What do you do when you get a bad report from the doctor, when friends and family betray you or when finances come up short? How do you react when the enemy bombards your mind with his thoughts or you find yourself weighed down with too many burdens? Do you worry, become afraid or lose sleep? Perhaps you reason things out within yourself, let your imagination run wild or pray a wavering prayer that goes no further than your lips. None of those things will make your situation any better, and they probably will make things even worse.

Many Christians fall into traps of worrying too much or trying to work out their problems on their own because they won’t use divine faith. But why do they do that when it is so simple to use God’s faith and get truly profound results? The Bible says, Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God (Philippians 4:6).

When you are anxious, doubt and fear begin to creep in; and that is what happened to the disciples when they were out on the sea in the midst of a great storm. The waves were washing over the boat, and they were really scared; but suddenly, Jesus appeared walking on the water toward their ship saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid (Matthew 14:27).

Jesus is saying the same thing to us today because He knows that perilous times are now upon the Earth. Even when He was still here, He said, But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified (Luke 21:9).

When trying times come, the Lord doesn’t want us to be afraid; He wants us to be happy. But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their [your enemies’] terror, neither be troubled (I Peter 3:14). You have to remember that God is always with you, and His divine love casts out all fear. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear (I John 4:18). Prayer won’t necessarily get rid of fear, but divine love will.

Reason Only with God

Do you reason things out within yourself or with others instead of the Almighty God? He said, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18). It is impossible for any human to make your sinful heart as white as snow, so the Lord is telling you that He can do the impossible. He can make something out of nothing and turn ashes to beauty, so why do you not turn things over to Him? Jesus said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Reasoning with self and others can certainly lead you to the wrong conclusions. That happened to the disciples more than once, and Jesus scolded them for it. On one occasion, the disciples and Jesus had just crossed the Sea of Galilee when the disciples realized that they had forgotten to take any bread with them. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand [found in Matthew 14:14-21], and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand [found in Matthew 15:32-38], and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning [physical] bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (Matthew 16:6-12). The disciples drew the wrong conclusion when they reasoned among themselves; but when Jesus reasoned with them, they understood.

You can only understand God and what He can do by reasoning with Him because human reasoning can make your imagination run wild. That is why the Bible says, Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:5). You have to cast down any imaginations that oppose God and rob you of your joy and liberty in the Lord because they are from self and the devil.

Be Still

When things are not going your way, you have to be still and trust God. That is what the Israelites had to do when they were facing the Red Sea, and the Egyptian army was coming after them. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever (Exodus 14:13).

Then the Lord parted the waters of the Red Sea, and the people walked through on dry ground. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left (Exodus 14:21,22).

God wants us to stand still, too, and watch Him move for us. He said, Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). Do you take time to study the Word and wait on God?

The Bible tells of another time when the disciples were on a boat in the midst of a terrible storm; but that time, Jesus was with them. The big waves were tossing the boat to and fro, and the disciples were anything but still; however, Jesus was fast asleep.

The disciples thought they were going to die; so they woke up Jesus crying, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he [Jesus] arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith (Mark 4:38-40)?

Jesus was not afraid because He knew everything was going to be all right; and when God is with you, you too must know that everything will be all right. Human faith is weak, and it doesn’t work; but God’s faith is powerful and great, and it works.

Use God’s Thoughts

You can rely on yourself and your own thoughts, but are they getting you anywhere? Are they making things go the way you want them to? No. Jesus said, And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these (Luke 12:25-27).

You have to trust God, yield to Him and think His thoughts. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8). Then God will shine His light upon you and lift you up.

Many people don’t seek God’s thoughts or His will because they want their own way. That is why He said, I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts (Isaiah 65:2). Then many will blame God when their way doesn’t work.

If you continue to reason things out on your own, you will wear yourself out; and you may even draw back from God. The Psalmist said, I had fainted [would have drawn back], unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). Paul said, Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6:9). None of God’s children can go backwards in this final hour. Thus saith the Lord, you must go ever onward.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to the people there, but he didn’t want to; so he ran from God and went his own way…and he paid dearly. Jonah ended up in the belly of a whale; and with seaweed wrapped around his head, he finally became humble and prayed, When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities [worrisome thoughts or false symptoms] forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD (Jonah 2:7-9).

The Bride of Christ will not go her own way. She will cry to the Lord, Draw me, we will run after thee (Song of Solomon 1:4). And the Lord is drawing the Bride today like never before.

You Must Believe

When things are not going your way, you must believe that God will work things out. Abraham believed that; and the Bible says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed [credited] unto him for righteousness (James 2:23). God knows how to make things right for you; and when you believe Him, He can credit all the things He has promised to your account. He did it for Abraham, and He will do it for you.

You must always trust God and have faith in Him for whatever you need. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). To seek diligently means to do it with all your heart.

Things weren’t going the way the woman from Canaan wanted them to when her daughter was grievously vexed with devils, but she believed the Lord could help her; so she went to Jesus. At first, it seemed that He wasn’t going to do anything for her; but her simple act of faith changed everything. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him [Jesus], saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word…Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour (Matthew 15:22,23,25-28). She humbled herself before God and believed, and you must do the same thing.

You cannot be unbelieving and faithless like Thomas was. After Jesus was crucified, Thomas went his own way and pouted for eight days. When he finally heard that Jesus had risen, he wouldn’t believe it; and he said, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe (John 20:25).

Only after Thomas saw Jesus in person did he finally believe; and Jesus said to him, Then saith he [Jesus] to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing (John 20:27).

It is hard to take God at His Word when you are trusting in yourself. That is why the Bible says, Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5,6). When things aren’t going your way, trust in God’s way. Then let Him do for you what no other power, reasoning or imaginations can do.

God Is Great

So many people carry around fear, frustration and despair because they won’t take their troubles to the Lord when He is reaching out His nail-scarred hands and saying, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:29).

Carrying your own burdens will cause you to lose sleep because you will lie awake full of worry and fear—fear of the future, fear of what may be about to happen to you or fear of what people are saying about you—but that is not what God wants for His children.

The Psalmist said, I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8). He also said, It is vain for you to rise up early [worrying], to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2). The Lord will give you sweet sleep when you turn things over to Him. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet (Proverbs 3:24).

You must learn to turn everything over to God. He is the Almighty who said, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me (Jeremiah 32:27)? The answer is no. Remember that God is the mighty one who hung the Earth upon nothing. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing (Job 26:7).

Our minds cannot contain just how great God is. He is the Master of everything, and we are His servants. He is our shepherd, and we are the sheep of His pasture; so we must serve Him with all of our hearts. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3).

God Is with You

When things are not going your way, you must remember that the Lord said, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:20). That is a promise of God; and it means He will accompany you, support you and be in your presence at all times no matter what is going on around you. You may not see or feel Him, but He will be there.

How can God make such an amazing promise and stand by it?—because He has all power, and He gives us the anointings we need to use all of His promises. God’s Son, Jesus, said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18). The Bible then tells us that Jesus is “God with us.” Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (Matthew 1:23).

Now, you must understand that the Lord cannot be with all people, only with those who are going forth to do His divine will; and we must take that message to the world. Jesus told the disciples, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19,20).

You must know without a doubt that as long as God is with you, you will be all right. Your enemies may put you in unwanted situations at times, but just keep your mind on the Lord; and He will do His perfect work in your life. God sees the whole picture, and He always knows exactly what to do.

You may have to endure much for His name’s sake, but never live in your feelings. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17).

God Wants Good for You

It is easy to believe that God is with you when things are going your way, but you must also believe He is there when things are not going the way you want them to. Just because something appears to be going all wrong doesn’t mean it has to end badly. God can always work things for your good when you allow Him to. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). God will always watch over those who live holy.

There may be times when someone will falsely accuse you and bring unjust attention to you; but you must immediately turn them over to God who said, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:19). Never go after a liar because God will give them what they deserve. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8).

When trials come, you may be quick to say that the devil is fighting you; but that may not always be the case. God may have a purpose for allowing you to go through certain situations. The Psalmist knew that; and he said, Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes (Psalm 119:67,71).

Things do not always have to go your way for God to bless you; He can even bless you in the midst of trials and persecutions. The Psalmist said, Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress (Psalm 4:1). When you are one of God’s children, He will take you through every deep valley and teach you His ways. So instead of questioning God, praise Him for never leaving you. O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph (Psalm 47:1). Make a joyful noise unto the LORD (Psalm 98:4).

God Was with Joseph

Joseph was put into some horrible situations. First, he was sold as a slave by his own brothers for twenty pieces of silver. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt (Genesis 37:28). Think how Joseph must have been hurt, but God was with him; and He had a plan.

God knew a famine was going to come upon the land of Canaan, so He was making the way for Joseph to find favor with Pharaoh so that Joseph could save his family from the awful famine. At first, things once again seemed to be going Joseph’s way. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand (Genesis 39:2,3).

Potiphar placed Joseph over his whole household, but his wife was a whore; and she grabbed Joseph’s garment and tried to get him to go to bed with her. When he realized what was going on, he turned and ran from her so quickly that he left his garment in her hands. Then Potiphar’s wife screamed and lied saying that Joseph had tried to rape her, and he was sent to prison.

And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison (Genesis 39:11-15,20).

Everything was going wrong for Joseph, but God was still watching out for him. But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper (Genesis 39:21,23).

God Changes Things

Finally, God made a way for Joseph to get out of that prison when He used him to interpret one of Pharaoh’s dreams that no one else could. Then Pharaoh knew Joseph was different. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou (Genesis 41:37-40).

Joseph’s brothers had done evil against him, but God used it for good. Years later, when his brothers went to Egypt in search of food during the famine, Joseph said to them, And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen…And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty (Genesis 45:7-11).

It didn’t matter that Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery because God was with him. The small word “but” used in verse 8 is important because it shows great contrast. Even though Joseph had been sold into slavery and things looked very bad for him, God was still with him; and He was in control. What looked so terrible in man’s eyes was not so terrible after all because God worked it for good. God will deliver you out of all your afflictions, too, if you don’t make your own way of escape first. He knows just when and how to set you free.

God Will Deliver

As a child of God, you may be shocked at the heartless treatment you receive from others or some of the trials you have to endure; but you can never pity yourself. Instead, you must look to God and count your blessings, knowing that you will be all right no matter how things look. Then the devil won’t be able to do anything with you.

When you suffer for Christ’s sake, God will be glorified. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh (II Corinthians 4:11).

I say again that no matter how bad things look in the natural, God is with you. You must hold on to that because it will mean life to you. Life comes from God, and death comes from the devil; so never let him talk to you. Trample him underfoot with the blood and go on your way. Jesus said, Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

Never think that God is with you only when things are going smoothly because that is not so. Jesus said, In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). The Lord will deliver you out of all your tribulations. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all (Psalm 34:19).

God’s children should be the happiest people in the world because He is their lily in the valley, their protector and their strength. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1). God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). The Lord is good all the time, and He gives us all we need. We can have the strength of Heaven right here on Earth, and we must use that strength to reach every soul we can. Everybody must have a chance to accept the Lord or reject Him.

Paul used God’s strength to preach the Gospel wherever he went, and he knew God would deliver him. He said, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me (II Timothy 3:11).Peter said, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished (II Peter 2:9).

Fear Not

God told Joshua and the Israelites, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest (Joshua 1:9). When things are not going your way, don’t focus on your troubles; focus on the fact that Almighty God is with you. Then learn to be content with Him in whatever state you are in. Paul did that; and he said, For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11).

God tells you not to be afraid when you look at your battles, your enemies and your troubles. When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt (Deuteronomy 20:1). You don’t have to be afraid even if a great army comes after you.

God said through Isaiah the prophet, Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10). The right hand of God has always been used for God’s perfect, obedient people; and when He lifts it for you, you have it made.

God said, When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee (Isaiah 43:2). Things were not going well for Moses at the Red Sea, for the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace or for Daniel in the lions’ den; but God was with all of them, and He will be with you, too.

Take a good look at your life right now. Are you facing distressing situations? Have you been badly hurt by someone? Has your world been turned upside down? This world is full of trials and tribulations, but you can’t walk around in fear. The Bible says, Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh (Proverbs 3:25).

Things definitely did not always go Jesus’ way when He was on this Earth, but He never turned away from the Father. He was even sold by one of His own apostles for thirty pieces of silver. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him [Jesus] unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him (Matthew 26:14-16).

Jesus was human, and He had feelings just as we do. Think how He must have felt when He was betrayed, but He knew His Father was with Him and that He always heard Him. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always (John 11:41,42).

Jesus and many of the prophets and apostles suffered great persecution to save others, but they trusted in God to help them. Their battles and trials did not mean they were failures; they meant God was using them. You may feel like a failure at times, but those are just feelings. If you have divine faith, it will tell you that you are doing wonderfully well.

Can God Be with You?

Many people came in contact with Jesus while He walked among men; but sadly, Jesus could not promise them all, “I will always be with you.” For many, He could only tell them that He would be with them as long as He was with them in the flesh. Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me (John 7:33). For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always (Matthew 26:11). Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth (John 12:35).

Why did Jesus say those things?—because for those who chose not to walk in His will and obey His instructions, their time with Jesus ended when He ascended back to the Father. Some people actually believed in Jesus and walked with Him for a while, but they did not continue to do that. From that time many of his [Jesus’] disciples went back, and walked no more with him (John 6:66). Therefore, Jesus could not promise He would always be with them because Jesus cannot walk with those who do not walk with Him.

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life (John 6:67,68). That was what the Lord wanted to hear, and that is what He wants to hear today, too.

God is calling all people everywhere to do His will. He was delivered up to die for us all, but people must choose whether or not they will honor His sacrifice. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things [all things needed to evangelize the world] (Romans 8:32)?

Many would like to claim the promise that Jesus is with them all the time; but if they are not doing the will of God, that promise is not theirs. Jesus makes this clear when He said, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).

If you claim to possess the truth, you cannot be unrighteous, or the Lord will not support you. His wrath, not His presence, will abide upon you; and He will let you go your own way. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (Romans 1:18,28).

The Lord has no fellowship with those who walk in darkness. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols (II Corinthians 6:15,16)?

God Stands By His People

God will be with all those who fear and honor Him. But in every nation he that feareth him [God], and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (Acts 10:35). That means He will take care of you and be in control when things are not going your way. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (I Corinthians 10:13).

When you walk with God, ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (II Corinthians 6:16). When God made man and woman, He created them in perfection; and He had a perfect plan for them. He didn’t look into their future because He trusted them. The Lord told me that He did not know Adam and Eve were going to sin even though He could have known. He said He wanted them to trust Him, so He had to trust them, too.

God has always been and will always be with those who obey Him and do His divine will. He was with Joshua way back in Old Testament days; and the Lord told him, There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest (Joshua 1:5-7). The Lord stressed to Joshua that He would not forsake him if he would do all that He had commanded him; and the Lord is saying the same thing to us today.

If things are going in the wrong direction for you, don’t worry about it. What others have said or done should not matter either because when God is with you, it doesn’t matter who is against you. God and one person are always a majority, and never forget that.

Isaiah knew that; and he said, Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself [in your heart]; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread (Isaiah 8:10,11,13).

God said through that same prophet, Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish (Isaiah 41:11). God’s hand of judgment is upon the world today; and He told me, “I have killed in the past, and I will kill again.” But thankfully, the LORD of hosts is with us [those who honor Him]; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (Psalm 46:7).

The Holy Spirit Dwells Within

Have you ever asked yourself, “If Jesus went away, how can He always be with us?” How is it possible for Him to never leave us nor forsake us? Jesus Himself gave the answer before He went away saying, I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter [the Holy Spirit], that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:16,17).

Jesus knew that if He did not go away, the Holy Ghost would not come. That is why He said, Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient [necessary] for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you (John 16:7,14).

God had His dispensation; Jesus had His dispensation, and now the Holy Ghost is having His dispensation. He is glorifying Jesus in all those who have received Him.

Jesus then ascended back to the Father just like He had said He would, yet we have Bible proof of Him being present in the lives of the disciples and working with them. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them [His disciples], he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen (Mark 16:19,20).

Paul was full of the Holy Ghost, and he went forth to do God’s will and preach the Gospel truth to the Gentiles. The Lord stood with him all the way, even when no other man would. Paul said, At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion [the devil] (II Timothy 4:16,17).

The Bible refers to the devil as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). Everything around you may look awful, but God will deliver you if you allow Him to. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (II Timothy 4:18).

Finish the Lord’s Work

Child of God, the Lord has told you to go forth and finish His work no matter what happens. If you do that, He will always be with you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you (John 15:16).

If you will do all the Lord commands you to and walk in His ways, He will never leave you nor forsake you. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5). You don’t have to worry about anything because He promised to supply all of our needs. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

The Lord never said doing His will would be easy. In fact, if it is necessary for Him to be with you all the time, then that should tell you that things will be rough; so put on your safety belt—the Word of God—and get ready for some rough weather ahead. But if you stay in the Word, the truth, you will be all right. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).

The truth must be everything to you, and it will never pass away. Jesus said, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35). When you are living in the truth, you will not listen to a word the devil has to say. He will try to make you think the Lord is not with you; and if he can just get you to doubt a tiny bit, he will keep increasing that doubt. That is why you must never give him room in your mind or your life. You must only make room for the truth.

Living on Borrowed Time

Jesus is soon coming, and we are now living on borrowed time. That is extra time the Lord is giving us to get the harvest in. He gave borrowed time to Noah after the ark was built. Noah had everything in order just as God had instructed—all the food barrels were filled, and all the people and animals were on board. Then God left that ark door open for seven more days and nights to give anyone else a chance to get on board. And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth (Genesis 7:1,4).

Those were seven days of grace that God gave to the wicked people of that day before the ark door was closed, and God is giving days of grace to the people on Earth today, too. Those who take advantage of this borrowed time to accept Jesus will be saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. All others will be left to face the awful Tribulation Period over which the Antichrist will reign.

That is why we must do everything we can to make sure people all over the world have the opportunity to hear the Gospel truth. Jesus said that rivers of living, divine water would flow from the innermost being of those who are saved and Spirit-filled. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). The Lord flows that living water into us, and we must flow it to the nations of the world.

Go God’s Way

When things are not going your way, do you depend on yourself or God? If you don’t have Jesus in your heart, you are depending on yourself; and you will have nothing but trouble. Come to Jesus today. He is your only true salvation and the only one who can make things right for you. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

Jesus is the only true foundation. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11). Only through the Gospel of Jesus Christ will you make it to Heaven. Lucifer will tell you that you can get there another way, but that is the deceit of the devil. He has destroyed many souls with his lies, and he will keep destroying as many as he can before the end comes.

Jesus willingly gave His life so all men could be saved. He said, I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again (John 10:17,18). Jesus lived a perfect life, and then He shed His blood so we could live forever in Heaven with Him. But these [the things that Jesus did] are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:31).

Do you want to be saved today? It is almost time to go home; so if there is anything in your life that would keep you out of the Rapture, you have to get rid of it or you will miss that one flight out.

Say this prayer right now: Oh, God, I am a sinner. I am lost, and I don’t want to go to hell. You said if I would confess my sins, you would forgive me; and I do confess them with great sorrow. I am so sorry, Lord, that I have sinned against you, but I have come home; and I will serve you, Lord, for the rest of my life. I believe you forgive me now and wash away all of my sins with your shed blood. Come into my heart, Jesus. Come on in, Jesus! If you believe that prayer, say, “Hallelujah! He has come. Hallelujah! Jesus is mine.”

Now, you must live as holy as God is holy. He tells us in His Word, Be ye holy; for I am holy (I Peter 1:16). Then Jesus said, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). You can’t be as holy as God unless you live free from all sin. Not one speck of sin will ever get through the gates of Glory. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie (Revelation 22:14,15).

Receive a Miracle

Now that you have Jesus in your heart, you can be healed. Reach up and touch the Lord. He is within your reach, and He wants to flow His power into you. He will give you victory; He will give you health, and He said He would even renew your youth. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:5).

Wouldn’t you like to have your youth back? Aren’t you tired of having one sickness after another? Do you want old age to take over your body when it doesn’t have to? A good parent will do anything for their children, and God the Father is no different. The Bible says that we are sons and daughters of God. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12). Therefore, He will do anything for us.

Give over to the power of the great I-Am. It doesn’t matter what diseases you might have because Jesus went to the whipping post for them all. Cruel men beat Him nearly to death; but the Bible says, With his [blood] stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). This verse refers to physical healing.

I am not the healer; Jesus is the Healer, and I am just His believer. In the name of Jesus, I bring to you those with arthritis, cancer, heart trouble, lung trouble, AIDS and diabetes. I bring those who are deaf, blind and crippled. I bring little children who are sick or born with only part of a brain. Heal! in the blood name of the Lord. Heal! in the holy name of Jesus.

The glory of the Lord is here, and that means it is there where you are, too. Be conscious of the Lord being with you no matter where you are. Take Him with you; believe Him, and watch yourself get well. Then write or email and tell me what God has done for you. I will rejoice with you.

You Must Have the Holy Ghost

If you don’t have the Holy Ghost, you must go on to seek Him with all of your heart. You cannot meet Jesus in the air without having the Holy Ghost, and only through the Spirit can you be watching for the Lord to come. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them (Luke 12:37). If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee (Revelation 3:3).

Only the Holy Ghost will keep you alert and change you when Jesus comes. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (I Corinthians 15:51,52).

You can receive this wonderful baptism of the Spirit. Just praise God with your whole heart until the Holy Ghost comes in. Some people give up too quickly, but that should not be. The Bible says you must tarry until. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49).

If you don’t have an appetite for the Holy Ghost, then you are not saved. The enemy will try to deceive you and make you think you are; but when you don’t have a desire to go on with the Lord, you are not saved.

You not only need the Holy Ghost to make the Rapture, you also need Him to help you live for God in this life. You need Him to explain things to you, teach you, lead you and guide you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26). Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13).

We may never meet on Earth, but I want to meet you in Heaven. Won’t you be there? Heaven will be worth every trial and sacrifice. It is a wonderful place of eternal freedom, peace and happiness.

God bless you today.