VISION + FAITH + ACTION = VICTORY

VIDEO LINKS TO THIS MESSAGE

VICTORY - PART ONE

VICTORY - PART TWO

VICTORY - PART THREE

Vision+Faith+Action=Victory

Joshua 6:1-20

by Pastor Mark Taylor

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

 Philippians 4:13

In the life of an individual, a church, a family, or an organization, God has a purpose and plan. But Success does not “just happen”.  There are many places in God’s Word where we are given formulas for success and victory in every area of our lives.  The recorded event of the fall of Jericho is one of those victories that seemed “impossible” until God showed up.  Vision+Faith+Action=Victory.  This is the formula that God has used over and over again with His people.

Jericho was a fortified city. There were two walls that surrounded the entire city, and each wall was posted with armed guards. The outer wall was six feet thick, and the inner was  twelve feet thick. As far as mere man was concerned the walls were impossible to break through. But, with God all things are possible! The walls fell flat before the children of God.

God told Joshua:  “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be confused: for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9).  There is probably a great wall separating you from something you want to accomplish in your life.  If it is God’s will for you to succeed in your vision, these words are for you.  The first step is to make sure we have prayed and asked if our vision is God’s vision for us.  Our prayer should be: “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.” (Matthew 6:10).  We need to pray as our Lord Jesus prayed:  “...not as I will, but as you will”  (Matthew 26:29).

The children of God, under the leadership of Joshua, are about to enter the land of promise. By faith, they were to cross the swelling Jordan River by following the ark of God as it was carried by the priests. God had already told them that the land was theirs for the taking, and that their possession of the land was limited only by their vision to obtain it.

Jericho was a strong city which had closed its walls and gates to the people of Israel. Jericho must have looked to Joshua like an “impossible” enemy.  God promised, however, “I have given into your hand, Jericho, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” (Vs 2).  When faced with an overwhelming task such as overcoming a city’s walls without firing a single offensive weapon; it is imperative that we trust the one directing us for his knowledge of the victory already won  Getting  the right vision involves prayer, worship, and waiting.  

The orders were, to say the least, unusual.  Walk around the city for six days, blow horns, shout and march all seemed to be militarily crazy. Almost a mockery of traditional military attack plans. But then again, if this were a normal attack then how could God get the glory? The command was to go around the city six times; six being the number of man.  The seventh day was to be the day of victory; seven being the number of God and the number of completion.  

The marching and preparation are symbolic of prayer and meditation before doing as the Lord has directed.  Prayer is our communication/conversation with God. : “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us, and if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”  (I John 5:14-15).   Prayer is communicating to God that we trust him and are truly seeking His will

After we have our vision clear and in line with God’s will, we must have faith.  “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Joshua received a command from God. He was given a vision. He responded in faith.

 “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were walked around for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30).   Not by force, firepower, finances, or fighting...but by FAITH.

There is no doubt but that there are walls of obstacles that rise up before us.  It is not up to us to devise the plan of how it will all happen. It is simply up to us to lay hold of God’s vision for His will in our lives….to have faith that God will provide every means to do whatever He leads us to do…and then to respond in faith.  Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.  Faith is the belief in God’s ability to accomplish the impossible. Our Lord said: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  (Matthew 19:26).  A flawed vision is one in which we expect to have everything easy, and fail to realize it takes work to bring the vision to pass, even one given and orchestrated by God.

There is no such thing as a online course for swimming. If you want to swim you must get in the pool. Faith requires getting wet. And God can’t steer a parked car!.  He requires you to start the engine and get behind the wheel.  If you want to see God work in your life, you must take action.  “Faith, if it does not have works, is dead, being alone...” (James 2:17).

Vision+Faith+Action=Victory.  This is the formula that God has used over and over again with His people.

There are many blessings which are ours. There are blessings which God has given us in Christ.  They are there for the taking, but blessings which will only be enjoyed when we begin to wage war and conquer the Jerichos of our life.   The Children of Israel had to conquer Jericho before the land could be possessed and the blessings enjoyed. And we too as Christians have to wage war against and overcome those Jerichos of personal sin which stand in the way of our entering into a fuller and deeper and richer experience of the Blessings of our inheritance in Christ.  The Christian life is a life of conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil.  We are meant to be waging war against the enemies of our soul.  Sin and unbelief will block our way from going on into the deeper experiences of spiritual blessing.

Let us all get a vision, live by faith, and take action as we walk with the Lord Jesus Christ each day.  We will then rejoice as we enter our promised land called Heaven and hear our Savior’s Words:  “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many.  Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:21).

BE ANGRY AND SIN NOT

Video Links To This Message

BE ANGRY AND SIN NOT - PART ONE
BE ANGRY AND SIN NOT - PART TWO
BE ANGRY AND SIN NOT - PART THREE
BE ANGRY AND SIN NOT - PART FOUR

“BE ANGRY, AND SIN NOT”

by Pastor Mark Taylor

Sunday Morning - July 29, 2012

“Be angry and sin not...do not give the devil a foothold”

Ephesians 4:26,28

Our God has feelings just like we do.  He is an emotional creator that made us in His image.  He grieves, loves, and rejoices.  There are even things that make Him angry.  “You alone are to be feared.  Who can stand before you when you are angry?”  (Psalm 76:7).  God has anger and since we are created in His image, He has created us with the emotion of anger.  The difference is that God’s anger is justified and is a righteous anger.  He does not just “lose His temper” and lash out against us or the world.  He is angry at sin.  It is His way of telling us something is wrong, and we need to get it right.

Anger is common for all of us.  But it can destroy us and hurt those around us unless it is vented in a positive and Godly way.

It is also true that “God is Love”.  “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.  He that does not love, does not know God: for God is love.”  (I John 4:7-8).  There is no contradiction in God being love and having anger.  God’s anger is consistent with His goodness and love.  Because God is righteous and holy too, He desires for you and I to live a holy life.  “He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy.” (I Peter 1:15-16).

When something is wrong with our bodies, the brain sends messages to our body in the form of pain.  When your anger is out of control, you are in pain.  Your uncontrolled temper makes others fear you, and makes you feel guilty and lonely.  Unhealthy anger destroys the ability to enjoy life.  It robs us of peace and causes regret, guilt, same, and fractured relationships.

Our anger comes from many sources.  The chances are that adult children of angry parents will themselves demonstrate anger in hurtful ways.  And even worse, it becomes a cycle in which the next generation of children will have an angry spirit deep within them.  There is no “quick fix” to bring us to the goal where we can “be angry and sin not”.  It is a process with our Lord Jesus helping us each step of the way.

The point of this message is to give us all some strategies to overcome explosive anger that hurts us and others.

The first thing we must all do is to take personal responsibility for our unhealthy anger.  If others have confronted you and told you that you have an anger problem, maybe they are right.   You may have been raised in an abusive environment and no doubt it has had an effect on you.  But now you must say that this is my problem, and I am going to have to deal with it.  There is a song that states:  “it is not my brother, not my sister, not my father, not my mother, but it is me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.”

Secondly, be willing to do something about it.  Life is about choices.  Anger is a learned conscious choice that can become a bad habit.  Habits are formed by repetition over a long period of time.  Anger eruptions are learned habits too.  They have been formed and developed over many years.  

Make a choice to change and with the help of God’s redeeming grace, counseling, study, a support group, or even medical treatment if needed, you can “be angry and sin not”.  Explosive anger didn’t develop over night and it is going to take some time to replace it with better responses.  We either take control of anger or it will take control over us.  Fire under control is useful, but fire out of control destroys everything in its path. “He that is quickly made angry will act foolishly.”  (Proverbs 14:17).

Our Lord certainly controlled His anger when threatened and criticized again and again by the Pharisees.  Our Lord is a model for living.  When He could convince them of their sins, He calmly and assertively told them what He thought about their sinful lives.  When   He could not make them see God’s point of view, He knew when to walk away.  If someone is trying to attack your self-worth or something you dearly believe in, you can state your position in a calm, respectful manner like Jesus did, or simply make a statement that you do not wish to discuss the matter any longer.

Another strategy to help you overcome anger that is hurtful to you and others, is to avoid being around people who are angry people.  “Make no friendship with an angry person;  and do not go with a furious person; because you may learn his ways, and cause pain to your soul.” (Proverbs 22:24).

Probably the best strategy to use in controlling your anger is to replace it with God’s love.  I think this is part of what our Lord meant when He said:  “Bur I say unto you...whosoever shall hit you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39).  As a child of God and as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, you do not always have to have the “last word”.  You do not always have to get your way.  And you do not have to get even.  All of these things will lead you to sin.  God’s Word also tells us: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21).  When you find yourself becoming angry with someone, try to change the conversation or move the situation in a different direction so the other person is not hurt by your anger.  Avoid talking about subjects that you know will anger the other person and in turn make you angry at their response to you.  Sometimes it is best not to talk about politics, religion, or social issues with people who have opposite views from what you have.

God wants you to be happy and healthy.  Anger can cause you to loose both.  Ask the Holy Spirit today to begin working in your heart to change the way you respond to things that make you angry.  God is full of mercy and we should be also.  “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

(Thanks to Rev. Dan White for allowing me to use many of his thoughts and words in this sermon)

SATAN'S WARFARE AGAINST CHRISTIANS VIDEO LINKS

John 10:10 states that Satan's Mission is to destroy the children of God.  Below are the video links to a message I have recently preached and posted on our site.  This message will give you practical ways to ask the Lord Jesus to protect you from these attacks.

"The thief (Satan) comes for no other reason but to steal, kill, and destroy: I am come that you may have life, and that you might have it more abundantly."  ( John 10:10)

SATAN'SWARFARE AGAINST CHRISTIANS - PART ONE

SATAN'S WARFARE AGAINST CHRISTIANS - PART TWO

SATAN'S WARFARE AGAINST CHRISTIANS - PART THREE

SATAN'S WARFARE AGAINST CHRISTIANS

Satan’s Warfare Against Christians

Zechariah 3:1-7

1. Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Joshua. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.”

3 Joshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. 4 So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Joshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.”  5 Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by.  6 Then the angel of the Lord spoke very solemnly to Joshua and said, 7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.

This scene occurs in heaven.  The setting is like a courtroom where God is the judge, Joshua, the high priest is the defendant, and Satan is the prosecutor.   Satan appears to have a case against Joshua because Joshua is wearing filthy garments and the high priest was to wear clean clothes.

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” (Revelation 12:10).

We have learned that as the deceiver Satan uses lies to attack the mind to make us ignorant of Gods will. If Satan cannot defeat you by deceiving your mind, He will try to destroy your body. Then he goes after your will. Suppose that the believer does not take advantage of their victorious position in Christ. Suppose they refuse to use the spiritual defenses provided. The believer sins, what then? You would think that Satan, having led the person into sin would leave them to suffer the consequences, but this does not happen. Satan has one more trick up his sleeve to make the Christian doubly defeated.

Joshua, the high priest stands before guilty before God.  Satan stands at his right hand to accuse him.  Jesus stands at God’s right hand to represent Joshua and restore him.  This explains why Jesus returned to heaven with wounds not scares.  Did God close his eyes to the reality of Joshua’s sin? Of course not! God will never defend his children’s sins, he will however defend his children. When Abraham lied in Egypt, he defended Abraham not his sin. When you listen to Satan’s accusations, you will focus your attention on yourself and your sin, this will lead to defeat and despair. When we listen to the Holy Spirit’s conviction, we will look by faith to Jesus, our advocate at the throne of God.  Satan will accuse you. You do not have to listen. Turn by Faith to Jesus our advocate, and confess our sins to him. Depend on what God’s word says, not on how you feel.

How did Joshua feel?  How do you feel when you purposely sin against the Savior who loves you and has given Himself for you?  He was broken hearted as you and I should be when we are confronted and convicted with our sins by the Holy Spirit.  

Often though it is not only the Holy Spirit, but Satan who moves in to kill us spiritually and physically.  He attacks us in our heart and conscience.  Remember how God looks at you as His child:  “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who ahas called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9)

Satan’s weapon is accusation   When Satan talks to you about God, he lies. When he talks about you to God he sometimes tells the truth.  He is the accuser of the brethren.  He has access to heaven, the very throne of God.  There he reminds God of the condition of his saints.  We must learn between Satan’s accusations and God’s conviction.  Guilt and shame only good if comes from Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit convicts you, he uses the word of God in love and seeks to bring you into fellowship with the father like He did Peter. When Satan accuses you, he uses our own sin in a hateful way, and seeks to make us feel helpless and hopeless like he did Judas.

Despair and spiritual paralysis result from listening to Satan’s accusations. When you have that helpless hopeless feeling, you can be sure Satan is accusing you.  We cannot control the origins of our troubles, but we can control the outcome.

Satan’s purpose is to bring an indictment by God’s will.  Satan wants you to feel guilty.  He wants us to experience regret and remorse, but not repentance.  He wants to keep accusing you so that you focus your attention on yourself and your sins. Walk by faith not by sight.  When you look away by faith to Jesus, you will repent and confess..  You will find cleansing and restoration.  As long as you are feeling guilty, you are under indictment and you are moving farther and farther from the lord..  As Christians we must not fall into Satan’s trap .  There is a place for spiritual conviction.  Excessive guilt and sorrow can only lead to depression, despair, and defeat.

Our defense is the interceding Son of God.  In another military battle, God told His people: “Be not afraid nor confused by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s....You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, you stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you.”  (II Chronicles 20:15,17).  Your part in this battle against Satan is to worship the Lord and praise His name for giving you the victory.

   Satan stands at our right hand to resist us and accuse us.  But it is also true that Jesus stands at God’s right hand to intercede for us.  “If any person sins, they have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1).  Jesus finished His work on earth and returned to heaven to take up His unfinished work. He is perfecting us and preparing us for glory. He intercedes for us and provides the grace that we need when we are tested and tempted..  If by faith we turn to him and come to the throne of grace he will see us through to victory.  If we yield to temptation and sin, then he ministers as our advocate to forgive us and restore us to fellowship once again. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). Don't get discouraged and quit because God has not given up on you, He is on your side.

MISSION TRIP TO HONDURAS - VIDEO

(Click below to see a Video of  This Recent Mission Trip)

FRIENDSHIP MISSION TRIP – JULY 2012 VIDEOS

Over 300 People were given Food Bags containing rice, beans, sugar, and flour for several meals.  Pastors were given bicycles to allow them to travel to their churches instead of walking for hours.

A playground was built for a Christian Elementary School.

Many people had the opportunity to receive Christ as their Savior and rededicated their lives to loving and serving the Lord.

  

  

PICTURES OF HONDURAS MISSION TRIP

Friendship United Methodist Church Mission Trip

July 2012 

Feeding the Elderly

Elderly People

Way of Cooking

Pat's Child (she will sponsor)

Chery's Little Girl

Children's Feeding Centre

Elderly Kitchen

Elderly Kitchen

Giving out Candy

Typical Meal

Our Group

22 people from the U.S. with us on this mission trip

Pastor Mark Taylor delivered a message on being

thankful for what God has given.

  

People in the Congregation

Pastor Taylor's wife - giving a testimony of God's 

love

 at Maranatha Church in Honduras.

Eating at Mission in Honduras

Church in a city in Honduras we attended

  Feeding the elderly. This will be there only hot meal today because of Churches sending money for the  food.

         Over 100 children fed today at one Church

          

We Praise God for Pastor. Mark and his team safely reached Honduras for Mission work. Pl continue to uphold the team and pastor in your prayers. 

          

Fear and Worry – Your Enemies

“And He laid His right hand upon me, saying to me, Do not fear, I am the First and the Last, (Revelation 1:17)

Fear and Worry are paralyzing emotions that restricts normal feelings of love, confidence, and well-being.  People in the Bible have been instructed over and over again not to fear and not to worry. Jesus speaks to you today through His precious words: “Therefore I say to you, Do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25). Paul instructs Christians by telling us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

About nine million Americans are receiving some type of medical treatment as a result of excessive worry and fear.  It has been reported that one out of every twenty Americans will be confined to a hospital because worry and fear have developed into some type of emotional illness.  The words “fear not” and similar exhortations are repeated over and over again in both the Old and New Testaments.

These reminders from God are not condemnation of you.  There are many reasons people have been captured by fear and worry.  God wants you to give Him an opportunity to help you get free of these two enemies.  

There are real reasons people are controlled by fear and worry.  Part of it is a predisposition or a inherited temperament.  Some people have had childhood experiences which may have induced fear.  This would include overprotection, domination by others, disapproval, a traumatic experience, a negative thinking pattern, and a lack of faith.  I am not talking about the normal fear or apprehension we feel when we are doing something for the first time. 

 But if your fear keeps you from doing what you should, or if the fear absorbs your thoughts for a long period of time, it is not healthy and it is something you need to begin to change.

Christians, especially, can get fear and worry under control.  First of all, you have to believe that you can. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  “Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

Don’t justify your fears and say “I can’t help it!”  Fear and worry are sins because they are the opposite of faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).  Confess your worries and fears to God as sin and remember this verse: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Ask God to take away the habits of fear and worry.  It is the power of the Holy Spirit that will deliver you from these enemies.  “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13).  

If you ask anything of Him that is in His will He will answer it, if you will turn them over to Him.

“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).  “Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there”.  “Therefore be humbled under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your anxiety onto Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Thank God verbally as an act of faith that he is going to take care of all your worries and fears.  “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Finally Repeat! Repeat! Repeat!  the steps you have just read and heard.  The habits of fear and worrying will not vanish immediately.  But with God’s help, you can have the victory over these enemies.  Each time you become fearful or find yourself worrying, face it as sin and a lack of faith, ask forgiveness, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit, and thank Him by faith that you will overcome.

“BEING A SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIAN”

by Pastor Mark Taylor

(Matthew 11:29)

In any area of our lives there are certain principles that can make us successful and happy.  Success is not just something we hope for or that is randomly given to us.  We have to move toward a goal to become better if we do become better.  Below are just a few things we can do in our Christian life to make us successful.

 Learning more about our Lord will help us to live a successful Christian life.  Jesus said: “Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls” (Matthew 11:29).  Our minds are very important to God.  He wants you and I to develop them to be used for His service. “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).  God wants you to be wise and to make good decisions.  One of the first things in studying is to make sure you can use the knowledge that God gives you to make right decisions.  That is called wisdom.  You can get that wisdom from God as you study.  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).  Your knowledge and wisdom are given to you to help others. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). When you make decisions ask God to give you the mind of Christ in your decision. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).  If you think like the Lord, you will be successful.

 “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.  Jesus gave us this advice: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:33-34).  You can only live today.  You cannot change what has happen in the past, and you cannot know what is going to happen tomorrow.

“Redeeming the Time”.  The Bible tells us: “See then that you conduct your life by considering all the consequences and possible outcomes (circumspectly), not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).  We have more modern “time saving” inventions like the computer, but we still seem to have less time to accomplish the things we want to do.  Much of our time is wasted watching TV, DVDs, and playing computer games.  We still have as much time as other people.  We have 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

“Doing Your Best”.   No matter how big or small the task is, we should seek to do it with our best ability: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).  If we are going to be a successful Christian, we need to learn how to go the extra mile.  This includes doing our best at our place of employment, in our relationships with others, and using our gifts in service to the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Rest”.  Jesus said: “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  Jesus values both spiritual and physical rest.  “And He said to them, Come aside into a deserted place and rest a little. For there were many coming and going, and they had no opportunity even to eat” (Mark 6:31).  Even God rested: “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He had rested from all His work which God created to make” (Genesis 2:2-3).  We are made in God’s image and you need times of rest.  You cannot be successful if you are physically and mentally tired.

Today, I would encourage all of us to be successful Christians.  We do not have to be discouraged and live in defeat.  We have the power of the Holy Spirit to lift us above the world and all its problems.  The Bible says: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

The greatest step toward success is to first of all know that you are a Christian.  Make sure you have more than just a “head knowledge” of the Lord Jesus Christ.  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:21-23).  Make sure you faith is real. “Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).