Hindrances to Prayer!

HINDRANCES TO PRAYER! Jesus told His followers, "And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Luke 11:9). Prayer is an incredible tool God has given us so that we may communicate personally and build an intimate relationship with Him. It empowers us to talk directly with God, worshiping His sovereignty, praising Him for His blessings, getting to know Him better, sharing our heart with Him, and asking Him to fulfill our desires and needs. However, in this verse the key words is ask, know and seek. But it’s not just once and done. The verb is “keep on”. Keep on asking, keep on knocking and keep on seeking. KEEP ON! Persistent prayer with fasting. Prayer is a privilege HOWEVER, there are hindrances to an effective prayer life. Here are some common hindrances to a healthy prayer life and steps you can take to overcome them. UNCONFESSED SIN Unconfessed sin can create a barrier between us and God in our prayer life (Isaiah 59:2). Our sin causes us to live according to our fleshly desires and not by the Spirit. But if we repent and confess our sins Jeremiah 31:34 “I will remember them no more”. First John 1:9 promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." SELFISH MOTIVES As humans we are very selfish and our prayer life is no exception. Often, we pray solely for things that we want without regard to God's will or the needs of other people. James 4:1–3 says, “when you ask, you do not receive because you ask for the wrong reasons.” UNFORGIVENESS In Matthew 6:14–15 Jesus says, "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Harboring bitterness, grudges, hate and unforgiveness in our hearts blocks and hinders our prayers. UNBELIEF Doubt in God's ability to answer our prayers is a hindrance (James 1:6 “But when you ask God, you must believe and not doubt.” Prayer requires faith. When we pray we are acknowledging God is capable of answering our prayer, yet at the same time submitting to God's will and understanding that He may or may not choose to answer the prayer the way we want Him to. MARITAL CONFLICT Paul tells us that conflict in a marriage can impede our prayer life. This is due to a lack of obedience in how we should act towards one another. He encourages husbands and wives to love and respect one another in obedience to God so that they can have a healthy prayer life 1 Peter 3:7 “do this so that nothing will stop your prayers” IDOLS When we make other gods or things a priority in our life before God it interferes with our prayer life (Ezekiel 14:3). It clearly states in the Ten Commandments, "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). Each time the Israelites chose to worship other gods, God chose to not listen to their prayers until they repented. They didn’t repent so the result: they spent forty years wandering the desert before entering the Promised Land and were later exiled from the Promised Land. When they repented, however, He once again answered their prayers and restored their nation. POOR There are several groups that God pays a close attention. The widow, the orphan and the poor. Our prayers are hindered when we hear the cries of these and do not respond and help therefore our prayers are hindered and go unanswered. James 1:27 “religion that God accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help and keeping oneself free from the world’s influence.” AND, Proverbs 22:22-23, “rob not the poor, because he is poor neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: for the Lord will plead their cause and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.” REMEMBER 2 Chronicles 7:13 “At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” KEYS TO GOD’S FAVOR: Repentance, remove the hindrances, return to God and God alone, respond to His discipline thru change of behavior (I Samuel THEN HE WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND RESTORE OUR LAND. I am praying for you and your families, Leonard Navarre Lubbock, TX

Is prophecy being fulfilled?

Is prophecy being fulfilled? Russia vs Ukraine! The battle rages and many folks are fighting for their lives, freedom and country. I have a couple thoughts. First, foremost pray for this unrest and war. Pray for the Ukrainian people. They are congregating in church basements, subway tunnels and bomb shelters. Many many churches are becoming refugee stations providing food, shelter and clothing as well as presenting the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray: This Prayer for peace: Almighty God we pray for the situation on the border of Ukraine. We pray for those who live in fear, that you may grant them peace. We pray that the voices for discernment and peaceful solutions may prosper Lord, we ask that you raise up peacemakers on all sides, that war and violence might be averted Give diplomats wisdom, understanding and build trust. We ask for the church in the nations involved, may they be salt and light in a dark situation. Lord we lift this dangerous situation to you. We pray for you love and peace to abound and your will be done. In Jesus name I pray. Amen Also, there is a Christian organization that is sending relief funds for the refugees and even those cornered in the Ukraine. You can find out more about then and what they are doing at www.ides.org. I know them and can vouch for their legitimate efforts. Another thought: maybe just maybe this is God’s way of moving forward on His plan to return all Jews to their homeland. There are over 100,000 Ukrainian Jews. As I write Israel is receiving over 10,000 refugees to their homeland. To a Jew this is called, Aliyah – “the act of going up” (towards the Holy city of Jerusalem), moving to the land of Israel of Israel or “making Aliyah” is one of the most basic tenets of Zionism. Now I don’t know this for sure and God hasn’t given me a vision but it’s just me wondering if this is God moving His chosen people back to their homeland. Jeremiah 42:12 states, “and I will shew mercies unto you that he may have mercy upon you and cause you to return to your own land.” I know this was God’s prophetic voice to Jeremiah concerning the children of Israel’s return from Babylon. However, could it also have a double meaning telling us that as the we enter into the birth pains of the last days that God would be calling His people, the Jews, back to their homeland. I just wondering out loud. Today, Jews from all over the world are returning to their homeland where cities that were destroyed by their enemies are now being rebuilt where the soil is bursting with fruit, trees and flowers. Ezekiel 36:24, “for I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land’. Is this happening now? Is this a part of God’s end time actions moving us ever closer to the final end times? I’m just wondering out loud. God is in control. God is still on the throne. Plus God is still of nations falling and nations raising. History, all of it, is in God’s control and working according to His plan. Our job? Show people the love of Jesus and warn them of things yet to come. If you have noticed the world will move more and more to ungodliness and vanity. God’s Word says it will not get better (I Timothy 4:1-3) Let us be people showing forth the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and help all we can through both physically and financially. Those refugees will be finding food, clothing, shelter in the name of Jesus by Jesus followers. May they respond to this love that is being shown to them. How many conversions will be attributed to shelters, bunkers, tunnels and basements of churches? I am praying for peace in the midst of war. I am praying for conversions in the midst of suffering. I am praying for the Ukrainian people especially those who are fighting for their lives and those who have to be separated from their families. I am praying Psalm 46: 1-2, “God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in time of trouble. So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea.”

Is God’s Anger just simmering?

In our Bible study we have been focusing on the little letter of Amos in the Old Testament. The blunt and outspoken Amos was not a professional prophet. He was from Judah, a sheep herder and a horticulturist who took care of sycamore trees. Yet, while he was tending the sheep the Lord spoke to him to go prophesy to the people of the northern kingdom, Israel.The lifestyles of the people of Israel were a stench unto God. They had not one leader that was good or obeyed the Lord God throughout their entire history. They achieved their prosperity at the expense of others. The sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes. They trampled impoverished people into the dust. A man and his father would share the same girl in bed and thus profane God’s name. Nothing religious was considered sacred. They lived in mansions and had both summer and winter homes. They reclined in beds of ivory and sang their own special music. They rubbed their soft bodies with special cosmetic preparations. The feasted on gourmet foods, and drank wine from goblets. But not once did they consider God or his laws. And because of this the judgment of God was about to fall upon them.Amos 3:7 says that God will always give a warning before judgment, “surely the sovereign Lord will do nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” Not only did God send Amos warning the people of Israel of the judgments to come, He also sent a series of “natural disasters” to sound the alarm and tries to get the attention of the Israelites. He gave them drought, famine, pestilence, and plagues. He overthrew some of their cities like Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet, they refused to repent and change their ways. They stared down at the dust of the drought and said “tough luck” when they should have looked to heaven and seen the “tough love” of God. As always, those who WILL NOT see are worse than those who cannot see. Their problems were not to be compared with the problems they were about to have. SO, Amos cried out with OUR BIBLE BOOST for today. It’s found in Amos 4:12, “prepare to meet your God, O Israel.”The message of Amos is tailored made for you and me AND or America. You know we are prepared for just about everything but meeting God. We prepare for school, graduation, work, vacations, retirement, and even our funerals and burials. But even though we have made all these preparations when have we prepared to heed the call of Amos, “prepare to meet your God”. The poet puts it this way:“When the great plants of our citiesHave turned out their last finished work.When the merchants have sold their last yard of silkAnd dismissed their last hard clerkWhen the banks have raked in their last dollarAnd paid out their last dividendWhen the judge of the earth calls…closed for the night.And asks for the balance…WHAT THEN!”Is God’s anger just simmering and ready to boil over in judgment? Remember, Amos 4:12, "Prepare to meet your God..."Are you ready?I am praying for you and your family, Leonard Navarre Lubbock, TX

A Christmas Devotional - Led by God!

LED BY GOD! It happened to Mary, Joseph, the wise men, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna. In fact, all through the first Christmas story you see and learn that all the main characters were led by God and His Holy Spirit.Many people use various means to find the way of God. Some depend on chance. “Well, that’s where the Bible fell open, that must be God’s will”, they say. One woman I read about was uncertain about whether it was God’s will for her to take an overseas flight. The next morning when she was awakened by her alarm clock, it read 7:27. That was the kind of plane she was scheduled to take. Friends could not persuade her that it was a shallow way to receive God’s will for her life. Proverbs 3:5-6 gives direction as to God’s will in our lives. It reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” One translation says, “He will direct your paths”.So, how does God direct our paths? There may be, occasionally, very dramatic and vivid ways but let us consider a few others. First, Psalm 119:105 states that our paths are directed primarily through God’s Word. God’s Word is “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path”. Someone once said, “to seek God’s will without being in His word is asking for error. God will never contradict His Word.” Remember, what a lamp does. It does not give light to the entire journey. It only shows us where to safely place the next step. Therefore, we WALK BY FAITH! Secondly, God shows us and directs us by opening or closing doors. Paul in I Corinthians 16:9 wrote, “a great door for effective work has opened for me”. A.W. Tozer suggested, “if God is in it, it flows. If it’s forced, it’s of the flesh”. When opportunities present themselves we move through the open doors. When circumstances become obstacles it would be best to pray and regroup and see exactly what direction God is leading. Thirdly, God also directs by closing doors. Remember, in Acts 16 the apostle Paul was kept from preaching in Asia because the Holy Spirit had closed those doors for evangelism. So, when we meet with closed doors, STOP. Let us not force our plans or desires over God’s objections. Fourthly, the perceptive and wise counsel of mature Christians can help us navigate through God’s will for our lives. Proverbs 15:22, “plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Godly wisdom from Christ centered mentors who are faithful in prayer helps us find that direction that we seek. The combined wisdom from Christian friends is worth more than gold.Fifthly, God will also work through the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. Everyone in the Christmas story was led by the Holy Spirit and MOVED when the Holy Spirit led. Simeon: Luke 2:25 "...and the Holy Spirit was upon him."Anna: Luke 2:36ff..."she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer"Mary: 1:25 ..."the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you;"Joseph: Matt. 1:24 "when Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded"Shepherds: Luke 2:15 "let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened"Wise Men: Matt. 2:10 "when they saw the star that they rejoiced exceeding with great joy"These not only were in prayer seeking God’s will but when they had the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit they acted, they moved.God uses many ways to direct our paths, but we must know...He does lead. Someone once said, “do not ask God to guide our footsteps if we are not willing to move our feet”. “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Jeremiah 6:16 I am praying that we will seek God’s Word and Will and be LED BY GOD! Leonard Navarre Lubbock, Texas

IS IT INTERNAL????? Around the world we see persecution on the rise. Or, maybe its just that we are looking more closely at the progression of indifference and apathy here in America. In the countries I have served, especially India, persecutions of Christians has been around for a long time. I have read of great persecution and abuse in China. India, China, Africa and North Korea have the greatest persecution. However, it is in those countries where there is persecution that you find the church of our Lord Jesus Christ growing and growing exponentially. WHY? What is going on in the “church” here in America that we don’t see exponential growth. Why is there so much division. When I served in India I realized that there was no Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal...it was black vs white, good vs evil, God vs Satan.. AND, Satan and his demons were very evident. The light of believers was very evident. Darkness stood to oppose the light of those Christians. Henceforth much persecution of the believers. One of the letters in the New Testament, which is called ‘one of the most neglected books in the whole Bible’, is Jude. Jude (or Judas the brother of James, both half brothers of Jesus), sets out in his letter to build up Christians and write about their salvation in Jesus Christ. However, the Holy Spirit directs in a different direction. The apostasy, corruption and tainting of the church of Jesus Christ according to Jude, comes from the inside. Internal rather than eternal persecution. Wherever there is persecution from the outside the church of Jesus Christ, it grows. When the attacks come from the inside, the church, slowing eats itself and eventually dies. It suffocates itself. There is lack of spiritual oxygen so the church suffers asphyxiation. Jude gives us reasons for the stagnation of the church of Jesus Christ in his day. I believe we can apply those same reasons to the lack of fortitude and strength in our congregations today. Let’s look at those mentioned by Jude. 1. Teachings: The infiltration of false teachers began almost immediately after the start of the church in the book of Acts. In Jude, they were teaching that God’s grace allows us to do whatever we want and His grace will cover. Forgive and forget attitude. God wants us to be happy, right? This is the attitude in many today. I have a “right” to be happy. So, I can do whatever I want just as long as it makes me happy. Jude 1:4, “...they are against God and have changed the grace of God into a reason for sexual sin...”. Jude reminds them, as we can also learn, that God punished the Israelites for their sins, kicked the angels out of heaven, and cites the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude says, these suffered punishment because their constant and continual sin. God doesn’t overlook sin, He deals with it as He will in our age. Paul reminds us that grace is not a license to sin in Romans 6. Plus, in their teachings, they spoke against the lordship of Jesus Christ, Jude v. 4...’they refuse to accept Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.” 2. Behavior: Once you corrupt the Godly teachings of the apostles and teachings from Jesus himself, ultimately your actions begin to follow. Beliefs dictates our behavior. And to that end Jude levels his most severe condemnation to their behavior. He uses Cain, Balaam and Koran as examples. When we forsake Godly teachings, we follow in the footsteps of Cain (jealousy), Balaam (greed) and Koran (desire for power - overthrow Moses). In all three of these examples given by Jude, show forth in “selfishness”. When people become selfish and think only of themselves the desire for power begins to raise its ugly head in divisions within the body of Jesus Christ. Most of the division I have witnessed within the body has come from one of these ailments: jealousy, greed and selfishness i.e. power. Rather than dive into God’s word for leading and obedience, they regress to their own selfish desires and wants. All 3 were guided by self and caused death to others. 3. Conversation: Once conduct is changed then it begins to express itself in our words. Jude writes, “people complain and blame others, doing the evil things they want to do. They brag about themselves and the flatter others to get what they want” v.16. We must watch what we think and what we say. Our words convey our mindset and eventually into our behavior. Jude says, “these people will divide you, those whose thoughts are only of this world and not of the Holy Spirit. So, what are we to do to overcome this inside this internal church disease. Jude’s answer is, “dear friends, use your holy faith to build yourselves up, praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ with his mercy to give you life forever.” Stay in the Word of God. Stay close to Jesus. Keep your eyes on the eternal not on the temporary. Obey the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us stop quoting and following others. Ephesians 5;10, “learn what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the things done in darkness, which are not worth anything. But show that they are wrong.” Empty ourselves of selfish desires for power, greed and jealousy. Stand for what is right. Oppose that what is evil. Let our lights shine and let us be salt in a depraved world. Persecution arises when we Christians do these things. When we don’t. When we fight, devour and eat one another, Satan allows us to desecrate that what God has called holy. Satan allows us to suffocate ourselves. Let us rise up and BE THE LIGHT and reveal the false teachings. “WAKE UP sleeper! Rise from the death and Christ will shine on you!” Ephesians 5:14. If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN? God has no other plan. He is depending upon every Christian to be “Christ like”, live and show the world JESUS! WILL YOU? How about ME? Praying for you and your families, Leonard Navarre Lubbock, Texas

FAITH OR FEAR? Don’t you see it? It’s all around us. People seem to be confused, distracted, struggling and confined. Many don’t know what to do or where to go. It’s that uneasy feeling of dread, disappointment, and loss of control of our circumstances. All of the above describes “FEAR”. We are living in very fearful time. Most of our negative feelings are rooted in fear. Especially when we observe situations all around us the WE CAN’T CONTROL. If all we do is watch the news, scroll thru Facebook and wring our hands we become very anxious and worried. However, in spite of all this that surrounds us we are called to live FEARLESSLY. So, you ask. HOW CAN I LIVE FEARLESSLY? Remember! The only way is to spend time in God’s Word and claim His promises of strength, help and calmness. God is still on the throne and there is NO ANXIETY in heaven. Over 100 times in the Scriptures we are told to “FEAR NOT”. The reason? Because God promises to be bigger than our fears. Deuteronomy 3:22 states, “you shall not fear them; for the Lord your God he shall fight for you”. It all comes down to; do we have faith in our Lord God to help us overcome our fears of uncertainty and doubt. How do we do that? Here are a couple suggestions: 1. Acknowledge the fear. What is our fear? Government? Circumstances? Situations? Individuals? Name your fear! To deal with the fear we must name it. What’s the storm? What’s the problem? 2. Change your focus. Once we have identified our fears, the true source of our fears, we can begin to address them in the right way. God has not given us a spirit of timidity. We, therefore, know that God is not the source of our fears. BUT, we do know that we possess power to overcome out fears thru HIM. The only way to reverse the negative process of fear is to shift our focus to the Lord our God AND the most powerful weapon to overcome our fears-the Word of God. 3. Trust the Lord our God. Many are relying upon their own thinking, their own plans and their own solutions. Overcoming fear in our world today is to TRUST the Lord our God. Focus on Him and not the problem. Isaiah 41:10 says, “so don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am the Lord your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.” See it. God is in control. He is the one that gives us strength to overcome our fears. We can’t do it. The Government can’t do it. Only TRUST HIM. The sovereign Ruler of the universe that keeps everything in order and even knows when a small sparrow falls to the ground has give YOU HIS PERSONAL PROMISE. When we turn to Him He has promised to strengthen, help and uphold us. 4. LAY DOWN. Lay down our fears. When we fully and truly TRUST and understand we know that the Lord is faithful, loving and omnipotent. Even in the Old Testament scriptures, when Israel was in captivity God was still in control and all things were working out according to HIS PLAN. The Lord is faithful. So there is no reason for us to hold on to our anxieties and worries. HE HAS PROMISED TO BRING US THROUGH FEARFUL TIMES. TRUST HIM. Even if we can’t change our situations, or the conditions around us – we don’t have to fear them. FAITH OVER COMES FEAR. Because God promised never to leave us or forsake us, we can face anything in life with Him being our guide. Joshua 1:8—9, “Always remember what is written in the Book of Teachings. Study it day and night to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything. Remember, that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.” FAITH OVER FEAR! God has promised. Leonard Navarre Lubbock, Texas

ARE WE CONFUSED! It seems as though the world has gone off the deep end having overdosed on blind and confused medicine. The Bible speaks about being salt and light and touching the world for Jesus. Yet, as we study statistics we can’t tell the difference between the world and the church. I believe we who profess to be Christians are a bit confused. I believe we have confused “going to church” with “BEING the church”. When Jesus called His disciples He told them to “count the cost”. He instructed them that they would have to die to self and pick up their cross daily to follow Him. Jesus’s teachings are hard. They require a completely new mindset and total transformation. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus brought in a revolutionary way of thinking. Expanding upon the old but enlarging the focus of not only their mindset but their LIFESTYLE. We think that “going to church” and having our “holy huddles” is being Christian. But Jesus was not just looking to teach, He was looking for life transformation that takes His church into the world in a completely new way of thinking and believing. AND, BEHAVING. I believe we have confused believing and knowing with OBEDIENCE. It looks to me, that all our Bible studies, small groups and devotions have resulted in great head knowledge of what Jesus has taught BUT WE ARE LACKING IN OBEDIENCE. We can tell you what Jesus has said and what Jesus would do (WWJD) but it has not presented itself into a life transformation in US! In Romans 12:2 states, “do not be shaped by the world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. So you will be able to decide what God wants for you ; and will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect”. The Bible also states that when we know what to do and don’t do it, it is sin. God’s word states, it is better to OBEY than to bring sacrifice (worship). Doing what God says is more important than just knowing what He says. Even the devil knows but chooses not to obey. I believe we have confused nationalism with Christianity. Yes, I believe this nation was founded on Godly principles. Yes, I believe that many of our original statutes and writing were derived from God’s Word. But simply putting those precepts on paper does not necessarily bring about a changed heart in people’s lives. The transformation comes from the inside out. Not by putting words on a page. Political laws, edicts, and rules will never bring about life transformation. It is my thinking that you cannot legislate Christian behavior or a Christian lifestyle. Life transformation only comes from allowing God’s Word and Spirit to transform our behavior. I believe we have confused legislative direction with Spiritual renewal. I think we have thought that if the government can make enough “right” laws our nation would change and head in the right direction. We have seen from the Bible that even “God’s Law” did not bring about a change of heart. Transformation of lifestyle only comes from a spirit led and spirit controlled life. A born again experience with God’s spirit in us. I believe we have confused “them” with “me”. We keep saying I wish “they” would do this or that. I believe true transformation begins with ME. Not my country, not my political affiliation, not my “church brand”...BUT ME! It’s all personal. ME AND JESUS! Paraphrasing Dr. Tony Evans: “if you want a changed country you have to have a changed state. If you want a changed state you have to have a changed county (parish). If you want a changed county you must have a changed city. If you want a changed city you have to have a changed family. If you want a changed family you must have a changed church.;” If you want a changed church you must have a changed person in the pew (or chair). That means that true Christianity and Jesus transformation behavior BEGINS WITH ME. It’s not a THEY. IT’S US! IT’S A ME. Do I live as Jesus would want me to live. Do I live out in my everyday life - Jesus principles that I have learned from my devotions, Bible reading and “church” attendance. Do I love like Jesus? Do I act like Jesus? Do I stand up for Godly principles like Jesus? Am I obedience to God’s directions like Jesus? I believe we are confused about what’s happening. This is not a game of checkers or video games. THIS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE. THIS IS WAR!!!! It’s earthly (worldly) verses the spirit. It is a battle of God and Jesus verses Satan. This battle wages itself within EACH OF US. Who will win? Who will take control of your mind and your actions. Who will stand in the gap? Who will stand up for Jesus? Who will live for Jesus? If not us WHO? If not now WHEN? There is no ALMOST here. There is no halfway here. You can’t have Jesus by the installment plan. I’ll take a little today and little tomorrow...etc. Jesus said if I’m not with Him I am against Him. The old illustration here is appropriate: “two dogs were fighting. A boy asked the old gentleman, ‘who do you think will win?’. The old man said, ‘the one you feed’! THIS THE TRUTH! IT’S THE WORLDLY VERSES THE SPIRITUAL in EACH ONE OF US. Whichever one we feed will win. I John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you.” THIS IS PERSONAL. ME! YOU! Who is leading us? Who is going to stand up and be counted? Who will answer the call? If not us WHO? I pray that we will give the Holy Spirit control of our minds and lives. Nehemiah 4:14, “then I looked around and stood up and said to the men, the leaders, and the rest of the people. Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and powerful. Fight for your brothers, your sons and daughters, your wives and your homes”. THE COUNTRY, THE CHURCH, YOUR FAMILY, YOU, ME. It is all depending on us. It depends on each of us feeding the spirit inside of us, listening and then OBEYING! I am praying for you and your families, Leonard Navarre Lubbock, Texas