ came to die for our sins, so that "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12 ).

If you have made this commitment and would like to make contact with us or if you do not feel ready to make this decision and would like further help from a local christian,please call

No one will contact you unless you specifically request it.

When you need someone to pray with you,or pray for you call,email or SMS (All are treated confidentially)



If you need serious prayers
deliveranceministriesllc@gmail.com

‘I GAVE HER TIME TO REPENT, BUT SHE WOULD NOT.’ REVELATION 2:21 NLT

God’s patience is amazing! In one of the most extraordinary examples of it, He gave Jezebel time to repent. When Ahab her wicked husband humbled himself, God healed and restored him. Humbling yourself before God will turn things around in your life when nothing else will work. James writes: ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up’ (James 4:10). Humble yourself – don’t wait for God to do it! The Bible says: ‘Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and punishes everyone he accepts as a son’ (Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV). Notice two important statements in this Scripture: (1) ‘Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline.’ A “nobody’s going to tell me what to do” attitude cost Jezebel dearly, and it will cost you too! (2) “Do not lose heart when He rebukes you.’ Don’t see God’s correction as rejection, see it as proof you’re His child and that He has great plans for you. Paul considered himself a bondservant to Christ. To be bonded means to be bound by certain obligations. In the Old Testament God marked His priests by putting blood on the lobe of their right ear, the thumb of their right hand, and the big toe of their right foot. So the word for you today is – your hearing, your talents, and your walk must honor God! As a bondservant to Christ you can’t ‘do your own thing;’ you’re called to walk according to His instructions. If you’re not – repent and get right with God!

‘I THANK MY GOD EVERY TIME I REMEMBER YOU.’ PHILIPPIANS 1:3 NIV

There’s a true story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor explained she had the same disease that he’d recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance of recovery was a transfusion from someone who’d conquered it, so the boy was an ideal donor. ‘Would you give your blood to Mary?’ the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated, his lower lip trembled, and then he smiled and said, ‘Sure, for my sister.’ Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room – Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met Johnny grinned. But as the nurse inserted the needle into his arm Johnny’s smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. With the ordeal almost over Johnny’s voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence. ‘Doctor, when do I die?’ Only then did the doctor realise why little Johnny had hesitated, why his lips trembled when he agreed to donate his blood. He thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief moment he had made his great decision. Who would give their life for you? Those are the people you want to invest your life in. Those are the ones you need to show your appreciation for – now, while you still can. They are irreplaceable! When they’re gone you’ll realise that. Some of the things you’re striving for now will seem empty then. Some of the things you’re upset over now will seem insignificant then. So squeeze the most out of every moment. Create memories you’ll treasure. Be wise; build your life around those who matter!

‘THE VISION IS…FOR AN APPOINTED TIME…THOUGH IT TARRY, WAIT FOR IT; BECAUSE IT WILL SURELY COME.’ HABAKKUK 2:3

God is a God of order; everything He does is by appointment. An appointment is simply a meeting or event that has already been set up. God has a scheduled time for bringing to pass two things in your life: His promises and His purpose. You can count on that! Whatever you’re going through today, there’s peace in knowing that nothing the enemy does will preempt these two things. The problem arises when we try to rush God’s timing. When the Lord gives you a promise it’s like a seed; it needs time to take root and bear fruit. Every mother knows the order – first the seed, then the pregnancy, then the development within the womb, and finally the day of delivery. And what does she do during this time? Prepare! She gets ready for the joys and responsibilities of parenthood for when her due date arrives that little one announces, ‘Ready or not, here I come!’ The Psalmist writes: ‘Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing’ (Psalm 37:34 TLB). You must learn the difference between what you can do and what God can do. Fools rush in. If you don’t want to risk delaying the fulfillment of God’s plan for your life, learn to wait. The prophet said, ‘The vision is…for an appointed time…though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come.’ Each time you get anxious and impatient remind yourself, ‘My life cannot end without certain things happening. God said it and He will bring it to pass!’

‘TROUBLE WILL NOT COME A SECOND TIME.’ NAHUM 1:9 NIV

Are you afraid your old problems are going to come back again? You told others how God answered your prayer, now the enemy’s trying to get back at you through the ‘spirit of fear’ (2 Timothy 1:7). Satan will try to bring back old issues hoping you’ll rehearse them, begin to worry about them, and end up being ‘trapped by what you said’ (Proverbs 6:2 NIV). Anyone who has been delivered by God has gone through it. Satan has no new tricks. When he counterattacks it often comes through your imagination. Before you know it, what you imagined yesterday you begin to believe today, and become fully convinced of tomorrow. That’s why the Bible instructs us to, ‘Cast down imaginations and take every thought captive’ (See 2 Corinthians 10:5). Take control of your thoughts before they take control of you! Jesus said, ‘According to your faith be it unto you’ (Matthew 9:29). That works negatively as well as positively! You defeat the devil by taking your sword (which is the Word of God) and cutting his head off with it! The Psalmist understood fear: ‘In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done’ (Psalm 118:5-6, 17 NIV). The prophet Habakkuk experienced it too: ‘I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound…yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The sovereign Lord is my strength’ (Habakkuk 3:16, 18-19 NIV). Rejoice, God says, ‘It’s over.’ ‘Trouble will not come a second time.’

When trouble comes...

‘IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE HE SHALL HIDE ME IN HIS PAVILION.’ PSALM 27:5

When trouble comes, do these three things: (1) Get alone with God! The Psalmist writes, ‘In the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion.’ The secret place in a king’s palace was called a ‘pavilion.’ There you were protected from the enemy. All hell could break loose around you but it didn’t matter, in the secret place there was peace. Are you allowing things to overwhelm you that really don’t make a difference? Are you upset over things that should be dismissed as trivialities? Get alone with God! (2) Refuse to live beyond help because you have an image to uphold. The Bible says those of us who are strong ought to bear the burdens of the weak. There are times when we need to do the lifting; and times when we ourselves need to be lifted. Jesus healed a woman who had been bowed down for 18 years and ‘Could in no way raise herself up’ (Luke 13:11 NKJV). Sometimes you need help because you can’t help yourself. David understood this so he turned to the men of Issachar because they ‘had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do’ (1 Chronicles 12:32 NKJV). God has provided help, reach for it! (3) Be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit for He will constantly remind you of God’s plan and show you how to carry it out. Jesus said, ‘The Holy Spirit…will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you’ (John 14:26 NKJV). What has the Lord said to you? Have you done it? Obedience is your doorway out of trouble. (See Psalm 143:10).

Jesus understands

‘…[JESUS] HAS BEEN TEMPTED IN ALL THINGS AS WE ARE…’ HEBREWS 4:15 NAS
Well-intentioned friends sometimes say, ‘I know how you feel.’ But deep down we think, ‘No, you really don’t.’ But Jesus does! He was ‘…tempted in all things as we are…’ so He can interpret and present our feelings to God. And He does. When you pray in Jesus’ name, pouring out your heart to God, Jesus acts as your attorney and says, ‘Father, I know what this person is feeling. I know what it’s like to be under pressure to sin. I stand with this child of Yours who needs Your help.’ You say, ‘But Jesus was without sin, so can He really feel my sin the way I feel it?’ Yes, He can. In fact, because of His purity He actually feels the pain of sin even more. Perhaps an illustration will help. In our everyday world we live with germs all around us, and even on us. Because we aren’t in a sterile environment we don’t notice these germs and we learn to live with them. But it’s an entirely different story in a hospital operating room. There, any contamination from germs is a real threat that demands the attention of the entire staff. So they sterilise everything because bacteria can kill the patient. The purity of the room demands close attention to the presence of even the slightest impurity that could lead to a life-threatening infection. So Jesus’ separateness from, and sensitivity to sin, actually increases His ability to sympathise with us. Bottom line: Jesus understands what you’re struggling with!

When you lose what you love

WHEN THEY WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF WEEPING…THEY WILL CONTINUE TO GROW STRONGER. PSALM 84:6-7 NLT

When you lose what you love you go through 5 stages: (1) Denial – ‘No, it can’t be happening.’ (2) Anger – ‘God, why are You permitting this?’ (3) Bargaining – ‘Please make it go away.’ (4) Depression – Silence and withdrawal. (5) Acceptance – ‘Not my will but Thine be done.’ Whether it’s the loss of a child, a marriage, a job, your health, etc. when you turn to God He’ll give you the grace to embrace it, grieve it, express it, release it, and go on to become stronger. Sometimes we seek quick relief by releasing it before we’ve gone through these stages. That’s because we fear the process. We’ve been taught that any show of emotion is a show of weakness, so we stuff it. But we only stuff it into our emotional garbage can, then spend all our time and energy sitting on the lid, trying to keep the contents from spilling out. ‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ (John 8:32 NKJV). It’s knowing and embracing the truth, including its painful aspects, that sets you free. You must be willing to forgive. But until you come to grips with the enormity of your loss, including any injustice of what was done to you, you are not ready to forgive. When you rush to forgive, you forgive only in part and you’re released only in part. Are you running from pain today? Are you trading it in prematurely for some other feeling? That’s not God’s way. Jesus said, ‘You will weep and mourn…but [eventually] your grief will turn to joy…and no one will take [it] away’ (John 16:20-22 NIV).

Jesus understands

‘…[JESUS] HAS BEEN TEMPTED IN ALL THINGS AS WE ARE…’ HEBREWS 4:15 NAS 
Well-intentioned friends sometimes say, ‘I know how you feel.’ But deep down we think, ‘No, you really don’t.’ But Jesus does! He was ‘…tempted in all things as we are…’ so He can interpret and present our feelings to God. And He does. When you pray in Jesus’ name, pouring out your heart to God, Jesus acts as your attorney and says, ‘Father, I know what this person is feeling. I know what it’s like to be under pressure to sin. I stand with this child of Yours who needs Your help.’ You say, ‘But Jesus was without sin, so can He really feel my sin the way I feel it?’ Yes, He can. In fact, because of His purity He actually feels the pain of sin even more. Perhaps an illustration will help. In our everyday world we live with germs all around us, and even on us. Because we aren’t in a sterile environment we don’t notice these germs and we learn to live with them. But it’s an entirely different story in a hospital operating room. There, any contamination from germs is a real threat that demands the attention of the entire staff. So they sterilise everything because bacteria can kill the patient. The purity of the room demands close attention to the presence of even the slightest impurity that could lead to a life-threatening infection. So Jesus’ separateness from, and sensitivity to sin, actually increases His ability to sympathise with us. Bottom line: Jesus understands what you’re struggling with!

Roots of rejection

ROOTED DEEP…AND FOUNDED SECURELY ON [GOD’S] LOVE. EPHESIANS 3:17 AMP 
Are you struggling with rejection? When your roots spring from the soil of rejection it’s like living in a house with a faulty foundation; every storm brings new problems. You can employ all kinds of tricks from people-pleasing to workaholism to make yourself feel better, but without a healthy root system nothing works. Flawed roots always produce flawed fruit. And your roots were diseased long before you started producing such fruit. What’s the answer? Being ‘Rooted deep…and founded securely on [God’s] love.’ God wants to pick you up, shake off the old soil and replant you securely in His love and acceptance. And He doesn’t just replant you, He ‘re-parents’ you. That means you no longer draw your self-worth from your family of origin. ‘Now are we the sons of God’ (1John 3:2). But remember, it’s a process. Strong roots require three things: (1) Time to develop. Becoming confident in your identity as God’s child is like breaking in new shoes. You must walk in them till they become comfortable. (2) Protection from predators and harsh elements that can kill. You need to surround yourself with people who ‘have obtained like precious faith’ (2 Peter 1:1). Christian fellowship is your protective shield! (3) Being fed and watered regularly. Once-a-week in church won’t cut it, you must learn to feed yourself regularly on God’s Word! The cure for rejection is – being able to see yourself as God sees you. It means announcing, ‘I am what God says I am, I have what God says I have, therefore I can do what God says I can do.’ So even if you didn’t get off to a great start, you can still have a great finish!

NO MORE WORRIES: TALITHACUMI!

 One of the most destructive tools of the devil is worry. He uses it subtly to weaken you gradually. Worry never adds anything good to anyone. Rather, it takes away every good thing that God has blessed you with. Philippians 4:4-7 vs 6 says: "Be anxious(be careful) for nothing..." The Amplified Bible puts it thus: "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything..." That is a divine command! It's not a suggestion! It's a commandment and it's time for you to begin to obey it day by day. "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything...because no matter how bad the case may be, IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO GOD and no matter how dead (HOPELESS) that situation seems, IT WOULD HEAR THE VOICE OF HE THAT Ordered: " Talitha cumi" (see MK 5:40-41) and it MUST LIVE AGAIN! Any closed door will hear "TALITH CUMI" and OPEN! Any closed womb will hear " TALITHACUMI" and open! And that is why WORRY IS A SIN! Instead of worrying yourself about that situation, you can go to the Word of God and find out what God has to say about that situation and begin to meditate on it. America artist and illustrator, Howard Christy Chandler, has a simple antidote to worry. "EVERY MORNING I SPEND FIFTEEN MINUTES FILLING MY MIND FULL OF GOD, AND SO THERE'S NO ROOM LEFT FOR WORRY THOUGHTS." Keep worry out of your life today daily! Every time the  thoughts of fear/anxiety come knocking on the door of your heart, do not answer. Always remember: "Be anxious (careful) for nothing"

Caring for the Poor and Needy

(Psalm 41:1)
***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, when we accept the Lord as our personal Savior and still sin, even though we don’t mean to, will we still be judged for those sins? This is very confusing to me and I know it is for others like me.

ANSWER: Christ paid the price on the cross for ALL of our sins. However, when we sin, we forfeit the peace, joy, and abundance we should enjoy, plus, whatever consequences there as a result of our sins. the Bible talks about crowns in Heaven. Little is known about those crowns and rewards, other than they will be for our faithfulness and obedience. We don’t lost our salvation, but we probably forfeit some crowns and rewards.

I want to encourage you someday to take about an hour, sit down with your Bible, and look at all the scriptures concerning care for the poor and needy. One thing I have learned to understand about God and the way He has divinely given us His word, is when you see the same issue talked about over and over, especially throughout the Bible from the Old to New Testament, God is trying to emphasize a point. He could not be clearer as to our responsibility to help the poor.

Now of course, this immediately brings to mind mental images of the homeless, those begging on corners for food, the ones who occupy the shelters at night. But I want you to focus today, not on those who are financially poor, but those who are spiritually poor.

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, He reached out to all segments of society. To those who had wealth and resources, He tried to focus them on their bankrupt spiritual life. Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” Today, I want you to be aware of the “poor” people you may come in contact with every day, not financially poor, but spiritually poor.

We have a responsibility to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, the hope and love of Christ with these people just as we would share a meal with someone who is hungry. It is not an option, but an obligation we have as followers of Christ to reach out to those who are hurting and need to know there are answers beyond the things of this world.

I am going to pray today that you take this challenge to heart and really focus, not just on the visibly poor you may see each day, but also those who may have much worldly riches, but be broke spiritually. You see, in those difficult times we all face in life, losing a loved one, moving, changing jobs, troubles at home, whatever the issue may be, money can rarely help. Only the strength, wisdom, and love of Christ can get us through those most difficult times in our life.

Open your eyes today and look at those around you who may need a spiritual handout today to make it!
I love you and care for you. Thanks you for all you do. I deeply care about you. Pray today about helping those who are spiritually poor in your life. Also,pray about standing with me today in support of our work here at Liveprayer.com as we feed the “poor” daily. It is no accident you are receiving the Daily Devotional each day, and no accident God is speaking to your heart right now. Listen and be obedient as we give each day to those who need His hope and love!!!

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller
Charles C Christopher
(C)opryright 2012, Live Prayer Church, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Each Day You Must Choose to Serve Sin or Serve God

(Judges 13:24, 14:3; 16:1, 16:21, 16:30)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, if the anti-Christ is alive today, does he know he’s the anti-Christ or will this not become apparent to him until later?

ANSWER: Great question. I honestly am not 100% certain, though, I have a feeling someone who has the incredible abilities to bring together a one-world government, a one-world-economy, and a one-world religion, may even feel they are inspired by God! Another thing, none of these things are possible simply thru brute force, so the anti-Christ will be an incredibly charismatic, incredibly intelligent, incredibly gifted person to bring together the world under one single banner. Of course, once in control, the evil of one human being controlling the world will become apparent. Very scary.

No matter how long you have been saved, no matter how greatly God is using your life, the fact is that we each wake up in the morning and face the choice of who we will serve that day. I have used the life of Samson in various opportunities that I have had over my years in the ministry when I was speaking to pastors or men’s groups. Samson’s life is very applicable for this message today in regard to the choice that you will make today, and every day, as to exactly WHO you will serve.

Samson was miraculously born to a mother who was unable to conceive a child. He was dedicated to God’s service even before he was conceived. While many may scoff at this, I have known many women who were unable to have children, but after much prayer and seeking God, their once barren womb brought forth life! Just in the short 60 months Liveprayer has been online, we have had 2 such births that I can recall off of the top of my head. Samson was dedicated to the Lord’s service, grew up being taught all about God, and the Bible says that the “Spirit of God” was upon his life.

One of the points that I want to stress, today, is that here was a man dedicated to God even before he was conceived, raised in the “church” of his day, and had a heart so close to God that the Bible even says God’s Spirit was upon him. DESPITE THIS, SAMSON, JUST LIKE YOU AND I, WOKE UP EVERY MORNING AND HAD TO MAKE CHOICES THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHO HE WOULD SERVE!

The Bible says that the devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy. If you have accepted Christ into your heart by faith, the Bible says that you are saved (John 3:16, Romans 10:10, Ephesians 2:8,9). However, even though the devil can’t have your eternal soul, he can destroy your life, steal the joy, peace, and abundance, Jesus promised those who followed Him would know during our brief journey here, and kill us literally.

Over the years I have known many great men and women of God who allowed sin in their life to consume them to the point of death. One dear brother got into the bondage of drug addiction and died from an overdose. One pastor I know looked to alcohol instead of the Lord in times of trouble and alcohol eventually destroyed his liver and he died much earlier than he should have because of it. One sister who did many great things for God allowed the enemy to throw her into a state of depression to the point that she took her own life.

SATAN IS NOT THE CLASS CLOWN, A CARTOON CHARACTER, SOME MISCHIEVOUS PARTY ANIMAL THAT LOVES TO HAVE FUN. SATAN IS A VERY REAL ENEMY WHO PLAYS FOR KEEPS AND IS OUT TO DESTROY THE LIFE OF THE CHILD OF GOD, STEAL ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT THIS LIFE CAN OFFER, AND LITERALLY HELP YOU MAKE CHOICES THAT WILL KILL YOU! HE IS NOT PLAYING GAMES!

As you read through the life of Samson, he chose to turn from God over and over. Samson knew how God felt about being unequally yoked with non-believers. Samson knew God’s plan for marriage. Samson knew God forbids sex outside of marriage. Yet, Samson’s weakness was women, women who did not know or honor the God of Israel. The enemy is persistent. He will tempt the child of God over and over and over until he finds the weakness in their life. Samson’s weakness was women.

Every day, just like you and me, Samson had to choose who he would serve that day. As much as the anointing of God was on his life, even though he served God in miraculous ways, even though God used him to bless many, IT WAS SAMSON WHO HAD TO MAKE THE CHOICE EVERY DAY WHO HE WOULD SERVE. Over and over, Samson chose sin over God. Over and over, God showed his love and grace to Samson and gave him chances to straighten his life out but Samson took God’s grace and mercy for granted, refused to turn from his sin, and it was his sin that ultimately destroyed his life, stole all of the blessings God had for him, and in the end, killed him.

Let me encourage you today. If you have chosen to serve sin, have allowed things to enter into your life that God does not approve of, TODAY is the day that you can stop. Is it that easy? NO WAY! It will be the hardest thing that you have ever done but if you take the first step, God will strengthen you and help you to turn away from sin and back to Him. THE CHOICE THAT YOU MAKE TODAY COULD LITERALLY SAVE YOUR LIFE! BUT IT IS A CHOICE THAT YOU MUST MAKE. NOBODY CAN MAKE IT FOR YOU.

I love you and care for you so much. God loves you and cares for you even more. Every day, He gives you the choice to love Him and serve Him. Even those who have loved Him and served Him for many years, STILL, must make that choice each day. I pray today that you learn from Samson’s life and choose God. Every day, I get hundreds of emails from all over the world from people saying that what I write is intolerant, it isn’t for “today,” that there is nothing wrong with doing what we want.

They simply don’t understand that God loves us SO MUCH that He sent His Word to encourage us and guide us along our journey here. How He shows us to live our life is not to keep us from enjoying our life but to know the peace, joy, and abundance that this life can offer. However, He loves us enough to give us the free will to choose each day, whether we will serve Him or not. That is a choice that I will make today, and it is a choice that YOU will make today. My prayer for you is that you will choose to serve God.

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,

(1 Timothy 6:12)

(1 Timothy 6:12)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, my sister and I were talking about that papyrus found that mentions Jesus might have a wife and I said if he was married, it would have been written in the Bible. She said, King James and possibly others before him, took out some of the books he considered “unacceptable.”

ANSWER: First, you are 100% CORRECT. Jesus was NOT married, and did NOT have children or it would have been in the Bible. If this papyrus is even legit, it was probably from one of the SCORES of “books” written but deemed not inspired and inerrant prior to the complete canon of 66 books we recognize today as the Bible in 90ad, or after. Just like today, many “books” were written that were theologically, historically, archeologically, scientifically inaccurate and not accepted as Scripture. Just like today, there were many “cults” that took pieces of Biblical Christianity but added their own “Scriptures.” If it is not in the Bible, it is not true!

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12

When is it time to fight? I don’t know too many people who really enjoy a fight. Fighting is something most children do as they grow up, mostly with their siblings. I vividly remember growing up, the oldest of 3 boys, constantly fighting with my little brothers. I started to play sports at 5, and remember many fights with my friends I grew up with over a backyard game of football that at the movement was more important than the Super Bowl. Fortunately as I got older, I realized that fighting really doesn’t solve whatever the problem is, and in most cases only makes it worse. Sitting down and working out whatever differences there were was a much better way to handle problems. However, it takes 2 parties who are motivated to work things out for problems to be resolved peacefully. Sadly, there are times in life when that isn’t possible and you are left with no other option but to fight.

That of course begs the question, what is worth fighting for? Our life. Our family. Our country. Our faith. Today, I want to hone in on fighting for our faith. I often get much encouragement and inspiration from reading about Paul’s life. As you read thru the New Testament, especially the Book of Acts, it is incredible how this man fought for the faith. I am challenged by all Paul personally endured as he fought for the faith. He literally gave his entire life from the moment he met Jesus on the Damascus Road until his work was finished and he was executed for following Jesus Christ. Between those two events, we see one of the greatest examples of fighting for our faith there ever was or will be.

You see my friend, this world that lives in open rebellion to God, His Truth, and Jesus Christ, does not want to be reminded of their sins nor told that when they die they will spend eternity in hell for those sins. Man began to rebel against God his Creator from the very beginning and nothing has changed over these past 6,000 years of human history. The very existence of the children of Israel, God’s chosen people, was often in jeopardy by those heathen peoples groups who lived in open rebellion to the one true God. God sent Jesus as the Savior for mankind, yet he was not only rejected by the world, but by His own people. For the past 2,000 years, the Christian faith has been under attack by those who rejected Christ, from the Roman emperors in the early days of the church to the governments of this world today.

THE CHRISTIAN FAITH HAS ONLY SURVIVED BECAUSE OF THOSE WHO WERE COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO FIGHT FOR IT!!!

I contend that one of the main reasons the Christian faith is so weak and ineffective in our world today, especially in the United States, is that people have never really learned how to fight for their faith. We were born in a blessed and unique place and time of human history, a nation founded on its belief in the God of the Bible, the Truth of His Word, and faith in Jesus Christ. For the better part of the 236 years this nation has existed, it was clearly a Christian nation. It really wasn’t necessary to fight for the faith as so many of our brothers and sisters around the world over these past 2000 years have had to. However, over these past 40 years, we have become like the children of Israel. We have turned from God to the false gods and idols of the world. We have fallen into gross sin and debauchery. We are now living in open rebellion to God, His Truth, and Jesus Christ. While this has been happening before our very eyes, Christians who never had to fight for their faith before have sat back and done virtually nothing.

Despite growing up in the church and making a commitment to Christ at age 12, I spent the decade of my 20s like Saul, persecuting God’s church. I wasn’t involved in killing Christians or trying to destroy the church, but in living my life for the temporal pleasures of the flesh and this world, in rebellion to the Bible and Christ, I was doing my part to contribute to the destruction of the faith. I thank God every day that 20 years ago I had my encounter with Jesus in the cell of a Federal Prison. It was at that moment I dedicated the rest of my life to the Lord and began to fight for the faith, a fight I will be engaged in until my work here is finished and God calls me home.

I realized quickly that the real fight for our faith was taking place in the marketplace. It was clear very quickly why the lost world we live in was winning and we were losing, we had abandoned the marketplace many years ago and retreated behind the four walls of the church to safety. We literally left the marketplace to the scavengers of satan. We are responsible for abortion on demand. We are responsible for the mainstream acceptance of homosexuality and gross sexual perversion. We are responsible for the decimation of God’s Holy Institution of Marriage and the family. It is easy for us to blame satan, but the reality is we abandoned the marketplace and left it to satan to have his way.

Let me share with you something I have learned over these past 20 years of fighting for the faith. If I wake up tomorrow and decide I am simply tired of fighting, I’ve done my part for 2 decades now let someone else do it, the world will keep spinning. People will be born and people will die. In the end, God’s plan will unfold. This is about me being faithful to what God has called me to do. You see, I have no other choice. I’ve given my life to Him. God has raised me up in these last days to fight for the faith. When I take my last breath it is not some man I will stand before, but God Himself. He is the one who I will answer to and who will judge me. I will keep fighting for the faith until my work here is over because I have committed my life to serving the Lord.

What keeps me going is the changed lives I see each and every day. People who come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. People who God touches in a miraculous way. Every day I watch the hand of God working in people’s lives all over this world. I also never forget that God never gave up on me. It would have been easy for Him to write me off and let me live a life of rebellion, but He loved me enough to reach out to me and let me know He had a better plan for my life. He has given me a peace and joy that words can’t describe, and despite the battles, the weariness, He has given me a life of abundance I could have never imagine. Not the temporal abundance of this world, but the true abundance of the eternal things of God. That is why I get up each day, put on the armor, and fight for the faith!

I love you and care about you so much. Liveprayer is in a very real fight for our continued existence. After 13 years, satan knows the only way to silence our voice is by blocking our finances, to literally destroy God’s work here by keeping us from being able to freely minister to people around the world each day through the Daily Devotional and by TV. We have come to a place where we either do nothing and allow our work to die, or we fight and encourage those who can help us save to souls and help turn this nation back to God and HIS Truth!

We have become a huge target for satan over the years because there is nobody on the internet communicating with the vast numbers of people we do around the world on a daily basis. Also, because of the firm Biblical stand I take on the issues of the day, we have made an incredible number of enemies who would love to see Liveprayer wiped off the Internet. We have faced many challenges over the years, but this is the most serious effort ever mounted to try and destroy Liveprayer. I know the future of this ministry will be determined in the coming weeks, as we seek to make it to January when we have the opportunity to debut a 24/7 “LIVE” prayer channel on TV, also accessible to people worldwide via their wireless device. That is why I am confident that God will see us through and we will prevail with your prayers and help.

I will be praying for you as well. I pray that as you have watched me take my stand for our faith each and every day these past 13 years, to boldly and without fear go into the marketplace and fight for the faith, it will inspire you as well. Everyone who prays, everyone who sacrifices to give, is fighting for the faith with me. That is why Liveprayer, with no money other than what people give each month, has been around 13 years and has impacted tens of millions of lives around the world for Christ, seeing over 600,000 souls we know of come to faith in Jesus!

GOD HAS HONORED OUR SACRIFICE FOR HIM! Let me encourage you today to rise up and fight for the faith where you live. There is a world around you that is lost, hurting, and souls dying every day and going to hell. There is nothing more precious you will ever fight for since Christ is the only hope for this world and each person. In the end, when your life is over, God will honor you as you hear those words, “Well done thou good and faithful servant!”

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller and Charles C Christopher

When We Pray and Nothing Happens (Luke 18:1-8)

(Luke 18:1-8)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, some people think God chose who he was going to be saved even before they were born. I tend to think He just knew who was going to follow him and who wasn’t. What is your opinion?

ANSWER: It is the age old debate about “election.” God in His omniscience knew before the foundations of the earth was formed who would accept Him and who would reject Him. Having said that, despite His knowledge, man has the free will to accept or reject Christ and God DOES NOT interfere with that free will choice, meaning each person is responsible for what they do with Jesus. Otherwise, there would be no need for preaching the Gospel, there would be no point in evangelizing, and all of the commandments regarding telling others (Romans 10) would be meaningless.

One of the greatest tests of our faith is when we pray about an issue and NOTHING happens. We pray some more, and still nothing happens. We pray until we simply can’t pray any longer. Let me say up front, there are some schools of thought that praying for something more than once shows a lack of faith. I disagree with that conclusion, since we have passages like today’s scripture that show us persistent prayer is encouraged. There is no RIGHT formula for prayer. It is not magic or some sort of mystical formula.

GOD IS NOT OUR PERSONAL GENIE IN A BOTTLE WHO IS SIMPLY WAITING TO RESPOND TO OUR WISHES!!!

The fact is, prayer is simply a conversation we have with our heavenly Father. It is like talking to our best friend, which He is. When we have a close relationship with someone, we may ask them to do something for us and it is done. We might only ask once, and it gets done.

There are some things, especially when it comes to husbands and wives, or children, that we have to ask 5, 10, 20, even 100 times to get it done. We have all been there I am sure. So it is with our relationship with God. We may share a need with God, and almost immediately it is taken care of. However, there may be some issues we pray about over, and over, and over for a long period of time before it is taken care of.

But, there are also some issues that we pray about for long periods of time that are NEVER resolved. It is at these times that we must allow our faith to become real and trust God. While the Bible clearly tells us to ask God for the desires of our heart, and we SHOULD do that, we must always pray with the heart. Jesus did. He said, “YET not my will, but thy will be done.”

Jesus understood that His life was totally surrendered to God. It was God’s life to use as He saw fit. God’s plans may not always be our plans. It is at those times we MUST set aside our desires for His. As we grow spiritually, we actually come to the place Jesus was, when we understand each day that our life belongs totally to God and our desires must be His desires. Hear this one more time.

OUR DESIRES MUST BECOME HIS DESIRES!

I love you and care about you so much. I will be praying for you today, praying that when you have to, you are like the widow and are not afraid to remind God over and over of the great needs that you have in your life. There is nothing wrong with reminding God.

I will also pray that you come to the place in your walk with the Lord where you can say, “Lord, not my will, but Thy will be done,” that place where we trust God enough to not worry when He s “silent”, but have a peace that what God wants is what we want. After all, God’s plans are ALWAYS better than our plans. While our plans don’t always work out the way we expect, God’s plans ALWAYS work out perfectly.

The fact is, God is NEVER silent and NEVER ignoring our prayers. He is simply waiting for His perfect timing to show you the right plan to meet your needs.

***AUGUST FINANCIAL UPDATE: With just 8 days left this month, we are still $9,000 short of covering our shortfall from July. This has never happened in the 13 years of Liveprayer. I am seeking the Lord today that everyone in the Liveprayer family who is able, will send the most generous gift they can so that by the end of today we can cover July’s shortfall and begin working on the $40,000 we need for our August operations as we celebrate 13 yrs of Liveprayer. That $9,000 shortfall is several weeks past due, and $12,000 of our August operations are now weeks past due. I am asking for 7 people who can make a special one-time gift of $3,000 to help me today so we can get our past due obligations caught up.
Each month for 155 months now, God has used the faithfulness of those in the Liveprayer family to help us cover what we need to operate for one more month. Each sacrificing what they are led and able to give to help us meet our needs. MOST EVERYONE CAN SEND SOMETHING. LET ME CHALLENGE YOU TO GIVE A GIFT OF $13, $130, $1300, OR FOR SOME, $13,000. THAT IS $1, $10, $100, OR $1,000 FOR EACH YEAR OF SERVICE. GOD WILL MULTIPLY YOUR GIFT EXPONENTIALLY IN THE LIVES AND SOULS OF THOSE WE REACH WITH HIS TRUTH AND THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

TO GIVE A GIFT TO THE BIBLE, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: www.thebiblehomepage.blogspot.com under the “Donation” link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: ccc4jesus@gmail.com,or you can mail your gift to: The Bible
,
In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
CHARLES C Christopher and Bill

The Mark of the Beast Exists Today

(Revelation 13:16)

“He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead.” Revelation 13:16
Over the years, I have written many times on the fact that we are in the “last days” according to the Bible. All you have to do is read the words of Jesus in Matthew Chapter 24, the words of Paul in 2 Timothy Chapter 3, and the words of Peter in 2 Peter Chapter 3, to see that what they describe as the conditions in the “last days” clearly exist today. Of course no man knows the exact date or time Christ will return, only God knows that, but based on the signs the Bible says will mark the “last days,” it is clear His return is imminent.
Let me explain to you how close we are. Ten ago, I was laughed at when I shared with you about a company called Mondex. Mondex (the word is a combination of the word MONETARY=money and DEXTER=belonging to the right hand) is a company that is providing a cashless system through microchip technology to over 20 major nations at this very moment. The system is based on SMART CARD technology which employs a microchip concealed in a plastic card that stores electronic cash, identification, and other information. 51% of MONDEX is owned by MasterCard.

The microchips for the SMART CARD are made by Motorola. They can produce 1 billion microchips per year and have been in production for over a year now. However, MONDEX has already determined that the SMART CARD has problems such as theft and fraud. The only solution is a biochip that can be implanted in humans. Motorola has developed several human implantable biochips. These biochips are the size of a grain of rice and measure 7 mm long and .075 mm wide. They contain a transponder (a system of storage for reading information in microchips) and a rechargeable lithium battery that is charged by a thermocouple circuit that produces voltage from the fluctuations in body temperature.

Motorola spent over 1.5 million to determine the best place to insert this chip in the human body and came up with only two suitable places…the forehead just under the hairline, and the back of the hand, specifically the RIGHT HAND! Why is this important? Revelation 13:16 says, “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead.”
Just recently, a hair-thin electronic patch that adheres to the skin like a temporary tattoo has been developed, that could transform medical sensing, computer gaming, and even spy operations, according to a US study. The micro-electronics technology, called an epidermal electronic system (EES), was developed by an international team of researchers from the United States, China and Singapore, and is described in the Journal of Science.

With these recent developments it begs the question if it is really possible for there to be a one-world government, economy, and religion as the Bible speaks of? When I was going through my formal theological training 20 years ago, I have to admit that I really never saw the probability of some of the things spoken of in the Book of Revelation happening in my lifetime. I thought it was impossible in the world as we knew it in the 90s to ever see a one-world government, or economy, or religion. There were just too many factors that made that type of scenario impossible. Fast forward to the year 2012, and we now live in a world that is ripe for the emergence of a one-world government, economy, and religion.

We have already been living in a global economy for several decades now. China has recently been pushing for a new world currency to replace the dollar. With the weakness of the Euro, the declining value of the dollar, discussion of a new one-world currency takes on a new significance. There is no doubt that due to the economic crisis across the globe, the advent of a one-world currency and economic system could happen rather quickly. Economists will proffer the new one-world currency and economic system as the answer to the current economic crisis that is affecting all of the nations of the world.

A one-world government could easily fall into place as well. With the UN and other organizations involving numerous nations, with the European Union, the reality of a North American Union involving the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the ability to pull together the various governments around the world becomes a much easier task. Once again, the political philosophies of President Obama, make the United States a ripe candidate for these type of alliances that could easily evolve into a one-world government.

Also ripe like never before, is the reality of a one-world religion. With much of the world void of any faith, with the better percentage of two full generations in the United States having never even been to church, there is a great spiritual void in the world that could be easily filled by a one-world religion. Many of the New Age teachings have that type of universal appeal. People, still hunger to fill that spiritual void only being reconnected to God their Creator through faith in Jesus Christ can fill, so the emergence of a one-world religion is more likely today than ever before in human history.

I love you and care about you so much. My purpose today is not to get into a deep discussion of eschatology, or end time events. I am very aware of the many different teachings on end time events. I’ll let others argue the details and intricacies of the last days. My personal thoughts on these end time events is that so much is subjective, so much is not crystal clear from Scripture, that while it is interesting and fun to study, I don’t get too wrapped up or dogmatic about the order of the events, who will be who, and all of the details many get into.

The key is the Jesus is coming back as He promised, the world will ultimately be judged as God unleashes His wrath upon His fallen creation, those who know Jesus as their Savior by faith will be forever in Heaven, and that in the end, God wins!!! The key for you today is that the one-world government, economy, and religion spoken of in the Bible is more of a reality today than ever before. Time is very short and Jesus is coming at any moment.

This is why I am so passionate about the last work God has called me to perform here at Liveprayer, and that is to help lead this nation back to God and to Biblical Truth while we still have that chance. While we minister to the needs of people around the world each day, bring God’s Truth into the marketplace, and lead lost souls to faith in Jesus Christ, leading the United States back to God and to His Truth is the only hope we have to redeem this rebellious nation.

We no longer have the luxury of sitting back in apathy and hoping things will change. Things will only change is we actively initiate the change. We have the power of God with us. We have the Truth of His Word to gudies us. We either sit back and watch our nation continue to sink into the spiritual abyss and lost forever, or we take our stand now and lead this spiritual revolution since the only answer and the only hope we have of escaping God’s continued wrath and judgment is to turn back to our Creator and to Biblical Truth. There is no time left, we must act now!!!

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Charles C. Christopher
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