As nice as it is to go on vacation there is nothing like coming home. I was up before daylight packing and preparing everything to be loaded in the car with anticipation of getting home. This got me to thinking about people who have walked away from God and that need to come home.  As I thought about this I realized they don’t need to pack or prepare to come home, all it takes is one prayer. I began to think about why people walk away from God in the first place.

Maybe you got hurt or mad with someone that caused you to walk away.  People will let you down in this life, sometimes because they are not perfect and make mistakes and others are wolves in sheep’s clothing as stated in the bible. Either way if this caused you to walk away from God then you had more of a relationship with them than you did with God. You were basing your faith on man not God. I think it is great to have mentors and people we go to when we have questions or problems in our life but never make the mistake of putting more faith in them than you in do Jesus Christ. If you do I guarantee you man will fail you every time intentional or unintentional. If this has happened to you then ask God to forgive you for putting your trust in man and not in him. Forgive the person who let you down or hurt you and pray for them. Ask God to strengthen them and to bless them.

Maybe you have suffered a great loss and you are mad and hurt with God. This is the one I believe that causes most people to walk away from God. This is also the hardest one for Pastors or Church Leaders to answer because they can’t answer the question why; but they know this is a pivotal moment in that person’s life and walk with Jesus Christ. They know that many turn away from God during this time and they can’t stop it no matter how hard they try. All they can do is continue to pray for that person and wait for their return. I believe death is the hardest test we will ever face but please don’t turn away from God. Cry out to him during this time and ask him to give you the strength to get through it. Ask him to not let Satan use this as a way of getting between you and God. Ask God to see you through the pain and bring some type of understanding and peace during this time.

Maybe you slowly drifted away from God one compromise or bad choice at a time. There was no one thing that caused you to walk away, you just got too comfortable and quit growing as a Christian. I believe a lot of times we think we have it all figured out and know everything there is to know about God. We are happy with our relationship with God, so we stop working at it. We begin to take it for granite. We are no longer spending time in his Word or in prayer. We have become stagnant in our walk with Jesus. Time doesn’t stand still and neither can we in this life. I believe if you are not moving in your faith then you are moving forward in the world and this is what causes you to drift away. I believe there are only two masters you can serve, God or Satan, and when you are not growing in God then you are serving Satan. I think by the time you realize how far away you are from God sometimes you are too embarrassed to come home. Please know today that God wants you to come home and it all starts with one prayer asking him to forgive you.

As you read this, you may realize you fit into one of these categories or maybe you aren’t sure which one you fit into. You see, the reason you walked away really doesn’t matter, only that you come home to Jesus today. You are never too far from him to come home. He is waiting for you today.

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

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My husband and I love to spend time in the Mountains and spend a lot of time watching Nature in Cade’s Cove, a National Park, near Pigeon Forge Tennessee. We ride this 11-mile loop hoping and waiting to see Deer, Bears, and Coyotes in their natural habitat. Each time we hope to see them doing something extraordinary that we have not seen before. We watch the deer run and play through the fields and we have seen a couple of bucks fight from time to time. We watched the mama bears playing with their cubs and climbing trees to get away from all the people and cameras.   We have sat for hours just watching them waiting to see what they will do next. I am always amazed at the number of people who are there doing the same exact thing as us. You see everything from your vacationer with their cell phone or small camera taking pictures up to and including professional photographers with large lenses and tripods set up in the fields just waiting for their shot.

As I was sitting there I began to think about God and I was thanking him in amazement at the beauty he created as I looked around and saw we were surrounded by these huge beautiful mountains that look down on this cove. There are fields as far as you could see in places and other places are covered in trees and brush which provide protection for the animals. Some of the animals are running and playing in the fields and you can get close to them and get good pictures while others are just standing there doing nothing.

I was standing in this field watching a few deer play, because I was too tired to continue following them and too tired to walk back to the truck, and I began to think that God is sitting there watching us just like I was watching those deer. God is just waiting for his people to move and do something extraordinaire for him and his glory. He watches us day after day from above just waiting for us to make our move. I believe he searches for light and movement on the earth and when he sees it he leans in to get closer to us. I believe he enjoys the moment and smiles as he watches his people fulfill their purpose. I believe God gets frustrated with his people when he just sees us standing there doing nothing. I believe he watches them for a moment then passes on by, searching for the ones that are moving and getting things done in his name.

Let’s get on the move today for Jesus Christ and make sure when he looks down at us that he sees us moving and working for his glory. That he smiles down on us and leans in closer to us.

Thanks for reading this and I hope you have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

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Fire is something you can see in total darkness or in light. Fire can be seen up close or from a distance. We use fire for heat, for entertainment and sometimes to get rid of these we don’t want. You can’t hide fire even if you conceal the flames there is smoke and heat that will lead you to the flames. Anyone who has ever started a fire knows the flame starts out small and but the more attention you give it and the more wood you feed it the larger the flames get. However, if you don’t continue to give it attention and continue to feed it wood it will go out. Sometimes you think the fire has gone out but if you began to poke around in the ashes you will find a hot ember and with a little attention you can turn that ember into a roaring flame again.

I believe as Christians we are like a fire. When we first get saved we are on fire for God. We fuel ourselves with prayer and add wood from the Word of God to increase our flames. You can see that fire in the world of darkness that we live in from a mile away. You can’t hide the flames due to the smoke and heat that is inside of you. You want to witness to everyone because you want everyone to feel exactly what you are feeling. You invite people to church and you are at church for every service because you can’t get enough. You have conversations about Jesus and what he has done for you. You give him the glory for everything. You walk around thanking him throughout your day for the smallest things. You are consumed with God and his greatness.

Over time we stop feeding our fire and the flames get smaller and smaller. The smoke dies down and you can’t really feel the heat anymore. We are not fueling ourselves in prayer or reading God’s Word so our flames began to die down. Now we just have a lot of ashes that remind us of that fire we once had. We began to miss church one service at a time and before you know it you have not been in months. In the beginning you feel convicted for not going to church, reading your bible, or spending time in prayer but eventually you don’t feel the conviction at all.

Why do we allow this to happen? I believe we let it happen one compromise at a time. We get busy in our day to day life and the first thing we give up is God. We will say I will read my bible tomorrow or I will pray tomorrow because I’ve got too much going on today. We put God on a shelf and leave him there. We may pull him down from time to time in the beginning but before long he has been on the shelf for months and then years. The sad thing is you don’t even miss him. You make excuses and say I’m still a Christian but there is no smoke or flame visible in your life to support this. You don’t even realize you have walked away from God.

What does it take to get that fire back? This is the great thing about God. It may only appear to be ashes left but if you began to poke around you will find an ember that is still burning. God is an eternal flame he will never go out, so all you need to do is begin to fuel that ember with prayer and you will begin to see a little smoke. As you begin to add wood and start reading God’s word the flames slowly return and before you know it you have a roaring fire again.

Let’s pray today that we stay on fire for God. Let’s end the cycle of being on fire one minute for God and cold the next. Can you imagine what we could accomplish for God if we kept the fire we had when we first got saved? I don’t believe our world, our country, or our communities would be in the shape they are today if we kept our fire roaring. I believe our churches would be overflowing and that God’s presence would be so palpable you could feel him when you pulled in the parking lot at church. All of this is possible and doable if we keep our fire burning. Let’s make a conscience choice today to keep our fire burning by feeding our flames with prayer and the Word of God.

Thanks for reading this and I hope you have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

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I hear people say all the time they want to be closer to God but do they really? This is something each of us can obtain but it is work. It is more than just going to church on Sundays and praying when we need something. Having a close relationship with God takes dedication and commitment on a daily basis. You have to make God your top priority and put him above all things in your life. If you want your marriage to succeed, put God first. If you want to succeed as a parent, friend or employee then put God first. The very minute you take God out of that number one spot, you will fail.

People want a quick fix from God but not a relationship. A relationship takes your time and effort every day. It requires you to put your wants behind God’s wants for you. You have to walk the walk and talk the talk every day. It is a lifestyle change not just a Sunday morning change. You are going to have to give up things in your life to get closer to God. You cannot do the things of the world and expect to get closer to God. You have to make a choice and sometimes that includes giving up things you don’t want to, in order to get closer to God. This is the part no one wants to talk about because it’s not popular but it is the truth. You cannot live in sin all week and expect to get closer to God. The bible says to come out from among them to separate yourself and you can’t do this by living the same way you were before you were saved. The bible says you cannot serve two masters for you will love one and hate the other.

If you are not controlling your mouth with the language and content that is coming out of it, you are not getting closer to God. You can’t talk one way all week then try to be Holy on Sundays, it doesn’t work. The bible says in Matthew that by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. If you are letting the words that come out of your mouth hurt others, then you are not getting closer to God. His word tells us to love others as he has loved us.

If the only time you think about God is when you are in trouble or need then you are not growing closer to God. You are just using him not serving him. I hear it everyday when someone is in trouble they want to talk about God and pray but the minute everything is going well, they are back to acting the same way they were before they were in trouble. In a couple of weeks, they are in trouble again so they are back talking about God and praying and this cycle repeats itself over and over again. This is not getting closer to God its just using him. These people wonder why things never change in their life and they are too blind to see the truth.

I pray that each of us has the courage to make the commitment to get closer to God. I pray that each of us are willing to make the sacrifices needed to be close to him because he surely sacrificed enough for us.

Thank you for reading and I hope each of you have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

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Have you ever been to a Christmas tree farm to pick out your tree? The trees are different sizes but are all shaped the same. What you don’t see is the way that tree looked when it first reached the farm. The branches may be too long in places and there are branches just about to the end of the trunk. They look a mess but the owner sees their hidden beauty. He sees what they can become.

The owner of that tree farm begins to go through the trees and sorts them by sizes and he begins to work on each one individually. He will first get rid of the low branches. These branches are usually the most damaged as they are closest to the ground so he will remove these branches to get them out of the way. Removing these branches allows the tree to fit in the tree stand and absorb water over the next few weeks. Next, he will stand this tree and begin to shape the tree into what he wants. Before you know it, the tree looks nothing like it did when he first received the tree. The tree is now ready to be bought and used by someone else.

I believe God does the same thing, as the owner of that tree farm, with each of us when he receives us. He sees our potential and his purpose for us. God starts by removing those low and damaged branches. These are the branches that tie us to the world. These branches often weigh you down and when God removes these you feel that immediate weight lift off of you. Removing these things allows you to now absorb God’s word and stand tall for him. Next, God begins to shape you into what he wants you to be. As he begins to cut away the excess branches, he is breaking the chains of bondage that Satan has on you. He is changing your heart and setting your priorities in order. You are now ready to be used BUT unlike the Christmas trees you have already been bought and paid for. You were created from the beginning with a purpose for God and purchased by Jesus Christ to be used by God.

I believe God then begins to decorate us just as we do our Christmas trees. He sends the Holy Spirit to light us up from the inside out, just as we hang lights on our tree to light it up. I believe that our talents and our callings from God represent the ornaments and bows we place on our tree. I believe each time you use your talent for God’s glory or follow your calling a bow or ornament is placed on your tree. None of us when we decorate our Christmas tree just want one or two bows or ornaments, we want our tree full. I believe God wants his trees to be full as well. He didn’t give you a talent or a calling for you to only use once or twice for him.

We all know the Christmas tree topper is what makes or breaks the Christmas tree. It has to be the focal point or the grand finale. Without the tree topper the rest of the tree is just okay because the tree topper is the WOW factor. I believe our tree topper is Jesus Christ. Jesus is our WOW factor. All of our talents and callings are to glorify him and if you take Jesus out of that then your tree is just okay.

Jesus Christ is the reason we celebrate Christmas so as you decorate your tree think about him. Is Jesus Christ your tree topper this year or have you replaced him with yourself? Are you using your talents and callings to glorify God or yourself? Let’s be sure today that Jesus Christ is our tree topper and that all we do in this life glorifies him.

Thank you for reading and I hope each of you have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

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I had not planned to post anything today but as I am sitting here in my prayer time enjoying our snow in Alabama. I was thinking some people, in the south, wait all year hoping to see just a little snow. Some years we may get a little and other years we do not but people hang on to that hope. This hope is renewed each winter and the anticipation begins for adults and children alike. This morning I have seen numerous pictures on Facebook of people’s homes, yards and automobiles covered in snow. People here are enjoying this moment with their friends and family because we know it is only here for a little while. We know by tonight or tomorrow we will only have the pictures and the memories we have made today because it will be gone.

As I was thanking God and admiring his work, I began to think how many people today are hanging on to hope just waiting for their season. You may be going through something right now and feel like God has left you and you are thinking about giving up because you are running out of hope. Please know today that God will never leave you and your season is coming. What you are going through right now will end and your joy will return. Hang on to your faith and your hope in Jesus today. If you are on the verge of giving up pull out your memory box and pictures of all the blessings God has given you throughout your life and use those to get you through this difficult time. You will see in that memory box that this is not the first difficult situation or time in your life and that God brought you through it then and he will bring you through it now.

A dear friend of mine told me that God likes for us to pray his word to him and remind him of what he said he would do. So, get in the word and begin to quote scriptures to God in your prayer. Remind him he said he would never leave you or forsake you. Remind him he said he would fight for you and that all you had to do was be still. Remind him that he said in our weakness he would be our strength. Remind him his word says all things work together for the good of those who love him.

I hope this helps someone today as I feel God gave this to me today for someone specific. I don’t know who you are but God does. God knows your situation. He knows your pain, sadness, and disappointments and he is there with you. Please don’t give up today just hold on God is coming!

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

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If you ever watch athletes while they are competing they stay focused on their goal or finish line. They put a lot of time and preparation into their game or race. I have a nephew who in high school ran track and today, some 30 years later, he still runs and participates in local marathons. He doesn’t just wake up on race day, get dressed and run the race. No, he starts to prepare weeks or months in advance. He prepares himself physically as well as mentally for the upcoming race. He watches his diet and makes sure he is eating healthy and maintains a healthy weight. He works out to condition his body for the endurance that will be needed and lastly, he runs every day leading up to that race. This gets him mentally as well as physically prepared for what lies ahead on race day.

As Christians, we need to focus on God and our finish line the way athletes do. We can’t just get saved, sit back, and wait on Jesus to come for us. We all have a race to run for Jesus and we need to be prepared physically, mentally, and spiritually to win it. Your race may different from mine but all of our races are important and Jesus wants us to win our race. God gives us everything we need to win our race, we just have to use it.

I do believe we need to take care of ourselves physically. Your body is a temple for the holy spirit and it does not belong to you. I think we all need to make healthy choices and take care of our bodies, so we can make it to the end of our race. So often our race is cut short due to life choices we make.  We don’t know what lies ahead in our race so we need to be physically able to do what God calls us to do.

I think we need to take care of ourselves mentally. We need to stay positive and get rid of negativity. We need to realize who we are in Jesus Christ and get rid of doubt and insecurities that are holding us back. Satan loves to play with our minds to get our focus off of God. If he can make us feel sorry for ourselves or start bringing insecurities into our life he will to win his race. Don’t let Satan have your mind, keep your thoughts on Jesus and continue to move forward in him. I know difficult times come and we all face things that we do not understand but we cannot let Satan get to us. During these times you need to cling to Jesus and keep your mind and thoughts on your purpose and your finish line.

Even more important than physical or mental fitness is spiritual fitness. If you are not spiritually fit you will run into stumbling blocks during your race that will cause you to fall and injure yourself or take you out of the race completely. To be spiritually fit you have to spend time in prayer and have just one on one time with God. Time in prayer keeps our minds clear and focused on God. During prayer God will remove all the junk that is hindering your race. We just have to be willing to give it to him.

The second way we stay spiritually fit is to stay in the Word of God. Reading his word will give you the confidence and the endurance you need to finish your race. It will prepare you for the stumbling blocks that lie ahead and keep you focused on the finish line.

The third thing I believe that keeps us spiritually fit is our church family. Being around people who have the same beliefs and values as you are huge during your struggles. Your church family will pray for you and love on you when you need it. They are there as mentors when you need them during the difficult times and there to rejoice with you during the good times.

Today, let’s get ourselves prepared and conditioned for our race today in Jesus Christ so we can all make it to the finish line and win our race.

Thanks for reading and hope you all have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

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As Christians we know that Faith is believing in things not yet seen. Following Jesus requires us to have a faith in order to grow in him. The bible says without faith, it is impossible to please God. It says he is the author and finisher of our faith in Hebrews 12:2 and Ephesians 4:5 says one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Romans 1:17 says, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” We must walk by faith or be a Faith Walker.

Sometimes we put more Faith in ourselves or others than we do in Jesus. Jesus said he would never leave us nor forsake us, so why do we worry to the point of making ourselves physically sick? I believe this comes from our Faith being weak. I believe our Faith is weak when we don’t spend time in God’s word and in prayer. I believe you have to spend time in his presence to truly know him and have faith in him. We have more faith in our friends and family than we do God sometimes because we spend time with them, we know them, and trust them.

If you read the Old and New Testament you see the faith God’s people had over and over. They would give up everything to follow him. They believed and trusted him to provide all their needs and even when things were going bad they kept their faith. When they were being beaten or stoned they kept their eyes on Jesus and stood strong in their faith. They knew their story didn’t end on this earth but that their glory was in heaven with their savior.

Where’s our faith? When things get a little rough in our lives we start questioning God’s ability, we don’t stand strong in our faith and know that God is going to take care of us. I pray today to have the strength and courage to follow Jesus the way he intended. I pray that I become the Faith Walker that he wants me to be.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day in Jesus Christ.

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At the dirt track the other night, there was a wreck that started with two cars but ended up involving several of the cars behind them. This was not a wreck that hurt anyone but did cause a lot of damage to several cars. Each car was so close to the car in front of them that they could not see the wreck that was ahead of them. My favorite car in that division happened to be one of them. My driver didn’t do anything wrong, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He couldn’t see it until it was too late and he had no place to go. At first, I was relieved as the side of the car I could see what not damaged but when the wrecker turned the car around the entire passenger side panel was destroyed. My driver was done for the night.
As Christians, how many times do we get caught up and damaged in someone else’s wreck? We may appear okay but when you turn us around we have been damaged and we are done for the night. Sometimes we follow others so closely that we can’t see the wreck that lies ahead but God can. If you are struggling with something or you have been caught up in someone else’s wreck all you have to do is ask God for help.
I assure you those car owners took their cars home that night and began to assess the damage and make repairs. They will work tirelessly to get their cars repaired and ready for the next race. I can also assure you God will be there to assess our damage and make the repairs needed to have us ready for the next race. We have to have Faith during these times and know that our God is always there for us. We may be hurt, battered, and bruised but we will not be defeated with God as our car owner. All we have to do is give it to him and he will make the repairs.

Thank you for reading this and I hope you have a great day in Jesus Christ.

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If you are not following Jesus, you are on the road to destruction that leads straight to Hell. The bible says Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and no one gets to the Father except through him. I believe there are only 2 roads you can take in this life. The road that follows Jesus and leads to everlasting life in Heaven or the road of the world that leads straight to Hell. The bible says the road to destruction is broad and many are on it but the way to righteousness is narrow and few find it.
I believe people try to make a 3rd road that runs right down the middle of the other 2 roads. They don’t want to commit and live 100% for Jesus but they consider themselves good people so they don’t want to walk totally on the path to destruction, so they try to stay in the middle. This is not biblical, there is no 3rd road. You are being deceived by Satan himself if you believe you can walk a little on both roads. I believe these roads are so far apart there is no middle ground and if you try this, you will come to a fork in the road. Which one will you take?

The path to destruction is the easy path. You can do what you want and when you want. If it feels good do it, that is their motto. Unfortunately, this road is packed with people on cruise control so you will be able to go with the flow, follow the crowd, be accepted by the majority. You can pick the commandments that you follow and pick your morals so you don’t have to feel guilty for anything. I believe there are caution lights flashing and detour signs all along this road that lead to the path of righteousness but they are being ignored. These signs and lights are being ignored because people say I am having fun, I have plenty of time to change my ways, or they think those signs are for everyone else, because I am a Christian.

The sad part is I believe some people truly believe they can be a Christian and stay on this road. They believe they can be a Christian and live the same life they were living before. I believe these people have convinced themselves of this through watered down religion and when they stand before God they will be shocked when he says “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” Religion will not get you to heaven only Jesus Christ will get you to heaven. I don’t care how many sinner’s prayers you have said if your life has not changed, you need to check yourself. I do not believe you can be truly saved and remain the same person. The bible says you are transformed and I believe this starts immediately and continues throughout your life on earth. I do not believe if the Holy Spirit is inside of you that you can continue to live in sin. The Holy Spirit is not going to live in the same space as Satan.

The path to righteousness is narrow and few will find it. This is a scary thought when you think about your family and friends. This is not the popular path so it will not be crowded. You will not be accepted by the masses because your conviction from the Holy Spirit will not let you go along with the crowds. You will live by the commandments and have the moral compass set by the bible. This road will not always be easy, you may be shunned or made fun of. People will say you are a fanatic or radical when you choose to live for Jesus but let me tell you it is worth it. The other road is all about material things or worldly possessions and those things can’t compare to Jesus Christ. The internal peace and love you find on this road is unexplainable. There is a comfort and strength that comes when you know the one and only true Savior protects and loves you. Satan may come against you but the bible says nothing can pluck you out of God’s hands. God will protect us when we are weak because we are his. You realize on this road you are somebody to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died for you just hoping you would love him back. On this road we get to spend eternity with our Lord and Savior. I don’t believe we can even process how wonderful heaven will be until we get there.
The sad thing is I don’t believe the people on the road to destruction can process how horrible Hell will be. As Christians, we don’t talk about Hell to people anymore because we don’t want to scare them. We don’t want to call sin a sin anymore because we might hurt someone’s feelings. We don’t want to quote the bible anymore because we might offend someone.

As Christians, what road are we on if we don’t tell people the truth about Hell, call sin a sin, or quote the bible to others? How are we going to stand before God and say we never told the lost about him? How can we tell God we didn’t warn the very people he sent his son to die for because we didn’t want to hurt their feelings? As Christians, we need to be the flashing lights of caution and holding the detour signs for the path to righteousness and get people off the path to destruction. We can only do this by telling people the truth about Jesus.

Thank you for reading and hope you all have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

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