God has a plan a plan for every one that is willing to believe in the impossible!

“..With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Try GRACE….

G – God’s
R – Riches
A – At
C – Christ’s
E – Expense

Have a proper understanding of Anger’s displacement in your life, according to God’s Word.

“(26)Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath: (27)Neither give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26, 27

Stop being angry at unnecessary distractions that will lead to disgrace, discouragment and destruction.

“Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9

“(19)Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:(20)For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1:19, 20

“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Proverbs 25:28

“(22)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,(23)Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.(24)And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.(25)If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.(26)Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:22-26

Through God’s Grace we have the supernatural ability to overcome the sin of anger. Through Holy Spirit of God we can be angry at wickedness and sin not.

We don’t have to go to bed at night angry over matters that have no Biblical basis of attachment.

Before ending your day take your burdens and dislikes to the Lord. Seek forgiveness, peace and know rest at its best!

Have faith, and be confident in knowing what you cannot see right away; has a purpose for your life, according to God’s plan.

Don’t be trapped and held prisoner by the chains of spiritual ignorance.

In John 8:30-36 we have something that is worth reading and believing! “(30)As he spake these words, many believed on him.(31) Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;(32)And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.(33)They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?(34)Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (35)And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.(36)If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

You might say…”Well that’s easy for you to say Dr. McLaughlin. You are a man of God and don’t have to deal with life the way that I have had to, and am living with from day to day.”

Not true! I am flesh and blood just like you. While it is true that I am a man of God, that doesn’t exempt me, or anyone else for that matter from having to experience the trials and tribulations of life that exist for each person: Christian or non-Christian.

This passage gives me comfort, instruction and helps to keep me focused when I am challenged in my faith. When the Devil comes around and tries to instill fear and weary into my spirit, and cause me to doubt the very God of Creation who has promised to take care of my needs according to His riches in glory. THe same God who tells us in His Word that He will never leave us or forsake us. The same God that hears and knows our every cry and need!

“Therfore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all those things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:25-33

There are some things in life to think about and consider, but when we react in the flesh, it shows that we are weak in our faith. It takes time for an oak to grow; just as our faith takes time to mature. Just because we cannot see the wind, we certainly cannot deny it’s existence, when the results tell us another story.

Today I am upstairs recuperating, as I have been since Tuesday from having hip surgery. The challenges that we all face vary; but praise the Lord that He changes not, and is ever near in times that we need Him most.

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:14

“Precious Lord, I ask this day that you would help me with my unbelief and that you would strengthen my heart in the affairs of my life; before you and a needy world today. Father I know in my heart that you are there for me and have been there for me, but help me not to grow bitter and cold in a world that thrives upon the negatives of the here and now. I love you and thank you for all that you have done and continue to do in my life, even when I am not paying attention.”

Before getting out of bed in the morning, if you didn’t do it today, Lord willing tomorrow will come; give thanks unto the Lord and praise Him for another day to glorify Him in everything that you say and do.

Psalm 118:24, is a good place to begin: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice rejoice and be glad in it.”

When facing the unknowns of today I find that it is more profitable for me to start out this way, before going out and being attacked by all the evil, negativity and discouragement that the world, the flesh and the devil are trying to defeat and destroy me with.

How I choose to start my day will determine my altitutde and attitude from then on! Depression can be around me 24/7, but I don’t have to let it be in me. I can choose to be thankful or become ungrateful at will and that is not God’s fault if I choose the worst; it is mine.

When I stop to consider what I have as a born again Christian, it just humbles my heart. Before my salvation back in 1983 I could not appreciate the blessings that I enjoy today. Giving thanks is much better than complaining.

“Precious Lord, thank you for the many blessings that you have given me. What a privilege it is to have You love me and care for me the way You do. Father in Heaven, forgive me when I fail to see your GRACE that has rescued me from the penalty of sin, and give reflection to my heart as it beats for you that others may be transformed, for righteousness sake.”

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalm 1: 1-3

A friend of mine years ago made this statement! I don’t know where he got it from, or who might originally had said it; but it makes a lot of sense. He said it this way, “Through patience and humility comes endurance.” Patience is one of those virtues that challenges us on a daily basis, in every situation, trial and tribulation imaginable.

It is so important for us to realize that in order to succeed in life, in our relationships one with another that we have to be stubborn. Being stubborn has a tendency at times to be looked at in a negative light, however, obstinance is not always a weakness or sin; it can be a strength when applied properly.

If one needs to endure, one needs to be determined in their heart not to be side tracked, detoured or to quit. Perserverance should never be substituted by our unwillingness to go the distance, when there are obviously others watching us to see what it will take to for us to throw in the proverbial towel.

Here is a poem by an Author Unknown that you might have already read or heard before. It is inspirational!

“Don’t Quit”

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-
It’s when things go wrong that you mustn’t quit.

In the Scripture of the day, the Apostle Paul was giving Timothy, a young preacher, some advice and encouragement. Timothy was Paul’s convert, whom Paul had led to the Lord. Paul knew a few things about the ministry, and also about people! Paul didn’t want Timothy to fail. God didn’t want Timothy to fail. God didn’t want Timothy to quit and God does not want any of us to quit in serving Him or others.

1st Corinthians 15:58 ministers to my heart whenever I read it! “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord.”

What we do for the Lord is never in vain. What we do for the Lord, when done with the right heart attitude, brings glory to the Lord.

1st Corinthian 10:13 helps me as well! “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.”

Father in Heaven, thank you for the riches of Your glorious grace that give me the stength to carry on. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit, and your presense in my life. Thank you for Your promise that You would never leave me, nor forsake me. Thank you for creating in me a will to meet You daily in Your Word and in prayer. Father, keep me safe from the perils of doubt and discouragment that would lead me astray and cause me to quit; leaving a watcher by, to not see Your purpose for their life.

Prayer before bed was only one area of worship, before each meal I would also pray asking God to bless the food before me giving thanks that I was fortunate enough to have a family that loved me, a home where I could live and a meal to eat.

Prayer is our: avenue, medium or means to communicate with God. It allows us beforehand an opportunity to make certain that our hearts and motives are right before an Almighty God, of who we are addressing. God is holy! God is not the man upstairs, nor is He just someone  we would speak to casually like people we meet on a daily basis.

When we ask the question: what is so special about prayer, we need to realize that the ONE of whom we are praying to is SPECIAL. That is what makes prayer special!

In Luke 18:1 Jesus is sharing a parable with His disciples that is for us as well. He states, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not faint;”.

The Apostle Paul shares this in 1st Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”

When we examine the lives of the Old Testament saints and the New Testament Saints we can see for ourselves why prayer is special and important. We can also examine the life of Jesus Christ through the revelation of the Word of God and see that He was a prayer champion, as well as our Champion of Love. Even at the very end of His life, He prayed to the Father, as our example.

If ever prayer was so necessary, for God’s people and our country we need to pray. We are admonished in the Scriptures to pray for those in authority. 1st Timothy 2:1-3, “I EXHORT therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

If we do not have faith, and we do not trust God, how will we ever know the miracle and blessings of prayer.  God answers prayer according to His sovereign will.

King David said back in Psalms 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”. It is important to know when we bow before the  God of Heaven that our fellowship is unhindered by unconfessed sin in our lives. Our relationship with God the Father has to be in accordance to His priorities and not ours. James said, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” First we need to be declared righteous before a holy and righteous God, who sent His Only Begotten Son to purchase our salvation at a great price. We must be born again into God’s family, by trusting Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Justified, forgiven and declared righteous just as if we had never sinned!

Dear Heavenly Father guide us today into the paths of your righteousness and grace. Remove from us the dross of our unbelief and create in us this day a heart that will receive only what thou can impart. Change us O Lord and help us to be like Israel; the apple of thine eye.

When we pray believing, it is only a matter of time before we see the impossible happen.

“Call utno me, and I will answer thee, and show great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3

People are not usually dependable or reliable, unless it serves a greater purpose that is motivated by self interests; sad to say.

Even though we have been betrayed by family and friends and let down by expectations that were not meant to be, should we hold God accountable for our own failures and mistakes? Should we give up trusting altogether? Trusting in the LORD is never a mistake, nor is it ever unwise or a course of human weakness to do so.

In fact it shows the true character of oneself to take the next step of faith in trusting the Providence and Sovereignty of God in our Sanctification that takes place after our Salvation.

I might not be able to trust people, let’s say, but one thing for certain is that I can trust in the Lord each day of my life! “For I am the LORD, I change not..” Malachi 3:6a

Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowldege him, and he shall direct thy paths.” It is not about leaning unto my own limited understanding; it is about trusting the LORD with all my heart; for the results.

Today O LORD, make my way safe, keep my heart fixed on thee and lead me peacefully along; that I might be a light in this present darkness all about me. Father impart your wisdom unto me today, for I am dismally lacking, give me clarity of thought and purify my discernment for thee.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105

Keeping in mind, respectfully, what Hebrews 11:6 has to say, “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.”

Faith can start like the size of a mustard seed which has the capacity to yield gratness in God’s economy!

By faith, this is what I have  found to be so, since I have trusted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior back on January 8th of 1983.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17