God commissions angels to watch carefully over the lives and interests of the faithful. In the Scripture, there are over three hundred references to angels, described in two words: many and mighty.

The Bible says in verse 11 of the 91st chapter of the Book of Psalms “He shall give His angels charge over thee”. (1) They take special note of all those who seek continually to dwell in the presence of God, and they guard the body, soul, and spirit of these believers. (2) The protection includes all our ways.  There is no limit as long as we walk in the shadow of the Almighty. This tells us that believers have angels divinely assigned to protect and strengthen them from spiritual dangers (91:13). 

There is no limit to God’s covering if we walk in the shadow of the Almighty. They bear us up in our troubles (v.12) and give us support as we face our spiritual enemies (Eph. 6:10-12; 1 Pet. 5:8).

The Angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him. Trust in the LORD and do good, His mercies are everlasting to everlasting.

Remember, God has you!

Let’s listen to the reading from ‘The Word for You Today’ regarding ‘Angels’. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara375/episodes/ANGELS-e2bk5ot

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

FLB | LAB | TWFYTD | TEBC

Is your business struggling, or are you finding that there are difficulties that seem hard to address? Do not fret, you are not in it all by yourself. Many are finding themselves in the same situation. Most business plans fail due to lack of the correct counsel, however, we can turn to the Word of God in the Book of Proverbs 15:22 informs us that plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.

Thankfully, we have One that we can lean upon in times of trouble.

Learn to seek God first, He will put you on the path of success.

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

LAB | TWFYT

When we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to others that our ideas are much more important than theirs.

In the Bible, the Book of James advises us to reverse this process by putting a mental stopwatch on our conversations and to start keeping track of how much we talk and how much we listen.

Let’s take a listen to today’s reading regarding waiting to see what the Holy Spirit gives us to say. Because when we provide our point of view in our responses, we could be offering dry breadcrumbs.

Therefore, before we speak let’s wait and hear what the LORD has to say.

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

LAB | Jesus Calling

The Word for you today comes from the Book of Ephesians 6th chapter, which informs us of the importance of warfare clothing. In this Christian life, we battle against rulers and authorities (the powerful evil forces of fallen angels headed by Satan, who is a vicious fighter). To withstand their attacks, we must depend on God’s strength and use every piece of His armor.

Your whole body must be armed to withstand the enemy’s attacks. Therefore, be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Paul is not only giving this counsel to the church, the body of Christ but to all individuals within the church.  The whole body needs to be armed.  As you battle against “the powers of this dark world,” fight in the strength of the church, whose power comes from the Holy Spirit.

We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat the church which is within us. Your temple, which was not made by the hands of man, but molded and shaped by the Hands of God. This is the place where the Holy Spirit of God resides when you become a believer in Christ Jesus, the church within you!

Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, so that you can stand on the day of trial. Knowing and trusting that God is on our side.  

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT | LAB

Scripture invites you to seek strength from God through prayer. Draw near to your mediator, Jesus Christ.  He will represent you before God, make intercession for you (Heb. 7:25), and give mercy and grace to help in times of need (Heb. 4:16).  

We should take seriously God’s Word: “casting all your care upon Him: for He careth for you (1 Pet. 5:7). If we are happy in the LORD, we must sing songs of praise to Him (Ps. 33: 2-3), knowing and trusting that God knows just what we are in need of even before we pray.

James is speaking of physical sickness. We may deal with illness by sending for the elders or leaders of the church. It is the duty of the pastors and elders to pray for the sick and the shut-in and to anoint them with oil. (The oil probably represents the healing power of the Holy Spirit and was used as an aid to faith [Mark 6:13]).

It is the prayer that James emphasizes as most important. Effective prayer must be offered in faith if the sick are to be healed. The LORD will give faith according to His Will. People may or may not always be healed on this side; nevertheless, God promises to be with all those who cry unto Him in fervent prayer.

We must stay prayerful and continue to lean on the everlasting arms of God our Savior.

Blessings in prayer,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

THE CHURCH WITHIN YOU! podcast

FLB | TWFYT

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara375/episodes/How-To-Pray-When-You-Are-Sick-Jas-514-e2aipth

Do you know why you are here; this is a question many of us have asked at one time or another. The answer is simple, it’s because God chose us! Paul says that God “chose us in Him” to emphasize that salvation depends totally on God. We are not saved because we deserve it, but because God is gracious and freely gives and blesses us with His salvation. The LORD does not want to see any of us lost to a world of sin.

We did not influence God’s decision to save us; He saved us according to His plan for us. Thus, there is no way for us to take credit for our salvation or to allow room for pride. The mystery of salvation originated in the timeless mind of God long before we existed. It is hard to understand how God could accept us. But because of Christ, we are holy and blameless in His sight.

God chose us, that is why we are here; “to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves” (Eph. 1:6).

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

THE CHURCH WITHIN YOU! podcast

LAB | The Word for you today

Jesus told the parable of two men who went to the Temple to pray. One of these men was a Pharisee who did not go to the temple to pray to God but to announce to all within earshot how good he was. Whereas the other man who was a tax collector recognizes his sin and begs for mercy as he prays to God. This seemed to ignore the Pharisee, moving him to differentiate himself from other men stating how many times a week he fasted and how much money he gave to the church! What does this say about this person, was he more in tune with his own self-importance?

Self-righteousness is dangerous. It leads to pride, causes a person to despise others, and prevents him or her from learning anything from God. A self-righteous person thinks that he is righteous because of his own efforts; he is not conscious of the sinful nature within him, his own unworthiness, and his constant need for God’s help, mercy, and grace. Because of his exceptional acts of piety and outward goodness, he feels that he does not need the grace of God.

The tax collector, on the other hand, was deeply conscious of his sin and guilt, and in true repentance turned from sin to God for forgiveness and mercy. The tax collector’s prayer should be our prayer because we all need God’s mercy every day. He typifies the true child of God.

Don’t let pride in your achievements cut you off from God.

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

LAB | The word for you today

“I have become all things to all men, that I might, by all means, save some,” Paul stated this to adopt the ways of either Jews or Gentiles. Paul’s attempt was to try to find common ground between himself and others. He did this by changing his behavior and manner of approach. To outside observers, Paul may have looked as one who was inconsistent, however, he was not behaving inconsistently, his main goal was to win people to Christ.

Regarding vv. 22—23 of the Book of 1 Corinthians 9th chapter, Paul was not a chameleon who changed his message and methods with each new situation. Nor was Paul a compromiser who adjusted his message to please his audience. He was an ambassador, not a politician. He simply adapted his approach to different groups. In non-essential matters, he was willing to adopt the ways of either Jews or Gentiles so that he might gain a hearing among them for the sake of the gospel.

What is your approach when winning souls to Jesus? Remember we are all workers in the vineyard!

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

WSBC|TEBC