When People AskJim E. Gray Sr.

I count it an honor to talk with anyone about Gods word and His son Jesus. This week I have had the occasion to do so.

I start by saying the only way I can explain any part of life and its troubles are with the word of God. Because I found that

any other instructions except the word of God only leads to more trouble.

But on the other hand, when we adjust our lives to the word of God, life begins to get better day by day. The everyday problems of life seem to not be such a problem after all. You see, God’s word isn’t something you can try and see if works and if you like it or not. It’s not something you can't fake, or pretend. All those who do try to are easily spotted. Number one, they don’t have the fruits of the Holy Spirit. And they are still fighting with life.

When we accept Jesus’ work in our lives and receive forgiveness for all out sins and receive salvation. Although it is a free gift, we do have a part to play in it. We are to

turn from our sins and study Gods word seeking His Kingdom first and His righteousness. We don’t just sit and wait for Jesus to return to begin living in His Kingdom. If we put God first in everything study His word and seek to live by His Righteousness we begin to live in His kingdom now and forever more. That’s right you can live in the Kingdom of God right here on earth, it is real yet spiritual. We are spirits living in a human body for now. One day we will put off this human body, yet our spirits, our real being is still alive even more so than before in the human body. But living in God's Kingdom begins here. It is available now to those who seek it and His Righteousness.

But before any of this happens you must first believe in God. You must decide to trust in His word and accept His Son as your Lord and Savior. God is faithful, but if you don’t believe you will never know it until judgment day. That would not be good because it will be too late then.

What do you have to lose, other than forgiveness of your sins, a God who hears your prayers and answers them, the burdens of everyday life, and all your worries?

If you believe you are living right for God and you still have troubles worrying you and can’t get victory over them, you’re doing something wrong. You need to step back and double check your walk with God.

Yes, troubles still come, but through Gods word, we have peace and victory over them. Most of the time it is because, we don’t put God first, we want things to happen our way. But understand this; Gods ways are much better than our ways. When we put all our trust and faith in God’s word and do it His way life is full of victory and peace.

I could tell you to stop doing this and this and life would be better, but you would not hear me and life wouldn’t change much. I could tell you to live the way I do, but you couldn’t, because you can’t see my heart. But if you study Gods word and live according to what God shows you in your heart, you will succeed. God sees and

knows your heart; he sees all you do, even in the darkness. Nothing is hidden from God, so when we confess our sins to God He knows our heart and is righteous to forgive us of our sins.

Unhappiness comes from unforgiven sins. Give everything over to God and become happy in all things.

We tend to want to fix things in our lives that seem to be not right, but it’s not the things that are wrong, it is that we are not right with God.

Without God, all happiness is just temporal for the evil one will come and take it away. But the happiness that comes from living for God is eternal and no one can steal it away. Anything you give up for God will be

rewarded ten times over and more. You will never lose with God.

I ask God every morning to help me be a witness for His Kingdom, to give me a word to share with others, just the right word to touch the heart of someone that they would call out to God for help and see His mighty hand move in their behalf.

So I believe someone needed this word from God to meet there need today. May God bless all who reads this.

A thorn in the flesh

By Jim E. Gray Sr.

All of us have thorns in our flesh of some kind, but let us not confuse it with Paul’s thorn. A few times as I have asked for prayer concerning a sickness I may have had, some have replied to me in this manner. Well, you know Paul, prayed for

God to heal him, but God told Paul, His Grace was sufficient.

To this I say, not boasting in myself, but with prayers and reading the word of God. It is plain to see, In II CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 12, Paul is not, nor is God, speaking of a sickness. Paul is speaking of a thorn in his flesh, a buffer to keep him from exalting himself even though he has reason to be exalted.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Paul says, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

In verse 6, we see him say less, others think of him more than they see him to be. And in verse 7, he says, lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations. God had shown Paul many things that mortal men cannot even speak of. I think that would make any one person feel exalted and want to boast in themselves. But Paul prayed to take that from him, but God said my Grace is sufficient. From that, I can see that the satin would be whispering to Paul that he has the right to boast in himself because God has shown him many things that others do not know or have seen. But Paul asks God to remove that from Him because he is tempted.

God says in, James 1:13 (KJV) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted he any man:

I say, sickness is evil, if sickness came from God then why would Jesus come healing all who came to Him that was sick? God wants you to be healed and to prosper. Jesus said He came to do His Fathers will. He took away the sins of the world and healed all who came to Him. He drove out demons, cleanse lepers. That’s right; He healed those who could not be healed.

So don’t let man or demons, tell you, God wants to heal you. Yes, go to the doctor, God does work through doctors. But when

doctors reach their limit, God’s amazing Grace will abound.

When we are born, we are like little sponges. We soak up all the knowledge we can hear and learn. Trouble is we hear things we should not soak up. So it was in The Garden of Eden. We should not have had the knowledge Adam and Eve got from the forbidden fruit. But now we have soaked it up, and that knowledge battles within us, with the truth of God which is in us. Now we have to choose which knowledge we will believe in.

Once we have hard something or learned something we can’t un-hear it or un-learn it. But we can choose not to give it any value or place in our life.

Satin would have us believe we have no choice. But God said we have a free will; we can choose what to believe and who we will follow.

God is not pushy. God will not push His will on you. But because God loves you He tells you the truth so you can choose. Yes, He wants you to choose Him and His way. Why? Because He loves you!

You don’t see satin telling you you’re free to choose. All you hear from him is, go ahead do what you like, it’s your life. You have the right to do anything. No one matters but you and your happiness. Satin will never tell you to love another person or help them, or even feel sorry for them. All he does is divide race against race, men

against women, people against people, and countries against countries.

But if you are willing to submit all to Jesus, Jesus will cover you in every situation. He will heal you, forgive you, save you and make life good. Just choose to put God first in everything. His word says, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

To many Christian push people away by telling them you have to stop this and that or clean your act up and God will save you. Oh yea, and if you are a Christian you wouldn’t do this or that.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Every one sins. God forgave us while we were in sin, and covered all the sin we may

do. When we choose to ask God to save us and help us be more like Him. It is a work in progress, no one is perfect. I don’t believe you will ever find a Christian who does not sin. But if and when we do sin, God’s Grace will abound.

I love the book of Romans. But the 5th and 6th chapter gets me to shouting. To me, it shows how we have been redeemed from what Adam and Eve released into us. Jesus covered it all. If you want a blessing, read Romans 5 and 6.

So in closing, I will say this. God will meet your need. The more you believe God for the more God will supply. Too many of us limit God, just by not believing God will cover everything that concerns us. It

doesn’t matter what others believe or don’t believe. In your life, it only matters what you believe God will do for you. Don’t limit God. Remember in Luke 1:37 (KJV) God said,

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

God will meet you where ever you are, and if you ask, God will turn your life around for the good. Stop letting the lies of satin control your life. Let Jesus take control.

Proverbs 3:5-6 King James Version (KJV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Praise God…

Thank you for reading, and have a God blessed day.

Age and time

By Jim E. Gray Sr.

I’d like to tell you, about age and time.

Speaking in general, youth is deceiving; it makes you feel as though you will live forever. But for some reason, we tend to be in a hurry. In our youth, we wish we were 18, and then we wish we were 21, but by the time we are 25, we start to want things to slow down.

Live while life is in you. Enjoy your youth and the prime of life. The Bible says in James 4:14, whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeared for a little time and then vanished away.

I did not always respect life as I do today. I also did not live the way my Creator wanted me too. So let me say this, if you are a young adult, think about it. Just a

blink ago, you were a kid without a care in the world, and now your childhood is gone. In just another blink or two you will be up in age wondering where life went.

I am an old man now. It seems just yesterday I was a kid playing in my backyard. Now I am 70, wishing life would slow down. But I am blessed, because I had people praying for me, and God opened my eyes, and I chose to give what life I have left to Jesus who gave His life for me. Now when this mist of vapor goes away, it will go to be with my Savior forever. If I had not decided to give my life to God through His Son Jesus Christ, This vapor would spend eternity in torment for not trusting and believing in Jesus. Because God loved us so

much, He sent His Son, Jesus to purchase us out of sin. When God opened my eyes, it caused me to want everyone to know His love. I know you will not just believe me when I tell you Gods word is true. So I am doing what others did for me, I am praying for you. I may not know your name, but God does.

This world has nothing to give us that compares to what God has for us, here on earth and in the life to come. Yes, there is a life after this one, and all of us will spend it in one of two places. That’s Heaven or hell. That’s just the simple truth. To choose where we will spend eternity is done right here on earth. When we leave this world we will be judged, did we accept what God

offered or did we decide to let that decision be made for you. The Bible says, no man comes to Him except by Jesus His Son, The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. If you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and savior, you need to do it today, right now. Tomorrow is not promised. If you leave this world without know Jesus, you have no hope for eternity.

If all I got from trusting and living for Jesus was to get to go to Heaven with Him, that alone, would be worth it. But there is so much more. I can’t begin to tell you how much better life is. No, it didn’t take all my troubles away; it just showed me a different way of looking at them. When trouble comes my way now, I think of it this way,

God it way up high looking down on things. In a storm, He can see the sun is still shining above the storm, but we don’t see the sun, all we can see is storm and darkness. God sees past the storm and knows the sun will come out again. When we trust Him, He walks through the storm with us and if need be, He will carry us through. But because we trust Him we will always come through safe just as He promised.

So Gods word showed me how to let God work them out. It taught me not to worry about anything. God’s word taught me because I have Him, He has me. The world is a dreadful place without God. He cares about every little thing concerning me. As long as I allow Him to be my God, I have

nothing to worry about. I am blessed going in and coming out; no weapon formed against me shall prosper. You see greater is He that is in me, than he that is in this world. That is His word. I know these things because I chose to believe God and His word and I study it every day to remind me who I am and who my God is. My God does not lie. My God is, LOVE, TRUTH, LIFE and THE WAY. He is THE LIGHT who shines in me. Now it is my desire to let my light shine before men, that they may see my good works and glorify my Father which is in heaven.

My prayers are for you to see the light of God and that your understanding is opened,

and you accept Jesus. God loves you and so do I.

And He answered, it is written

Jesus was tempted just as we are. But each time He was tempted, He answered, It is written.

We need to study the Bible to show ourselves approved. We need to know what to reply to the evil one when we are tempted. Temptation comes in many ways.

Sickness is one of them. The answer to sickness is, it is written, by His stripes I am healed. Sometimes we are tempted to do things we know are wrong, but we know God will forgive us. The answer is it is written; you shall not tempt your Lord your God. Jesus shows us many temptations and the answer to the evil one. The Bible gives us the answer to every temptation that the evil one can use towards us. Study Gods word so you will be ready for the day of temptation.

The evil one is tricky and subtle sometimes. He may slip in as a bad day. Seem like you can’t do anything right. Or everything that comes out your mouth is taken wrong. As long as the evil one can trick you into believing it’s your fault, he will steal your joy and happiness. But when you know the word of God you can turn it all around. On John 15:11 it says, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full”. In chapter 15 of John Jesus is telling us of His love for us and the blessings we have by keeping His sayings alive in us. Use Gods word against the evil one and love one another.

Don’t let the negative in this world steal the word of God out of your heart and mouth. Speak Gods word over every situation and have victory in all situations.

As Christians, we need to stay vigilant because the world is watching us to see how we handle life’s problems. God’s word says in Matthew 5:13-14, [13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

So let us use God’s word to keep us free and well, so the whole world can see how great God’s word is.

We all have times when we don’t feel the way we should, we may not feel well or even saved, but praise God we don’t live by feelings, we live by faith in God word.

I just want to encourage each of you to stand firm on God’s word and your faith. It won’t be long and Jesus is coming back for us and we want to be found looking and waiting for Him. God is faithful, and God loves you. Stay strong in God’s word.

"Words"

Words are very important. Epically in the Bible, we need to focus on the words. In John 3:16 it says, 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.

The key word here is “believeth”. If you believe in Jesus you shall have everlasting life. If you believe in Jesus He will open His kingdom to you. In His kingdom, there is healing, peace, comfort, forgiveness, prosperity, long life, and much, much more, just because you believe.

Believing is a powerful thing. When you believe in something you put your trust in it. When you get into your car you believe when you turn the key the car will start. But it didn’t start just because you turned the key. It started because you made sure to keep oil in it, and kept it tuned up, you

did regular maintenance on it, so when you believe it is going to crank, it does.

If you don’t believe in something, that something will let you down every time.

When you believe on Jesus, you do your Homework, your maintenance. In other words, you studied Gods word, the Bible and learned about Jesus. Jesus will never let you down, He will never leave you.

People, who do not believe in Jesus, do not believe because they do not know Him. They do not know Him because they do not study His word. If they had studied Gods word seeking the truth, they would find the truth. Instead, some study the bible to find a way to disprove it. They will never know God unless someone is praying for them. I

have seen God’s Grace open the minds and hearts of those fight Him because someone was praying for them.

Once we have decided to believe in Jesus we do need to study His word daily. It keeps our eyes and heart on Him. Because the deceiver the devil is always looking to pull you away from God and His word because you see words of God made everything we know. So our words have power also. The devil knows this and wants us to speak his words not Gods words.

When we speak Gods words over our situations along with believing it will be as God said it will be.

I hear some people say I have faith to believe for small things, but I need great

faith for some of the things in my life. How so I get great faith? The bible says if you are faithful in a small thing, God will be faithful in the big things. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall be removed and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Faith requires believing, and both require studying Gods word. The more you read Gods word the more you will believe in God and the stronger your faith will become. When you learn to trust in God’s word, “His Son Jesus”, you will believe you can have what you ask for.

Jesus said in, John 14:10-16

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray, the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

So you see that small faith like a mustard seed is a great thing, for with it you can move mountains, you can speak Gods word over it and it will move. Everyone and everything is under God’s word. So believe in Jesus the Son of God who gave His life for you, and now sits on the right hand of God making intercession for you.

Think about it, when you have believed in Jesus, and ask Him to be your Lord, and to

forgive you of all sin, He is just to do so. Now, He sits next to the Father, God, saying Dad, I paid for him/her they belong to me, give them what they ask because they ask in My Name, they know me and I know them and love them.

I Saw The Light

By Jim E. Gray Sr.

What I am about to say, will seem foolish to many. But in 1 Corinthians 1:27 it says, But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

In our walk with God, we learn it is a continuous learning experience. So it is with my wife and I. It is our heart's desire to walk as close with God as we can. To do so takes a lot of studying Gods word along with faith and believing.

I know although we all read and study the Bible, God speaks to each of us in different ways. In ways we understand. God’s truth is always the same, yet God knows how to communicate with each of us.

My wife and I are dealing with some things in our life. It's just everyday things we all pray about and look to God for the right answer. We recently got an answer to a prayer, but it was not exactly the way we

wanted it to be answered. The answer we got shook us and disturbed us. It seems the evil one was trying to use what we had prayed for to make us doubt, and fear. This shows we need to be precise when we pray.

When something like this happens it makes your mind go all over the place. But my wife and I decided first to pray, and then to remain silent until God comforted our hearts with His answer.

So many times people start running off at the mouth, speaking negative words, before looking to God to see what is truly going on. Those negative words can destroy what you were looking for. Always try and remember, God is on your side, God loves

you as His child and wants to give you what you ask for, and God never lies.

People have lost their faith, or what they were calling faith, just because they misunderstood God's answer to their prayers. Then instead of asking God to show them the true answer, they walked away from God.

Let me say this, most of the time you have to be very quiet to hear God’s voice. You have to be very still, look and, listen with an open mind to Gods word. Then when God speaks, you will know it is God speaking directly to you so you will understand it is He that speaks.

This morning I was seeking God’s answers. I was quiet and still and listing. Mind you this

may be one of those foolish things that confound the wise. But as I lay on my bed meditating and listing for God. This light came through my covered windows (my bedroom windows are covered with blinds and dark curtains, very little light gets in.) But this morning about 10 o’clock, a light about the size of the tip of your little pinky shown on my wall in my bedroom, it was very bright, as though it was magnified. Now I know the scientific explanation is that the light hit my window at just the right angle to project that light on my wall as bright as it was. But this light got my action, and as I focused on it, I thought, way back when God created light this beam of light started traveling and through all the years it

traveled, today it shown on my wall flickering and shining as though God was trying to get my attention and saying, I hear you, and I’ve got this.

Now you can believe whatever you like. You can laugh at me and call me a fool. But I have peace, knowing I heard from God. And of all the ways He could have spoken to me, it was through a light. So I can truly say, “I saw the light.”

Thank you, Father God.

If the truth makes us free,

Why do we believe a lie?

John 8:32 (KJV)

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Unfortunately, the evil one has been around a lot longer than we have. He is called the deceiver because he came to deceive all that he can from believing God’s word. Down through time even our parents and their parents before they were deceived and taught a lie. Yet God’s word says the truth shall set you free.

God says in (Matthew 6:33, KJV). Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you”

What does it mean to seek His kingdom first? Most of us overlook that part and ask (all what things) Well the answer to all what things it all God’s promises. But let us

focus on the first part, seeking His kingdom first and His righteousness.

Most of us, even as Christians, believe the world first. Not that we seek what the world has for us, but we have come to believe that’s the way it is. But if we seek Gods kingdom first and His righteousness we will see what Gods word has to say about the world’s way.

As we get older we began to feel the pains of old age, or do we? The Bible, (God’s Word) says in Isaiah 40:31

31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. ~

God renews our strength every morning.

The evil one wants us to believe getting sick is normal. Yet Jesus said in Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes, we are healed.

Can you see the picture; Jesus is telling us He took our sickness, why do we take it back on us. Every day the evil one offers you a lie. He offers you sickness, ye Jesus said; by His stripes, we are healed.

You have a free will, no one can take that away, and God gave us that free will. Every

day we use that free will to choose what we will believe. What choices are you making?

In Mark 11:23 (KJV) it says,

23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

I know, you are thinking, but do I have that kind of faith? So I ask you, do you believe Jesus has saved you? Do you believe God’s word is true? If you answered yes, then you have that kind of faith. You know what else, That same faith that you believed in to be saved is bigger than a mustard seed. That faith stood up against the evil and said God is truth and the truth has set you free. That

faith said to the evil one, move out of my way I believe God’s word through His Son Christ Jesus, and that mountain moved out of your way just as God said it would.

The same goes for everyday life when the evil offers you what God has set you free of, you tell him to leave, move out of your way because you choose Gods way. No mountain can stand in your way when you are seeking Gods kingdom and His righteousness.

1 John 4:17 (KJV) says,

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Jesus does not have sickness, He took it away. Jesus does not have body pain, He does not have arthritis, and His joints do not hurt. Remember we are seeking His kingdom first and His righteousness. John is telling us we are like Jesus right now in this world. If Jesus does not have it then we don’t have to have it, here in this world.

God said we need to renew our minds by the washing of the word. In Romans 12:2 we see God tells us, be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

All of this is an ongoing process. We have to purposely seek to do God’s will in our

lives and that includes running the evil out of our daily lives with God’s word, knowing the truth of God.

As I said, our parents and their parents have accepted a lot of things as truth that is not. Just because through history we are told sickness is a part of life, does not make it true.

Too many of us take the short version of salvation when salvation is a way of life. Living and believing Gods word is a fulltime gift from God. Remember living for God is a choice. You have to choose to live for and believe in God and His word every moment of your life. There is no recess, we only rest in God. When we continually seek Gods kingdom and His righteousness we enter His

rest. So let us labor to do Gods will in our lives while we can. Making Jesus and our Father God well pleased with us, because we believe His word and His righteousness.

John 3:16 (KJV)

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.

Study His word and you will know what to believe and the truth will set you free.

JESUS is

The Name of JESUS is celebrated around the earth.

Herod could not kill Him.

Satan could not conquer Him.

Death could not destroy Him.

The grave could not hold Him.

Rome could not condemn Him.

The Pharisees could not silence Him.

Atheists cannot remove His name from History.

He is proclaimed of God.

He is acknowledged by Angels.

He is adored by Saints.

He is feared by demon spirits as the raining victorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

As the lion of the tribe of Juda,

His name is Jesus of Nazareth.

The Son of The Living God, He is Emanuel, God with us, the hope of Glory.

He is the light of the world.

He is the bread of life.

He is the way and the truth and the life.

He is the Rose of Sharon and the fairest of 10.000.

His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the prince of peace.

His Name is above all names.

He alone took away the sins of the world.

He is the only way to the Father God and eternal life in Heaven.

He has gone to prepare a place for us.

He is coming again to receive us unto Him.

If this was not true, He would have told you so.

STOP

If God is not in what you’re doing. Stop doing it.

If God is not in what you’re saying, stop saying it.

If God is not where you’re going, don’t go there.

Remember

As we grow in God’s word become more confident as out faith grows. Being confident in God’s word is good. But let us always look back and remember its God doing the work; we are just lining up with His word and putting our faith to work.

So many times in our victory’s we tend to think we did something more than just believe God and use our faith. We need to find that righteous line between what we do and what God does. We are called to be believers. We are to use our faith as a tool that believes God. Knowing God’s word is true and we can stand on it and believe for the answer God has already given us.

When we pray for healing we already know God wants us healed. We know Jesus said, by his stripes we are healed. We know that Jesus said, ask the Father in my name and He will give it to you. These promises are what we put our faith in and believe we have them.

Sometimes when we want things, we do the work that we think will get the things we want, even while believing God wants us to have them. We may be looking more to what we are doing and not trusting God as much as we should. When we put more importance in what we did and we don’t see the answer, we feel let down or that God didn’t answer our prayers.

Remember, we know Gods answer before we pray. So trust God, knowing it is God’s pleasure to give you what you ask for. God loves you and when you come to Him believing with faith in His word it pleases God. Remember when you use to ask your

Dad for something? If you knew you have pleased him, you know he gave you what

you ask for. Your Dad knew you were a responsible person. Well God knows when you’re a responsible person too. When God sees faith in His Son, His living word, it pleases Him.

So let us remember to strive to please God with our faith, and do the works to study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

REVELATION 12:11

The Blood of the Lamb, and Your Testimony

What has God done for you? Where is God in your life? REVELATION 12:11 says,

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,

and they loved not their lives unto the death.

What is your testimony? Is it about how God brought you through? Or is it about how the things of this world make you happy?

The Bible says in John 10:10, the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.

Is your testimony about how God always came to your rescue? Or how you have never seen God help you at all?

This world has been a battleground from the beginning of time. It is a battle for who

gets your soul. God sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to die for you. Who did the satan sent for you?

We are to fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 (KJV)

Jesus made available salvation, and victory over every situation in life, He took away sins of the world, for those who will come to Him. But we are to, as it says in Ephesians 6:11 (KJV) Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

We are at war; Jesus has given us the tools for victory, but we have to fight the

good fight. Without Jesus, you will lose not just your life, but your soul. You will be eternally separated from God, your creator.

As for me, I have chosen to trust in and believe in Jesus Christ. I have confessed and turned from my sins, which Christ has forgiven me of. I repent of all evil I allowed in my life. I chose to believe Gods word is true. I chose to seek His kingdom first and His righteousness. I chose to study His word every day and to walk in it. I chose to forgive those who have wronged me, and ask forgiveness of those I have wronged. I believe the Bible is the word of God, and every word is true. I will fight the good fight of faith. God will have the victory in my life.

That is my confession. What is yours?

(2 Peter 3:8-10 (KJV)

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the

earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.)

Running

By Jim E. Gray Sr.

Many of us have family members and friends running from God. Never give up, keep praying and loving them.

When we are running from God and others are praying for us, God will give us just enough rope to hang ourselves.

But just before it destroys us, God will cut the rope.

You see, until we are broken, we don’t see how much we need God. But when God allows us to be broken, our eyes are opened and our hearts are ready to receive from God.

Love never fails. God is love.

Seeking to love others as God loves us.

By Jim E. Gray Sr.

A side note. After spending the morning in prayer and writing this 11-page document, my phone rang and while trying to answer my phone I hit the wrong button and deleted my document. I was heartbroken.

But not willing to give up I prayed over it and ask God if there was a way please help me recover the document. After searching the web I found instruction to recover unsaved documents from Microsoft word 2010. Thank you, Father God.

I am a work in progress. I fall short in many areas of my Christian walk. I do pray and ask God for wisdom and Help.

For it is my desire to please God with my life.

Today I want to address the subject of “love”. The Bible tells us to love one another. It also tells us that God is love, and that He loved us so much, that He sent

His Son to die in our place so that we could be reunited to Him. I say that I love everyone. But I know I’m not alone, when I say, I find it hard to love some people. I have problems loving some politicians and some people because of their race. I guess I get that from the era I was raised in, it didn’t come from God. I find it hard to love those who try and harm me or my family, or my friends, or my country. I find it hard to love those who do not love God, or believe in Him. So I take all of this to God each day and ask God for wisdom, and insight, and help so that I can love others the way He tells us to do.

I heard a Pastor telling a true story of a 6 year old boy, standing in front of a pet

store. His nose was pressed against the window his eyes were riveted to a black and white spotted puppy jumping around in the display window. The boy went into the store told the owner he had 75 cents and he wanted to buy that black and white puppy jumping around. The owner said that puppy cost $75.00 son, then the little boys face fell, his shoulders slumped in absolute disappointment. Then the mother dog came trotting into the room with 4 or 5 little black puppies behind her. Then there was another puppy about 4 or 5 feet behind the very last puppy. That puppy was limping and dragging its back legs to keep up. The little boy pointed to that lame puppy and said I want that one. The store owner said

son, you don’t want that puppy because that puppy has been born without a hip socket. He will never be able to run with you, he will never be able to jump and do all the things that little puppies do with little boys that like to play. The little boy reaches down and pulled up his pant legs to his knees and he pointed to the heavy steel braces that were on both sides of his legs as a result of polio. The little boy pointed to his legs and said I need that puppy, because that puppy can understand me and I can understand that puppy. The little boy said, I’ll give you 75 cents now, and 75 cents every week until I can pay for him. He put the money on the counter picked up the injured puppy and walked out the door with

great joy, because he saw that puppy as a treasure. He saw that puppy through the eyes of love.

That’s how God sees us, and how God wants us to see others.

I really needed to hear that story, and as the pastor said, and until we can see others with the eyes of love we will never have true joy.

So, can we say, we know God, if we can’t love others? God loved us when we were still in sin. We are called to love as God loves us. So I’m looking at people in a different light now. I’m choosing to love others because I can remember when I was unlovable to others. God had no reason to

love me, yet He loved me even while I was in sin.

There are people in this world who do not deserve our love or Gods love. But because God loves us all, we should love each other. Overlook the bad, and sin you see in them and love the person God loves in them. Let God be there judge. We are not called to judge, we are called to love.

When God looked down at us, He saw the little puppy in us, lame and without love. We have all been without love from others in our lives. We have been made to feel unwanted, unneeded, and unloved. To our shame, many Christians are guilty of pushing people away from God because we

refuse to love as God has commanded us too.

I stop and think how can I even ask or expect God to even hear my prayer? When I can’t even do for others what He has done for me. How can I pray for healing, when I haven’t done as God has asked of me?

I praise God for the men and women who preach the true word of God. One of the Pastors I listen to, as he preaches the word of God, he is not afraid to walk all over your toes to help you stay in the way of God.

We need to remember when we were in the bottom of the pit, when we had lost all hope, and out of desperation we called out to God, “God if you are real”, please help me. God came to us and offered a way out.

Then when we accepted, He brought us out and made life good again. Knowing we would fall again, He helped us and loved us, and never gives up on us.

Do you remember when you had lost all hope? Do you remember when you didn’t know where to turn for help? Well that is where those who we find it hard to love are. They are reaching out with all they know for help, but because they don’t know the love of God, all they have is hate. So the strike back with hate.

God has given us the job of showing them love. The same kind of love, God has shown us. If we do our job, they may see how God has changed our lives and want God in their lives also. Even those who think they know

God but have forgotten to love the way God loves us.

Lord, I repent for not loving as I should. Help me in my everyday walk with you to love as you do. Help me to not look at the world with my eyes but to see everyone through your eyes.

I can’t speak for everyone. I can only speak for myself. If I can’t learn to love as God loves. How can I call myself a Christian? The word Christian means Christ like. If we have not love for others, we are not Christ like. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:2, If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.

I praise God for Paul and the insight he had and shared with us about the love of God. As for me I will work on my love for others, I hope and pray my words on love helps some of you. If I have had any harsh words or actions toward any of you I ask your forgiveness. I am working on me to be more Christ like. I also ask for your prayers for me in my struggle to love all mankind.

"Tears"

By Jim E. Gray Sr.

As I was growing up, my life was no different than any others. You have to decide where to take a stand and what you will allow in your life. I was a poor country boy and those who had more than we did look down on us. We wore clothes with

patches and only one pair of shoes. Not all but some. Then you had the bullies. You will either let the bullies run your life or stand up against them. I chose to take a stand, I didn’t like bullies.

So I lived my life trying to be a tough guy. I hang out with the tough guys. People said we were the bad guys. That was ok with me as long as no one messed with me. The trouble with being the bad, tough guy is, you start to believe it yourself. So it was with me.

I knew about God and I believed in God. I didn’t want to do anyone wrong or hurt anyone. But you see when you live on that side of the tracks, trouble comes looking for you.

I guess I got to where I didn’t listen to God as much as I should have. If I had listened to God I would have known the evil in this world was setting me up for a fall. I would have known the evil was out to steal my life.

Well, sure enough, that day came. Would you believe I was surprised and ask God what is going on? I said you know me better than that. God said, yes I do, but that is not what everyone else sees. If you want people to see me in you, you have to know me not just know of me.

So right then I told God, I want to be what you want me to be, no matter what. Now looking back on it I can see God walked every step with me, even carried me at

times. When I would run off the straight and narrow, God would help me back on the road. He didn’t take my troubles away, but He walked through them with me. You know as His word says, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. I promise, all of that is true, I have walked through that valley, and although at times I couldn’t see Him, He was always there. He would even bring His word to my remembrance. His wor5d comforted me because I had learned His word is true. God never lies.

Today I look back at how bad and though I thought I was and laugh. Back then I never

let anyone see me cry. Tough guys knew men didn’t cry. At least they never let anyone see their tears. I say I laughed because now it seems any time I think of God and what He has done in my life, or I’m telling someone else about God’s word and His greatness, I catch myself crying. It seems I went from never crying to crying all the time. Not tears of pain or regret, but tears of everlasting joy. Tears that washed my fears away, then there’s the tears I cry when I pray for others asking God to show them what He has shown me. So if you see me with tears, it because God opened my eyes and my heart. Those tears are a thank you to God and a prayer for everyone who

does not know God and has not trusted in His son Jesus.

Now I will tell you what a tough guy really is. It’s a person who will stand for God, tell others about Gods word. When you can stand against what the world has to offer and tell of the kingdom of God, you are tougher than any man in the world. You are a man of God. They don’t come any tougher than that. Tears included.

Thanks for reading, and may you be filled with tears of joy and thanksgiving.

Remember Psalm 34:19

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

"The blood of Jesus"

Jesus hung on the cross for us. He took all the sins of the world on Himself. As God looked down from Heaven and saw our sins on His Son, God turned His head away, for God could not look on sin, even on His Son.

The sky turned dark as the blood of Jesus ran down the cross onto the ground, His blood took all our sins away. We were washed clean white as snow, without a spot or blemish.

But in three days Jesus came out of the grave triumphant over death, hell and the grave. Yet in those three days, Jesus went to hell and defeated the devil and took the keys of death and hell, and set the captives free.

When Jesus rose from the grave many graves were opened. Many who had died were seen walking around, just as Jesus did. Then, they went to the Father. But when Jesus left He said He will return and the Angels said ye men of Galilee, why stand ye

gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Yes, Jesus is coming again. But He is only coming for those who believe in Him. The rest will have to go through the tribulation which will be like hell on earth. Then Jesus with all the armies of Heaven will return on white horse’s, we will be with Him and Jesus shall Conker the world. Then Jesus will set up the New Jerusalem and rain the earth in peace for a thousand years.

Then after all that some will not believe and choose evil over good.

I know it all seems hard to believe. But if you read the Bible looking for the truth you

will find it and it won’t be hard to believe at all. The Bible is true, and you will know that one day. I just hope it is before it is too late. Why not pick up the Bible and read it. Not to just read it but look for the truth in it. How will you know when you find truth? The truth sets you free. You may think you have happiness, but only the truth sets you free. Many try to cover their self-made prisons with faults happiness that only last for a while. But when you find the truth, and you are set free, you will find lasting happiness; unspeakable joy, your thirst will be quenched, your desires will change and your life will be better than you can even dream of.

It all begins by believing in Jesus the one who gave His life for you. Just call out His name, and He will help you understand His word and His kingdom. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. With Faith, you can move the world. So if you can move the world those little problems we come upon in life are no problem at all.

Give Jesus a chance, Give Jesus your life and He will give you His. His blood has already paid for you; why not accept His free gift.

If I offered you a million dollars free, no strings, I’m sure you would take it. Well, what Jesus is offering you is worth a lot more than that. Is your life so perfect that

you won’t even look into Gods word to find out?

We have all seen it

By Jim E. Gray Sr.

When I ask people do they know Jesus as their Lord, most of the time I hear I don’t want to be one of those hypocrites.

It’s a shame that some Christians talk one way and live another. The biggest shame is

the people we turn off to Christianity by not walking the Christian walk.

I can see why Jesus will say to some, depart from me I never knew you.

I believe we will have to answer to God for those we pushed away from God by our walk as unfaithful Christians.

Let me say this. If you are turned off by some people telling you about God, because of the way they live, don’t judge God by looking at people. God will judge us all, and God’s judgment is just.

If you will seek God on your own you will find the one and only true God. The God of the Bible, the God, who sent His only Son, to save you from sin, is real.

God is our creator, He knows everything about us. He seen satin corrupt us, lie to us, trick us, and deceive us in every way to keep us from believing in God.

You may think you’re a very smart person. But you cannot even begin to understand what life is about until you decide to trust in Jesus.

Please don’t let ignorance keep you from the blessings God has for you. The more you study God’s word, the more blessings you will uncover and have in your life, right here on earth and eternal life with God when you leave this world.

The grave is not the end. The grave just holds your body until judgment day. Then on that day, you or Jesus will be held

accountable for your sins. If you decide now before you die to call on Jesus to save you, He will. But if you choose not to call on Jesus or believe in Him, you will have to answer for your own sins.

It doesn’t matter if you believe in God or His word, because He is real and His word is true if you believe it or not. Therefore, when you die, you will answer to Him.

Wouldn’t it be so much better when God asks why He should I let you in heaven, your answer would be because Jesus paid for me.

We can’t be good enough to get into Heaven, but Jesus is, and when you believe in Him, and trust in Him by faith, When God

looks at you He sees His Son Jesus and welcomes you in.

So don’t waste your time looking at people who will always let you down, pick up the Bible and find Jesus for yourself. Look through His word and find the promises He made for you. God said if you will seek Him first and His righteousness, all these things shall be added to you. That’s all His promises will be added to you. Once you truly begin to seek God with all your heart the world around you will change to the better for you.

Don’t be foolish and not give God a chanced in your life. People are not going to hell because of sin. They go to Hell for not accepting the forgiveness of their sins by

Jesus Christ. The only way to Heaven and eternal life with God is through Jesus the Son Of God.

"Why live for God"

By Jim E. Gray Sr.

Besides the fact that it is the most blessed and happy life you can live.

Think about this. God created a paradise for us. When God created mankind, He gave

us everything that was good. Everything we needed to know that was good He gave us.

Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the evening, every day. They were naked and had no shame. But when they ate of the tree of knowledge they saw that they were naked, and they were ashamed.

The only thing they got from that tree was the knowledge of evil. It changed their mindset from the mind of God to the mind of evil. God always has a reason when He says do not do something.

365 times in the Bible He says “fear not” or “do not be afraid”. He has a reason for us not to fear. Fear opens the door for evil to enter in. Keep in mind, until evil entered

Adam and Eve’s mind, after eating the forbidden fruit, being naked was ok.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like, unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

1. Believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

2. Love your neighbor as you do yourself.

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Numbers 23:19 (KJV)

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Well, if God cannot lie, then if God says it in His word the Bible, and through His Son Jesus. Then anything contrary to His word is a lie. For God will not and cannot lie.

So when the world or anyone in the world says anything against what God has said, they are the lie, not God.

Remember when Adam and Eve ate of that tree, they allowed evil to change the mindset of man from God’s mindset to let evil in. We have to deliberately put on the mind of Christ now, as a free choice of our free will. We have to say no to evil, No, to what is contrary to God’s word.

Evil, which was introduced to mankind by satan, is designed to steal from God. Evil doesn’t care anything about you. When it’s

all over, everyone that evil stole from God will have their own individual place in hell. Without God, you will be alone. We all belonged to God in the beginning. God loves us all, even today. He loves us so much that He didn’t create us as slaves but as free people with a free will to choose our way. But, He also loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die and pay the price of sin which was death. Now the only reason anyone will go to hell is that they choose with their own free will, not to accept the payment made by God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. That’s why the Bible says the only way to Heaven is through His Son Jesus because Jesus paid for us. No one else can do that But Jesus.

Being a good person won’t get you there. No matters how good you are, you still have sin that is not paid for without Jesus.

In John 14:6, it says, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Living for God is easy. In Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) Jesus says,

28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

If we choose to seek God in everything we do, life becomes easy. God will never give you something you can’t bear. Before God ask you to do anything He will prepare you beforehand. God has not given us an impossible task to live for Him. He hasn’t called us to do something we can’t do.

Most of us have barely scratched the surface of the life God has given us here on this earth. The more we are willing to believe God for, the more God wants to do for us and give us. We through so many blessings away just by thinking or saying well God won’t do that. God loves us and wants to give us His kingdom. But the key

to His kingdom is, believing and doubting not.

Have you ever wondered how much faith you have? I use to wonder until God opened my eyes. I had prayed Jesus to baptize me in His Holy Spirit and with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. I understood that The Holy Spirit would give me the utterance, but it would be me doing speaking. Well if I had never spoken, then where is my faith? By speaking, I used my faith in God and The Holy Spirit and the sounds came out. I then understood what faith is. Faith is acting on God’s word knowing the end results already. God has already given you his word, so believe God and know the truth. Living for God is not a

hit and miss relationship. It is a relationship you count on and truly believe in. God is faithful. God is looking for faithful followers. Are you willing to give God, your all? If you are, God is ready to give you all He has to offer.

On the last day, we will all see who was willing, and who was playing games. Life is no game, Life is precious, don’t through it away for a few thrills in this old world. This world will pass away and life will just be beginning. The thrills of God are much better than the worlds.

Hurry, time is shorter now than it has ever been. Life here on earth is but a breath, then the judgment.

The Valley

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…

The world is the valley we walk through. Death is there seeking to devour us. What

we believe determines what happens to us in this valley.

You can try and fight your way through this valley. But the odds are against you, without the truth. The word of God says the truth will set you free. Without the truth, this valley is a fearful place. We fall down and we lose hope. We experience great pain and loss. Hurt beyond compare.

But when we decide to seek the truth with all our hearts, putting God first and His righteousness, all these things are added to us.

David tells us in his Psalms 23,

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

You see, we don’t have to walk through this valley alone. We don’t have to fear what this world throws at us. Because we have the promise of God, that he will be there with us and as long as we trust in Him we have no fear. We have over 3000 promises from God in the Bible. God does not lie, and His word will not return to Him void, it will accomplish what it was sent to do. God is for us not against us.

Is your walk through the valley more than you can bear? Do you want peace in the valley? Then lay your burdens down at the

feet of Jesus. You have His promise He will walk with you, comfort you and protect you. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

You can trust the Word of God. Let Jesus carry your burdens, for He is strong and we are weak, Jesus wants us to enjoy life to its fullest through Him.

"The Storm"Jim E Gray Sr.

Most of us have found out, we live in a storm most of our lives. We give it many

names. We call it sickness, trouble, drama, or just part of life. But why is that? There has to be a reason for everything in life. Yet sometimes even though we work hard, we struggle to make ends meet. Most of the time, in the middle of our storm, we look in every direction, except the direction the storm is coming from. We forget to ask ourselves, why am I going through this storm?

Those of us, who believe in God, turn to prayer. If we look, all through the Bible, we see God sending His people into the storms. Storms build strength. When we are in a storm we fight to make it through. The storm makes us stronger. If we want to do great things, we need to be strong. When

God sends us through a storm it makes us strong enough to face the storm the evil one will send to destroy us.

The way we handle the storms of life will determine how life treats us. Life is full of choice and the storm teaches us how to make the right choice. Not all of us turn to God for the answers, but to those of us who do, God brings us through with blessings to numerous to count.

I too have been through many storms. I watch my friends go through storms I have been through. I reach out and try to help them by telling them what I found to help me through it. But in the middle of the storms we don’t listen, we think we can handle it. Yet, I see many still struggling in

the same storm for years. Sometimes we become blinded by the storm and pride or shame stops us from reaching out for help. Some turn to drugs to find some peace, if only for a short time. But then drugs are a storm sent from the evil one to destroy us and even kill us. Drugs make you feel good, while little by little everything you value is taken away. Then one day we look and everything we loved is gone and the drug has you in a death grip and won’t let go.

Well, I have good news for you. Now that part of life has passed you by, and the things you valued have been taken away. The world won’t help you; your friends have all but given up on you. What do you have to lose by calling on God for help? God is

really easy to find when you’re on the bottom. Just look up and say, God, I tried it my way and it didn’t work. I have made a mess of everything. Please help me, and show me the way out. Help me to be who you want me to be.

God said he is standing at the door if you knock He will answer. God will not let you down. He wants you to call out to Him where he can clothe you and shower you with blessings.

The storm doesn’t have to destroy you, it can set you free.

The Secret Places Of The Most High

PSALMS 91

For those who seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. God will reveal His most secret places, where you will abide.

When you read Psalm 91, He tells about His secret places and who dwells there. He tells of how much protection you have there. But remember these are secret places. So you have to be looking for them and learning how to live in them. You have to truly believe in Jesus and how much He loves you. There is no free ride to heaven, or to have His protection without the love of Jesus. Only a person truly seeking Gods and His everlasting love through His Son Jesus Christ will find the secret places. Those who do not believe will never find them. Even if they run across them, they will not understand them. When others speak of the secret places, a non-believer will not believe or understand how you

could believe in them. Those secret places are part of the purls given us by God through His Son Jesus Christ. In Matthew 7:6 it tells us, Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Anytime we try and tell others about Jesus we do it with love and compassion. We tell of His love for them, and How He will forgive them of their sins. But anytime you tell them about the wonderful gifts God has given you, they will try and tear you down and prove your gifts are not real. Only true believers know how to live in those places.

PSALMS 91 tells us, 1 ¶ He that dwelleth in the secret place of the highest shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 ¶ Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the highest, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

So when we live by Gods word we have great benefits. Matthew 6:33-34 (KJV) Jesus says;

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

And then in chapter 7, it tells us how to seek Him first. And How to dwell in the secret places of God.

Just as a knife gets dull when you don’t keep it honed. So are our minds if we don’t keep them honed in the word of God daily.

The fouler (the devil) walks about looking to Kill or still or destroy. As it says in 1Peter5;8-11

8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

10 ¶ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

11 To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

So stay studied up in God’s word, live in His secret places, As it says in 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

And you will dwell in the secret places of the highest God.

May God keep you strong in His word and fill your life with all His blessings. Both now and in the world to come.

The face of Your FathersJim E. Gray Sr.

When I look at the world and the people in it, my heart feels many things. It feels pain, sadness, Compassion, and love. It reminds me of a line out of a movie I watched not long ago, “you have forgotten the face of your fathers”. I am 70 years old and I have seen many changes in our world and in our country. I’ve seen people change from good too bad by what they do, try, and hear. I’ve seen drugs destroy lives and kill them. I’ve seen it blind their minds, where all they see is being on drugs is better than what reality offers. They have no idea that the drugs have blinded them from seeing the good, life has to offer. It has become easier to do drugs, lay back and do nothing else. One by

one their friends moved on until they have nothing but the drugs.

I have seen our government take God and prayer out of our schools and our justice system. I’ve seen our government allow illegals to all but take over our country. Allowing them to bring their faults gods into our country while pushing the God we serve out.

I’ve seen our government manipulate their way to control the people instead of the people controlling the government. I’ve seen all the parties of our government take kickbacks from people to get government contracts. I see our Congress give their selves pay raises and not do the job they are paid for.

In my 70 years, I have seen our country get out of control. It has gotten so bad that it makes us feel so small that we can’t see how to fix it or even if it can be fixed.

But I have seen and learned something else in my 70 years. We need to take our eyes off the world, stop looking at the trouble and start looking up. God is the same yesterday today and forever more. If we will accept Jesus as our Lord and believe His word and live by them, God will change the bad to good. He will help those who are on drugs to get clean and see what God has to offer them and bless them so much it will be hard to receive it all.

If we will put God first, He will heal our country. He will remove those crooked,

immoral, and corrupted; politician’s and put Godly people in their places. God was the answer 6000 years ago, He was the answer 2000 years ago, He was the answer 70 years ago and he is and will always be the answer to every problem. It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not, it is the truth. Those who believe in God and His word will be victorious. Those who do not will fall.

Every year we see the world getting worse. But even in the midst of all this chaos Christians are having victory. It’s time to take our country back to God. It’s time to remember the face of our fathers. Remember this country was built with God as our head. We built this country and ask God to bless it and we would honor Him.

Now God kept His word and blessed our country, it’s beyond time for us to honor our part and put God first over our country and our lives. I believe if we will do our part God will show us and help us get all the ungodly people out of our country.

We don’t have long too occupy because Jesus is getting ready, and when God gives the word, Jesus is coming for those who believe and we will meet Him in the sky. Then those who have not believed will go through the tribulation. The tribulation is just a small taste of hell, a preview for those who refuse to believe in God. The last chance to change, but it won’t be easy, because the Holy Spirit of God has been taken out of the world. You won’t have a

small voice in your heart telling you right from wrong, or telling you how to find God. You will be left on your own. We know how that worked from how you living today.

Doing good and living right with God is not a bad life. In fact it the best life you will ever live. Looking back, I wish I had always lived for God. I can’t even imagine who I could have been if I had, or how much better life could have been. I wasted a lot of this past 70 years. That was my fault; God walked every step with me, reaching out to me offering me a better life. Don’t be like I was, don’t run from God. He has blessings stacked up for you. If you are reading this, He has watched over you and kept you alive, just to give you chance after chance.

Don’t throw your last chance away. Don’t waste any more valuable time, talk to Jesus today, and ask Him for help. He will answer.

All God wants, is to love you. If you will love Him, His love will consume you and cover you with blessings more that you can receive at one time.

Out of all the craziness of my 70 years, the best thing I ever learned was God truly loves me. He sent His son to pay the price for me to be right with Him, and His Son, Jesus gave His life for me. Now that’s pretty personal to me. You know what? I believe, if you were the only person this world that could have been saved, God would have done it all just for you. That’s how much God loves you.

Storms and AdversitiesJim E Gray Sr.

Good morning friends and family. I want to ask you this question. During the storms and adversities of life, is God shamed of you or does He stands and shout, “That is my child in whom I am well pleased”?

God’s Son Jesus came and brought us the word of God and gave us the authority to use His word to be victorious through life. That means authority over anything that comes against us or our way of life given us by Jesus the Son of God.

Adversities and storms come is many different ways. Some physical, some mental, some as sickness, and some as a real storm as in weather. God’s word gives us authority over them all.

If you believe in God, don’t make God ashamed of you by not using His Word to handle the situations. Speak out; use the word of God to receive victory over it all.

Speak the word and turn that storm back out to sea from which it came and let it die there...

We are called believers. Now, what are you going to do?

Shadow

A shadow cannot hurt you. A shadow of a gun can’t shoot you. A shadow of a sword can’t cut you. And a shadow of a person cannot harm you.

For the Bible says “though I walk through the valley if the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. “

When you give yourself to Jesus, no weapon formed against you shall prosper. It may try, but only the shadow, will you see.

Jesus stands between you and the enemy.

Put all your trust in Jesus.

Proverbs 13:15

Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of transgressors is hard.

If your think life is hard, check you’re self, see where you are transgressing. Get your understanding right and find favor everywhere you turn.

Problems

The problem that infuriates you most is the problem God gave you to solve. People try to do in the flesh what God wants to do in the spiritual.

If you will give God the chance and release the spoken word against the enemies of your soul, the supernatural power of God will wipe your enemies off the map. He will destroy them; He will scatter them, because you are a child of God. There is a miracle in your mouth open it up and give it.

God wants to do something in us, then through us, then for us.

(John Hagee)

Prays For My Brother

Jim E. Gray Sr.

As I was listening to Gods word this morning, I got word that my brother was going to the hospital again today, because he is having trouble breathing.

I began to pray for him and my heart was so burdened I couldn’t find the words to express to God what I wanted to ask. Then I began to groan and cry out to God for my brother because I know how it is not being able to get your breath.

I continued to listen to Gods word and the preacher started telling of the groaning of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26, and the burden on my heart was lifted.

I want to tell you, we have a loving God, A God who knows our hearts and what we need even before we do. He has made a way to watch over His people and always, always hears there cry’s even through the groans of His Holy Spirit. Gods Holy Spirit knows exactly what to say even in unspeakable words to our Fathers ear on our behalf.

Now I haven’t received any other word about my brother. But I do know the power of God got to the hospital before he did. I know the power of God is greater than anything that can come against any of us. I know my God is always there on time.

It’s kind of funny; I was just asking God this morning to give me something to share

with others because I haven’t written anything in a while. Ain’t God good?

I just want to give God praise in advance for always hearing our prayers even before we pray. By saying, Father, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Thank you for your amazing unending love to us. Thank you for being with and watching over my brother. AMEN

Praise God

By Jim E. Gray Sr.

I want to give praise to God for all He has done in my life. Not just for the things that profited me, but also for the prayers I prayed for all of you.

When I first started following Jesus everything I prayed was more selfish and seems like it was always about me. I didn’t understand the concept of Gods kingdom. God’s kingdom is not about given me what I ask for because your ward says it belongs to me. When you read Gods word and it tells what belongs to you, and then you wonder why you don’t have it. It may be that you missed a step. The words in the Bible only belong to you when you have done what it

asks of you first. The Bible is for those who want to learn of God, and to find out what they need to do for God’s word to apply to them and see it work in their lives.

If you will notice when you start reading the Bible, the entire Bible is about Jesus the Son Of God, and all He has done and continues to do for us who diligently seek Him. You can’t just see a few verses and say I want that in my life because it says it’s mine. You see when you drive a ford you can’t use the Cadillac owner’s manual. You have to get in the Cadillac for it to work.

So it is with the kingdom of God. You must first make the decision to let Jesus pay for you to ride, or in this case to walk and live for Jesus. 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.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

You see if you haven’t believed in God and His Son Jesus, then you can’t receive from the one you haven’t believed in.

Oh, but after you have believed and ask Jesus to take over and teach you and save you and forgive you of all your sins the most wonderful journey begins. When you put God first in your life, and seek Him first, He will start giving you keys that unlock His word. There is only one way and that’s Gods way. In your walk with God, if you

didn’t do some part the way God instructs you, you will have to repeat that lesson again. But don’t fear, if you get it wrong, just ask God to show you how to get it right. He will walk you through every step. You see Jesus paid for you. Your past can’t stop you or condemn you. Living for God and walking the way He wants is easy, it’s an open book test, you can’t fail.

When I began seeking God and trying to do as the Bible tells me I stumbled and even fell a lot. Many times I said I can’t, but every time God reminded me that Jesus did it for me, and Jesus is sitting next to God pleading for me. So I learned to keep my eyes on Jesus and trust His word. I mean believe Gods word is true even when it looks like

it’s not. The devil is not called the deceiver for nothing. That is the devil's job to deceive you into not believing God’s word. The only way to know you’re not being deceived is to know God’s word. So as the Bible 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 paths.

When you believe Gods word above all other, putting your faith in Him, your life will change. Don’t worry about what others think, it’s what God thinks about you that matters. You see on judgment day all those others are going to be thinking about themselves, not about you.

So I decided to just trust and believe in God’s word. I don’t know if others look at it the way I do but I always wanted to know why it works. You know where if I do this, this and this, then I can expect this. I believe Jesus has done it all for me. I also believe I have to line up with Gods word to be able to expect these things from God. It is a free gift, but even with a free gift, you have to have a friend who wants to give you that gift. That friend is Jesus.

So I praise God for His son Jesus, and for teaching me of His word. I praise Him for leading me and showing me how to seek His kingdom first and His righteousness. I praise Him for teaching me to pray, and for

showing me to put others and forgive all as I ask for forgiveness.

We will always be seeking and growing, and yes, even stumbling and sometimes falling until Jesus returns. But we can always count on God to be there to pick us up, brush us off and even carry us until we can stand again. He will always lead us in the path of righteousness as long as we keep seeking Him and His will in our lives.

I know this for a fact. I know I didn’t give up on God’s promise, and I asked Him to show me how to receive from Him and He did.

I know eight years ago I had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. The devil was trying hard to steal my life,

and the word of God out of me. But I held on to the word of God. Many people had counted me out. But God said hold on to my word and it will set you free. Well In my case it didn’t just happen overnight, but little by little I began to get better. A little over two weeks ago I began to feel different. I could do things better than before. I could see healing coming and getting better each day. Now it may not look like I am completely healed yet, but I know it’s coming, and I see it.

The healing is just a part of it. Every time God shows me another area of my life I need to apply His word to, I do. Because of it, I see my prayers being answered more quickly because I put my trust in Him and

do it His way. God’s blessings are overtaking me. I stand I awe every day of God and His kingdom. Jesus is My Lord, and His word is my guidebook. His word shows me How to live. I bow my knee to God and Jesus and His Holy Spirit, I always want to keep God first in my life for now own. So I will end with close with this. If you are tired of being defeated in any part of your life, if you want peace in your everyday life, then seek God, put Him first and you will receive peace beyond measure. Seek the truth and the truth will set you free.

Father God, I pray for everyone who reads this, that you will help them to decide to seek you. I ask you to bless each every one

and show them your everlasting love. I ask this in your Son’s name, Jesus.

No One Is Righteous

Romans 3:9-20

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 in their paths are ruin and misery,

17 and the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the

law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being[c] will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Everywhere you look these days, its one lie after another. What makes it worse is, it’s coming from the ones who supposed to be our leaders. It’s not just name calling anymore, its pure lies, and fabrications to put more money in their pockets.

It’s not just our government but the whole world has decided its ok, to lie and say anything about anyone.

Even the people we consider “good people” we hear them saying things about others that only God has the right to say.

I am glad God opened my eyes to see the truth in His word. To see, me as He sees me so that I could see how much I need His Son Jesus as my Savior.

We may not be righteous, no, not one of us. But Jesus is righteous and He has offered us His righteousness, His Salvation, His forgiveness, His life and through His suffering He gives us healing by His stripes, and peace and prosperity, all because of His love for us.

As a Christian, a believer in Jesus, I know I have been forgiven of all my sins, and although my sins have been placed in the

sea of forgetfulness never to be remembered again,,, by God. As long as I live I want to remember how wretched a man I was before Jesus saved me. It helps me to keep my eyes on Jesus. It shows me how great my Lord is and how He loves not only me but everyone.

When people hear of a person doing something really bad to another person they have no problem saying put them to death. Or they should go to hell for that. But that is called self-righteousness. God said our self-righteousness’ is nothing but filthy rags in His sight. we need to understand, hell will be full of people that only told a lie and never ask forgiveness for it. And let’s not forget those who never

forgave those who trust passed against them. God said, forgive if you want to be forgiven.

Remembering what God has forgiven me of keeps me out of self-righteousness because God has shown me who I was, and who I am now, because of His loving Son, Christ Jesus. I know the answer when I get to the gates of Heaven and I'm asked why I should be let in.

The only answer acceptable is because of what Jesus did for me.

Jesus forgives great big sins, and little bitty lies. Because either one left unforgiven will send you to hell. The only way into heaven on through Jesus, and being washed in His Blood, no matter how good you may think

you are, all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.

God loves you and wants you to call on Him. Call on Him today, He is never too busy to hear from you.

Looking at The worldJim E. Gray Sr.

Let’s take a look at the world through our eyes and then through Gods eyes. When we look at the people in this world we see good people and bad people. If we look closer we see some people are very bad and don’t care about themselves much less any other people. You see murders, thieves, rapist, child molester, the bottom of the barrel. But then we see the ones we call good people. Some of the “good people” call themselves better than others. Because they have status and prestige, or money, they hold their heads up as if they were

better than everyone else. Then we have the straight-up good people. They would do anything to help others. They seem to live a clean life, and let others live and let live.

Now let’s see how God see’s the same people. We know how God looks at the bad ones. If it were not for Gods Son Jesus these people would not have any reason to live on this earth. They are no good for anyone. They do no good for anyone but themselves.

But then we have the good people. Did I say, good people? Well, the only good God sees is righteous people. Because in Romans 3:10 he says, There is none righteous, no, not one. So you see, if you’re a bad person or a good person it only

counts in Gods eyes if you’re righteous. In Isaiah 64:6, Isaiah said. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Our thoughts of Good or righteous has faded because we have lost sight of Gods righteousness given to us through His Son Jesus Christ.

I know this sounds rough and hurtful to those who are trying to be good people, and those who try and help others, those who give of themselves. But can you see that is our righteousness, and without Jesus forgiving us of our own sins it is not acceptable unto God, it is tainted with sin?

When God looks down at us, He sees only two kinds of people, sinners, and these saved and washed by the Blood of His Son Jesus. You see, without accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and being cleansed by the washing of His Blood to remove all sin. Then the renewing of your minds, by the washing of His word, you are no better than all the other sinners in the world. God cannot and will not look at sin. He sent His own Son to die for our sins, and when sin was on His Son, God turned His head away and could not look at the sin on His Son.

So do you really expect God to overlook your sins, just because you are a “good person”?

Out of the entire Bible, the part that hurts me the most and yes, even scares me, is when Jesus said in Matthew 7:14, Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Out of all the people who have been born on this earth, and all who claim to live for Jesus, and few there be that find it.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m double checking myself in Jesus’ word. I’m making sure I’m walking in His righteousness and not my own. Jesus fills my life with joy, happiness, and love, and all of that overflowing. I don’t need what this world has to offer. There was a time I thought I did. But once I let go and let God

take control my life. I found more happiness, and love than I ever knew a person could have.

So I’m just asking if you are a Christian, double check yourself, make sure your in God’s righteousness and not slipped into your own. It’s easy to do when you’re trying to do good works for God. We just need to keep our eyes on Jesus, giving Him all the praise. I just don’t want anyone to hear,

Matthew 7:21-23

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

If those who thought they were doing well were wrong, what chance do those who haven’t believed have?

Let us make sure we are not following a religious doctrine as in denominations. Why do we have denominations? Churches have branched off from others because they choose to believe more or less than the one they were in. Why can’t we all just believe in Jesus and what He taught? “To me”,

denominations are just self-righteousness. One is saying we are right and others are wrong. As for me, I want all Jesus has for me. I want all of His truth in me. I will not limit God or His Son Jesus or His Holy Spirit. I want Jesus to work freely in and through me. I know some of you are saying, “look at what He wants”, but you see, I want what Jesus wants in me, not what I want in me. What I wanted was send me straight to hell. I can’t even say I didn’t know. God said, he put the truth in us, we can’t say we didn’t know, because it is in us to know right from wrong.

You don’t have to live by my convictions, but when God shows you and convicts you of wrongdoings, (sin) you do what God

shows you to do. Your job may be a lot different than mine. But both will point to Jesus and the Cross. But the best part is the empty tomb. Jesus rose from the dead, and because He concord death so can we through Him.

So no matter how you slice it or look at it, Jesus is the only way. If you haven’t invited Him into your heart, you are still lost. But if you are reading this you still have hope and time. Ask Jesus into your heart today before it’s too late.

My God truly bless you, and keep you, and lead you and guide in the path of His Righteousness. For, His name sake.

LightJim E Gray Sr.

As I pray for others, in the back of my mind, I think of the darkness I once walked in. Now I know God knows everything, but I still tell Him how the darkness had me blind to the truth. I tell Him how the pleasures of sin, seem to take over to where that’s all I could see. I couldn’t see how far into the darkness sin had taken me. Then one day I stared destruction in the face.

I was lucky; I had parents who taught me of God and His Son, Jesus. They told me no matter how I felt or how scared I got, God was always there to hear me call for Him

and He would save me out of the darkness. They told me how Jesus was the light of the world. So even when I was in my darkest hour, a small deem light shined above me. So I cried out to God and just as Mom had said, He heard me and saved me out of darkness. As I began to trust Jesus and believe what His word said, more light came brighter and brighter, until I could see the stumbling blocks in front of me. I could see the traps set for me. I learned to judge everything by Gods Word. I don’t know it all but I do follow the one who does know it all and gives me wisdom freely. His name is Jesus and I walk with Him and He walks with me.

So remember this, when the pleasures of sin, dump you off in the darkness, no matter how deems the light may be, call out to Jesus, tell Him your problems, as Him to forgive you of all sin and help you. He will answer you and shower you will blessings.

I pray for every living person in this world. I don’t want anyone to be lost and go to hell. I don’t want the devil to get even one of God’s creations. I know we have free will. But I and God know that the evil has blinded us, by making sin pleasurable. The devil has confused us to the point that we don’t know the truth. But I also know God placed the truth in us and if God will shine His light on our sins and open our understanding we will run to the truth,

Gods Son Jesus. So this is my prayer, for all mankind, that God through His Son Jesus and His Holy Spirit, will open there understanding, and shine His light so that our eyes will be opened to see His truth and turn from all our wicked ways and trust in His Son Jesus. I pray that all would see that Jesus took all your sins on Him and paid the price for us so we could have a right stand with our Creator God. I pray that the devil gets not one of God’s People that God created.

So here’s a heads up, sin has pleasure only for a season, then comes destruction and darkness, But if you will look up and call on God, He will save you and redeem you. I wish you would call on Him before trouble

comes, Just in case death is the trouble coming for you before you can call on God. Don’t let evil win, call on Him today. God will work with you, He knows your doubts, you worry’s, He will reveal Himself to you in a way you will know the truth. God will teach you of Himself, and show you how to live a happy and prosperous life for Him. Then when life in this world is over we will have life eternal with Him forever. All the hurts and pains of sickness and lose will be whipped from our memory’s. No more sickness or disease. No more sadness no sorrow, and no more darkness. God is love, and all He wants is for you to believe in Him where He can cover you with His love.

So I don’t know how you can even want more that. God’s waiting on you. He won’t take your free will away; you have to choose to call on Him. It’s a free gift, in fact, in this world, it the only thing that is free. So come on and walk in the light given us by God our Father.

Let me end with this. You need to learn of Jesus so you can tell your children of His faithfulness and of His love for them. So maybe they won't follow sin into darkness. It's a lonely and scary place without a friend. Jesus will always be their friend. That’s the least we can do for our children.

Happiness

Do you want happiness and love in your everyday life? Then first put God first. Give your life to Him and trust in Him.

Study His word to see what He wants out of you, and what He wants to give you. The more you study His word and put Him first the better your life will get.

Start you day by thanking His for the day. Say out loud every morning “this is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Take all your worries to Him in prayer, and then leave them there. Don’t worry about them anymore. They are His problem now

not yours. He said; cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you. He will forgive all your past and give you a blessed future.

God truly loves you, but until you give Him permission to bless you His hands are tied. He will not over rule your free will. But if you will put Him first in everything in your life, the blessing will hunt you down and over flow you.

I know it’s hard to believe. But when you change your way of thinking, it changes your life. Believing God opens doors to bless you and closes doors that steel your blessings and your peace. If you will trust God and His Son Jesus He will take all your worries away.

You don’t have to take my word for it; Gods word will stand on its own. If you will be honest with God He will show you the truth. God knows your heart. You can’t hide anything from Him. God knows if you are for real or just playing a game. If you are there to just play games you won’t hear a word from God. He doesn’t play games, He sent His only begotten Son to die for your sins. So if you’re not going to be real with Him, why should he do anything for you?

So if you want a happy life, get real with God. Make Him a part of your everyday life believing and trusting in Jesus.

Give God your AttentionBy Jim E. Gray Sr.

I’d like to speak to you for just a moment. I don’t know how much time you spend with God. But I will say, it will show up in your everyday life.

Some people spend a lot of time in churches, yet have defeat in their lives. It’s not so much about the quantity of time you spend with God, but more about the quality of time you spend with God.

Some people seem to be so busy that they can’t stop doing other things while hearing about God’s word. When we are hearing about God, we should stop every other

activity, physically or mentally. It is when we give our full attention to God that God will allow us to see into His kingdom. When we shut out the rest of the world and all its distractions and focus on God’s word and His presents, He will show you the truth about all things. It is when we give God our total being, our all, no other thoughts but what God is bringing to us that we become consumed in Him and understand How much God loves us and covers every situation in our lives. Then and only then does our faith grow, because, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

God knows all the other things that try and keep your attention. That’s why God always says fear not. God will control everything in

your life, if you will put Him first in all things. Seek His kingdom first, and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

Don’t be like disobedient children who hear what their parents say, yet go and do what they desire. Hear God’s word and He will give you the desires of your heart. Once you hear the truth and believe it, the truth sets you free and your desires line up with the truth. God loves you and knows everything you need and what you want. What father will give his child a rock when he asked for bread? God is our Father who loves us more than we can even think. When we became Christians by asking Jesus into hearts and asked Him to forgive us of

all sin, we also asked Him to show us the way. Jesus devoted His entire human life to show us the way. Now to those who called on Him to save them, Jesus sits at Gods right hand interceding for us. The least we can do is to give Him our full attention. It’s not just prayer that gets God’s attention, it prayer knowing what God has provided already. Then we can receive what we asked for.

Want you give God your full attention and receive His blessings in your life? His word was written just for you. With God it is personal, because if you had been the only one who sinned, God would have sent His only begotten Son to forgive you and bring you home. That’s the love of God.

FaithJim E Gray Sr.

People wonder and some even ask me, why I believe some of the things I believe. Well, there is a short answer, but you won’t believe me no more than you believe God. The short answer is by faith.

When I got real about God, I started reading the Bible and asking questions. It didn’t take long before I knew that man did not have the answer. Man tries to make excuses for why some things don’t seem to happen when you pray and ask God for something. Those are not the answers I am looking for. So I understood the only answers I could

trust were Gods answers. So I set out to find the answers in God’s word.

My mom would always tell me to just trust God by faith, just because God’s word says it. I would tell her I do believe by faith; I just want to know the mechanics of it. The, what must I do part of the equation. The part that makes believing transform into faith. The part that if I do this, this and this, then it kicks my faith in and I have what I ask for.

Well as Christians we understand that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You will be surprised by the number of people that still do not understand that concept. I as many other Christians

stumbled over this many times before I understood with clarity.

You see, what I learned was, once you hear the word, you understand that it’s all the word of God working together that increases your faith. It’s learning who God is and how much he loves you and wants to give you everything. When you bow your knee before God and serenading all of you to Him, It’s trusting God even when you don’t understand. It’s putting all of your trust in God, nothing wavering, nothing held back, total trust, no matter what the outcome, yet knowing you have what you ask for, and nothing can stop it. Not even when friends walk away from you and point fingers at you, and even laugh at you. It

knows in your heart that God is truth and all others are a lie. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

All this comes from hearing the word of God until you put all your trust in God. God’s word says to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. Understanding you need to put God first in everything in your life. Each day, in every part of your day, put God first. Nothing wavering, not even that one thing, that you say, God knows I love this and He understands. Yes God does understand, and you too will understand when you put God before even that one thing. That doesn’t mean God will take it away, But God must

know you put Him before it. Remember you can’t hide anything from God. God sees all things, knows all things.

So when you understand you can do nothing without God, and put all your trust in Him, faith will come alive, and your life will bloom as a garden, and Gods gifts will rain down and overflow you, even more than you can receive at one time.

The world will tell you, God is watching you, to see when you mess-up so He can punish you. The world will tell you God is not real. You have heard misery loves company. Well, the world is miserable and it wants you to be just as miserable. The devil knows the world is coming to an end. At the end of this world, the devil and all who follow him

or believed his lies will start an eternal state of misery and torment, never-ending. Remember, misery loves company.

Who you believe here on earth and follow will determine where you spend eternity. The world and the devil are liars. Will you believe the world with its temporal pleasures, or will you decide to make a decision to place all your trust in Jesus the Son Of God, who took away the sins of this world, and offers you eternity, starting the very moment you trust Him, with a blessed life beyond what you can imagine.

Yes, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Everything is greener and full of life on God’s side of the fence. Don’t let the world take away what God has sent

you. Trust in God, believe in His son Jesus, Put Him first, and keep His word in your heart and in your mouth.

Romans 10:10 says, “for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.”

Will you decide to put God first in your everyday life?

If you don’t know what to do or how to do it, just tell God, I don’t know how to do this or what to ask for, but I want you to be my God and I want what your Son Jesus offers me. If you do that I promise God will hear you and answer you. God sent His Son Jesus to save you, now God is waiting for you to say you want His Son as your Lord.

May God give you peace beyond your understanding, and so many blessing you can hardly receive them all. God loves you that much. Now if you will only believe, it’s all yours, Jesus paid for it, for you. Salvation is free for the asking.

Destiny

Your thought life determines your destiny. Be careful of your thoughts, because your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, because your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, because your actions become your habits. Be careful if you habits because your habits become your character. Be careful of your character because your character determines your eternal destiny.

John Hagee

Consuming LoveBy, Jim E. Gray Sr.

I hear a lot of people talk about God. What they believe about God and what they don’t believe. Very seldom do I hear what God truly is. Maybe it’s because, we, as people, find it hard to trust anyone. Then what we hear about God seems too good to be true. I believe we think that way because we have been deceived and don’t know it.

I am just a man. I only know what I choose to learn and believe. I do believe in God and with His help, I am learning to trust in Him. As a human, I understand and believe I have a creator, and to me, He is known as God,

or as He Himself said, tell them “I AM” sent you. I have pondered that name long and hard. God said “I AM”, to me that means God is the answer to whatever my need is. I have heard people say, God heals your spirit, not your physical body. Yet, in the book we call Gods word, the Holy Bible; we see Gods Son Jesus healed all who came to Him, not only spiritually but physically. So through God’s word, I have found it is better to trust God and not man. If a man chooses not to believe the Bible, then he cuts off all hope to ever have what God sent us, through His Son, Christ Jesus. Man walked away from God when he disobeyed God. God had given the man everything and gave him dominion over it all, and ask

only one thing in return. Do not eat of the tree of knowledge. This tree was the knowledge of Good and evil. God had given us every good thing. The only thing we could get from that tree was the knowledge of evil. God didn’t want us to ever know about evil. But the “evil” through the devil, deceived us and we did eat and learn of evils existence. But even then, God loved us so much that He put us out of paradise so that we didn’t eat of the tree of life and remain in sin forever. Now we have a chance of redemption. Because, God in His wisdom, even before the foundation of all creation, had a plan of salvation, to save His people. Seeing that man is weak and tempted, God sent His only begotten Son to

remove the sin of man. To pay the price for sin opening the door for our salvation.

Now I know, even if you are a non-believer you know this is what Christian’s clime to believe.

Well just thinking about how that shows you, God loves us. Yet what most of us do not understand is God’s love for us is much more than that. What we need to understand is without faith it is impossible to please God. It is impossible to know God’s rich love for us.

We get faith by hearing Gods word. For the Bible says, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That tells me if you are hearing the words of the world and not Gods word, you are getting faith in what

the world says. Faith in what the world says cannot create anything good and eternal.

Let me get to the meat of who God is. This is my feeble attempt to scratch the surface of who God is. I can’t express how much more God is than I even think.

To me, God is a consuming love. His love for us will consume, and burn up, everything that stands between us and Him. He created us with His love and then said nothing will ever stand between us and Him. His love will always make a way. We see that no man can look on God’s face without being consumed. When Moses wanted to see God, So God hides Himself from Moses so that he would not be consumed, but He allowed Moses to see

God's hind parts. But now God has sent His Son, Jesus, as a perfect reflection of Himself to remove sin, sickness, and any unclean thing standing between God and us. Now we can go boldly before God Himself and let our request be known and know we have what we have asked for. There is no limit to what God will do for His people.

The only limit on God is your faith and believing in what you ask for. Let us not limit God. He said, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. What things? What so ever things you desire when you pray, believe you receive them and you shall have them. Remember, God is a jealous God; we have to put Him first and

seek His righteousness because our righteousness is as filthy rags to God.

Jesus is our key to seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. If we will only put Him first, in every part of our lives, allowing His love to consume us, testing us as with fire. Just as the impurities of gold are removed and the gold made pure with fire, so it is with Gods consuming love for us.

God has warned us of what the devil has planned for us. God even told us what will be the end of the devil and his followers. Yet, out of His love for us, He gave us a free will to choose to accept what God has offered through His Son Jesus or the penalty of choosing to follow the evil one. God is

not willing that any should perish. As it says in 2 Peter 3:8-10 (KJV)

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

God does not want you to burn in hell, it’s your choice. Why not let Gods consuming love cleans you from all unrighteousness, heal you of all sickness and disease.

God has told me to love you no matter what choice you make. So I will love you and tell you of God’s greatness right up to the gates of heaven, Where God will determine our position with Him.

I’ll close by saying; let us not limit God with our small minds and our ways of thinking. God has much more for us than we can even imagine. As our best, Jesus is still the only way to receive right standing with our God and Father, who said, I AM the alpha and omega, the beaning and the end.