Psalm 61:1-3 KJV “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. [2] From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. [3] For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.”

If you’re presently going through or have been through some thangs read the book of Psalms and watch how encouraged you feel. When I first became a believer I had an older mentor who told me all the stuff I would go through for believing in Jesus Christ. He said, “Satan’s gonna throw everything at you including the kitchen sink!”😳 He also told me, “Read the book of Psalms, read the Psalms.” Here decades later I think I’m just starting to understand what he was saying about reading the Psalms. Reading the book of Psalms (written by David Asaph and others under inspiration of the Holy Spirit) is like reading your own life if you’re a believer. All the Bible is good don’t get me wrong, but the book of Psalms speaks distinctly, and vice versa with other passages of scripture.

David is credited as author of the Psalms more than others. David and Asaph were regular folks just like us who did great things by God’s Spirit. They got down and depressed at times just like us too, was persecuted just like we are, and had all the same problems that we have. But through it all David and Asaph cried to God. I mean they literally cried to God. They knew how to pray and tell God exactly how they were feeling even when their feelings were wrong. They were real. They didn’t know that their feelings were wrong but at least they had the good sense to pray to God about how they were feeling. (Psalm 73) And God answered them, protected them, encouraged them, and gave them an eternal future.😊

Remember, David was a man after God’s own heart. (Acts 13:22) If you’re going through some stuff I encourage us to do exactly what David and Asaph did, CRY TO GOD!!! He is the only one that can really help us. Believe in His promises to save you. Keep praising him,  singing to Him, and giving Him thanks just like David did. To the flesh singing to God may  sound corny. But David is called a man after God’s own heart for good reason, and he sung to God all the time.😊 I recently asked God to give me a song to sing and he answered me!😃 It’s so sweet and simple here are the lyrics:

“You go to know who’s God and child are you
Know that he will bring you through
Ooh ooh baby
Ooh ooh baby”

Hah hah hah.😆 Guess what? Every time (even when I’m depressed) I sing those lyrics I feel great immediately! I know that my song came from God. These words speak faith and strength. Knowing who God is; how loving and powerful He is, and knowing that you are His child,😂 what is it that our Heavenly Father will not bring us through?😊 Nothing.

Jeremiah 32:27 KJV “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”

I’m starting to understand why David sung to God all the time: not because God needs our praise, but because praising God (The Creator Of All Living Things) is a gift to us, and it makes us feel good. In a world with much evil don’t we need some real feel good? Jive or not, corny or not I’m praising God with singing and with songs.

Psalm 50:23 KJV “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.”

I feel like I’ve discovered a great secret: I am just starting to understand the real purpose of music. The Psalms helped me do that. I’m a musician who left Satan’s music business years ago to follow Jesus so this is big to me. Knowing the original purpose of music, what it’s really meant for is huge for anybody. Did you know that the entire book of Psalms are all songs sung to or about God? Yep, that’s right.😊

The book of Psalms just like all of God’s word has special power. I entreat you if you are going through some thangs to read the Bible book of Psalms little by little and meditate on what you read. Then watch how encouraged you feel.🤗

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1 John 3:15 NIV “ANYONE who hates a brother or sister is a MURDERER, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”

In light of the passage above ANYTHING my brother or sister does that annoys me is not worth me hating them. We must forgive as Jesus says. I know God is not playing when he says, “ANYONE who hates a brother or sister is a MURDERER, and YOU KNOW that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.” That means I will spend eternity in the fire 🔥 for hating my brethren. If I can’t seem to shake nagging thoughts and feelings about another brother or sister it is obvious that I have a problem. And my problem is worse than whatever it is they’re doing that irritates me. If this is you if this is me we need to confess our sin and go to God quickly in prayer, asking Him for forgiveness, and asking him for patience.😊And please do not overlook God’s requirement for forgiveness:

Matthew 6:14-15 NIV “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Unity in the spirit among believers is a must God says. It’s not a suggestion. If a brother or sister constantly gets my goat I HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS THAN THEM, or the problems I only perceive they have. My perceptions may be wrong.🤔 This is where I need to look at myself not them. 

Luke 6:41-42 NIV “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

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Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 NET “Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent? In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.”

There are many things being said in the media, many predictions about the future. These can weigh heavy on the heart. And many of these foretellings go contrary to what God says:

Matthew 6:31-34 NIV “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things WILL be given to you as well. Therefore DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Are you gonna let someone else paint your reality? And fill your mind with constant worries? Or will we listen to God who is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega. (Revelation 22:13) He knows the whole story and how it’s gonna end before it even starts. That’s powerful! I think that’s the person we should listen to not the media, don’t you?😊

Use the extra time we currently have due to the pandemic to dive deep into God’s word. Hear His voice. Listen to what He is saying. It is the total opposite of the picture the world is painting for us. It always is.

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Psalms 42:11 NET “Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Wait for God! For I WILL AGAIN GIVE THANKS to my God for his saving intervention.”

If the giant killer got depressed who says we will never experience depression? Throughout the Bible book of Psalms David expresses his feelings of depression to God quite often. But that’s OK.😁 In the passage above David shows us the secret of how to get over and defeat depression. GIVE THANKS TO GOD!!!😃 That’s right, while you’re feeling like crap thank God anyway for his saving interventions. Think about the times when God saved you. Remember that one? Yeah, remember that other one? Remember the one when it looked like it was all over for you? Your enemies thought they had you then, didn’t they? Yet God rescued you, didn’t He?😊 If you and I would only do what David did when he felt like dung: pray to God about it and openly share our feelings with Him, then think about the many times he saved us against all odds, and thank Him regardless of how you’re feeling, I promise you will feel better. If you and I do this throughout our lives we will not only feel better immediately we will also overcome and defeat depression.😊

Philippians 4:6-7 NET “Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition WITH THANKSGIVING, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:17 NET “And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, GIVING THANKS to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 2:6-7 NET “Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS.”

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Exodus 23:32 KJV “Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?”

Ain’t it interesting how some people are always trying to get us to join them in something? Doesn’t the verses above explain why? It’s not something we’re suppose to do. We’re COMMANDED not to do it. Yoking with the wicked is a recipe for our disaster. Ain’t it interesting too how when you obey God refusing to bond with them; resisting their temptations, they try to make you feel guilty? Like you owe them something? It’s a trap. I could go on and on about this how witchcraft is at play here but I won’t. I will say this though: Christians come under a spell when they disobey God and yoke themselves with unbelievers.😳 And witches know it. They know they have to get you to disobey your God to bewitch you. There will be consequences to pay for disobedience. Sometimes really bad things happens. Read Numbers chapter 25 and see how Israel was bewitched, and the really bad consequences.😢

HOW TO BE SAFE

If you and I do our best to obey God we’re fine, WE’RE SAFE.😊 We don’t have to know (and shouldn’t want to know) all the ends and outs of witchcraft; how they operate, etcetera. LOVE for GOD and OBEDIENCE conquers everything the enemy throws at us. (Luke 10:17-20)

Ephesians 6:16 KJV “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench ALL the fiery darts of the wicked.”

In conclusion I’m gonna leave you with a couple of passages that are very encouraging. In them the Master (Jesus) tells us like it is. Ponder them. Listen to what He is is really saying. Understand it. Follow His words and be blessed:😊

Matthew 10:34-42 NIV “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law —

A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.’

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Luke 12:51-56 NIV “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?“

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Revelation‬ ‭12:11‬ ‭CEV “Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. They were willing to give up their lives.”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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If I asked, “What did Jesus warn about the most that would mark His return?” many of you would say: Deception. And you would be right. But how many of us are heeding the warning? Our time is the most deceptive in human history!😳 We all get tricked and fooled sometimes. If you think it can’t happen to you you are already deceived. You are under a spell.

Knowledge alone can’t save us from being hoodwinked. Eve quoted God’s command not to eat from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil right to the serpent in the Garden. (Genesis 3:2-3) She had knowledge, yet she still ate.😳 She was deceived the Bible says. (1 Timothy 2:14) Adam had this knowledge too. He still ate as well. What will keep us from being tricked by the Devil? Love and Obedience: doing what God says regardless of perceived negative consequences.🤔 (John 14:23-24)

The Devil loves to plant bad assumptions in our heads for obeying God: “If you follow that command too strictly this or that bad thing will happen to you and/or your family, and you won’t be able to get what you want. You must do what you feel and bend the rules a little bit. God understands.” Nope, God does not understand! That’s a lie from hell. Whenever you and I feel like this it’s a trap. It’s a whisper from the Devil. Even if obeying God costs us our physical lives we still have eternal life.😊 Nothing short of that can be all that serious to throw away our relationship with God. The Devil is tricking us if we believe we have to disobey God in order to get what we want. This is a deception.

A certain deception is coming to the whole world that will damn people FOREVER! (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12) This is nothing for lovers of God to fear but we must still be vigilant. Remember, Jesus said that GREAT DECEPTION would mark our time. It behooves us to be extra careful for our enemy walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (through deception).

1 Peter 5:8 KJV “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Parents, is it time to start or continue having certain conversations with our children, to help them remain vigilant? Of course not to scare them, that’s not our intention, but to help them get ready for possible scenarios. Then if these should come about they won’t be so panicked because they were mentally and spiritually prepared. Church, is it time to start or continue to have frank talks with one another about eternal life after physical death; strengthening one another in the faith we have in the resurrection hope?😁 For the same reason as stated above?

Remember how God’s word says we overcome our enemy:

Revelation‬ ‭12:11‬ ‭CEV “Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. THEY WERE WILLING to give up their lives.”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I strongly encourage you and me not to be afraid or sad. We serve the God who not only sees the beginning to the end, He is the beginning and the end; He is the Alpha and the Omega! We need not worry. Our God is in full control!😁
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