​Today’s thoughts come from the depth of my heart.
I am speaking for myself and hopefully many others who feel the way I do.
I love my country.
I am a red, white, and blue patriot through and through. I proudly served in our military. I hold dear the Constitution of the United States, Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights that clearly lay out the freedoms and principles our nation has stood and fought for nearly two hundred and fifty years.
I am seventy years old. I have witnessed our nation soar to astronomical heights of glory as a bright light, a shining example to the world of how a Bible-based Christian nation can bless humanity. I have also witnessed a frightening, free falling, perilous, shameful ever-darkening descent into evil by a man-based, secular society that rejects the Word of God and all things holy, sacred, truthful, moral, pure and decent.
My spirit is saddened and deeply grieved as I peer across our moral landscape. Satan, enemy of our souls, is winning in many quarters.
I have asked the Lord what can I do to influence my country to return to its Judeo-Christian roots?
The Holy Spirit has directed me to continue to pray, intercede, stand in the gap for America as I have done for fifty years. I sense an urgency to be more fervent than ever before.
Two scriptures are and have been on my heart for the United States.
“If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14.
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for their salvation.” Romans 10:1.
Note the verses are for the restoration of a nation.
The II Chronicles scripture is conditional. IF man does his part, THEN God will do His part. The Lord is ready to hear, forgive, and heal our land. First, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways.
I believe Satan and hell trembles when Christians pray. Heaven goes to bat on behalf of those who pray.
Oswald Chambers wrote “The real business of your life as a saved soul is intercessory prayer.”
Prayer should always be the Christian’s first resort, not the last. Intercession, standing in the gap for individuals and our nation is the most important thing you and I can do.
I am not calling for a prayer meeting. I am calling for individual Christians to intercede for our nation regularly with fervent faith for spiritual revival in our land.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray for America every day as part of your daily devotions. Ask God to forgive us of our sins. Weep for precious souls who have lost their way. Pray for the Lord to watch over our nation and deliver us from opportunistic enemies who would take advantage of our moral weakness.
Stand in the gap for those who walk in spiritual darkness.
Pray that their blind eyes will be opened to see the light of Jesus Christ who is the Savior of the world. Ask God to heal the brokenness in our nation’s heart and restore America to love, serve and obey our Creator and Redeemer.
The church corporately must pray for the restoration of our nation. When is the last time your local church prayed for America? God’s people must fall to their knees and seek the Lord. There is tremendous power when believers gather to pray for each other and our nation. Never forget, where two or three are gathered, Jesus is there!
What To Pray For

• A repentant return to righteousness as revealed in the Bible.
• A recognition, reverence and obedience to Almighty God.
• Protection of the innocent and helpless from the womb to the tomb.
• Moral integrity to be the rule, not the exception, in our conduct.
• Return to sexual purity in our relationships according to biblical standards.
• Respect and support for lawful authority and law enforcement.
• Integrity, accountability, honesty and transparency at every level of leadership across our nation.
• Cessation of prejudice and hatred for others because they are different.
• The church of Jesus Christ to make winning lost souls its top priority.

Almighty God hears and answers our prayers. Faithful, fervent, expectant prayer in the name of Jesus really does change things!
Join with me daily to pray for the people of the United States of America to humble themselves and turn to the Lord.
For the sake of our people, our children, and our grandchildren pray fervently to the Lord to spare America and restore our nation.
Revival and renewal through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is our only hope.
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Proverbs 14:34
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
 A Word For Your Week: Pray for America before it is too late.

​A spirit of fear is swiftly sweeping across humanity.
Worry, anxiety, fearfulness and paranoia exist in many people who are mistakenly looking to men to be their saviors. Fearful folk’s “faith” and “trust” in mere mortals is terribly misplaced. The last time I checked in the Bible no man is the Messiah.
 Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, is.
If you do not think people are fearful, take a look at Facebook. People’s comments are heavily laden with fearful thoughts, words and concerns. Even some professing Christians confess their fears about the present situation and the future instead of speaking words of faith in God.
You name it, people fear it.
Fear of the economy. Fear of dictatorial leadership. Fear of disease. Fear of supply line shortages. Fear of civil unrest. Fear of terrorists. Fear of world events. Fear of war. Manmade and man-managed things can be scary and often terrify people. Media outlets excel in selling fear when reporting agenda driven, breaking news.
So, what are godly, good, righteous people to do while living in an emotionally charged atmosphere of fear?
The writer of Hebrews helps us out.
“For He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” So that we confidently say” The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and yes forever.” Hebrews 5b,6,8.
Here is how God wants you and me to manage fear when it stalks us and seeks to cripple our faith in Christ.

1. Almighty God cannot and will never desert or forsake you and me. My friends, it is not in our Heavenly Father’s character to take a hike on His sons and daughters. Not possible. People will desert, abandon, forsake and leave us on the side of life’s road. God never will because He says He never will!
2. Because God will never take a hike on us in this fearful world, you and I can be confident in our faith. We can declare without reservation He is our helper. So, if God is with us and helping us, what can itty-bitty, helpless, little men do to us? Chew on that thought for a while.
3. Jesus can be counted on to be Jesus every day of our life. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He was yesterday, is today, will be tomorrow and for eternity. Wow! What man can stand against the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world?

Jesus is unchanging. He is who He says He is, does what He says He will do now and forever. That is that!!! You and I can take that to our spiritual bank!
No need to fear. GOD SAYS SO!
Why would a born-again, Spirit-filled follower of Jesus Christ fear any man or anything when God will not forsake, desert or fail us, the Kingdom of God cannot be shaken, and Jesus is the same every day in our life?
Let’s Get Real
I have asked these questions of myself and pose them to you.

• Do you really believe God cannot and will never forsake or fail you?
• Do you really believe the Kingdom of God is unshakable and immovable?
• Do you really believe there is nothing any man can do to harm you?
• Do you really believe Jesus is unchanging, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow?
• Do you really believe that God is for you, with you, and working on your behalf?
• What are you going to do the next time the spirit of fear invades your space?

With the help of the Holy Spirit I will do my best to do the above and I hope you will choose to do the same.
You and I will be tempted to fear. When apprehension and anxiety strike, strike back with faith. Be courageous. Confident. Determined. Kick fear in the britches! Christian faith is the antidote to fear. Belief in Christ Jesus the Lord produces peace and power that will send fear packing down the road!
Bottom line: No need to fear because Jesus is near. The Lord will always be here for all who choose to trust in Him.
Do you trust Him today to deliver you from any and all fear?
“I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4
“In God, whose word I praise, in God, I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid, what can man do to me?” Psalm 56:4
“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life, whom shall I dread?” Psalm 27:1  
A Word For Your Week: No need to fear man when you fear, reverence, respect, obey, rejoice and trust God.

​Everything in life costs something.
Sorry folks, there is no such a thing as a free lunch!
Free sounds wonderful. But the only free thing in life is the free gift of salvation in Christ. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. Eternal life is absolutely free to you and me though it cost Jesus everything. The price for our sin was Christ’s death on the Cross.
The Son of God counted the cost before He voluntarily died on a cruel Roman Cross.
Jesus did not shrink back from the immense, unimaginable suffering He would experience in becoming sin for you and me. He knew it would cost Him His earthly life. In the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) Jesus counted the cost of the Cross, then decided “Not my will, but Yours be done Father.”
Jesus left the garden, headed to Golgotha and before He breathed His last breath cried out “It is finished.


What was finished? Salvation for you, me and all who choose to believe in Jesus was paid for in full. God’s only Son, counted the cost, paid the price and sits at the right hand of the Father waiting to return for His bride the church!
Jesus taught a powerful truth about counting the cost in Luke 14:27-30.
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying “the man began to build and was not able to finish.”  
Jesus is a master of illustration. Picture a man (could be you or me) desiring to build a building. Great idea. Obviously it will come with a price tag. It will cost a lot of money. So, the man sits down to run the numbers. Before constructing the building he must be confident that he has enough finances to complete the project.
If he builds without enough money to finish the building, people will ridicule, mock, point fingers, make fun of him and never hire this guy to build a building for them. What a fool some might say. He built a building he could not finish.
Jesus’ point of the parable: Count the cost so you can finish what you start.
Discipleship, following Jesus Christ, is costly. The price tag is my full surrender to the Lord.
“And He was saying to them all ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
The Christian life is a faith race that is to be run daily and to be finished. (II Timothy 4:6-8)
There are professing Christians who start well, but do not finish well. They fail to understand that to follow Christ they must die daily to themselves and be fully committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Immature Christians attempt to build a building without paying the freight!
Self-denial. Surrender. Self-sacrifice. Counting the cost always includes a cross.
Counting the cost for Christ means:

• Are you willing to pay the price of dying to self and living for Jesus?
• Are you willing to pick up your cross, whatever that may be, and follow Jesus every single day?
• Are you willing to pay the price for taking a bold stand for Jesus Christ?
• Are you willing to pay the price for being ostracized from a politically correct culture?
• Are you willing to pay the price of losing some “friends” because of your beliefs?
• Are you willing to pay the price to serve the Lord if it means standing alone?
• Are you willing to pay the price for your faith if the whole world shouts you down?
• Are you willing to pay the price every day of your faith walk with the Lord?
• Are you willing to pay the price for Jesus if it means suffering and maybe losing your life for Him?

Jesus counted the cost and paid the price for you and me when He died on the Cross. Certainly, if we say we love the Lord, we can count the cost and pay the price for Jesus by taking up our cross and faithfully following Him.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, willingly and joyfully pay the price of serving the Lord who paid the ultimate price for you.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20
A Word For Your Week: Count and pay the cost of being a faithful follower of Jesus.

​Does God love you and me no matter what is going on in our lives?
Without a doubt, I believe He does!
How do I know? Romans 8:31-39 tells me so.
Here is a simple synopsis/summary of Paul’s thoughts in this beloved, biblical passage.
VERSE 31. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” could be translated if God is for me, everybody else might as well be! Amen to that!
VERSE 32. God loved us so much that He did not spare His only Son. No matter what is going on in our life, He freely gives you and me all things because He did not withhold His Son Jesus.
VERSES 33-34. Jesus died, is risen from the dead, seated at the right hand of God and intercedes (prays) for you and me. Jesus loves us and prays for us. What a prayer partner we have in Jesus!
VERSES 35-36. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” No matter if tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, or if Christ’s followers are like sheep to be slaughtered (not a good thought) none of these things will separate us from Jesus’ love!
VERSES 37-39. “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Jesus’ love causes us to be super-duper conquerors, victors, champions no matter what happens in life. You and I always win and win big in Him!
Paul personally declared “I am convinced, persuaded, that neither death or life, or angels, or principalities, or things present, or things to come, or powers, or height, or depth or any other created things SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.”
Did you catch what Paul said in this passage? The apostle of grace was convinced that God is for us. God is with us. God takes care of us. Nothing, absolutely nothing, no matter what happens in life, can separate us from God’s love.
John tells in I John 4:16 “GOD IS LOVE.” One word, love, describes the nature and character of God. He loves because He is love. Our Father in heaven loves us period! No conditions or circumstances in life can separate you and me from His love. That is good news!
God’s love is a “no matter what” proposition. His love is unconditional. “No matter what” means whatever circumstances we may face, God’s love is inseparable to us. Constant. Ever present. Ever reaching. The same. Always ministering to our needs.
Jeremiah writes “The Lord appeared to Him from far away, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3. Everlasting, never ending love from God, even when we feel He is far away, is His promise to us. The Lord  draws us to His heart of love no matter what is happening at the time in our life.
Oswald Chambers wrote “An extraordinary thing happens to a man who holds on to the love of God when the odds are all against God’s character. Logic is silenced in the face of every one of these things (Romans 8:31-39). Only one thing can account for it, the love of God in Christ Jesus.”  
So, what are you going to do when “no matter what” comes knocking on your door?
May I suggest the following.

• Read Romans 8:31-39. Meditate upon it. Confess it over your circumstances. God’s Word is powerful and will send doubt down the road.
• Keep the door of your heart locked. Do not let anything that tempts you to doubt God’s love for you to trouble your heart, mind or spirit.
• Tell your negative circumstance to go away. Rebuke and reject them. In the name of Jesus, back off, get off the porch of my heart. Be gone right now and do not come back!
• Rejoice in the Lord! Give Him thanks for His overwhelming, overcoming love for you in your no matter what situation.
• Tell someone about God’s unconditional love. Especially a person who is going through a difficult time in their life. Encourage them with the victory you have in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What could you or me be facing today that could in anyway separate, alienate, or cut us off from God’s love in Christ? According to God’s Word, the truth, nothing!
Nothing includes stumbling, fumbling life’s ball, tumbling because of sin, setbacks, failures, disappointments, embarrassment, guilt, shame and any other “no matter what” thing we may experience in our personal life, God’s love has us covered. I love what Peter says about love in I Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Love covers (never is a cover-up) because it is God’s love.  
Nothing, absolutely nothing can separate you and me from the love of God in Christ Jesus!!!!!!
Are you personally persuaded like Paul that absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ?
“I love Thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3
A Word For Your Week: “No matter what” God loves you, yes you, today!