We are living in evil times...

The AMP version of the Bible outlines these two verses in James chapter 1, which says,

14 But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).

15 Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.

God doesn't tempt man to lure them into sin. When we are tempted it is because there are evil ways within us that keep nagging at us... If we continue to dwell upon it, we will premeditate upon it enough to act upon it. When we fulfill the act of sin, it is only a short while after until we see the consequences of the sin, being death.

For example, when we have a disagreement in our homes, we could sit and ponder about the things someone said to us and how much it hurt us. We could then allow our minds to go to a place where we want to return the favor and spit words back at the person. The bible says that we are not to let the sun go down on our wrath..but when we get too angry we go to sleep thinking about what happened. The devil sees the entrance we have created and as such, he comes in a drops more evil thoughts to have us dazed, confused and swimming in sin. After a while, we explode with anger causing the situation to worsen. Sometimes it means that our spouses walk away, our children leave feeling worthless, our neighbors become our enemies, we lose our jobs, etc. This will be the consequences of our sin... The final result is death in the situation and not life. Too often we sit and focus on the problem...allowing the situation to become magnified in our minds. We need to trust God to fight our battles for us, while we look for solutions...

Our Lord only thinks good thoughts towards us..let us renew our minds daily to rebuke the devil bodily and cause him to flee!

Marriage

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready (Rev 19:7). In this scripture, it is clearly telling us that the church is the bride who is getting ready for the marriage ceremony with the groom, Jesus Christ. As evidenced throughout the Bible, God holds marriage as a sacred union. That relationship between man and the church is ultimately the most significant of all. In the same way, God loves the earthly marriage between a man and his wife. But, do we really value our marriages today? Do we take the time to treat our spouses with the same love and attention we did when we were first married? For me, I am guilty of not doing my best. 
I could remember a time when I would show affection and love in everything I did... in household tasks, in financial situations and especially towards my hubby. However, after 8 years of marriage, the romance has halted somewhat, and the affection a distant memory! But, through prayer, and spending time with God, He has taught me that I can do much better, instead of waiting for my husband to do things differently! 
So, I started off to change MY ways in the home. I often tell my husband that he is no longer romantic and doesn't show love the way he used to, but then I recognised the change begins with me. So let us be the change as we seek to better ourselves in our marriages....

The earthly minded cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

Adam was the first man created by God. He was a physical body, a shell, a vessel, empty and lifeless until the breath of life was breathed into him, making him a living soul. Since he was made from the earth, the Amplified Bible tells us in 1 Cor. 15, that he was earthly minded. The second Adam the scripture says, is Christ. He was not created from the earth, He made the Earth! He is from heaven, and thus remains heaven-minded. As we read on, we are taught that flesh and blood is a perishable 

commodity, and thus if something could perish, it cannot enjoy an everlasting inheritance! 

The living soul within us is from God, and thus cannot die. Therefore, our soul, this imperishable part of us, is the part of us that can inherit the kingdom of God. We have to now seek to align ourselves with God to gain entry into His mighty Kingdom. 

The flesh seeks after worldly pleasures that are temporal. However, when we can renew our minds daily in the Word of God, we begin to think with more wisdom. We then go after things in the Spirit and watch for the manifestations of these things in the natural world we live in, for this is our inheritance.

Wives, submit yourselves to your husband..

Ephe 5:22 says, 'Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord'. This is such a powerful statement to me. I was raised to be an independent woman, who in no way was ever supposed to cater to the every desire of a man, unless it pleased me. Even more so, when I found Christ, I did not believe this verse applied to me because although I was a Christian, my husband was not. How wrong was I!As I began to seek God more, I recognized that I had fallen victim to another one of society's tricks which caused my ultimate enslavement. It didn't please God for me to be selfish, and to be above my husband in the authoritative way I had grown accustomed to. To my surprise, God wanted me to be the person for my husband that will love him enough to encourage him, and become a help meet to him. I was startled by this, but again thought to myself, that I would do this when my dear husband got saved.... Again, wrong! My own stubbornness kept me from seeing the truth behind what God intended for me, and my marriage.It took a conversation with a church sister of mine for me to recognize that in this scripture, God was talking to all wives who had ears to hear. He was telling us that we as the women in our households, need to submit ourselves to our husbands, being that help meet to him, who will be there to encourage and support him in all his endeavors....and then it hit me - whether he is saved or unsaved!I felt so guilty at that point... for so long I had been pointing fingers at him when things didn't go my way. I thought to myself often that I am the saved one, so therefore, I know better. All this time, I was the one pushing my husband away because I had built up walls of resentment, unforgiveness and even bitterness that separated us from each other. I was not submitting myself to my husband. I was denying myself this service unto the Lord, which only had benefits for me. I was walking away from the abundance of blessing that was getting ready to be poured out of the heavens for my life, because I was living in disobedience.But, I thank God. I thank God for His Word, and for revelation and wisdom to do better now. I am thankful that I can now rely upon God to change my very mindset from the pre conditioned ways of thinking, to newness that reflects His saving grace. I am thankful that everyday I have a new opportunity to learn how to be a submissive wife... a ministry that will only develop over time as I continue to seek the Lord. Wives, submitting to our husbands is not lowering our self worth in any way. We are not doing that to be slaves to the men we are married to. We are doing a service unto God. We are taking our stands as righteous women of God who live everyday to please Our Father which art in Heaven. We are teaching our daughters how to live, grow and develop with Christ like character that pleases God. We are learning everyday, and for that, we will be blessed.May God bless you all and may your marriages be filled with love, peace, joy, compassion and romance... God is love. When we love, it pleases God.

My Husband, My Friend...

You are more than I could have asked for
Your eyes pierce deep into my soul
uncovering the darkest parts of me
Your are masculine, strong, bold and fearless
Yet gentle, loving and sensual
When you hold me in your arms
I melt at your touch
The world seems empty and distant
Because I am lost in your embrace
You appear before me as excellent, stately, 
A king of royalty
My life is complete because you are with me
God has blessed me
And too often i couldn't see
Mistakes are now a thing of the past
With you by my side
God is ready to make us new
Take my hand my prince 
Sweep me into your loving arms
Walk with me into our future
You have been and will always be
My friend, confidant, company
I love you.

Love Song

My all I give to You

Oh Lord You're all I need

You captivate me

With Your presence every day

You are so faithful

So loving 

So tender and charming

You lift me up and pull me out

You leave me in complete awe

I kneel in all surrender God

Before your throne of mercy

I am nothing Lord 

I need You more 

Hold me close 

Wrap me in your love 

Drown me in Your compassion

Consume me in Your flames of fire

Lead me where You want me

My all I give to You

Oh lord You're all I need.

Who You are to Me

Oh Lord Im so glad I found You

Theres none like You

You fill me with courage, 

You lift me on wings of hope

Out of darkness, You captivated me 

With the marvelous warmth of your light

Jesus, You are everything

My second chance of living

You are my One and Only God

Who is like You Lord

Everyday, my heart chooses You again

In your presence I could feel Your breath cover my existence

Holy are You, 

You fill me with your blessed assurance

As I stand on your grace

I am renewed..

The Faithfulness of God

When I first became a Christian and decided to follow Christ with all my might, I began to go in prayer before the Lord for my husband to realize the truth...That Jesus is indeed God, in the hope that he would run into the open arms of God.  At around the same time, I was reading the Bible one day and came across the scripture in Corinthians that says, 'Me and my household shall be saved.' I started to declare those words into my soul, into my atmosphere, and my home..However, its been years now and the wording of the prayer has changed, but not the plea itself. Later, someone shared with me a testimony of their own family members coming to Christ, quoting the same scripture. They explained to me, that when God says 'household', he meant our entire families...extended, blended, etc. That revelation opened me up to a whole new level of faith as I believed for all of my family members that are rooted in Hinduism and Islam, to get the revelation that Jesus Christ is Lord of ALL.
Last week, my grandmother's sister passed away. The wounds of it all are still so fresh that I am literally pained as I write this. We are a close family and we cherish frequent family gatherings. This time, we held each other, and cried together. In the time of her illness, we would pray for her. We would intercede before God in prayer and fasting for her to be miraculously healed. But, God had a different plan. In the time prior to her being in the hospital, The Lord sent someone to her home to take her (Muslim) and her husband (Hindu) to church (Christian). It was in a church in Valencia, Trinidad, that the Pastors heard from God that her time on Earth was quickly coming to an end. They told her about the Lord and got her to say the sinner's prayer. She even got baptized! But, it was also the time and place where her husband received a touch from God. Other family members who were present in the hospital and at home where we grouped together to pray were beginning to see a new thing, a new way to pray, a new way to worship, a new God from whom they had been blinded for so long. Now she's gone, and I believe she's the first family member who was a Christian and died - therefore, giving us comfort that she is definitely in heaven giving Jesus honor and praise, moment after moment. I am not sure sure if the rest of them called upon the name of the Lord Jesus before they passed, but I know she did.
Today, I am once again in awe of the Lord and His faithfulness. He hears the prayers of the righteous, and He delivers us out of all our afflictions. He heard my little voice as I cried out and heard me pray a prayer of such limited understanding for my unsaved family to know Him before death. And, He answered. It fills me with so much hope that soon my husband too will be delivered and set free and will rise up as a mighty man of God. I stand on the promises of God that me and my household shall be saved.
I pray that every loved one that you are petitioning before God be saved, delivered and completely set free in the name of Jesus Christ. I claim their salvation for them now and plead the blood of Jesus over their lives, in Jesus Name, Amen.
HE IS FAITHFUL. ALL HIS PROMISES ARE SURE.

Loving Jesus Forever

by Nathan Edwards
Humble Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ
Member of Miracle Revival Ministry

There are no Words that can adequately describe the Greatness of My God
My lungs have not yet developed the ability 
to release a breath with enough agility 
to breathe out the greatness of his love

My voice may be restrained my human limits, 
to sing the praises that he deserves
Oh My God, My sweet Jesus
His grace is remarkable
Mercies are immeasurable
Strength is Impenetrable
He is Honourable
Accountable
Favourable
He unsearchable yet knowable
Indescribable yet personal
He is beyond comprehension
Further than imagination
Constant through every generation
King of every Nation

But if there are words for him
then I dont have them
My words are few
to try to capture the One True Living God 

But I use words as an expression
An expression of Worship to the Saviour
A Saviour who is worthy and deserving of my praise

Jesus has won my heart
captured my mind
He has defeated the enemy
conquered me in my sin
welcomed me into his presence
He has made himself the object of my sight
Crowned me with grace in the morning
Drowned in his Mercies at night 

So if there are words for him, then I dont have them
But what I do have is good news
Words are what we use to point to the truth
That God sent his son Jesus Christ as, The Word
Living proof
He is the Image of the invisible God
The First Born of all creation
He is before all things
and over all things, he reigns
Holy is his name

So Praise him for his life
The humble Son of God becoming the perfect sacrifice
Praise him for his death
that he willingly stood in our place
that he endured the pain
defeated the enemy 
and on the third day rose in Victory

he is everything that is promised
so lift your voice and sing praises unto him
For One day he will return as King
and we will be united with the Saviour for Eternity

So its not just words I proclaim
but my words point at the Word
and the Word has a name
Hope has a name
Love has a name
Peace has a name
Joy has a name
and that name is JESUS CHRIST
Praise his name Forever
God Bless you all !!!! 

The Empty Bottle (Spoken Word), by Sanjeev Rampersad

Building the Temple of God.

David is described as a man after God's own heart. One of his greatest desires was to build a sanctuary for God so that the people could come in and Worship. But, we learn that David was a man of war in his time, and as such, God needed someone who was pure to construct this sacred place. Later on, God used Solomon, David's son, to execute the building of the temple. 
Today, we are the temple. Our bodies are the sanctuary that houses the God of All. Solomon ensured that the outside of the temple was beautiful... but the real magnificence was evident on the inside (1 Kings 6). We take so much time and put in so much effort to adorn ourselves on the outside. We wear make up, step out in the latest trends and walk in the best shoes. God wants that for us. In this way, we are presenting ourselves beautiful to the world, giving God the glory. But, what's on the inside?
The bible says that we are not to conform ourselves to the things of this world, but to be conformed to the things of God, by renewing our minds in Him, daily (Rom 12:2). When we can put away our carnal thoughts and behaviors and submit ourselves to God, we are transformed, and transitioned from the world systems into the Kingdom of Light. We become new, having pleasant behaviors and mindsets that are in alignment with God. On the inside we are beautiful vessels that encourage the Father to dwell. 
However, for me, its more easily said than done. I struggle with the flesh daily. I sometimes get thoughts that according to God's standard, are sinful. I react to some situations instead of responding. I quarrel when I want to be heard. And believe me, the list goes on. But, I have learned that although I am imperfect, I am serving a PERFECT God. The more I bear my heart before Him, admitting my failures and faults, the more He forgives me and lavishes His love upon me. The more I present all of myself to Him, the more He rids me of the carnality that is my nature and makes me a more wholesome dwelling place for His remarkable, excellent Spirit. The more I think of all He continues to be in my life, the more I am in love with Him...
Everyday God works with me to ensure that my body, (His temple) is constructed the way He wants it. Everyday He is uprooting the fleshly lusts and desires and causing me to be a resemblance of Him. Everyday, I want more of Him. 
"Lord prepare me, to be a sanctuary, pure and Holy, tried and true..with thanksgiving, I'll be a living, sanctuary for You".
God doesn't have favorites so please, do not think that the things He is doing in my life, He won't do it in yours. Open your heart to Him and let Him reign in your life today. Love you all, in Jesus' Name.