Seed for Mar 31

What sets Christianity apart from the other major religions of the World? Zen Buddhism keeps you busy with "nothing" to do. Their main goal is to reach "nothingness" and their philosophy is "everything is nothing". Hinduism has over 100,000 gods that they worship. Keeps you too busy trying to appease all the gods. Islam which means "peace" has very little to do with peace. Islam has world domination as it goal, and any person that is not Islamic is a heretic, and they are to convert or to be killed! What sets Christianity apart from all the others? We are not trying to be anything, do anything or achieve anything. It has been done for us and given to us freely by grace. Now which one would you rather partake in?

Seed for Mar 30

Mark 4:3
3 "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
(NIV)

Working in our garden yesterday, I love to listen to the lessons of the Spirit. Our focus in the garden is the seed sown and the plants growing. So should be the focus for us in the Spirit realm. Unfortunately we have been taught to focus on the “dirt” and not the new life growing in that dirt. You hear Christian songs saying things like, “I’ve got a long way to go to be like the Lord…”, and “Help me, Lord, be more like You…”. As we can see from these songs the focus is on the dirt, and not on the New Creation!

We have all been taught in Church to try to be like Jesus, to follow in His footsteps, what would Jesus do, you are not perfect…etc. All of this puts the focus on the dirt…trying to make the dirt (the old Billy) like Jesus. It is about imitation, copying, acting like. This is not the New Testament message. It is not about making bad men better, but dead men alive. Jesus, the Seed of God, planted in my heart, causing a New Creation to grow in my dirt, till Jesus be fully formed in me. That is the message the Church should be focused on, instead of everyone trying to be “better dirt”. Be blessed.

Seed for Mar 29

Rom 3:20
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
(NIV)

None will be declared righteous (none will measure up) by keeping religious law is what the Bible declares. Why is it then, after knowing I do not measure up, I go to a church where they give me a list of do’s and don’ts? And some how I am deceived into thinking after doing these (do’s and don’ts) I will measure up? It is as if they load my backpack up with heavy burdens of do’s and don’ts, all trying to make Billy a better man! Pray an hour everyday (which sounds good) but still I don’t measure up. Fast and study (which sounds good) but still I don’t measure up. Keep these holiness rules (which sound good) but still I will not measure up. What am I trying to say? Everything that had to be done was done by Jesus (He declared it is FINISHED), and now, I have become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus by faith and not by keeping any do’s or don’ts of religious laws. The life of Jesus inside me has become the Law Giver and Law Keeper, and Life Giver, and my right standing. It is not about making Billy a better man, but about a new life of Christ Jesus inside me. I live by the Faith of the Son of God. The religious laws say “Do and Don’t”, but my Jesus says “Rest, I have made up the difference”.

Seed for Mar 28

In all things give thanks. We are to rejoice and give thanks in all things, at all times and in all situations. We have a blessed hope even in the darkest hour of despair. There is nothing that our God cannot handle. There is no situation too great! God always knows what He is going to do, and that is to show Himself faithful. The test and trials we have in life are to perfect our faith! The pressures of life bring out what we are really made of. If there was no pressure on the grape then there would be no juices. It is the pressures of life that manifest whether or not we produce bitter juice of sweet juice to our God. Don't despair as if there is no hope, because our hope is in Him that made heavens and earth by His Word. Be blessed.

Seed for Mar 27

"Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

If I never had another miracle in my life, I would still know He is real! How? Because of the "transformation" of my life by His Seed. If you note in the above verse: Don't be "conformed" (shaped by pressure) to the image of this world, but be "transformed" (changed/ renewed) by putting on a new mind (the mind of God). The World tries to change us by pressure. The World wants us to conform to "peer" pressure, or the pressures of this World. The World tries changing me by pressuring me to be "like" them. But God's way is transformation, changing by making new again. My mind, which was an enemy of God, has been changed by putting on the Word of God and my image is changed from faith to faith, from glory to glory, until Christ Jesus is totally formed in me! Paul called it a "treasure in an earthly vessel", Christ in us, our hope for glory. What a powerful verse! Be blessed.

Seed for Mar 26

Our tests in life, as Christians, are always to prove only one thing. Will we believe the Word of the Lord? When the Enemy tested Eve in the garden the test was, "Has God said?" Most people who do not read and STUDY the Word of the Lord really have no idea what God said. They are at the mercy of the preacher / priest, hoping that they are telling them what the Word of the Lord really says. It amazes me that we will trust someone else with our eternity. Didn't the Bible say we are all like sheep gone astray? We all just follow the one ahead of us, short sighted, hoping that we are being led the right way. If you stop to think 1200 religions in the World and 400 denominations in America....could someone out there have it wrong? It is time for each of us, to take it upon ourselves to study the Word of God and prove we are living in His Truth and Light. We need to know what God has said! Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 25

There are 3 things that God cannot do:
1. Fail
2. Lie
3. Change

Base your life on these facts and you can walk in confidence. Some people say they feel so far from God, or God has left them, etc. God does not move. He changes not! He is always the same and in the same place. He will never leave nor forsake us. The sense that sometimes we feel that God has moved is the fact that we have moved! Our sins separate us from God the Bible says. Does that mean God moved? No, it means that faith and sin cannot live in the same place. When we sin, we have a pricking in our heart, our conscience telling us that we have transgressed. At that point we can repent and have faith, or fail to repent and loose faith. We loose faith in God, we feel distant. Example: Adam sinned. He hid himself from God. God sought Adam out, and asked why are you hiding? I am naked (lack of faith). Faith brings us to God. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. When we don't have faith our nakedness is revealed to ourselves. When we have faith, then His righteousness is our robe to cover our nakedness, and we can have confidence toward God. By keeping your heart (conscience) clear before God you can always be assured He is with me!

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 24

There remains a "rest" for the people of God, so labor that you may enter into that "rest", Hebrews says. The "rest" spoke of here, in Hebrews, is the true Sabbath. Everyone running around trying to get people to keep one day of the week holy, calling it the Sabbath day, are mistaken as to the real meaning. Israel kept the Sabbaths for hundreds of years, yet never entered into the Rest of God. That should say it all. It is not about a day of the week, longitude or latitude on the map, position in prayer, but the "Rest" of God within. When He fills us up with His Spirit, we cease from all our own "labors" and enter in to His rest the Real Sabbath! Religion has us working and God has us resting. Which one do you want? Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 23

Easter is a time to reflect on resurrection. Every believer who has the Seed of God in him, has resurrection power resident. Paul said, "If we only had hope in this life, we would be most miserable!" But our hope is in Him the Life and Resurrection. How can we plant a tiny seed, lay it in the ground, invisible and at times forgotten, yet with the right temperature, moisture, and soil, it will sprout and grow? Seemingly that tiny seed, buried, comes to life. Everything in Nature speaks to us about Him. Everything in life we go thru is a "micro" of the real. We lay down each day and go to sleep. Time passes without our knowledge and we awake again in the morning, a perfect type of death and resurrection. There are only 2 roads, and unless we are on the road of Life, we, by default, will be on the road to destruction. He is our true Light, Life and Resurrection. He that has the Son has Life, and he that has not the Son has not Life. Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,

Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 22

We are at the time of the year when all reflect upon the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Of course our hope is in the resurrection. He was the first fruits of the resurrection and after the birthing of the Head, the Body will follow! We know there was suffering and we know there was death, but we do not worship the sufferings nor the death of Jesus. We do not worship the 7 stations of the Cross. We do not celebrate His sufferings and dying but of His resurrection, living and life! Our focus is to be on living and True Life. No amount of personal sufferings will make us one bit better and more worthy to God. The Bible declares that God saw the bleeding and dying of the Body sent to do His Will, and it was sufficient. “It is finished!” Jesus declared! What is wrong with celebrating a “mass”. It is the celebration of the sufferings of Jesus. That is why, in their churches they still have Him hanging on a cross, suffering, and dying. That is what they worship, the sufferings of Christ! That is why they are also taught that in order to be good and holy we too must suffer, like Jesus. Not so! The Good News sets us free from that bondage of superstition. We know in what we have believed, and know that His sacrifice makes us believers perfect before God, without any added effort of sufferings on our part.So in this Easter time, magnify His resurrection, the hope of the true Christian. Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,

Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 21

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper". What a great and precious promise. Our enemies will not get the advantage, because the rock they roll will roll back on them, and the pit they dig, they themselves will fall into! When Saul was rejected King of Israel and little David was anointed by Samuel, try as he might, Saul could not kill David. Repeatedly the efforts that Saul made to kill David ended up putting King Saul right into David's hands. Our enemies will not get the advantage over us, because it is Jesus that watches over us for safety. We are the apple of His eye and hidden in the palm of His hand. We are under the shadow of His wing, protected by that strong and mighty name Jesus! Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,

Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 20

"This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Seems in this statement, from the Psalm of David, that the decision was made to be "glad and rejoice." We purpose in our hearts what our attitudes will be. It should not be circumstances that determine our emotions. We should be like a cork that floats at the top of troubled waters. With our eyes on Him, who created heaven and earth by His Word, we should know that "victory" in every situation, is ours. Why? Because He died and rose to bring us the victory! Victory is ours no matter what befalls us in life. It is not something we "psych" ourselves up to get, win, earn, or keep. But it is fact the Jesus came forth from the grave, always possessing the keys to death, hell, and the grave. Now, that victory is our by inheritance. So no matter what the "news" is, He is our "good news." So in the face of it all, I will rejoice and be glad, because my God reigns. Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,

Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 18

If you have been faithful in the small things then you can be trusted in the large things. Life is a test. We are tested on how faithful we are in the smaller matters of life and spirit. The Bible says that the small foxes spoil the vines. Meaning it is the little things the cause great destruction. We are all measured by our honesty and faithfulness. These are small matters but they determine our character. God is never surprised about what is within us, as He knows what we have need of before we ask, and He knows why we ask for those things, too. I have always said, I can measure a man's character by putting a little bit of my money in his pocket. Is he faithful with the small things? Then he can be trusted in the larger things. God is checking out our character by the small things in our lives. Do we bring honor to the name of Jesus, or do we bring shame to His name? Let everyone that names the Name of Jesus depart from sin. Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 17

We all have known backsliders (prodigal sons) in our Christian lives. Those that once knew Him and then turned back to the world. There is a trick of the enemy played on the prodigal telling him it is a long way home, when in reality it is but a short distance. Something inside of us (the elder brother/our flesh) says coming back to God could not be that easy, but a long and drawn out process of reaping what we have sown. That is a lie. Grace is freely offered to the prodigal. If they will but repent the Father is there watching waiting and hoping for the change of heart. It is not a long way home, because God never changes. He has not moved and does not want to pay us back for the evil we have done apart from Him. He is watching and waiting for our return long before we start home! He will restore to us all the wasted years, but we have to come to ourselves (spiritual awaking) and return. That is the grace of God and the wrath of man compared in a simple story.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 16

The question was asked, "How do you maintain praise in the midst of the trial?

It is important to know that the rain falls on the just and unjust alike. The farmer that spits tobacco and cusses God and beats his wife get the same rain as the farmer next door that loves God! Bad things and good things happen to everyone! The difference is that we know that God is working for us, in us and thru us for His glory and our victory. Often though, it is hard in the middle of the trial to see the victory. It all has to do with our perspective.

I have been in rain storms, so dark and gloomy, rain and clouds everywhere. When I am in the middle of that it is hard for me to see anything but that. (Just like when you are in a problem that is all you can see.) But when I climb in an airplane and go above the clouds I see nothing but sunshine and clear skies and the beauty of it all. So, I have to learn in the middle of the storm to see what God sees. I have to believe He is on my side and is working for me to maintain the victory He delivered to me. (that is faith) It is never about getting the "victory" but keeping what is ours. He gave us the victory and we are more than conquerors, thru it all. How many people do you know that are always trying to get the “victory”? How can you get something you already possess in Jesus? He is our Victory in every situation. Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 15

We are instructed to remember the goodness of the Lord. We are told to not forget His benefits, and to meditate upon His Word day and night. We are told to give Him in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. All those things are easy to do when everything is all right. But let trouble come and it will, we often find ourselves wondering if the Lord forgot us, or is the Bible true? Good time and bad times come on everyone in the world. Christians are not immune to problems, we just have the Problem Solver on our side. Christians are not free from trouble, tears, sickness we just have the Answer to all our problems at hand. Our confidence is not in a god made with men's hands, or our lucky stars, or what lies in the cards, but in What the Lord says! Since He is a God of His Word, we praise Him for the good and the bad. We thank Him for the test and trials, knowing that our faith is being perfected. If you never had a problem, you would never know God could solve them, and you would never know what faith in God could do. Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 14

The Bible says for us not to be anxious (worried) about anything. We are not to give thought about tomorrow, as it will have its own problems and sufficient grace. In other words we are to live for today. We can spend our whole life awaiting some coming event, and not enjoy the ride getting there! We are not to use up today's grace worrying about tomorrow's problems, because tomorrow we will get new grace for that day.

I have purposed in my heart to start enjoying the ride, and not just the arrival. In other words, I want to enjoy every step of the way along life’s journey. Enjoy every step of this life. The Lord brought Israel to the Red Sea to show them great victory. They got so involved in the panic of the situation they were not able to enjoy the moment! God bought them out to bring them in! God has brought us out of sin and darkness to bring us in to victory and light. Now we get to behold the hand of the Lord! He is working in our life, no matter how it seems in the moment. We are in the moment to see and witness the victory!

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 13

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. Since the Lord is the Tree of Life in the midst the garden, and we know that we cannot eat a tree, then the only thing of the Tree we can eat is the fruit. If we eat of that fruit, we live forever! And within the fruit is the Seed of God that once planted in our lives will produce Him in us. Thus we become fruit bearers of the Tree of Life. Now we can produce fruit unto our God, and let men taste and see that the Lord is good. So the Bible says, let your good works be seen among men, that they may glorify your Father in heaven. The World sees our good works, taste of our fruit, has a Seed planted in their heart and the Tree of Life springs up in them, thus completing the cycle. God's plan must have worked pretty good, because from one Life (Jesus) we now have many sons. Be blessed.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 12

John 14:18
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
(KJV)

Acts 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,
(KJV)

If we put these two verses together, I will not leave you comfortless, and you will receive power after the Holy Ghost comes upon you, then we should be able to say: I will not leave you powerless. When the Comforter comes you will have power!

I am amazed at those that confess themselves Christian who live “powerless” lives. They have no power over sin. They confess they have no power over sin, and that they sin daily. They confess they cannot quit sinning, because everyone sins daily. My question to them is, “Of what use then is the gospel ?” If I must sin everyday, if I am powerless over sin, that sin is my master, then where is the power of God, when Jesus promised to not leave me powerless?

I agree with Jesus, “Go and sin no more.” I agree with Paul, “How can you that are dead to sin, continue to sin?” I agree with John, “My little Children I write these things to you that you sin NOT!
Jesus did not leave us powerless over sin, but came to live inside us by His Spirit, to guarantee the victory. Jesus inside me has no “sin problem” and as long as I walk in the Spirit, I enjoy a trouble free conscience. I have no condemnation, even though some try to tell me I have no power over sin, that I sin daily, and sinning is just part of life. I declare, by the power of God, who promises not to leave me powerless, that I can live the life that is well pleasing to God, every day, all day long, and day by day. How? I have the power of the Living God resident in my mortal body and I do not obey the dictates of sin.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 11

Paul described it as a great mystery, that God should live in His people. You see we were made with God’s plan in mind. In the beginning he planned that someday He would live in His Body (us). We were a body without a Spirit, and He was a Spirit without a Body. But the day was coming in the mind of God when He would marry us and we would become one. You see God always planned to have a body, that was predestinated, but who would be a part of God’s body was opened us to us to decide. So the invitation went out…”who so ever will, let him come and drink”. Day by day the Body of God is growing in the earth. His holy mountain is filling all the earth, and soon He will sit on the throne in Jerusalem and rule over His Kingdom. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess Him to be King to His own glory. We have a chance now to be apart of that great mountain of God filling all the earth. We have a chance now to be a part of the Body of God in the earth. All we need do is come to Him and make Him our King.

Be Blessed from a recovering Pharisee,
Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 10

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." How could that be? It has to do with our presentation of ourselves to Him. He will never force us to do anything. All our lives can be spent doing things "our way." But as Paul said in Rms 12, it is our duty to present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice that we might prove His will. So by presenting ourselves to Him, He then is able to lead our steps. There are many roads in life, and we could get on any of many. But there is just one road in life that would be best for us. How can we determine the best road in life? Only by He that sees tomorrow like I see yesterday, leading me. So let it be said, that I offered my body (life) to Him and He leads my steps. Be blessed.

A Recoverying Pharisee,
Billy and Jan WellsSan Antonio, TX

Seed for Mar 9

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! If anyone presents Him to us in another light, they have failed to reveal the "good news." The Good News is that we don't have to die or continue slaves to sin. He has made a way of escape, and made us more than victors! Religion makes God out to be a hard taskmaster, dangling us over the fires of hell to keep us on the straight and narrow. What a gross misrepresentation of the nature of God. He loves us with the love of a Father. Watching for our good, and promising us the best in life! He is the "way maker" where there seems to be no way. He is the "burden bearer" when the load is too much. He is the "rock higher than I" when my feet are in slippery places. He is the "lifter up of my head" when I am discouraged. He restores my soul, when I am dry and thirsty. He is on our side pulling for our victory. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! His mercies endure forever! Be blessed.

Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 8

What sets Christians apart from all other religions? We know our God’s name! We recognize that our God became flesh and dwelt among us, offering His own blood for our redemption. We saw Him and heard Him, and believed Him. He proved who He was by healing, cleansing, and raising the dead, and preaching the good news to the poor. After being rejected of His own people He was crucified and 3 days and nights in the grave, He rose and showed Himself to over 500 witnesses to prove His power over death, making Him the true God. John, the beloved, put it this way..." He is the only wise God and our Saviour, Jesus." Others worship, they know not who, but we know Him and know His name! He was given a name from heaven, delivered by angels, and His name mean Jehovah saves. To His name will every knee bow and every mouth give glory. He was given the highest name that can be named. And there is just something about that name, that even the devils are subject to us in that Name. When we get in trouble, we can simply call upon the Name of Jesus and feel the comfort, for He will never leave nor forsake us.

Be Blessed,From a recovering Pharisee,

Billy and Jan

Daily Devotional at:www.theseedsofgrace.blogspot.com

Seed for Mar 7

There is just something about that name! Call Him, God, Christ, King, Saviour, Lord or what ever and those surely are His titles, but when you mention the name of Jesus things really change! They beat the disciples and commanded them not to preach any longer in that NAME. They didn't say “don't preach”, but "don't use that name!" You see the devils tremble and hate that name. He was given the highest name that can be named. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow and tongue confess! "Even the devils are subject to us in your name!" Some people say we make too much of the name, but how can you make light of the greatest name ever?!? Isaiah said his name shall be called "Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting father", but even that could not compare to His name! The angels brought that name from heaven, and told Mary "you shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." Could you imagine going to a church service where they never mentioned the name of Jesus? I have. They mentioned all around his name, Christ, and Saviour, but never mention the name of Jesus in the whole service! To me, there is just something precious about that name! Jesus.

Be Blessed,Billy and Jan

Seed for Mar 6

God's name in the Old Bible was a secret. It was never written or spoken for the Jews feared they would accidentally use His name in vain. So they only abbreviated the Holy Secret Name of God, YHVH. We translated that abbreviation of only consonants and no vowels into Yahweh and Jehovah, and then it was retranslated in the KJV of the Bible LORD. But the real truth of the matter is no one knows the secret name of God. (Not even the Jehovah Witnesses) YHVH was always compounded with another name to give us insight to the character and nature of God. i.e. The Lord that Provides = Jehovah jire, and so on. The compounded names of God revealed God's character and nature to humanity. You see all the compounded names of JHVH and find God to be everything "except" SALVATION. That brings us to the only revealed saving name of God and that is “Jesus”. Jesus means YHVH salvation. The One and only saving name of God that has been revealed to man is Jesus. There is just something about that name! It is funny to me how many want to make an issue of a name they don't know, never written or spoken, and ignore the Highest name that can be named. Jesus, Oh, how I love the name!

Jesus of the New Testament is the same YHVH of the Old. There is just one.

Thought for the day: You can have God and not have Jesus i.e. Allah. But you cannot have Jesus without having the true God. He that has the Son has the Father also. Be blessed.

Billy and Jan Wells

Seed for Mar 5

Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(KJV)

James 2:17
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
(KJV)
Two very important verses in the Word of God. One verse stating how we are saved, by faith, and the other verse speaks to us of the living faith which yields results (works). I used this example before. A baby has nothing to do at all with his birth/conception. It is completely out of his hands. He can be born without one effort or work on his part, but after he is born his “life” is made evident by his movements. In other words, if the baby never manifested the life within then he would be declared dead! We are saved by the Grace of God, (born again). It is His life in us that makes us alive spiritually and keeps us alive. How do we know if there is life within? It is our actions that manifest the Life of Christ within. If there is no manifestation/ no demonstration of the Life of Christ within, then James said our faith is dead. We are saved by grace thru faith, but if our faith is dead then we have no Life. He that has the Son has life and he that has not the Son has not life. How do we know if we have the Life of the Son within? Our actions say whether or not there is Life within. If there are no works/demonstrations of the Life within, then there is no Life within.

Be Blessed,Billy and Jan

Seed for Mar 4

Our relationship to the Lord is not based upon our feelings, but on the faithfulness of Him to His own Word. You can change the way a man feels, by giving him bad or good news, or by something he eats or if he doesn't eat. A man feels different if he is sick or well, if he is tired or refreshed. So how can we make statements like "I don't feel near the Lord, or I don't feel saved or forgiven?" Not one verse in the Bible says our relationship with the Lord is based upon how we feel, but upon our faith in His Word. Even if I don't feel near the Lord, I know He will never leave nor forsake me. Even if I don't feel encouraged, I know that He is my Rock that strengthens me. Keeping our eyes of faith upon His Word and His promises will cause us to walk on the waters of life (those things that would sink us)!

There were three walking on a fence, Fact, Faith, and Feeling. As long as Faith kept his eyes upon Fact, Feeling followed along behind. But as soon as Faith took his eyes off Fact and turned around to see how Feeling was doing, he fell off the fence. Keep you eyes upon the “fact” of God’s Word and your feelings will follow. Put your eyes upon your feeling and you will fall.

Be Blessed,Billy and Jan

Seed for Mar 3

Paul said "think it not strange" and we might say "don't be surprised" when our faith is tested! Do we somehow think that being Christians makes us immune to trials, test, problems? It should be understood that everyone that lives and breathes on this earth has problems, trials, and struggles, and Christians are not exempt. What then is the difference? The difference is that we have the Lord on our side. And if the Lord be with us who can stand against us? Oh, they can line up against us, but He that is on our side far exceeds the strength of their armies. If the Lord opened our eyes like the servant of Elisha's eyes were opened, then we would see the Lord's host camped around us. Be of good cheer when you are tried, and let the faith of the Lord grow in you, while you watch the Lord fight our battles. Stand still and see the deliverance of our Lord!

Be Blessed,Billy and Jan

Seed for Mar 2

Grow not weary in well doing, for in due season you will reap, if you faint not. Sometimes we get tired of doing the right thing over and over again, with seeming no good results? Like praying, helping, being kind, etc. But the Word of God reminds us that there is a pay day for the faithful. We have to continue, giving grace and undeserved favor in place of wrath, or pay backs. Remember that the Lord has not given us what we deserve, but has given to us loving kindness and tender mercies, instead of judgment and wrath. Continue to do the right thing, and God will be faithful and reward you.

Be Blessed,Billy and Jan

Seed for Mar 1

It is sad to see what heavy loads are placed upon the backs of those who try to follow "religion" thinking they are following God. "Religion" is a hard taskmaster, commanding and demanding, but never lifting a finger to help you perform. Thank God for His Grace that "teaches" instead of “commands and demands”, and then "empowers" you to do! It is Jesus in us, that wills and does of His good pleasure. What sweet "rest" the people of the true God are to enjoy daily! Unfortunately the "Religious" want to make a show of us in the flesh, with all the ordinances commanding and demanding. (Everyone that goes to this type of church all look alike) If we all had uniforms that we wore and looked identical in every detail, in order to be our brand of “religion”, still it would not effect the heart of man, and that is where the whole problem of fallen man stems. We need a new heart, inclined to hear Him and to walk in His way. So it is not the outside of a man but the inside that counts with God. Religion foolishly attempts to “clean up” the outside of man (clothes, dress, activities), but God’s grace creates a new heart in the man. It is not circumcision nor uncircumcision (religious or not religious), but a NEW CREATION that counts with God!

Be Blessed,Billy and Jan