Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. Psalm 143:1-6

In times of persecution, trials and troubles we need to look up because God is in control.  Remember God is for us and He has promised to never leave us (“I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" Hebrews 13:5b.)  We need to look back at all of the times of God's goodness and faithfulness.  The persecution and trials should not drive us away from our Lord they should cause us to be even closer to Him. The devil wants to divide, dilute, destroy and devour.  We need to quit giving the devil jurisdiction over that which he has no jurisdiction.  Walk in victory right now knowing that Christ Jesus is our victor and we are on the winning side.

I would like for you to consider four actions David took during a time of persecution that will be sure to encourage you and will a blessing to others that God will someday bring across your path.

1. He remembered- To bring to mind or think of again. "I remember the days of old"

2. He meditated- To focus our thoughts; to reflect. "I meditate on all thy works"

3. He mused- To ponder; to converse with one’s self. "I muse on the work of thy hands"

4. He Thirsted- A strong desire for something. "My soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land"

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9

These are the wonderful words of the Lord Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ has cast a beautiful shadow over the entire world since that violent, but victorious day on Calvary when Jesus uttered these three words, “It is finished.” The price was paid and the way was made for mankind to be able to have forgiveness of sin and to have the relationship with God restored. The shadow of the cross has its origin in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. From the moment of that great day until this very second, the cross has loomed over mankind like an oasis in the desert offering living water for the dead souls who will come.

Jesus says, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved”. I want you to think about the lives of many. They get up and go to work. One day leads to another and another. Life seemingly moves on and as they go about their day and their life and they walk right past the door. Think of the many who have been led to the door by hearing a message preached at a church, on the radio, the internet, or maybe by a neighbor or friend. Perhaps a family member has shared God’s Word with them, and as God has drawn them and the Holy Spirit has convicted them of their sin, they stand right at the door and turn away.

Let’s pray for those who we know have turned from and walked past Jesus Christ. Let’s continue to plant the seed of God’s Word. The way is still the same and the truth has not changed. Jesus Christ still waits for the lost to come by Him.

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.  For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Proverbs 23:17-18

Have you ever taken a look around and thought to yourself that those who aren’t saved seemed to have smooth sailing and that they live without a care in the world; that all seems to be well with them more times than not?  Doubt sneaks in and our mind begins to wander and envy moves into our hearts.  Don’t be deceived, I have learned things aren’t always as they look.  One of Satan’s oldest tricks is deception and until the Lord calls us home or the trump sounds, we will deal with him and his deceptions. Don’t be lured in by the prince of deception, run everything through the grid system of God’s Word.

The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” (Proverbs 1:7a)  Our scripture tells us to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long.  When one lives their life in the fear of the Lord, they will not entertain the thought of envying the sinners.  When we have a holy reverence for the Lord, our lives will not be filled with stumbling blocks, but our feet will be firm in each step we take.  I want you to meditate on these verses that pertain to fearing the Lord. 

·    1. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. Psalm 147:11

·    2. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27

·     3. Like as a father that pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Psalm 103:13

·     4. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Psalm.103:11

Knowing the final destination of those who reject Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and you being saved knowing your assurance of heaven, I pray that your heart will be filled with a burden for the lost and not envy.

  In Psalm 73:2-3 Asaph wrote, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” One will travel a slippery slope when they travel the path of envying the boastful.  I suggest that you take time to read Psalm seventy-three, it is wise counsel indeed.  It will always be better to learn from the experiences of others than to fall full face in our own foolishness.

"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”1 John5:12

 “O victory in Jesus, My Saviour, forever, He sought me and  bought me with His redeeming blood; He loved  me ere I knew him and all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood.”
Victory in Jesus

When I was saved at the age of thirty-six I was not familiar with the hymns.  To me a hymn was what my mom did to my pants when I was growing up so my pant legs would not drag on the ground.  But that all changed a short while after I was saved.  I remember sitting in the pew at Lifeway Baptist Church on a Sunday morning and the man who was leading the music called out page #341- Victory in Jesus, and as the piano took off and five hundred plus voices began to sing I nearly jumped out of my seat and came unglued! I didn’t know the melody and was not familiar with the words. Those words began to tell my story; the story of my sins and my glorious Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ!!  I felt like grabbing that Christian flag and taking off running around that place.  My friend it was so fresh in my heart; in my soul and in my mind of who I was when I called on the Lord Jesus to save me.  I was not that far removed from being that ungodly and wretched man who was dead in his trespasses and sins.   

I never ever want that fire to be extinguished. I want it to burn white hot for as long as my Lord has me upon this earth.  The saving of my soul is just as real and powerful to me today than it ever has been.  How about you? Has your zeal for the Saviour and the saving of your soul faded?  Take the time to look back and remember who you were and where it was you were headed before you were gloriously, victoriously and eternally saved.  Victory… Sweet Victory!

Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Psalm 119:35

In these days that we are living in we must stand-fast (a firm, fixed or settled position) and be steadfast (loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated) when it comes to staying on the old paths that has been given to us by Almighty God from His precious and powerful word. God has set our course when it comes to our everyday lives through the compass of His Word. The devil wants to discourage us to get off the path the Lord has for us and merge on to the world's path. The temptations are very real even for the most seasoned saint so we must continually and vigilantly abide in Christ Jesus, while walking in the Spirit, and while desiring the sincere milk of the word.

A Plan

1. Our Prayer
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Psalm 119:18
(Insight)

The redeemed will live a power pact life when this prayer is the desire of their heart.

2. Our Passion
My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times. Psalm 119:20
(Intensity)

When one has such an intense desire for the Word of God they will also have an intense desire for God. The two cannot be separated.

3. Our Portion
Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words. Psalm 119:57
(Intimacy)

Can you at this very moment without stutter or stammer say, “Thou art my portion, O Lord.” Many have dedicated themselves to a church or a pastor or a Sunday school teacher to the point that they have relegated the Lord to the back room of their heart. Our fellowship with the Lord should never be hindered or set aside because of our dedication to a mere man. When the Lord is our portion every other relationship in our lives will be in its proper place.

When you choose to live a Sold Out -Spirit Filled- Bible Reading- Soul Winning- Bible Believing- Christ loving- Christ Honoring- Prayer Warrior life- Remember you will be stirring the pot in hell and will have the attention of the devil and his ungodly bunch. Don’t STOP! Don’t QUIT!

Will you pray for these men and their families? Let's pray for God's Protection, Power and Anointing upon them! O how we need men of God that God will use in a powerful way in these days we are living in.

Missionary Jamiey Smithey & Family- Chile,South America
Missionary Shane Rice & Family- Italy
Missionary Tony Ledbetter- Haiti
Evangelist Dr. John N. Hamblin
Evangelist Justin Cooper
Missionary/Evangelist Chuck Harding/Awake America
Chad Connelly-
Evangelist Caleb Garraway
Missionaries The Skean Family- Russia
Missionary Robert Murray & Family- Bolivia,South America
Missionary Johnny Leslie- Croatia
Missionary Sam Ward- Croatia
Pastor Sam Robinson- St.Louis Arnold Baptist Taberncle
Evangelist/Missionary- Harlan Barnett
Pastor Crosby Nicholson- Northpointe Baptist Church
Pastor Stephen Cox- Bible Baptist Church
Pastor Larry Eaton- Old Paths Baptist Church
Bro. Joseph Delp- Church Planter Philly

I find it interesting that in the book of Acts we read, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them.” (Acts 4:8a) The religious leaders of the day were filled with indignation- “Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation.” (Acts 5:17)  A fisherman who walked with the Lord Jesus was filled with that which is of God, but the so called trained in religion were filled with that which was the opposite.

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Ephesians 2:1

Another year is drawing to a close and for me it is another opportunity to praise and thank the Lord for saving me. I am quite certain that there are those who feel that I am a bit over the top when it comes to my gratitude for being saved. As the song says,

Some may say that I'm too noisy
But I'll tell you the reason why
If they only felt the glory
They would shout as well as I.

I will never be able to completely convey the joy and victory that I have in my Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Born again at the age of 36 and now as I am writing this as a 51 year old man it has never gotten old. I pray that the Lord continues to stir the white hot Holy Ghost fueled fire in the depths of my very being when it come to the gratitude for my salvation and in the power to preach His Word in 2018.
I remember a New Years eve Church service at Lifeway Baptist Church 11 years ago where I preached for the first time in front of the Church. Our Pastor had a popcorn preaching night for the preacher boys and he asked me to preach. I was the oldest preacher boy at the age of 40. My life has never been the same. I am thankful the investment that those folks made in me.
I Praise the Mighty Name of the Living God and I thank Him once again for His mercy, grace and love for me who is not deserving of any of it. I deserved hell! Praise God I am saved! What a Saviour!
Let's dream big in Christ Jesus in 2018! Let's stay in the fight and continue in the race for the Lord! Let's Pray without ceasing! Lets Praise the Lord!Let's encourage someone! Let's share the Gospel! Let's give our all for Him who gave His best for the whosoever!

Happy New Year,
Evangelist Tracy