Tag Archives: wickedness

02.08.19
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Nature Abhors a Vacuum: Our Representation Matters

Nicole Headshot in blue shirt

Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

Dear saints, it’s been a while since I’ve written you. And I’ve missed you. It hasn’t been for lack of things to say, that’s for sure. From 2018 and into the New Year, there have been plenty of issues to pray about and elevate for our discussion. It is simply that lately my schedule has been packed—and so has my head and heart—packed with prayers. Prayers for our nation and world. Thoughts about our present-day issues and what should be the biblical response. All of these items and more have been in my head amid my daily joy of leading this ministry, a healthcare ministry, mentoring young ladies and also keeping to my project management consulting work— similar to how Paul kept his trade as a tent maker while sharing the Gospel.

Among the deluge of disturbing issues, many of us were angered and grieved by the late-term abortion legislation passed in New York last month. Christian physician and public policy leaders with the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) of which I serve as their area director for Washington, D.C., and is the nation’s largest faith-based association of doctors, responded to this abhorrent legislation calling it “medically unnecessary” and “morally bankrupt.” Read the full response and press release here.

True to 2 Timothy 3:1-5, wickedness is increasing. Wickedness is boasting of itself and carrying on in plain sight. It is no longer hiding. In their confusion and rebellion, those who encourage it call evil “good” and good, “evil.” Sin is no longer hideous to them — if it ever was. There is no fear or reverence for God. As British politician, philanthropist and slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce (1759-1833) said in his book, Real Christianity, “They have no love for holiness and no desire to acquire it.”

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5, New International Version)

Christian Representation Matters

Writing this blog post would be unnecessary if Christians were truly welcomed within the diverse cacophony of voices. But by our very nature as God’s elect, we’ve already been called “a peculiar people,” “a holy nation,” “a royal priesthood,” set apart for God’s purposes (1 Peter 2:9). So we should not expect to be embraced by the world but delighted when hearts are open to receive His truth and light; delighted when eyes are no longer veiled to truth; delighted when people finally come to the end of themselves and want what only God can give them.

As things continue to implode, do not be alarmed by all of the disintegration happening. It must happen and continues to signal Christ’s return. The increasing wickedness does not disrupt our call. God has placed us here as His servants and witnesses for such a time as this. The Christian voice matters. Our representation matters. The best thing we can do is to come into agreement with what God wants to accomplish for His purposes and glory in a perishing world; that more may repent and be drawn to Him in these last days.

Our voices should not be contained to church pews, the pulpit or only among those with whom we share sweet fellowship. As a dear sister in Christ said recently, “Christianity is a lifestyle,” and as such, our faith is our life. It is not compartmentalized. We live Christ’s life in us out in the open. It is an inside-outside work.

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Do not underestimate the power of the light of God abiding in you. While moral and societal decay and wickedness seem to be having their way, this is not so. As Christ’s vessels, the light and new life residing in us is stronger than the darkness trying to press in. Such to the degree, that the words from John 1:5 speak to the unconquerable power of such light: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (New International Version)

We have everything to gain by being His representatives. And we don’t need anyone’s permission to act as such. We have already been called to fight against the powers of darkness.

When Aristotle said, “Nature abhors a vacuum,” it’s a sobering reminder that our culture will fill it with something. It might as well be filled with our voices as Jesus’ representatives in the earth.

When we walk in the light and lead others in His light, our and their future is indeed bright. If we do our job well and without compromise, many will benefit and this will be reflected in our culture. We seek to disciple and equip others to respond to issues from a Christian standpoint. As my fellow brother in Christ and Christian Medical & Dental Associations Washington colleague Jonathan Imbody writes in his book, Faith Steps (Legion Publishing, 2016), “Faith steps simply means making choices in God’s direction.”

We desire to impact our culture in response to God’s direction so that others may experience what Jesus has promised, “life and life to the full.” (John 10:10)

Our representation matters. We are rich in opportunities to share Jesus, His light, love, and truth with the world. We can represent Him right where God has planted us or wherever He sends us. The world is in need and nature abhors a vacuum.

As the Lord asks in Isaiah 6:8, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?,” I hope your response will be, “Here am I. Send me!”

Embolden us Lord, that we may glorify you.

God bless you and Go in courage,

Nicole

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08.21.18
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Sometimes We Lament

Nicole Headshot in blue shirt

Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

It’s taken me more than a week to pray on and write this blog post…and it still may not hit all the right notes. Though I hope you can relate to the message’s tone and tenor. I trust that the message is one you can relate to, feeling the pang of each event in your spirit. With each event, the pangs seem to intensify.

Sometimes I lament in my spirit. I lament over the wickedness in our world and how mankind continues to grieve and offend our gracious God.

Murdering spirits. Shootings. Young people being slain in our streets. In our schools. In our parks. Slayings. No regard for human life. Bombings. Wars. Abortions. When will it stop? When will justice come?

Sometimes we lament.

Domestic violence. Sex trafficking. Perversion. Grown men (including men of the cloth) and women attracted to children and teens. Unnatural attractions. Rampant, horrific sexual abuse, sexual violence and harassment. Persecutions for faith. Prejudicies. Myriad injustices. A culture, society and world that is hostile toward God and seemingly bent on continuing this way.

Sometimes we lament.

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Addictions. A bondage hastening unto death.

Sometimes we lament.

Corruption and wickedness enacted, enjoyed and exposed on every level, throughout our various institutions that were designed to be trusted and lawful.

Sometimes we lament.

Satan, demons, and the wicked proclivities behind it all.

Sometimes we lament.

The ungodly thoughts that we slay in our own hearts and minds. We pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” from Psalm 51:10.

Sometimes we lament.

Recently, I felt such a grief in my spirit as I have at times before, that I expressed this to a dear sister in Christ. She too has experienced this. For those of us who love the Lord and who have prayed to know the Lord’s heart, you’ve likely felt this burden. But I trust that God’s tears are far greater.

Since when God created man, He has known what resides in man’s heart. It’s dark and ugly. Jeremiah 17:9 reads “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Ecclesiastes 7:29 reads, “This only have I found: God made man upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes.”

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Scheming. Planning. Self-seeking. Plotting how they can next satisfy their flesh, their appetites and selfish ambition. And yet, amid their plotting, our compassionate, loving and merciful God —  our God of great forbearance — awakens offenders morning, after morning, after morning, allowing them to return to their plotting. Some are aware of what pleases and displeases God but do what they want anyway, without regard for how their choices offend a holy God. Others are simply blind to the truth. Those spiritually destitute and without the Holy Spirit continue to pursue evil. They despise the truth, despise righteousness and seem all the more thrilled to ride their way to hell, drink in hand.

How long, how wide, how deep is our Savior’s love, His patience and kindness toward us?! The stench of wickedness has reached His nostrils! Creation is groaning. The earth remembers it’s slain. We’re daily witnessing the consequences of evil. Yet, God continues to strive with mankind, for now. He pursues and pursues us. His love is amazing to me. I’ve often admitted that if I were God, I would have annihilated mankind a long time ago. Fortunately, His plans are better than mine.

In ways far beyond my comprehension, God still loves. Throughout the bible, we see God’s love displayed for people amid their repeated and blatant disobedience. Many of the Old Testament prophets lamented over the people’s disobedience. Jeremiah is sometimes referred to as “the weeping prophet,” grieved that his warnings of God’s judgment pronounced to the people of Judah were constantly disregarded as they worshiped worthless idols. Stubborn and rebellious hearts. They should have all been destroyed! But in Jeremiah 5:18, Jeremiah speaks the LORD’s words that He “will not destroy them completely.” This also caused Jeremiah to grieve because he knew of the Lord’s great compassion — and that his words of warning would be looked upon foolishly by the people of Judah if the Lord withheld His wrath.

Moses often prayed for the Israelites in their disobedience as they built idols and altars to worship false gods. As I wrote in this article “Should I Not Care About These Too?” about God’s instruction to Jonah to warn the Ninevites of their impending destruction if they did not repent, Jonah became angry at the Lord for His compassion toward these wayward people.

1But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2He prayed to the LORD, “O, LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” In verse 4, the LORD replies, “Have you any right to be angry?” (Jonah 4:1-2,4)

Gods-Help

Today, God, in His great mercy, continues to send His People to pray for, warn and instruct those walking in spiritual blindness on paths of destruction. We lament knowing that some will choose to remain blind, disobedient and will ultimately perish. However, in our lamenting, we should also be encouraged. There is power in the prayers of the lamenting  — even those said without audible words but uttered in deep groans. There is promise in our pleas. God indeed sees, hears and answers prayers. He hears His remnant crying out and petitioning on behalf of the lost. If those who are far way from Him should see the error of their ways and desire Him, He is willing to save.

Heavenly Father, thank you. I don’t understand how you love us so. Your lovingkindess is beyond comprehension. Your grace, unfathomable. Your mercies are new every morning. Even those who rejected You yesterday can become your forever sons and daughters today if they truly repent and choose Your Son Jesus. As we lament over the condition of our world, Your love, Your grace, Your victory and Your great plan of salvation out shines the backdrop of wickedness. We will boldly and lovingly continue to share the Good News hoping that others may hear and turn to You. Even against the backdrop of the darkest of times, our confidence in what You will accomplish will not be slackened. Amen.

Nicole

02.25.18
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Stop Lingering. ‘Come Out of Her, My People’

 

Nicole Headshot in blue shirt

Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

She has been an adulterer with all of us…

What activities in your life do you linger in that are snares to your spiritual growth?

1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2With a mighty voice he shouted:

“Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 3For all nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. 4Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5for her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. – Revelation 18:1-5, New International Version

Babylon was a splendid city in ancient Mesopotamia located between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers about 60 miles south of what is now Baghdad. It was a resilient, thriving and idolatrous city whose pleasures often came with a price to its occupiers. Through Daniel, King Belshazzar, who ruled in Babylon, was warned that “God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.” (Daniel 5:26) True to the prophecy, Babylon and Belshazzar’s kingdom was destroyed by the Persians.

Today, “Babylon” is our sinful, wicked and hedonistic culture. It is also whatever is your personal “Babylon.” What is your personal Babylon? I don’t know. But it usually appeals to our flesh. The Holy Spirit surely will indicate areas in your life that need sanctification; activities or people that He has asked you to shed, be separated from, no longer be ensnared by, to no longer entertain the flesh.

Your “Babylon” could be anything from gorging on unhealthy foods or particular goods He has instructed you to abstain from, music, types of television shows or other forms of media and entertainment He has pricked your spirit about to no longer allow these in your life since our bodies house the Holy Spirit. It could be any form of sexual immorality, lusts of the flesh, pride of life, gossiping, ungodly associations, materialism, vanity, selfish ambition, false doctrine, false beliefs and trends, etc.

If we are truly walking and talking with the Lord, studying His Word and learning His ways, we’ll feel that “prick” in our spirit as only He can do. In His infinite wisdom, He knows that indulging Babylon is harmful to us whether spiritually, physically, emotionally or mentally. I presume that any loving parent would call their child away from harm.

In His great love for us, God does the same and we should take joy in this. We are His Children and He calls us away from such harm knowing that it corrupts even if “everybody else is doing it” (in this case, the world). The world is behaving as it should in a world heavily influenced by Satan. We are called to be set apart from the world. Not only has God set us apart from the world for His purposes, we are called to expose the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11).

It may even be something that doesn’t appear bad by outward appearances. For example, habitually drinking coffee, or for me it was listening to a lot of R & B music years ago, watching some TV shows. The Lord may see an activity as too consuming in your life and ask you to “put it down” to subdue the flesh. We may also be ignorant of what is our personal Babylon. Ask Him to reveal it to you.

When He says, “Come out,” don’t linger like Lot’s wife who was destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah for lingering because her heart was still joined to it. Sever ties with it. Avoid rationalizing your need to stay in Babylon, however harmless it seems in the grand scheme of things. That’s the intended delusion!

 

Babylon culture

Is there anything we would allow to hinder deepening our obedience to the Lord, whatever He asks? Is there anything not worth shedding that He asks us? He is indeed a gracious, loving and patient God who calls and prompts us, awaiting our response. He is imploring His People—you and me as members of the Body of Christ, His elect and those lost sheep yet to return to the fold—to “Come out of her,” to come out of Babylon.

I join many of you and other Believers in sensing that Jesus is preparing His Bride, preparing His Church for His return. There is a serious tenderness with an increased urgency to “come out now” and “don’t linger.” While the world will continue to engage in its affections, God has called us to separate from it. He is returning for a glorious Church without spot, wrinkle or blemish, holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27).

I direct this message to you as well as to myself. Our goal is spiritual maturity, to be perfected in Christ Jesus. To be truly liberated from our clamoring flesh. We are at war with our flesh–not to make peace with it. We must be vigilant.

Sanctification is a process. You have to desire the change and it starts by renewing your mind (Romans 12:2) and setting your mind on what the Spirit desires (Romans 8:5-6). God will not change His mind about what He wants from us so we need to change ours. Come out now and don’t linger. May you be obedient and guard against any rationalization to stay in or return to it. He will help you if you trust Him and obey. He will give you the grace to do it but we must be a participant. May we directly associate obedience with our love for Him.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” -John 14:15 (New International Version)

Heavenly Father, thank you for your lovingkindness shown toward us even when we have blatantly rebelled. As your children, you know what is best for us and the purposes you have for us. May we be determined by a desire for holiness to stop lingering in a lifestyle or habit when you have said “Come out of it.” May our hearts be tendered to your voice. If we are ignorant of our personal Babylon, show us and help our obedience to leave it behind. May we press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us. Thank you for wanting to free us from the affections of this world so we may experience abundant life as you’ve promised. By your leading, may we serve as light, love and truth to help free others who are ensnared by worldly culture. 

In Jesus’ Name we ask and pray this.

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.07.17
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“Should I Not Care About These Too?”

Nicole Headshot in blue shirt

Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

11But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:11, New International Version)

Love this! For the past couple of weeks, the Lord has had me fascinated with the Book of Jonah—a brief but powerfully dramatic four chapter book written by the prophet Jonah, nestled between two other Old Testament prophets, Obadiah and Micah. I’ve read, reread and pink highlighted various verses within the four chapters, brimming with greater excitement and understanding of our Lord’s compassion at each new reading. Certainly, most if not everyone even if they are not a Believer is familiar with what seems the central part of the story and that is Jonah being swallowed by a great fish and living in the fish’s belly for three days. Many children’s books and other published works have captured this aspect of this prophet’s seeming misfortune to spend three days (but survive) in the fish’s stinky belly. But I have learned even more and am in love with what the Lord has revealed to me and what is likely clear to you if you’ve read the four chapters.

To recap, Jonah was a prophet whom God called to preach in the ancient, historical Assyrian city of Nineveh located in Upper Mesopotamia and is today known as part of the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq. In that time of 612 BC, those in Nineveh worshiped many gods and goddesses, primarily the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar , who promised love, beauty, sex, desire, fertility, war, combat, and political power, to those who called upon her. The Lord seeing all of the debauchery, idolatry and sin taking place, said to Jonah in 1:2, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”  The people’s sin was creating a great stench before a Holy God.

Hearing the Lord’s word instructed to him, Jonah instead ran away from the LORD and headed for the far away city of Tarshish—literally to get as far away from Nineveh as possible. Who doesn’t cringe in having to give a word at times to people who are walking in sheer disobedience? How would Jonah be received in delivering this word? How are you received when delivering a hard word to someone who is rebellious? I know in times that I’ve lovingly but boldly delivered a ‘hard word’ to someone, it has been sometimes well-received with contriteness and humility by that person, and other times it has been brushed off and rejected like shewing away a pestering fly.

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Eventually we know in reading the chapters that in the process of Jonah fleeing the Lord’s instructions, he boards a ship in Joppa to sail to Tarshish. The Lord sends a great and terrible storm upon the seas in which the shipmen throw Jonah overboard (with Jonah’s permission) because they knew he was running from God and the storm came upon them because of his disobedience. The sea immediately calmed once Jonah was thrown overboard and then being scooped up by the fish. Three days later, Jonah is spit up by the great fish onto dry land and he delivers the Lord’s warning to the people of Nineveh he was to render three days ago (Chapter 3). Jonah says to them in chapter 3:4, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”

Verse 5 reads that “The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least put on sackcloth.” In response to their immediate repentance, verse 10 reads that “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.”

Wait a minute. Weren’t they about to be destroyed by God for idol worship, all out wickedness and every kind of evil living possible? Nineveh was also Israel’s enemy. By Chapter 4:1-2, Jonah is feeling some kind of way about God’s compassionate response toward a wayward people and he tells God exactly how he is feeling.

1But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2He prayed  to the LORD, “O, LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” In verse 4, the LORD replies, “Have you any right to be angry?”

I LOVE THIS! I imagine this scenario similar to a co-worker who has been goofing off, messing up and you can’t WAIT for them to GET IT from the boss, possibly even be fired. Or imagine you have a sibling who keeps being disobedient and you can’t WAIT for mom, dad, grandma or auntie to yank them up! And yet, with a warning, the co-worker straightens up and no punishment is brought upon them. The sibling apologizes for their behavior and no punishment comes to them, no grounding, or phone or television privileges taken away. You might be fuming as Jonah was recognizing that you’ve been living right, these people haven’t and God seems to let them off easy. This is the real reason why Jonah tried to avoid delivering God’s instruction because He knew of God’s great compassion.

I am in love with the Lord’s response to Jonah in Chapter 4:11, which speaks to how much the LORD loves us, strives with us, extends deep longsuffering (patience) with us, not desiring that any should perish: “But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

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I believe the God of Jonah’s time and our same God of today looks at us with that same compassionate heart. God even gave Jonah another chance to come out of HIS DISOBEDIENCE for him to deliver His instructions to the people of Nineveh! Amazing!

Today, God continues to send His People to warn and instruct those walking in spiritual blindness on paths of destruction; walking in ways they think good but are not. In His great, unfathomable compassion, God sends us to pray for, warn, instruct, intercede for others in hopes they will turn to the light of Christ Jesus and be loosed from the grips of darkness.

Yes, God’s wrath will come upon those He is no longer striving with because they are unrepentant and have chosen their own paths of destruction, not desiring truth (If you read Nahum, the Lord’s anger rises again toward Nineveh promising destruction because of their partaking in wickedness). God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy (Romans 9:15), which in His infinite wisdom and purposes will be a mystery to us. For those He is still reaching out to who will listen—who are blind not knowing their right from their left but hear and believe His Voice and immediately feel contrite and repent of their ways—He is compassionate.

This says so much about our God and how He has held back what could deservedly be His full wrath upon us many, many times ago. He has lived through generations upon generations of mankind’s disobedience, with more than 7 billion personalities today who may or may not choose His ways. More than 7 billion personalities who require daily patience. Could you or I extend such mercy and compassion to two or three people repeatedly, let alone more than 7 billion?

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If the 120,000 people who God had His eye and heart set on in Nineveh were so precious to Him, I know then, so are we. In sharing the Gospel, may we extend a God-like compassion and warning toward those walking in blind disobedience so they may turn away from impending destruction. May we have a heart for the harvest.

-Nicole

Nicole D. Hayes is the founder of Voices Against the Grain, a bold teaching ministry launched in May 2013. Nicole’s purpose in creating Voices Against the Grain is to be light in darkness, to boldly instruct truth amid confusion so as to bring clarity and restoration.

Learn more about Nicole D. Hayes here.

08.18.17
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Evil’s Answer Requires Our Steadfastness

Nicole Headshot in blue shirt

Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

Charlottesville. Barcelona, Spain. Worldwide. Your community. The horrific violence of recent days has been inconceivable for many of us to comprehend how human beings can inflict such hurt and pain on fellow human beings. Men, women and children have been killed and injured without any thought given about the precious gift of life, who these dear people are and the impact of their presence in other’s lives—and the gaping hole in hearts felt when they have been taken from us, particularly by violence. I and our ministry team join you in prayer for Heather Heyer’s family, the troopers killed on that awful Saturday in Charlottesville, those injured, and those killed and injured on Thursday in Barcelona by violence. Our hearts are heavy. For the mind, the incidents are too massive to properly process as there have been multiple events occurring daily, compounding the righteous anger and grief we feel. It is hoped that we never become indifferent and numb ourselves to the loss of life in an effort to preserve our sanity. So what are we to do with all of this? I know many of you are walking strong and steady in the Lord. I write the following message for saints who need encouraging in this time.

Even God has been and is grieved by mankind’s sin, lawlessness. We can say “call it what it is” with a plethora of labels but at the core, at the root it is sin in mankind’s hearts. Genesis 6:5-6 speaks of God’s grief over man’s wickedness: 5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” (New International Version)

Wickedness, sin is nothing new. It has been slithering around on its belly and raising its ugly head since man was created.

Yet, in all of this, God is in control. In my commune with God and prayers with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we have EVERY reason to be encouraged. Jesus won the victory for us at Calvary and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. Satan has been defeated. The wicked will be no more; they will be snuffed out and cut off (Proverbs 2:22, Proverbs 24:20, Psalm 37:9-10, etc.).

We have been given the victory. Evil seeks to discredit what God has promised to do and what He has already done. For the Body of Christ we must remember and hold fast to His Truth. We must also walk in our Godly authority to combat the darkness. We should not be afraid to walk in what Godly strength looks like while the world capitulates because they have used the wrong weapons in this warfare.

We must seek God’s face for how He would have us to respond, then be led by the Holy Spirit and forsake the wisdom of this world. If you give up on anything, give up on the world having the solution. The world does not have the answer and continues to produce vain efforts. Of all people, WE have the answer for this world: salvation in Jesus Christ. Of all people, WE will remain in peace because our minds are steadfast on the Lord Jesus because we trust Him (Isaiah 26:3).

Of all people, WE are seated in heavenly places as citizens of heaven first and foremost. Our minds should be heavenward and therefore focused on Kingdom business, not chained by the things of this world. With Jesus as our Hope and as the Anchor of our soul Who holds us firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19), WE should seek to steady the lost in this hope by sharing the Gospel. And because of God’s love shown toward us, WE will show His love to others. People are seeking refuge in these desperate times. WE of all people should be a refuge to those searching like a lit and protected city on the hill because of Christ Jesus.

Group-Joined-Together-in-Prayer

Yes, wickedness is here and increasing but only for a time. Read your bible, stay in your Word, pray and fast and fellowship with others to remind yourselves of the victory already won for us by Christ Our Savior who is coming soon. Despite Satan’s best efforts, he cannot overcome this fact.

Saints, I love you. A blessing to serve with you. Stay encouraged. We have the answer to evil. Keep your hope. Suit up for battle each day (Ephesians 6:10-17). Walk confidently in your Godly authority as a soldier in God’s Army whose mind is set on advancing God’s Kingdom and not entangled by the world (2 Timothy 2:4). Move as a soldier unafraid to speak and walk as instructed by our Commander.

Absolutely, when confronting wickedness you will face opposition from Satan. But keep fighting for the enemy has already retreated on several fronts because of the faithful prayers and fasting of many saints. Do not be reeled in and distracted by what things look like but instead, set your face like flint (determined, not confounded, confident in God, fixed) and endure until the end.

Love and God bless you,

Nicole