Life is hard.  As a Christian, I face battles every day.  Some days are worse than others but it's a war all the same.  I believe that many Christians get defeated in spirit in their Christian lives for one reason.  They are not fully engaged in the war.  What does this mean?  It means if you're going to be in the battle, get prepared for the war zone.  How do we do this?  Put on the full armor of God.  What does that mean?  It means reading the Bible.  This is your plan laid out for you and your spiritual shield to fight the enemies of life.

Jesus didn't promise that He would solve all our problems, but He does promise to fight our battles if we belong to Him.

When we gave our life to Christ, we were drafted into God's army.

Stand strong in your belief today.  Tell others and show others the God you serve is greater than any other.  Love your enemies.

James 4:7 – "Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

I just visited a third-world country and saw plenty of poverty but one thing they lacked was hatred, violence and great sorrow. It’s funny how you get used to having most of what you want and then you go somewhere where it is quite the contrary and it makes you appreciate what you do have.

If you let Him, God will supply all your needs. If you follow Him and are faithful, He will provide.

Being content is not being satisfied with what you have, but it is knowing God’s plan for your life and being content with living it. Believing that God’s peace is greater than the world’s problems is key to understanding contentment..

The latest global statistic shows that if one has a roof over his head and a meal on his table he is richer than 93 percent of the world’s population.

Stay in God’s peace. Be content with what God has given you and be a good steward of everything He allows you to have.

Hebrews 13:5 - “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Although I recently returned home from a mission trip to Peru, I consider my mission field outside my front door. God commands us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all. But this doesn’t have to be by plane, train or even automobile. Look outside your front door. That’s your mission field.

Visit your neighbor. Take time to listen to their story and ask them if they would like to hear your story.

I am becoming more bold for God. They say that practice makes perfect and although I’ll never be perfect, I can be confident that what I say about God is true and real.

The salvation of all nations should be a concern of every Christian. Get involved in missions. Get inspired to reach the lost. Be an ambassador for Christ. Tell someone about Jesus today.

Mark 16:15 - “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Life is not about achievements or accomplishments.  It's about relationships.

Being content does not come naturally to humans.  Being content is a learned habit for most of us.  Many people in the U.S. have a lot more than other third-world countries could even imagine as far as tangible things.  Yet, you will find that most Americans are not satisfied with what they have.

My fellow Christians know that when we leave this world, we won't be taking any of these tangible possessions with us to heaven.  So why not focus on your relationships with people and most importantly, with God.

For myself, I value my relationship with God and my relationships with my family and friends.

Be content with what God has given you and look to Him for everything you need.  God will provide.

Philippians 4:12-13 says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” 

The definition of confidence is the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.

We have a choice.  We can either have confidence in man, which may or may not work out.  Or, you can have confidence in Christ, knowing and believing that by acknowledging and believing in Christ, we are saying that we believe and trust that He can make all things work out for the good.

If you're trusting that God provides, then your confidence in it coming to fruition will help strengthen your faith.

It's like watching God in action in your life.  You look to Him for guidance. You have faith and confidence that He will provide.  This not only makes you a stronger Christian, it brings you closer to God.

Stand firm in your belief in God.  Acknowledge where your confidence comes from and honor the God that gave it to you.

Psalm 14:2 – "The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God."

Are you letting Satan steal your joy today?  Are you so consumed with worry that you can think of nothing else?  I've been there.  I know what this feels like, but when it's you that's going through it, it can be overwhelming.

The Bible says this: "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)

I know how hard it is to overcome depression.  Two years ago, it almost killed me.  But I persevered.  I did what my church family was telling me to do.  I started praying.  I started reading my Bible.  And you know what?  Within a few months, the situation started to take a turn for the better.  Little by little I came out of that dark time.  Satan lost that battle.

God didn't create us to be fearful of man.  He gave us power and love and a sound mind.

If you remember anything from this blog today, remember this:  The more we dwell on the terrible things that are going on, the less we have room for God to step in and take control of the situation. 

So why not try something different this time.  Praise God.  Not for what's going on in your life, but for Him being near.  Praise God for all the good things in your life.  God promises you that His plans for you are to prosper.

Let God be God.

After coming home from my second mission trip to Peru, I've found that no matter what skills or talents I possess, none is more important than telling people about Jesus.  Given the language barrier in a third world country, this can be a difficult task.  Without our translators, any spoken word was virtually impossible to convey.

So, the next time you're thinking about going on a mission trip and you're worring about what you would do or how you could contribute, just know that God works out the details.  You just have to be available and open to God's plans.

Don't undervalue your presence in any God-given situation.  All God asks us to do is to prepare the harvest. 

This doesn't just mean on the mission field.  I'm referring to anywhere you are where you have an opportunity to speak up and tell your story.

Romans 8:28 – "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

I was recently in a Sunday School class and we were discussing how we as Christians can be known for our fruit.  Meaning, as we witness to others and tell them about Jesus, are we creating a harvest atmosphere where God can step in and meet them where they are?  Or, how do we feel when we establish a relationship with someone, slowly encouraging them to go down a different path and then someone else steps in and leads them to Christ?  Are we happy for them, or are we upset because someone picked our fruit?

God expects us to be productive and get results.  But we must make God our main focus in this journey of producing spiritual fruit. 

Sow the seeds.  It's not up to us to decide if the soil is good or not.  Be fruitful.  Show love to others.  Let them see the peace in your speech.  God will take care of the rest.

Colossians 1:10 – “So as to walk in a manner worth of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”