"God is our Refuge and Strength, a Help always near in times of great trouble. That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart." ~ Psalm 46:1-2 (CEB). Presently, we're all mindful of hurricanes, wild fires, earthquakes, and floods. On another front, half of the population of America have recently had their personal information stolen by one of the biggest security breaches in history. Breakouts of disease, violence, and war mirror the spiritual desperation of a generation grasping to validate and justify itself in the clear light of perpetual sadness and depression. What's going on? In the first half of John 16:33, Jesus Himself warns, "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world, you have tribulation and distress and suffering." God's Word makes it very clear that "in the world" trouble is increasing. But, in perfect form of our Father of Hope and Salvation, Jesus goes on to offer, "but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.' [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]" We must take notice of two phrases that Jesus is using in this verse: "in Me," and "in the world." Let's look at these from two directions: 1) Either you are in the world, or you are in Christ. If this world is holding the hope of your joy and your peace, you will know great disappointment. If your trust is in this world, then your home, your job or your portfolio is your only refuge. Those who have put their faith in Jesus, have found Him to be more than enough to counter every deficiency brought on by sin and death. 2) As S. Wigglesworth used to say, "You must come to see how wonderful you are in God and how helpless you are in yourself." Even in the midst of all of the tribulations, distresses and challenges of living in this fallen world, God is a Refuge for us! "In Him, we live and move, and we have our very being." (Acts 17:28) Each morning, as you rise, before you go out into the world, take a few minutes and set your heart on the presence and promises of God. He will surround you, protect you and empower to live with a joy that is unspeakable and peace that passes all understanding! Our God is our Refuge!

"He [the Enemy] will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them." ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:10 "Let's go! Let's play catch. Let's go swimming. Let's do something!" I shouted at my brother, Ken. "Nah." was his pat answer. All I wanted to do, as a kid, was play. Anything. I just wanted to experience all the excitement that goes along with the activity. All my brother wanted to do was read, aka, learn. He loved gaining information. Especially truths and facts about anything! I couldn't understand. It seemed so boring and useless to spend all of your daylight hours with your nose in an Encyclopedia! Ugh! One day, having succeeded to drag my brother to a friend's house to swim, one of us suggested that the airplane zooming over our heads was intentionally spraying poisonous toxins into the air for "population control." Without a hesitation, Ken began a 10-minute dissertation on how this was an absurd idea; and how the real danger of airplane traffic is the build-up of lead in the air, noise pollution and the increase in ticket prices, as the desire of humans for global travel grows with each generation. With eyes as big as saucers and gaping mouths, we listened as our thinking realigned with facts offered from someone who knew. We were all ready to run for cover from the toxic jet fuel overhead. It all changed; however, when we were told the truth from someone who loves truth. We continued to swim without any further alarm. I found out over the years; Ken knew a lot of things about a lot of things. One of the most important and powerful weapons that God has given to His people is a love for truth! We cannot take this gift for granted. In this hour of chaos and darkness saturating our world, if you have any measure of love for truth, give thanks to God for what He's doing in your life! Cultivate This Love Like anything else that you have a passion for, you must tend to your love for truth. Our appetites change as we get older. One of the reasons this change occurs is because the foods that you steep your appetite in the more of that food you crave. As a kid, searching for and finding sugar was a daily pursuit. I could find sugar in the most unlikely places because I loved it! We will always find for what we hunger. As we become older and wiser, we learn how important proper nutrition is, and we begin to eat better. The better we eat, the better we feel. Our increased health feeds the desire to continue eating the right foods until eventually we genuinely crave vegetables and proteins. When you love truth, you will Love Jesus, The Truth. His Word, the Word of Truth. His Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. pursue it until you find it embrace it as an irreplaceable treasure digest it as divine nutrition from God apply it in faith knowing God is trustworthy Don't Believe Everything You Hear Because, in my youth, I didn't read, do my homework or follow current events very well, I would come home with some wild ideas about things. While my brother would smirk at me and just wag his truth-filled head, my dad would say, "Arthur, don't believe everything you hear!" I would pass this good advice on to you. Just because a leading News Channel says it, or because it's a post on Facebook, or because it's an article you read on the Internet does not confirm that what you're hearing is true. If it's important to you, get to the bottom of it. A lover of truth will not settle for anything less. If what you're hearing doesn't agree with God's Word, His Spirit and His nature, don't feed your spirit and mind with it. Stay with the truth, and you'll not be deceived, dismayed or brought to despair. As our world continues to shift and change, God's Word remains the Unshakeable Rock of Truth!

"God has raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus." ~ Ephesians 6:10 (AMPC). There's a scene that has been repeated for millennia. I have personally witnessed it, many times. It never wains in its thrill and its efficacy to inspire! What epic moment am I talking about? The brilliant and audacious walk of my cat, across the fence of my backyard, while dogs below; on either side, bark their heads off! Felix seems completely unbothered with regal and sustained composure. I've even seen him sleeping up there! How is it that he, and cats like him, all over the world, hold their peace in such a moment? He knows that when he's on the higher ground that he is above every dog in the world. as long as he stays on the higher ground, the dogs can bark and jump all they like. They'll never get to him unless he willingly comes down. if he were to take them on, directly, he would likely lose. So, he has learned to use the fence as a refuge for safety and a highway in the midst of opposition. he's not missing out on anything that's on the ground. There are fences everywhere and hold plenty of promise, provision, and protection. Of course, I'm not only talking about my amazing cat, Felix! Consider that you have been raised up, together with Jesus Christ, to higher ground. The Bible declares, "In Christ, you have been seated far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." (Eph. 1:21) Your enemies can bark and threaten all they like. But, unless you voluntarily come down, they cannot reach you in your refuge of Christ! I heard it put this way, "The dogs bark but the train rolls on!" By faith, take your place in Christ! Enjoy your fellowship with God and His peace and power over trouble. Let the enemy rage but you keep your composure and courage. Your God is with you!

"Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." ~ Ephesians 6:16 (NKJV). Our world is a land-mine for the uninformed. Ponzi's, fraud, identity theft, and skimmers have left many to ruin or, at best, living the rest of their days in recovery. Add to the war-zone, in which we live, hate, violence, and disease, and you have a world full of desperate and vulnerable people that need the Truth! Have you ever thought about the schemes of our greatest Enemy? What is Satan's Number One Attack against humanity? Fear? Addiction? Sadness? All of these are undoubtedly effective, if not dealt with through the weapons provided us by God's power and promises. But there is one scheme that outranks them all: doubt. If the enemy succeeds in causing you to doubt God, he has disarmed your entire life! Confusion, chaos, and calamity inhabit the place where faith in God is absent. Not only that, but our enemy understands our divine design. He knows that without faith we cannot know God, please God, or live in God's plans and purposes. (Hebrews 11:6) Consider this question: Where would you be without faith in God? What are we to do in such a volatile world without a Savior? A faithless, doubt-drenched world is the hopeful agenda of "the great dragon who was cast out, that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:9) Here's the progression of Satan's attempts, targeting us in his scheme of doubt: 1st attempt: Doubt God's existence. Afterall, if God doesn't exist, then there is no Savior! If he is unsuccessful at this stage, he moves to his 2nd attempt. 2nd attempt: Doubt God's power. "Ok. So, God exists. But He's weak! He's old. He's irrelevant! His power is no match for mine!" If your enemy is unsuccessful at this stage, he moves to his 3rd attempt. 3rd attempt: Doubt God's goodness. "So, God is powerful. Yes, but He's a tyrant! He uses His power to hurt humanity and doesn't help you! Just look at the conditions of this world!" 4th attempt: Doubt God's will. "Ok, so God is powerful and good; just not to you! His goodness is for others, but His plan for you is to suffer. He's punishing you for your sins!" 5th attempt: Doubt God's abilities. "Ok, so God exists. He is powerful, and He is good. He wants to help you but He can't. He is simply a distant Being that can only help you in heaven." If he is unsuccessful at this stage, he moves to his 6th attempt. 6th attempt: Doubt God's faithfulness. "Yes, God is good, and He can help you. But, He's unreliable. You never know what He will or will not do! He is not trustworthy!" For anyone who has not received the Truth, your enemy will do all that he can to entrap you, at some level, of doubting God! Rout out the "Father of Lies" from your mind and your life! Here are a few truths that can refresh your grip on your Shield of Faith: God's Existence: "For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense." (Romans 1:20, Amplified) God's power: "For all power belongs to God, now and forever. Amen." (1 Peter 5:11, The Voice) God's goodness: "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]." (James 1:17, Amplified) And, "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) God's will: "For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11, Amplified) God's abilities: "Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us." (Ephesians 3:20, Amplified) God's faithfulness: "It is because of the Lord’s lovingkindness that we are not consumed because His [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning;great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23, Amplified) "Father in Heaven, I believe that You, alone, are God! All power, all might, all dominion and all glory belong to You! You are good, and your mercies endure forever and forever. Father, I believe that you love me and that you are for me. In this moment of faith, I cast all of my cares upon you, confident that you care for me, protect me and empower me; for Your plans and purposes to be revealed and fulfilled in my life, my family and my future! All of this, I pray by faith, in Jesus' great name. Amen!"

"Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily, as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving is the Lord Jesus Christ." ~ Colossians 3:23-24 (AMP). I didn’t understand! He tried again. “Anyone who has the Life of God cannot be bored. It’s impossible!” My folks were diligent “boredom busters.” They saw to it that I always had things to do: crafts, sports, family projects, pets, whatever. They understood that I was always looking for the next “big thing” upon which I could hang my expectations. As exciting as it was growing up in my family, boredom would still creep up on me and overshadow my world. “I’m so bored, that I’m bored of being bored!” My dad had enough of my whining. “Boredom is an attitude, Arthur. You cannot be bored unless you want to be.” He knew something that I didn’t! Boredom is the close cousin of impatience and is in cahoots with distraction and depression. French Author and Historian, Jules Renard, said, “Being bored is an insult to oneself.” Living in a world saturated with stimuli, that boredom even exists, is a phenomenon! Alas, the real source of the mundane cannot be the world in which we live. It must have to do with the human condition and this long road trip we’ve embarked on, called Life. It’s proven, boredom is one of the highest hurdles in the human race. Even the best road trips have mundane miles. Learning how to deal with boredom is a natural part of growing up. But be assured, if boredom is permitted to have a voice in your soul, it can grow to take control; control of your emotions, your decisions, and even the direction of your life. Many blame their failures, their addictions and bad behaviors on being bored. Though feeling bored is not a sin, our enemy knows how to take advantage of us when we are listless, passionless and without focus. I’ve worked directly with precious people for 35 years. In my experience, one of the dominant differences between people who are happy and those who are merely surviving the journey is how they perceive and prevail over boredom. There’s meaning in the mundane. This is true for all humans, but especially so for the Child of God. Here are five keys to remember when boredom is creeping up on you: Remember that God sees your life from beginning to end and has an overarching purpose for all of it. In perfect love and wisdom, He uses everything to that end. The mundane is an opportunity to trust God in the small things and find sincere appreciation in the simple. Missing the amazing searching for the astonishing is easy. The mundane miles are a reminder that God orders our steps, (one-at-a-time), as much as He has the map for our entire trip. When boredom strikes, it’s because you’ve allowed your desires to shift, outwardly. Outward cravings and appetites, even the harmless ones, will never be satisfied and are quickly bored. Your life will never be dull when fellowship with God’s Spirit, hearing His voice and following His lead is the passion of your heart. What many may describe as a dreary day, learn to use for your rest and restoration. This way, when you need strength and energy, you’re not worn out just going from activity to activity. Be refreshed in the mundane! You have a divine destiny to fulfill and a destination to reach. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted from your aim or diluted in your passions. Learn to deal a death blow to boredom and find meaning in the mundane. When all is quiet, and the excitement of the world has waned, God is waiting. He will meet you there.