LIFE IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION

There are so many times that I have dreamed about what I was going to do with my life; where I was going to live; what would be my future with my husband and children and many other dreams throughout the years.

Sometimes, I believe that we spend so much time focusing on our dreams that we forget to enjoy the journey.  Life is a journey from the womb to the tomb.  We are created in the image of God and He has a special plan for our lives.  We have books in heaven that are written by the hand of God about His plans for our lives!

Psalm 139:13-16

 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.  NIV

Jeremiah 1:4-5

The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  NIV

We need to enjoy the journey knowing that God will take care of the rest.  We need to focus on what is at hand and do the best that we can each and every day because each day is a gift from Almighty God and we need to cherish it. 

We, as Christians, look forward to our final destination, which is heaven, living eternally with the Lord and His saints.  Jesus had a destination which led to the cross.  He kept His eye on the prize which would bring salvation to all those who give their lives to Him and ask for forgiveness.  He endured hardships, scorn, attacks and many other trials but on His journey, He showed us how to love and live in the Kingdom of God. We should cherish the journey keeping our eye on the prize which is our final destination.  2 Timothy 4:7 NIV  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  James 1:12 NIV  Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

We each have a specific journey that we travel each and every day.  Sometimes that journey involves hardships, challenges, and trials but even though there may be thorns and rocks along the way, there are also flowers and fragrances from the moments of joy that we experience and memories that give us hope and faith to continue until we come to our final destination.

If you want to make sure that your final destination is with the Lord in heaven, pray the following prayer:

Salvation Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.  (Sinners Prayer by Billy Graham)

All Our Life's Journey by Marty Ward  Copyright 2004

 

All our life's a journey

From the start until the end

From the womb that gave us birth

To the womb that takes us in

All our life's a journey

A road that must be trod

All our life's a journey

'Till we rest in the arms of God

 

The following link is a video for the song, “All Our Life’s A Journey”

https://youtu.be/qXuAdTToYwk

 

Marcella Ward   August 17, 2022    Author of “Stolen Identity: Plan of the Evil One”

                                                          

                                                    NORMALIZING EVIL

Marcella Ward    August 10, 2022

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of normal is “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern : characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine”  I am afraid that the “new normal” has been injecting itself into almost every area of our lives. 

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.  Isaiah 5:20 NIV

You need look no further than the media, social media, educational institutions, etc. to see and listen to those who are “preaching” the woke agenda that is truly fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 5:20.  Those of us who grew up in the 40’s and 50’s never experienced any of this type of culture that we see going on now in our country as well as throughout the world. 

How do we counteract and stand up for Biblical values in this day and age?  In my opinion, we need to be a voice in whatever sphere we are in.  Yes, some of us may have to pay a price but we need to stand or else that which we value will be taken away.  In Nazi Germany, the Church was silent.  There were only a few brave people such as Corrie ten Boom, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and others who risked their lives to stand up and help the Jewish people. 

There is a story about a preacher in Germany who told the congregation to “sing louder” as the trains would go by with Jewish people being sent to death camps.   What about many preachers in the pulpits today who will not speak out about what is going on in our country? Fortunately there are some who are willing to speak out against evil.

There was a group of preachers who called themselves “The Black Robe Regiment.” “The term “Black Robe Regiment” referred not to a literal regiment of soldiers that wore black robes into battle but rather to the influential clergymen who promoted American independence and supported the military struggle against Britain. By encouraging the Patriot cause, those ministers helped muster critical support among members of their congregation—support the British begrudgingly acknowledged as vital to maintaining the colonists' frustrating resistance to British attempts to restore Parliamentary rule. In its implicit comparison of symbolic support to a specific body of troops, the term “Black Robe Regiment” is somewhat similar to the “fifth column” identified by the Spanish general Emilio Mola.”  (Teaching History.org  “The Black-Robed Regiment”)

Jesus was not afraid to speak out against the government and the religious establishment at that time.   

Martin Luther-King Jr. was not afraid to speak out against prejudice.  Rosa Parks took a stand and refused to sit at the back of the bus.  There are millions of martyrs that have refused to deny their faith.  Are we ready to stand for our faith and stand for God’s Kingdom against the Kingdom of Darkness? 

We need to be the Light in the world so that others will see God in us.  They will be attracted to us because we stand for our beliefs and do not back down when someone threatens us because we do not “bow” down to their ideology.  Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego refused to bow down to the King’s image and were not overcome by the fire.  In fact, there was a fourth person with them in the fire-----Jesus Christ the Messiah!!

God will use us to transform this Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light.  If we become complacent now, then there are those who will continue seeking to normalize evil and unless we act now as the Body of Christ, evil will win but we know that evil NEVER wins-------GOD ALWAYS WINS!!

This is one of the greatest times to be alive and each one of us was chosen to live in this hour.  We each have a mandate to do what God has called each one of us to do.  Each one of us has a role in this Great Awakening whether it be through prayer and intercession, ministry for Christ, political arena (school boards; community involvement at many levels; mayor; senator, congressman), etc.

Let’s be the ones who partnered with Almighty God to take down evil, call it what it is and bring back this nation from the depths of hell to a New Era--------An Awakening----A Revival across the land and the world.  Take your marching orders.  Rise up!!  HOLY SPIRIT ANOINT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!

Marcella Ward   August 10, 2022    Author of “Stolen Identity: Plan of the Evil One”

 

  

                                                    A SHELTER IN THE STORM

Marcella Ward    August 3, 2022

I have recently been watching a hummingbird who made a nest in our patio.  I watched as she faithfully sat on her eggs in the nest.  Day after day she would take off to get some nourishment and return to keep her eggs warm until a special day when they hatched.  I watched as she would come and feed her hatchlings. 

One day we had a big rainstorm and I was thankful that she had decided to build her nest under our roof which was a good shelter during the storm.  I have to admit that I became worried after the storm that she might be in danger during the storm because she was not at her nest when the storm began and during the storm.  The Lord reminded me that he takes care of the birds, His creation.  The next morning I looked outside and sure enough, there she was faithfully feeding her hatchlings!!  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  Matthew 10:29 NIV

The Lord is our shelter during the storms in our lives.  He is a mighty tower that we run to when we need shelter from the storm.  During these difficult times when it seems like evil is closing in on us on all sides, we need to learn the lesson from the scripture in Matthew 6 about the lilies of the field and not worrying about anything.

 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  Matthew 6:25-27 NIV

The Lord is a mighty tower where his people can run for safety—Proverbs 18:10 NIV

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”  NIV

“Almighty and loving God, fill me with your peace. For I am prone to worry, anxiety threatens to steal my peace. The world around me can be frightening, my situation perilous. The storms and trials in my life overwhelming. Yet, I know you are more than all of this. Fill me with your peace which passes all understanding. Help me to pray first, and worry less. Remind me that you will fight for me and I don't need to worry or be anxious about anything. For you are mighty and all-powerful, and in you I can find peace and strength. All this I pray through your loving Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.”  (Prayerist)

Marcella Ward    Author of “Stolen Identity: Plan of the Evil One”     August 2, 2022