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There are times in life where we will feel anxious and helpless waiting on God’s blessing to manifest in this world. We will feel beaten up after being tested for a long enough period and we will start to have doubt. We are zeroed in on the scripture believing in God’s Word but are not seeing God’s blessing manifest and it can feel like things are only getting worse. Some call this period “Spiritual Warfare” which can accurately describe what we may be feeling at the time. During these periods, we have to remind ourselves when it comes to our spiritual battles that the battle is not our, but God’s (2 Chr 20:15). The focus needs to be on what God brings to the fight and not what we bring to the fight. So what do we bring to the fight? We know that we won’t be using weapons of this world but weapons of divine power (2 Cor 10:4). The divine weapon will come in the form of the Holy Spirit who will guide us in our difficult times (Jhn 16:13). We will never understand why hard times come be we just have to hold on to hope and know that God will never abandon us in our trying times. It is through this perseverance of faith that God’s suddenness will come upon us like a mighty roaring windstorm coming down from heaven. Suddenly, our hope is answered and our blessings start to manifest. We can finally catch our breath and look back on the hard fought battle we endured and know that the hardest part is over.

It’s hard to make sense of why we have to go through these trying times when we serve an all-powerful and all-knowing God. We have to remind ourselves that we live in a fallen world which means we are susceptible to tribulations. We also have to understand that suffering will produce endurance, endurance will produce character and character will produce hope (Rmn 5:3-4). Then after we suffer for awhile God Himself will restore us and make us strong again (1 Ptr 5:10). These are the promises we have to hold onto when times get tough. It is when we are in the midst of our Spiritual Warfare that we have spiritual growth (Rom 5:3-5). Our fight is a fight of faith and when feel we are running out of steam, we have to dig in deep and keep up the good fight of faith so God’s blessing can suddenly can come upon us (1 Tim 6:12). That is when God will be pleased with our perseverance and God’s blessing will manifest in this world. So let’s keep up the good fight of faith and don’t give in to the doubt from the enemy. The enemy is like a lion looking for who he can devour. If we give the enemy an inch, the enemy will do all he can to take a mile. Resist the enemy’s feeble attempts to steal your blessing (1 Ptr 5:8-9). Trust that God won’t forsake you or abandon you and you will get your suddenly. God is good.

2 Chronicles 20:15 NIV He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

2 Corinthians 10:4 Amplified The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

John 16:13 NIV But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.

Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.

Acts 2:2 NLT Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.

Romans 5:3-5 ESV Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

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

1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV  Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

It is by grace that we no longer have to earn our salvation. It is by grace that we are blessed with God’s promises and are no longer required to earn God’s blessings (Rom 6:14). We are no longer being judged by God because Jesus was sacrificed for our sins. We are now saved through God’s grace by our faith (Eph 2:8-9). To understand the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice, we have to understand the laws given in the Old Testament. In order to be cleansed for sins before Jesus’ sacrifice, animal sacrifices had to be made. The blood of the animal being sacrificed cleansed one’s sin and life (Lev 17:11). Now if we look at the New Testament, we are now cleansed by the blood of Jesus (1 Jhn 1:7). God no longer holds us accountable for our sins because there is no greater sacrifice that can be made that is greater than the blood of Jesus. Where animal sacrificed only cleansed you for previous sins, Jesus’ sacrifice cleansed you for all your sins past and future. We are no longer under the judgement of the law now that we have Jesus (Gal 3:24-25).

We established that we are now under grace through Christ and we are no longer under God’s judgement. We don’t have to worry about how we see ourselves. We have to focus on the fact that we have been set free by God’s grace. An example I like to follow is that imagine wearing a brand new bright white t-shirt. Every time we sin, we (emphasis on you and I) add a little stain to our brand new bright white t-shirt. If we let this mindset go on long enough, we our brand new bright white t-shirt doesn’t look so nice. We start feeling embarrassed and ashamed of how dirty our shirt has become and we don’t want to be seen by God. We have to remember we are under grace, it’s no longer how we see ourselves. It’s about how God sees us and when God sets us free, we are free indeed (Jhn 8:36). God still sees us in our brand new bright white t-shirt regardless of how we see ourselves.

There are times where we want to look back in life and play the should’ve, would’ve could’ve game and we just want to beat ourselves up. But we have to remind ourselves that God sees us as His children made perfect through His grace by our faith. If God doesn’t hold judgement against us why should be beat ourselves up? We can’t forget that the enemy will always try to pull us away from God’s blessing and promises. The enemy is the thief trying to steal God’s blessings from us and we have to change our thinking so this doesn’t happen. In our daily life we are used to doing some sort of action to get some something in return. We work our jobs, we get a check. We go to the drive-thru and pay for a meal, we get a meal. My economics professor said, there is no such thing as a free meal and in this world that is very true. But, we as believers, are not bound by rules of this world. We are bound by the Word of God that resides within our spirit and that is where our focus needs to be. Through grace by our faith, God is now an all loving, all forgiving righteous God. God is good.

Romans 6:14 NIV For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

Leviticus 17:11 NIV For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

1 John 1:7 NIV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Galatians 3:24-25 NKJV Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

John 8:36 NIV So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 10: 10 NIV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

At some point you will have to put your faith to work (Jas 2:17). There is only so much praying we can do before God will kick the ball back to us and expect us to stand firm on His Word. When it comes to prayer God doesn’t want us to worry about anything we encounter in our life. He wants us to send Him our prayers and then let His peace guard our hearts and minds (Php 4:6-7). God doesn’t say pray and keep praying. God says to pray and give it to Him and sometimes the answer God gives us is not the answer we are expecting or what we are wanting. We can’t mistake prayers for wishes. Meaning we pray once and then everything works itself out. This isn’t faith. If we are believing in healing, then at some point we will need to act like we are healed. God’s will ask us to put our faith to work.

When Naaman asked Elisha to heal him of his leprosy, Elisha told Naaman to go down to the river and wash himself seven times. This was a simple instruction but Naaman did not like what he was told and Naaman was offended (2 Kgs 5:10-11). There are times God will give us instructions that we don’t like. When we pray for a financial blessing, God may ask us to give when that’s the last thing we want to do. But this is how we put our faith into action and when we put our faith into action God will be pleased (Heb 11:6).

There are also times where we pray and God’s answer might just scare us because the instruction seem impossible. When the angel of the Lord called Gideon a mighty warrior and told Gideon to save Israel from Midian, Gideon was overwhelmed (Jdg 6:12-15). Like Gideon, we sometimes fail to understand when God gives us instructions, He is now in the driver’s seat and we are along for the ride. This will require us to trust in God because we are used to being in full control of our own lives and letting go of control is never an easy thing to do. God may ask us to relocate, change careers, let go of loved ones or continue to persevere so God can lay down His foundation for His full blessing can materialize.

So how do we put our faith to work? What God revealed to me is to start with the small things. When it’s winter and I start getting the sniffles, I remind myself that no sickness is allowed in my house (Psa 91:10) and I rarely get anything more than the sniffles. A few years ago I was training for an Ironman Triathlon, I’d have calf issues partly due because I would miss most of my training runs because no one likes running. When it came time for the longer runs, I couldn’t let my calves stop me so I would just repeat to myself “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phi 4:13) and I would get through my runs. My training discipline didn’t get any better so come race day my body was in for a world of pain. Thankfully, my discipline in practicing my faith far exceeded my training discipline and I crossed the finish line with a respectable time. God might have been annoyed from my constant repetition of repeating Philipians 4:13 for the last three hours but I’m sure He was pleased at the same time. God is good.

James 2:17 NKJV Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Kings 5:10-11 NIV Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.

Hebrews 11:6 NIV And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Judges 6:12-15 NIV  When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”  “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

Psalm 91:10 NKJV No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

Philipians 4:13 NKJV  I can do all things through ^[a]Christ who strengthens me.

We all have big dreams on how we want our lives to play out and rarely do they ever go according to our plan. This is no difference when it comes to following plans that God gives us. If we look at the parable in Mark 4:28, Jesus describes a process of growing a seed. First the blade, then the ear and finally the full corn. Each stage requires a process all of its own. The initial blade will require finding the proper seed, preparing the soil and keeping the planted seed watered. Once we get an ear, tending to the plants surrounding is a key. Weeds will then try to rob the plant of water and nutrients. Pests will come to feed on the plant and try to steal from the plant before the plant reaches its full maturity. Once seed has produced a full corn we can now feast on our hard work. There is true wisdom in this short parable.

To get to the blade, we will need proper planning and preparation which sets the foundation of our future harvest. We feel true excitement when God reveals His plan for us and unfortunately God doesn’t give us the step-by-step guide on how His plan will play out. This is where we as followers of Christ need to seek God’s wisdom to find the path God put in place for us. If God’s plan is to start a new career you have to seek God to see how you start this new career path. Do you need to go back to school? If so, what school do you go to? If God put in your heart to start your own business, what business do you start and when and where do you start it? These questions can become overbearing and doubt may start to appear but you just have to hang on and trust God’s plan will lead to prosperity (Jer 29:11).

When we get to the ear, we are at the halfway point. We are now seeing our hard work start to manifest and this is where we need to protect ourselves from outside forces that will try to rob and steal our blessing. People can start trying to discourage you. Distractions can start pulling you away from achieving your plans. Know that all plans that come from God will be attacked by the enemy (John 10:10). The thief will send a full on blitz to try to steal, kill and destroy what God has planned for you. It will get hard and you may feel like quitting. But we have to trust and know that God’s plan will lead to a much better situation than we are currently in. The greater the struggle the greater reward.

When it is time to feast on our harvest, we may need to understand the full lifecycle of a plant. When plant has reached its full maturity, the plant is now able to produce seeds which can then lead to a bigger harvest. God wants us to live an abundant life when we live in Christ. If we were to waste away that first plant and not continue the reseeding process we miss God’s true blessing of living an abundant life. One blessing will lead to another blessing. The enemy will recognize your potential and realize you will be a threat so expect to be in a dog fight for every step.

When we are tested, doubt may come over us. But we have to trust God’s faithfulness and know that God’s plan will not change regardless of the obstacles and His plan will be fulfilled (Num 23:19). There is a reason why God puts us through a process. Most cases, we aren’t ready for the harvest out the gate. If you hear some of the most successful people in the world they will tell you the best lessons they learned were from their failures. When I left home for college I knew God’s plan for me was to have a successful career in IT. Of course I was excited because I knew that would eventually lead to a high paying career. I also knew this wasn’t going to happen overnight. First, I had to find a path to complete my Bachelor’s Degree which is it’s own story. Then I had to sharpen my skill set through years of experience and then I had to find the company that would allow me to grow and appreciate my skill set. There were a ton of distractions on top of the doubt when my lack of studying would catch up to me. It would have been easy to quit when things got tough but I knew God had a purpose for my life. I had several conversations with the man in the mirror and I just kept on fighting for what God had for me and eventually I got to my first harvest in my career. I didn’t get it right away but eventually I understood that God wasn’t done with my harvest. This understanding was revealed to me after I starting getting into the Word of God and meditating on God. God knows the desires of our hearts and its only when we dedicate ourselves to God that His plans will be revealed to us (Psalm 37:3-4). God is good.

Mark 4:28 KJV For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

John 10:10 ESV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Numbers 23:19 NIV God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Psalm 37:3-4 NIV Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Faith is one of the key principles we are given in the New Covenant. If we go to Hebrews, we have a clear definition of how God defines faith. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Very simple explanation but one of the most challenging principles to grasp. We are instructed to believe in something we don’t have. Whether it’s healing, finances, car problems or any other problem we encounter in our busy lives. God has a promise for all our needs. Health problems? By His stripes we are healed (Isa 53:5). Finance or car problems? God will provide all your needs (Phi 4:19). We know these scriptures by heart but it’s when we don’t get the blessing right away our faith will be put to the test. When we are tested we just have to draw a line in the sand and hold on to hope. We can never lose hope (Pro 13:2). Hope is the foundation of faith. Faith is the foundation of God’s promises. This process called faith can be exhausting but we must keep it together no matter how hard times get. It took Daniel’s prayer 21 days to be answered because of hindrances in the world (Dan 10:12-14). God hears our prayers the first time we pray and from there we have to persevere no matter how hard things become. The harder it gets the, closer and bigger the blessing you are about to receive. We have to learn to shut our brains off and listen to the Comforter within you. Let’s put on our Jesus playlist and worship the Good Lord and know that God is faithful and will protect us against the evil one (2 Thess 3:3).

Now that we know God’s definition of faith we can go back to the Good Book and get clear instructions on how to obtain faith. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”. How do we hear the Word of God? Technology gives us some of the easiest options. There are Jesus podcasts available on all smart phones. Bible teachings we can stream online. We have Gospel channels on TV. We have church services available a few days a week. The most important way to hear the Word of God is to read our bibles on a daily basis. This is how you will build a first hand relationship with your Heavenly Father. All other options are great but they are second hand experiences. They are intermediaries to the Father. Someone can describe an amazing experience in full detail and you can use your imagination to picture that experience and you can even get stirred up inside. But that doesn’t compare to being the person who actually experiences that first hand experience. Don’t deny yourselves those firsthand experiences. You will be amazed when you read your bible. The first time I read when God told Moses he is “I AM WHO I AM” I almost jumped through the roof from excitement (Exo 3:13-14). This was a mic drop moment that totally caught me off guard and got me excited about reading the bible. There are countless mic drop moments that God will reveal to you when you read your bible.

Hearing the Word of God continuously throughout the day will increase our faith and will allow The Comforter to guide us through our tribulations. Let’s read our bibles daily, keep our minds set on God’s Word through music and bible teachings so God may prepare us for the road ahead of us. God is good.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Isaiah 54:5 NKJV But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Philippians 4:19 KJV But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 13:2 ESV Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Daniel 10:12-14 NIV Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”

2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

Romans 10:17 NKJV So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Exodus 3:13-14 NIV Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

God Himself declares Himself a jealous God so make time for Him (Exo 34:14). We all have busy lives and at time we are moving so fast that we forget to breath. Life will never slow down. There will always be things we want or need to get done. At the same time, God has a plan for us (Jer 29:11). Distractions are at every corner we turn. Smart phones aren’t making people smarter. We have all our shows to watch on all the different streaming services. We have demanding careers and businesses to run. We have family, friends and pets to attend to. We have to go to the gym and run our regular errands. Sometimes we just need a little more “me time”. I’m not trying to beat up anyone. I just described a lot of my excuses I’ve had in the past. We have to start using our smart phones to consume as much of Jesus as we can. It’s as easy as creating playlists called “Church” and listening to all the Faith/Grace Jesus podcast available to us so we can drown out the world’s distractions. We have every flavor of the Bible available at our fingertips via App Stores. Give our jealous God the time he deserves. Hear the Good Shepherds voice and follow Him (Jhn 10:27). That is where we will find true peace and true purpose.

When you give God the attention and focus, doors will be open. My blessed career in IT has all come from hearing and following God’s instructions. My first professional job out of college was the lowest paying job out of all my university colleagues. I knew this and this wasn’t fun and I had the urge to seek out a higher paying job. On the other hand, God was telling me to hang on and wait. I waited for 4 years watching as my colleagues were buying brand new shiny cars and other nice toys. I chose to listen to God’s instructions and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the blessings that I continue to reap. It turns out those first 4 years have been the most important years of my professional career. Little did I know that I was being mentored by 3 of the most brilliant engineers I have run into thus far in my career. Iron sharpens iron and boy was I being sharpened (Pro 27:17). The first year I felt like an insect among these giants but God knew I’d be up for the challenge. By the end of the tenure there, I was well sharpened and ready to start climbing up the career ladder. I’m bragging on Jesus now, but by the 6th year from graduating from university I was now the highest paid person among my colleagues and my annual salary has increased every year since for the past 12 years including this year. Looking back now, I would’ve been a fool to leave my first job for a higher paying job when God said to stay put. God is always speaking to us and it’s when we give God the attention and focus that we are able to hear God’s instructions. God is good.

Exodus 34:14 NIV Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

John 10:27 ESV My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Proverbs 27:17 NIV As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

“For God so loved the world” (John 3:16) includes everyone under the sun. Regardless of what side of the political line you stand on, God loves you dearly. No matter how judgemental the world is towards you, God will never be disappointed in you. The Father sacrificed His own Son so we can be free from His judgement and take in all His love. To not except this, is to say Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough to gain God’s love. It is plenty for me. The world has a way of playing mind games with us and makes us put the focus on ourselves when it comes to knowing how much God loves us. “God is love” (1 John 4:8) is a powerful statement. We just need to go to the Good Book to understand what God’s definition of love and God is broken out clearly in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. We will never be perfect in our own eyes. It’s okay because God is patient. We will have bad days. That’s fine too. God is kind. There are times where we will suffer and go through a whirlwind of emotions and ask God why. Why is this happening to me? We have to weather the storm and trust God’s love for us. There are times where our relationships with loved ones will sour. Our jobs will become a burden. Our business and finances will lack. We will have to take that dreaded trip to the hospital. It’s during these storms that we have to ask the right question to God. We have to ask God “how” not “why”. We have to put our trust in God and ask Him how is He going to get us through this situation. He is our shepherd (Ezek 34:31). He will guide us through our storms when we are weak and confused.

Romans 5:1-5 has a whole lot packed in these few verses. The Good Book says when we suffer we must persevere because perseverance will produce character and character, hope. It’s through this perseverance that God will be pleased with us and His love will be poured into our hearts. So let’s fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12). Let’s be strong and know He will not forsake us during our tribulations (Deut 31:6). God is love.

Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

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

Ezekiel 34:31 NIV You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord

Romans 5:1-5 NIV Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 4:8 NIV Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

The deceiver is getting pretty bold these days by not being shy on the different ways that he is trying to distract everyone from hearing God. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word influence as “the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways : sway“. We now live in an era where we have influencers getting paid top dollar to distract people from life and essentially distract people from what God has planned for us. We have people breaking bones doing Milk Crate Challenge and even experiencing death by doing challenges like the Tide Pod Challenge. Being an influencer doesn’t make you a bad person since it’s ultimately up to the individual to decide what they do with their free time. Life is full of distraction and this is coming from a guy who has every streaming service available. Having every streaming service doesn’t make you a bad person but it makes distractions more available. We should just take entertainment in small doses and try to maintain our focus on hearing what God is trying to tell us everyday in life. I know we are all guilty of not focusing on God when life is good and we have no worries. However, when we are most distracted and distant from God, that is the perfect time for the enemy to roam around to see who he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). Please note that the Good Book say the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion” and not that the enemy is a lion. It is during these distracted times we are caught off guard and this false roar can send us trembling and life can knock us down on our backside. This is when we need to remember to be fearless and remember God will strengthen us (Isaiah 41:10). There will always be trying times on God’s green earth. Jesus Himself said we will have tribulation (John 16:33). This is meant to be a cautionary warning to all of us and to remind us He has overcome the world. There are things we just can’t control and the easiest example is seeing our loved ones pass away. We aren’t meant to outlive our parents and grandparents and we aren’t meant to outlive our pets. That is how God designed this thing we call life. Losing loved ones is one of the hardest things most of us will go through. It’s during these hardships that we need the least amount of distractions in our lives and we need our focus on God to remain sharp. We can find perfect peace when we keep our minds focused on God (Isaiah 26:3).

So who is your influencer? Are you going to wait until life knocks you down to find God’s peace or will you allow God to prepare you and sharpen you for the unavoidable tribulations life will present? Let’s not get caught off guard by letting the world influence us but let God be your beacon in life so you may have true peace during our time here on earth. God is good.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Isaiah 26:3 NIV You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

John 16:33 NKJV These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

This is the question presented by God that finally pushed me to start this journey into discipleship. It’s a question that we should all be asking ourselves at some point in our walk here on God’s amazing earth. Looking back at the past 10 years, it’s as though God has been preparing me for this time. Every season brought it’s highs and lows, it’s ups and downs (Eccl 3:1-8), and every time I would seek out God to help sharpen my faith in Him. It took reading my Bible, listening to podcasts, creating and constantly updating my “Church” playlist so I could turn off the world so I could just focus on God in order to get the revelation He had for me. I didn’t always hear the revelation with all the distractions around me but kept on keeping on and eventually received God’s revelation.

Why not me? Why not you? We are not alone. Jesus left us a great gift when He asked the Father to leave the Holy Spirit as an advocate for us (John 14:15-20). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines advocate as “one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal”. The Holy Spirit defends and guides us we only need to keep our focus on Him so that we can be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16) so we can then help and guide others that are in need of the God’s help. These are people in our everyday life and people like you and I might be the only person that is within their daily life that can tell them about the Good News (Luke 4:43). Reaching out to people and having a “Jesus Talk” is a tough thing to do with the state of the world we live in. Today’s society is training Christians to tiptoe around talking about Jesus openly so many Christians are choosing to stay silent. We also can’t deny the fact that anyone can get fired or canceled these days if they offend someone who hears them talking about God. The enemy is getting bolder everyday so we have to pray for guidance. We all know people who absolutely need to hear about Jesus so we can’t just stay silent. We have to just make ourselves available to those people by just giving hints that we are a true Believer. It’s as simple as saying “Thank God” out loud or when someone ask your plans for the weekend mention your plans on attending church on Sunday. We need to leave the door open and if someone is seeking God’s help, God will guide them to us so we can have that Jesus talk. If not you, then who.

Hello Brothers and Sisters. I finally took the step to follow God’s plan and I am starting my journey into discipleship (Matthew 28:18-20). My background as a Christian is pretty simple. I grew up going to my family’s Christian church since I could walk. I’ve read about three fifths of the Bible. I’ve read all the New Testament and I’m currently trying my best to read both the Old Testament and New Testament daily. I absolutely believe the Bible is the Word of God (John 6:63). By no means am I saying I’ve lived the perfect Christian life for we fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). I’ve just learned throughout my trials and tribulations that God always comes through during these trying times in my life. God’s revelations have blessed me so much that I feel the responsibility of sharing these struggles and triumphs with others that could use words of encouragement. The path of discipleship won’t be easy but I will lean on the great ” I AM” (Exodus 3:13–14) to help me navigate this path that God has put me on. God is Good.