A timeless song with a timeless message…

Mahalia doing a beautiful job with this song:

Willie

PROVERBS 16:18 (NIV)

18) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Pride is deadly. But instead of warning us the world encourages pride in every way.

WHAT IS PRIDE?

Pride is faith in yourself, instead of faith in God.

The root of pride is selfishness: putting yourself first. Thinking you are the most important. Thinking you know the most. Thinking you deserve better than someone else.

Pride will cause you to go your own way instead of God’s way. Pride makes you think you do not need God’s advice or help.

Pride is the root of sin. It causes you to turn away from God instead of turning to Him. All obedience has pride as its root. All rebellion has pride behind it. All mistreatment of other people is caused by pride: putting yourself and your feelings above the other person and their feelings.

The world system promotes people who are proud, and often gives them great riches. Jesus said pride is evil and defiles a person. (MARK 7:21-23)

While the world may promote the proud for a short time, their fame and success wil not last.

JAMES 4:6 (NKJ)

6)………”God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

PRIDE IS THE MOST SERIOUS, AND THE MOST SUBTLE SIN. It often goes unrecognized.

BEWARE OF PRIDE!!!!!

Minster Paula Lacy

PHILIPPIANS 3:13 (NKJ)
13)……..one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

Today IS the first day of the rest of your life. And it will be what you and God make it.

Your past does not have to dictate your future. You can begin again. With God you really can have a fresh start.

God can forgive your past — and help you forgive yourself. But most importantly, God can change you. He can make you into the kind of person you know you should be.

II CORINTHIANS 5: 17 (NRSV)
17) So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Your life can be different. but don’t think it will be different if you continue to do things exactly the same as you always have.

For your life to change — you must MAKE changes.

If you want real change — God’s Word is the key. You must immerse yourself in the Word. What you feed in determines the output of your life.

ACTS 20:32 (NLT)
32) And now I entrust you to God and the Word of His grace — His message that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those He has set apart for Himself.

God’s Word will build you up. Jesus said it would make you free — if you continue in it (JOHN 8:31-32)

The Bible is God’s answer to man’s problems. It gives life and hope and instruction so we can walk in victory.

Prayer is also vital. Prayer is communication with God. All relationships require communication to keep from growing cold.

So, actively involve God in your life. Consult with Him on every decision. God is the best helper you will ever have.

JOHN 14:16 (NKJ)
16) And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.

The future can be better. The choice is yours. If you invite and involve God in your future — it will be bright!!

Let your confession be: I INVITE GOD INTO EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE AND FUTURE.

Minister Paula Lacy

No doubt a part of the wonder which is concentrated in the word “Behold”, is excited by the unbelieving lamentation of the preceding sentence.

Zion said, “The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me.”

How amazed the divine mind seems to be at this wicked unbelief ! What can be more astounding than the unfounded doubts and fears of God’s favoured people ?

The Lord’s loving word of rebuke should make us blush; He cries, ” How can I have forgotten thee, when I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands ? How darest thou doubt my constant rememberance, when the memorial is set upon my very flesh ? ”

O unbelief, how strange a marvel thou art ! We know not which to wonder at, the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of His people.

He keeps His promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us doubt Him.

He never faileth; He is never a dry well; He is never a setting sun, a passing meteor, or a melting vapor: and yet we are as continually vexed with anxieties, molested with suspicions, and disturbed with fears, as if our God were the mirage of the desert.

“Behold,” is a word intended to excite admiration. Here, indeed, we have a theme for marveling. Heaven and earth may well be astonished that rebels should obtain so great a nearness to the heart of infinite love as to be written upon the palms of His hands.

“I have graven thee.” It does not say, ” Thy name.” The name is there, but that is not all: “I have graven thee.” See the fulness of this!

I have graven thy person, thine image, thy case, thy circumstances, thy sins, thy temptations, thy weaknesses, thy wants , thy works; I have graven thee, everything about thee, all that concerns thee; I have put thee altogether there.

Wilt thou ever say again that thy God hath forsaken thee when He has graven thee upon His own palms?

(C.H. Spurgeon)

Minister Paula Lacy

I Peter 5:7 (AMP.)
“Casting the whole of your cares — all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all — on Him; for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully.”

God is not just mildly nterested in you. He cares for you just as a good mother cares for her infant child — affectionately and watchfully.

Would it be reasonable for a well-loved infant to worry? Neither is it reasonable for you to worry when God loves you and has promised to take care of you.

To worry you must believe one of two lies: GOD CAN’T TAKE CARE OF YOU or GOD WON’T TAKE CARE OF YOU.

Philippians 4:6 -7 (NRSV)
6) “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7) “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

WORRY IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR A CHILD OF GOD.

SAY THIS: I THROW ALL MY CARES ON GOD BECAUSE HE CARES FOR ME.

Minister Paula Lacy

Romans 5:8 (NKJ)
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God has proven His love for you. So don’t doubt it.

What proves that God loves you more than you love yourself ? He died in your place — suffering the punishment for sin that you deserved, so you could go free. God was more willing to suffer Himself than to see you suffer.

Of course, the devil constantly tries to get you to doubt that God loves you. That’s why you must rely on what the Bible says — not what your feelings or circumstances may tell you.

You may think you don’t love yourself — maybe you think you hate yourself. Even if you don’t think too highly of what you have done, you still love yourself in the sense that you desire the best for yourself. You don’t desire pain or loss.

So it is with God — He desires good for you — even more than you do. And He demonstrated at Calvary that He would put your interest before His own.

I John 4:16 (NKJ)
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

There are at least two reasons why God loves you so much. First, it is His nature to love. The Bible says that God is love. Love is the word that best describes God’s nature.

Second, you are His creation. God loves you just as good earthly parents love their offspring. People may not seem very special to others, but to their mother and father they are always special. This should help you understand how God could really like you — even though you may not like yourself very much.

Also, God sees you as you can be and will become — not just as you are now. God has faith in you and in His ability to make you someone special.

CONFESSION: I choose to believe what the Bible says: GOD LOVE ME!!

Minister Paula Lacy

PHILIPPIANS 2: 3-4 (NKJ)

3) Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

4) Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Pride and selfishness always go together. A truly humble person cannot be selfish.

Pride is self-importance and self-focus — which leads to selfishness which is selfish thinking and selfish acting — the opposite of Jesus’ command of agape love in JOHN 13:34.

Pride produces selfishness. All selfishness is a manifestation of pride — thinking you are better, or more important than others.

Pride is the root of selfishness — and thus the root of all evil. Pride is hidden but manifests as selfish acts.

JAMES 3:16 (TEV)

“Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.”

Selfishness causes all evil. All evil proceeds from selfish actions. Selfishness is the only manifest problem, but pride feeds it. Dealing with the root cause of the problem is the only lasting solution.

Submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and realizing we are not the center of the universe, is the answer.

Without Jesus, you can do nothing. Apart from His grace, you would not be able to take that next breath of air!

CONFESSION: Jesus is Lord and I submit to Him.

MINISTER PAULA LACY

“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.” (Psalm 143: 5,6)

If we don’t long for God, then something is seriously wrong. We need Him, even more than the air we breathe, and if we have failed to pay attention to Him for so long that we are no longer conscious of any need or aware of any desire for Him, then we have become insensitive in the most tragic way imaginable.

When we fail to long for God it is a great pity, for we miss one of the best joys available to us in this world. It may seem contradictory to say that joy can come from longing or wanting something we don’t yet possess, but it is a fact. The feeling may be what we call bittersweet, but with the proper mindset, bittersweet joys are often the ones that are most deeply felt. When we are conscious of the void in our hearts that was meant to be filled by God and that sense of emptiness moves us to yearn for the day when it will be filled, the longing that we feel is as good as it is great.

Longing for God, however, is more than a feeling; it is an inner disposition or attitude. As much, longing for God is a thing that can be learned. It is no coincidence that David, a man who surely longed for God, could say, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.” The way to have a deeper sensitivity to our need for God is to spend regular time thinking about Him. Thoughtfully appreciating His works in creation will cause us to long for Him, but even more than that, studying the biblical record of His acts in history will impress on us our need for His deliverance and redemption.

But it takes time to do the things that deepen our longing for God, and therein lies the rub. We are a busy people. We have little time to ponder God’s works or study His words. But let’s be honest: do we have so little longing for God because we are so busy, or are we so busy because we have so little longing for God? Once we answer that question with integrity, things will start looking up.

MINISTER PAULA LACY

The human body was created ,by a master craftsmen. The Lord God !

Humans can sense and experience ,love ,pain joy, sorrow.

We can be angry as well as completely serene,in our lives.

The Bible says,” For I’am fearfully and wonderfully made”.(Ps 139:14)

We are able to reproduce after our own kind;

According to Genesis,1:28 “Be fruitfull and Multiply”.

We are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26)

We have created abilities,to shape and form and fashion,materials creativly.

Man has really advanced,since the time of Christ.

We have improved on how we live,we can live almost in any enviroment .

The very stars are within our reach !

Funny,how all man can do,to improve the quality of life ;

However he

still can not ,kill the enemy of his soul, Sin !

Most,men are not basically honest.

They are selfish,pridefull, self centered and full of evil.

They would sell their own Mother,for money!

We are a “What’s in it for me”,society.

People have a underling motive, if you seek their help.

Jesus said” The flesh profited nothing” (Jn 6:63)

Our problem is that most people,allow their soulish realm to controll them!

If it feels good ,do it ! your mind ,your will ,your emotions,are your soul.

Most times our decisions,are based in these areas.

We do not consult,God,only if in trouble or we want something !

God gave a open door to him ,in Jesus Christ.

You do’nt have to struggle in you fallen soulish sin nature.

You can make God your ,partner,in lifes journey.

I did’nt say that you will not be challenged,or hinderd ,by serving God .

Yet in all my 11 or more years,I know who I belong to.

I know who,my redemer is (Ps 19:26)

My present help in times of trouble !(Psalm 41:1)

In conclusion,your pain your ,discomfort and your sins;

have a permanate escape route.

You must come to God byway of Christ.

In 1 peter 5:7 reminds us to ;

“Casting All Your Cares Upon Him Because He Cares About You”

“I will never leave you or forsake you” ,Said God in Heb 13:5

“Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and burden”,

“And I will give You Rest ” , Mat 11:28

God is waiting for you ,Let him take some balm of Giliad

to heal the sin sick soul,to make the wounded whole !

There is a balm in Giliad .

God unouches the hurt !!

Rev.Robert Lacy

The Devotional Chef

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NKJ)
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

Several times the Bible refers to God as the God of peace. But as English readers we miss the full meaning.

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament of the Bible was written in Greek. All English Bibles are translations.

The Greek word translated peace is eirene (i-ray’-nay), which corresponds with the Hebrew word translated peace, shalom (shaw-lome’).

If you study extensively, both in the Hebrew and the Greek, you will find that these words translated peace have a rich meaning — far more than just an absence of conflict.

THE PRIMARY THOUGHT IS ONE OF WHOLENESS — LACKING NOTHING.
When nothing is missing you have peace. There is no anxiety because all is well.

This is the idea meant to be communicated by the term “GOD OF PEACE” or the “PEACE OF GOD”. It includes health and prosperity as well as normal English meaning of absence of conflict.

Romans 15:33 (NKJ)
“Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”

THE GOD OF WHOLENESS, HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY IS WITH ME –
TO HELP ME!

MINISTER PAULA LACY

Philippians 4: 13 —-” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

The road to Sucess is not straight.

There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family.

You will have flats called Jobs.

But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success.

MINISTER PAULA LACY

Mark 11:23

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed…….’ ”

Too many people think of the Bible only as a Holy book to be revered. So they put it up on a shelf and make sure no one mistreats it.

But the Bible is a message from God. It gives us instruction for our benefit — practical advice.

It’s time to take the Bible down off the pedestal, read it, and act on its instructions.

Here is one seldom acted upon: talk to things.

The devil wants you to think it would be crazy to talk to things. But it’s not.

Jesus did it. He talked to sickness. He talked to the storm and told it to be still. He talked to dead bodies and commanded them to get up. He talked to the devil and told him to get behind Him.

Jesus talked to things. You should too.

You should talk to fear and worry. You should talk to confusion. You should talk to lack. You should talk to sickness. You should talk to the devil. Tell him to leave. Tell them ” to be removed”.

Luke 17:6

So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

CONFESSION: JESUS SAID I CAN TALK TO THINGS. SO I SPEAK TO EVERYTHING THAT IS OF THE DEVIL AND COMMAND IT TO GET OUT OF MY LIFE NOW!!!

MINISTER PAULA LACY

Only God can answer this question. Fortunately, we have a book available where we can find out what God thinks: THE BIBLE.

(What a wonderful thought that is! We can read and know what GOD thinks! Don’t let yourself be robbed of this great privilege by being too busy.)

PSALM 103: 13 (NIV)
“AS A FATHER HAS COMPASSSION ON HIS CHILDREN, SO THE LORD HAS COMPASSION ON THOSE WHO FEAR HIM; ”

One way we can begin to get an inkling of God’s love for us is to know what it is like to have our own children. Psalm 103:13 tells us that the same deep feelings a parent has for their child, are also present in God toward us. The word in this verse means much more than “compassion”. It is a very deep feeling — hard to express in words. This is what God feels for you!

(You may wonder why. I may wonder why God would feel that way about you or me. All I can say is: parents can be pretty silly over their children! We have seen some that we didn’t think were so special, but the parents sure thought they were special!)

Another way we can judge how much God loves us is by what He was willing to go through to redeem us and have us in His family. A lot!

We are familiar with John 3:16, but often being familiar with something keeps us from grasping it as fully and clearly as we should. Think about it: God so loved the dirty, rotten, rebellious world of people — even those who hated Him — that He decided to suffer the punishment that justice demanded so they could go free.

God loves you — no matter who you are — no matter what you have done. He loves you more than you can imagine or understand.

God loves you more than He loves Himself. That is proven by the fact that He put your interest and your feelings ahead of His.

MINISTER PAULA LACY

JOHN 8:31-32
31 THEN JESUS SAID TO THE JEWS WHO HAD BELIEVED IN HIM, “IF YOU CONTINUE IN MY WORD, YOU ARE TRULY MY DISCIPLES;
32 AND YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE.”

Notice carefully what Jesus actually said. It is not those who “start in the Word” or “try the Word for awhile” will be made free.

You must continue in Jesus’ message — His Word. It must be His accurate message — not just someone’s idea of it, or tradition.

Some translations use the word “abide” instead of “continue”. Abide means to stay somewhere continually. Either way, the meaning involves staying with it.

Note that Jesus said in verse 32, “and you will know the truth…….” Just hearing the truth does not necessarily make you free. You must KNOW that it is the truth. When you KNOW something, you will act on it. If you are not acting on something, you do not yet truly KNOW it. You act on what you KNOW.

HEARING THE TRUTH IS NOT ENOUGH. LOVING THE TRUTH IS NOT ENOUGH. EVEN SPEAKING THE TRUTH IS NOT ENOUGH. You must continue until you know that you know that you know that you know. Only then are you at the point where truth will make you free. The reason is that only then will you be able to act with faith and boldness on God’s Word.

The devil is against you and is intent on keeping you in bondage. Only when you KNOW where you stand will you act in faith and overcome the strategies of the devil.

You may ask, “How can I KNOW the truth? I just have weak faith.”

Jesus gave the answer: continue in His Word. As you continue in the Word of God you will become convinced — you will know — you will have faith. When you reach the point of knowing something — you will act on that knowledge. In this way the truth will make you free.

This works in every area of life: your relationships, your health, your finances — everything. Continue in the Word of God in any subject — and you will eventually see the fruit of freedom in that area of your life.

God gave you His Word for your benefit — not for His benefit. He already knows the truth, and always acts on it. You are the one who needs help. And because God loves you, He gave you His Word.

MINISTER PAULA LACY

JOHN 8:31-32 NRSV
31. THEN JESUS SAID TO THE JEWS WHO HAD BELIEVED IN HIM. “IF YOU CONTINUE IN MY WORD, YOU ARE TRULY MY DISCIPLES;
32. AND YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE.”

Many people think God’s Word will put them in bondage. Like most of the world’s ideas, this is opposite to the truth.

A major reason people go their own way instead of turning to Jesus Christ is because they think following Him and His Word will restrict them and keep them from enjoying life. What a deception!

The only way to know true freedom in this life is found in His Word. Just knowing any “truth” does not guarantee freedom.

If you desire freedom, you now know the guaranteed formula to acheive it. Will you follow the directions?

CONFESSION: I WILL CONTINUE IN THE MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST. AS I DO I WILL KNOW THE TRUTH. AS I ACT ON THAT TRUTH IT WILL MAKE ME FREE.

MINISTER PAULA LACY

The standared of truth begins with God’s Holy Word.

Since man is not ultimately,the Supreme Intellect ;

He is neither morally perfect or incorruptable ;

He is neither totally truthfull;

He is very limited in judgement ,since his wisedome is based on facts

and his senses and he is prone to sickness and death ;

He is a fallen created being seperated from the attributed Glory of God !

All that being said ,It was God who instructeed Man how to live;

A wholesome ,morally and truthfull Life and How to address crime !

God set up the judicial systems on Earth,based on his Word.

God is very fair concerning ,governing people and property and trial and punishment and restitution,to the all.

He can’nt be bribed,influenced ,or dazzled by some slick defense.

He wants to let all go free,but many will not,accept the only way out.

We all know , we must all stand before the Judgement seat of christ;

We must give an account,to Him,concerning what we have done

in our bodies Good or Bad !

Where where you stand ? How will you plead? Innocent or Guilty ?

Are you good enough to make it into the kingdome of God ?

Did you accept the offer of Peace withGod,?
Your best works are liken to filthy rags to God.
There is none good ,No not one !

The book of Revalation,give us a glimps,of the final court room

as God judges the nations.
Welcomed as friend by God or placed in Hell
with No Parole,your call now or later ,His ultimatly .You decide !!!

“SO THEN FAITH COMES FROM HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.” ( ROMANS 10: 17 *NKJV)

Just as our bodies hunger and thirst, so do our souls (our souls need spiritual food and water). This food and water can be found in God’s Word, the Holy Bible.

Reading the Bible not only nourishes our souls, it also helps us deal with everyday problems.

We gain godly knowledge and wisdom from God’s Word.

It even helps to bring us out of depression, anquish, and worry as well.

What a wonderful book it is! Why not spend a little time each day reading it?
You will find that each page you read will bring you a little closer to our Heavenly Father. And what a wonderful journey it is!

“SO NOW, BRETHREN, I COMMEND YOU TO GOD AND TO THE WORD OF HIS GRACE, WHICH IS ABLE TO BUILD YOU UP AND GIVE YOU AN INHERITANCE AMONG ALL THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED.”
(ACTS 20:32-33)

MINISTER PAULA LACY

“THE LORD WILL GIVE STRENGTH TO HIS PEOPLE; THE LORD WILL BLESS HIS PEOPLE WITH PEACE.” (PSALM 29:11 *NKJV)

In this world today it is hard for most people to find any peace! Confusion abounds no matter where we go. We were warned about this by our Savior Jesus Christ, for He said, “THESE THINGS I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU, THAT IN ME YOU MAY HAVE PEACE. IN THE WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION; BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.” (JOHN 16:33)

After all I Corinthians 14:33 says, “FOR GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION BUT OF PEACE, AS IN ALL THE CHURCHES OF THE SAINTS.”

Therefore , when you find yourself troubled, always look to Jesus Christ; for He Himself is our peace! A loving caring peace that we become filled with on our spiritual journey. And that is only one of the blessings we receive on that journey, for it is written, “THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF CONROL, AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW. (GALATIANS 5:22-23)

So it is my prayer for you that, “THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEART AND MIND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, NOW AND ALWAYS!” AMEN (PHILIPPIANS 4:7)

MINISTER PAULA LACY