In all things...

  Praise the LORD!!! For any of you that are familiar with me, you will know that I always offer up thanks and praises to GOD before anything else is done. You may wonder, especially with hearing of some of the recent events, how I can maintain such a stance. It goes back to when GOD first began to allow the HOLY SPIRIT to convict my heart of my need for a deep personal relationship with HIM. If you’ve read my book, “Out of the LIGHT”, you’ll know exactly the reason for this. If not, I’ll fill you in briefly. After being arrested for a armed bank robbery that I took part in, the LORD brought into my hands a book called “From Prison to Praise”, by Merlin Carothers. Without going into to much detail, the foundational principle of his teachings are that no matter what happens within our lives, GOD has a reason for it. I’ve followed this principle pretty closely to this day and it has brought me through many trying situations to say the least.
   During this last week, I’ve been working intently on new phases of the ministry and have had a constant battle within each and every detail of it. My computer system was constantly freezing up, many times after a good bit of time in entering information. Or I’d lose internet connection in the middle of an upload, thus losing all that had been transferred. This whole of the last week had been this way, time and time again something would happen, causing me to redo or rethink that which I’d been doing. All through all of this my attitude was one of thankfulness and praise!
   Paul in 1 Thes. 5:18 tells us, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is GOD’s will for you in CHRIST JESUS.” (NIV) and again in Eph. 5:20, “always giving thanks to GOD the FATHER for everything, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.” These are but two of the places in scripture where this thought is conveyed, I could give you more, but these give you the idea. Another verse that I’ll give you at this time is Romans 8:28, but I’ll leave this one for you to look up. The point of the matter is that, no matter what kind of trial or tribulation we find ourselves in, GOD has an ultimate purpose for our being subjected to it and HE has principles set up for us to follow.
   We are in a battle with the powers of darkness and everything that we do to reveal the light of JESUS CHRIST to the world through our lives is a threat to their kingdom. Herein we bring on a conflict with them and they will do their best, through problems within and without, to stay our progress of bringing light into a darken world. The greatest way to bring defeat to them is through our offering up praise and thanksgiving unto GOD in the name of JESUS CHRIST!!!  Just once though is not a cure all, because numerous time, and more likely than not, it’ll bring on a greater wave of problems (they aren’t a weak bunch and have many means to trouble us!) If you are going to practice this principle within your walk with CHRIST, you had better be ready. For all hell will come against you and most likely those around you. I’ve witnessed this numerous times and LORD willing, will continue to use this against all those that stand against the progression of the KINGDOM of GOD on earth.
   I’ve come a long way since I was a trembling man, seeing all that my life had been, dissolve right before my eyes, to where I am today. I’ve spent many an hour reading and studying scripture. Many an hour on my knees in passionate prayers, often in great sobbing tears, crying out to the LORD for HIS grace to strengthen me to withstand the assaults of the enemy. I’ll tell you the truth, I’d not exchange one moment of it for times of peace and comfort. For I know, to the depths of my being, that it is the greatest way to do harm to the kingdom of darkness and it’s minions!!! So let me conclude with this, praise the LORD JESUS and may the gates of hell tremble!!!