Frustrate Hell

... I will build My church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
-- Words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18 (KJV)

... I will build My church,
and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
-- Words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18 (NLT)

Lord, expand Heaven's capacity,
and shrink hell... simultaneously.

Lord, build Your church,
and frustrate hell in the process. Amen.

You are our Bridegroom!
We are Your Bride, the Church,
and we await and anticipate Your *midnight arrival!

At *midnight they were roused by the shout,
"Look, the Bridegroom is coming! Come out and welcome Him!"
-- Matthew 25:6 (NLT)

Grateful

A Grateful Heart

It has been suggested that Satan's seeds of despair cannot thrive in a heart that is always overflowing with gratitude.

A few years ago, I cried out loudly to the Lord: Your name if Faithful and my name is Grateful! The suggestion above gives me a whole new perspective as to why my soul may have actually cried out loud to the Lord so specifically -- My name is Grateful.

Truly, my soul sings aloud with the songwriter who penned these words of praise: Give thanks with a grateful heart...

An old out-of-print version of the Holy Bible translates a portion of 1 Chronicles 9:33 like this: Employed to sing both day and night. (Remember Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to the Lord at midnight. Acts 16.)

What do you think?

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

"Help My Unbelief!"

It was just before midnight. Because of snowy roads, I was driving my 22-year-old son to his night shift at the local radio station in my four-wheel-drive. We had a sacred and soul-searching talk about the Lord as we rode. Just before I dropped him off, and in light of our conversation about faith, my son asked: Dad, why do we tend to struggle trusting God concerning the future when He's always been so faithful in the past?

Mark 9:24 (NKJV) -- Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

This is my prayer and desire for me and my family, Lord:

For Your present and future favor, we ask!
In Your past and present faithfulness, we bask!

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful