 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” ~Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)
From 1990 to 2013 my blood pressure always registered high. In 1993 I almost missed entry into the Army because of my blood pressure. When my youngest was born in 2008, the spirit began to speak to my heart about taking better care of myself. I have always been able to work out and take care of my ‘outside’ appearance, but I had never taken care of myself on the ‘inside’. For this I had to learn what was good for my body and what was not. What was digestible and healthy; opposed to what would eventually turn toxic inside me. I had to learn to eat my foods with less salt, without being cooked in pork and grease. All the things that made food taste great to me at the time, had to go. The bible teaches us in 1 Corinthians 10:23, “…I am allowed to do anything…but not everything is good for you…I am allowed to do anything but not everything is beneficial…” ~NLT Reading this scripture I realized what may taste good to me may not be good for me. That meant researching what was good for me, regardless of the taste. Now take this same concept and apply it with God’s Word in your life. The world would have us live ungodly, think ungodly and act ungodly. The ingredients are in us to lie and deceive. The ingredients are in us to be selfish and abusive. Our appetite for anger, sexual sins, impure acts and wild living is strong. Our palate is marinated with the juices of hatred, fighting, and jealousy. These inner traits will become toxic in us and lead us into certain death. But if we prepare for ourselves a ‘New Taste’, we can allow ourselves a new hunger. No matter what the world has shown us, we begin to seek what is good. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from God.” ~NIRV We begin to seek the good in God’s Word. The Word can teach us to become kind and forgiving. To love, have joy in our hearts and find peace during our struggles. As we grow in God’s Word, we begin to hunger for more of God’s love. And when we thirst for Him, He will fill us. This new healthy intake feeds our spirit. And when the Spirit within us grows strong, it will help us fight the desires of the flesh. Righteousness is digestible in the temple God created for us. It is the fruit that allows us life. Prepare your taste for what is good. What is good comes from God! May God continue to give you strength, wisdom and direction on your journey in Christ name. Like this Devotional? Sign up below for our weekly devotional and as a THANK YOU, we will send you our FREE eBook 14 Days of Powerful Prayers for your Marriage. CLICK HERE to sign up!
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 “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord had done for us. 2 Because of our faith Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”
-Romans 5:1-2 NLT Often times we wake up in the morning and our problems slap us in the face. No good morning, no hot coffee, just a ‘slap’ in the face. The world has taught us to accept its ways. In this acceptance we not only tell ourselves , “…this is the way life is…”, we tell others the same thing. We say, “…Grow up! Stop complaining this is the way the world is!” But we never stop and think once that God did not create us for this type of unacceptable, depressing lifestyle of settling for the world’s abuse. Instead God wanted us to have so much more! In the second part of John 10:10 Jesus tells us He came so that we may have ‘life’ and, “…have it in abundance.” ~HCSB If we know how God feels about us; if we know what God’s intent is for us; then we would never be depressed. We would cease to be awakened in the morning by the ‘slaps’ of the world’s situations. The scripture says that by faith we have been made right in God’s sight. This has been done because of what Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of Jesus we ALL have the authorization to be ‘brought’ into a “…place of undeserved privilege…” When we KNOW all of this to be God’s Word, we will NEVER fall short because of doubt, worry and fear. We will have strength in God’s gift of faith because we will, “…stand and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” His promise to us. God and His promise is the same today as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. May God continue to give you strength, wisdom and direction on your journey in Christ name. Until next time, live in peace! -Billy & Yolanda Like this Devotional? Sign up below for our weekly devotional and as a THANK YOU, we will send you our FREE eBook 14 Days of Powerful Prayers for your Marriage. CLICK HERE to sign up!  Faith is a gift from God.
Let us not fool ourselves into thinking that we have the power to create it. However God has given us the power to develop it and that can only be fed by staying in His Word. We are too weak to cultivate our faith on our own because the devil and our flesh are in a constant battle to keep us loyal to the ways of the world. But this gift, if cultivated correctly, can be a main source of motivation, uplift and strength needed to endure all that may come our way. This scripture in Ephesians 6 talks about putting on the full armor of God. But in this devotion we are concentrating on one piece of equipment and that is our Shield of Faith. In movies, you see warriors with their swords, helmets and shields in battle. But what I noticed about the shield is that it is available and ready even during surprising situations. For example a soldier, during those times, could be asleep but if he is awakened and found himself in danger, he could quickly grab his shield, swing it around and protect himself from whatever is thrown in his direction. But now the shield the soldier possessed would have to be of good material. Any old shield would not be able to protect him from many of the weapons that would come his way. For example, a wooden shield would do little to protect from flaming arrows. Now, keep that in mind as we continue. This is what happens to us on a daily basis. Church on Sunday has excited us and made us hopeful upon hearing the Good News. But on Monday things are thrown at us in all different directions and when we are hit by these distractions, these flaming darts. These darts cause us injuries of distrust; injuries of lost hope; injuries of anger and malice. Some of our shields are made out of anger. Weapons to ignite that anger will be thrown and there is no protection. Some of our shields are made out of revenge. Weapons of a ‘never ending battle’ where the thirst for revenge is never quenched are thrown. But when we have our shield of FAITH; we have a shield made of the best material.
No matter the weapon the wicked form and throw, its power will be extinguished under the might of God’s power in the shield formed by your faith. Remember God loves you! The same way you dress your children accordingly for the cold bitter weather outside on a winter day; God dresses you; provides you with the equipment you need to battle any element. Always utilize that equipment; always wear your armor. Your gifts from On High! May God continue to give you strength, wisdom and direction on your journey in Christ name. Until next time, live in peace! -Billy & Yolanda P.S.- We pray that this Holiday Season is the BEST ever for you and your family! We are looking forward to connecting with you in the coming year! Happy Holiday's! Like this Devotional? Sign up below for our weekly devotional and as a THANK YOU, we will send you our FREE eBook 14 Days of Powerful Prayers for your Marriage. CLICK HERE to sign up!  “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”
-2 Timothy 1:9 (HCSB) The marriage Yolanda and I share was not always in this peaceful place we are in today. In fact, it almost ended! Between the two of us, we could not make it work. I could not change her and she could not change me. A never ending fight with neither of us bringing a solution or hope to the table. We were both weary of battle and the end was near. One or the both of us was destined to quit. What we didn’t realize was that we really didn’t know each other. We really didn’t know each other because we didn’t really know ourselves and who we were in Christ. Now I ask you, how could a solution ever come from that? The answer is it couldn’t. Not from us. But God, our Father in heaven, knows us better than we know ourselves. And He knows what is best for us better than we could ever imagine for ourselves. So just imagine, allowing God to take what He knows about the two of us and making our ‘best’ work its ‘best’ for the kingdom. Thanks to my wife, that power from God happened in our marriage. You see when God anoints a marriage; He blesses it with a calling. Now we were busy arguing and fighting against our own selfishness to see it but one day, Yolanda allowed God in our relationship. My wife got rid of all her anger, doubt, worry and fear and said, “Come on Lord! Heal my marriage as only you can.” And sure enough God came in through her and that light was so bright it affected me with the same invitation for God to come to me. I was a little stubborn so the Holy Spirit interceded and allowed God in because of my wife’s submission and her prayers for me. And through some pain and suffering, our marriage was transformed! Not by anything we did, but by God’s power, saving grace and mercy. We were saved! Despite our selfishness God saved us. And with the transformation, a ministry was born. Allow God to turn on that purpose in your life and marriage. This purpose was given to you, “…in Christ Jesus before time began.” We must allow God to guide and show us how to live, love and seed according to His will. Claim your calling and submit to God today. It only takes one of you to allow God in to work His miracle; because your purpose has already been set in Jesus name. May God continue to give you strength, wisdom and direction on your journey in Christ name. Until next time, live in peace! -Billy Like this Devotional? Sign up below for our weekly devotional and as a THANK YOU, we will send you our FREE eBook 14 Days of Powerful Prayers for your Marriage. CLICK HERE to sign up!  It was about 2 o’clock in the morning and my husband and I had just had a HUGE argument. I was sitting downstairs trying to figure out my next steps in ending my marriage. I honestly could not see the light at the end of the tunnel and felt like each argument was causing us to grow further and further apart. Somehow I stumbled upon a replay from Billy and Yolanda and really only began listening to it because they happened to be praying for broken marriages. Although I had made up in my mind one of us needed to leave the house, I still believed in the power of prayer something at this time I was unable to do for myself. The next day I reached out to Live in Peace Ministries to set up a coaching session. My husband and I were not speaking but I reluctantly asked him if he wanted to talk to this couple. He was hesitant as I had been but agreed. Neither of us knew what to expect but we each thought we owed it to each other and our daughter to make this last and final attempt. Only God knew the incredible impact Billy and Yolanda's Ministry would have on our life. That first session was so powerful they asked us questions we had not thought about in years. They did not focus the entire time on what was wrong but just the opposite, they highlighted what was right and where we wanted to see our marriage. They challenged us to look to God instead of finding the faults in each other. After that first session there was an immediate difference, the way we spoke to each other, the way we interacted with each other and the way we handled sensitive topics concerning our family. Billy and Yolanda encouraged us to keep God in the center which was instrumental in tearing down the walls in our marriage. They prayed with us, gave us scriptures to read and Godly advice to get us through the days ahead. Their genuine spirits and belief in our marriage and our ability to turn things around gave us the strength and encouragement we needed to push through as a couple. It’s been almost 6 months since the first session and our marriage continues to get stronger. We have invested in our marriage by taking many of the courses offered to keep us focused on improving our marriage. Having Billy and Yolanda pour into our lives and being obedient to God’s plan for their lives has restored hope and the love we once had for each other. They have truly been a blessing to us individually and as a married couple. -David and Dyneco Gibson, Coatesville, PA You may be just like Dyneco and standing in the gap for your marriage. We want you to know that you are not alone and do not have to stand alone. We want to invite you into our Love Wins Inner Circle. The Love Wins Inner Circle is a 3-Month Intensive Program customized just for you! We will come alongside as your personal coach as well as teach you the necessary skills needed to strengthen your marriage...even if you are doing it alone. Join in the Love Wins Inner Circle TODAY! Tell you what....here is a gift for you! It's our latest teaching on Restoring a One-Sided Marriage. Check out this video replay and learn more on how you can WIN.  Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. -Colossians 4:5-6 (NLT) When I became a Christian there was no doubt in my mind for the love I have for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The unsettling feeling came when I had to defend my belief with nonbelievers. I know my love...but in order for me to defend my love I had to know Jesus Christ for myself. Here is an example: I love my wife. I know my wife very well because we live together, we talk daily and we discuss and plan our lives when it comes to finances, home, work and our family. In other words my wife and I have a lot of interaction and connection. When it came to my love for Christ, I found that early in my journey in Christ, I didn’t have this same interaction and relationship. You see we live so long in the flesh that we can still be used to doing fleshly things. Our spiritual selves need to strengthen and allow our spiritual interaction to grow; just as our relationship with our love ones. Here are a few scriptures that allowed my time with Jesus Christ to increase and my relationship with Him to grow:
John 1:1 tells who Jesus is. John 14:6 tells not only who He is, but also the direction of His sacrifice. And John 17:20 speaks of His prayer for us as believers in our testimony of Him through our trials. These scriptures, among many others, equip you with the wisdom and set you up for God’s revelation for you lives. As you are asked about the hope that is within you concerning your faith and beliefs; speak on them in peace and love as Christ did in the scriptures. This will allow God to nourish the seeds He plants in those in your path through your testimony. We should never be hesitant to share God’s wisdom of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to those that question us. We don’t know God’s intent for those He has placed in our path, but we must pray that they are there to receive what God has for them through us as He had intended. May God bless you and keep you safe and covered on your journey in Christ. Until next time, live in peace! -Billy & Yolanda Like this Devotional? Sign up below for our weekly devotional and as a THANK YOU, we will send you our FREE eBook 14 Days of Powerful Prayers for your Marriage. CLICK HERE to sign up!  "So be very careful how you live. Do not live like people who aren’t wise. Live like people who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity. The days are evil. So don’t be foolish. Instead, understand what the Lord wants.”
-Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIRV) I learned a great quality from my wife, (out of many), and it is a quality I am thankful for because the future of our family and ministry depend on it. I did not have this trait and being the man I was I didn’t want it. I was set in my ways. You see my wife has the spirit of "getting things done." No matter how little she is given to work with, no matter what the circumstances surrounding the project, she will take what she has and produce a great opportunity that bears the fruit of success. Now this skill comes with the spirit of hard work, drive and endurance. I had none of these traits. I mean, I have done some things in my life like Army Boot Camp and the Police Academy that required physical determination but I was an athlete; and I could see the end results in my head doing these physical activities. But I lacked the vision and that kept me from having the drive to follow through. So because of this lack of drive, I developed a spirit of 'laziness'. And this is where my ‘routine’ methods were born. And understand, any selfish desire I had, added to time away from what was important and what should have been priority. At first I used to look at my wife’s drive and say, “Well that’s you." That’s not me. I’ll work my 9 to 5 and then I’m calling it a day!” “I’m not doing anything extra because I need my time to myself.” This was selfish and I was holding back whatever potential I had to give to our relationship and anything God had for us in the future. But even though I didn’t want to accompany Yolanda in her ‘aggressive walking spirit’; I so admired the results of her passions. Deep down inside, I wanted to learn to live the same way. In time and in God’s Word, I learned to live a life with drive and aspirations. I learned what Colossians 3:23 says, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” ~NLT With scriptures like this I realized it was my duty to have that driving spirit. What I saw in my wife, God already knew I would learn when He brought us together. He knew that what was lying dormant in me, combined in what was emanating through Yolanda, would make for a powerful combination in the purpose He had for us in our relationship, our ministry and our legacy. I work every day to increase my will to move forward and make great use of my time. I have come to realize the time I used to want for myself, is really not my time to take. The text says in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “…Christ has paid a price for you.” ~NIRV I owe. You owe. I pray I never fall short in doing my part in what God has for me to do in this life He has chosen to bless me with; my family, my marriage, and the ministry He has blessed my wife and I with. I pray God allows me the strength and wisdom to make the right decisions as I physically keep strict control over my body and bring it under control so that after I teach the gospel, I will not fall short, be rejected or disqualified. I’d like to thank God for my wife, her patience in me and for her teaching ‘an old dog new tricks’. Be thankful for what you have around you because like the spices in a nice roast, those things season you for your purpose. A purpose God made just for you. I pray God’s strength and wisdom on you as you continue this Christian journey. Until next time, live in peace! -Billy Like this Devotional? Sign up below for our weekly devotional and as a THANK YOU, we will send you our FREE eBook 14 Days of Powerful Prayers for your Marriage. CLICK HERE to sign up!  “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."
-Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT) My wife is a strong individual. Thank you Lord! During my addiction to alcohol, the results of my lies about it and commitment to my own selfish desires, she finally arrived at the point where she wanted to quit on our marriage. Constantly being let down and living in her pain, she didn’t know what else to do. But her love for our marriage ignited the Holy Spirit in her to fight for God’s Will in her life. She believed in better. She knew within her the ‘joy’ God promised her. She submitted and gave it all to Him to take care of. When she did this she believed that everything after her submission would bear the fruits of her endurance through the storm. Her faith was so strong that she endured another long year and a half in dealing with me and my selfish issues and addiction. A year and a half! Most of us would give up on prayer after three days; a month tops. But because my wife’s roots were planted in the Word of God; receiving nourishment even through the winds and storms; she never broke. The bending may have been painful, but her strength in endurance kept her from breaking. This is what God taught me through Yolanda about faith. Without this kind of faith and love, the bible says in Jeremiah 17:6 we would be like, “…stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future.” ~ NLT Let us always keep our faith nourished by God’s unchanging Word, like the tree is nourished by the water of the river it was planted beside. Like the tree, we will not give way to our surroundings but be made strong by what we will always receive; to the tree the water gives life; to us God’s Word reveals His promises of life and His love. In Jesus Christ precious name, we pray God’s strength and wisdom on you as you continue your journey. Until next time, live in peace! -Billy Like this Devotional? Sign up below for our weekly devotional and as a THANK YOU, we will send you our FREE eBook 14 Days of Powerful Prayers for your Marriage. CLICK HERE to sign up!  “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent."
-2 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT) “I want it now.” That is how we live today. I remember when warming up food was basically re-cooking it on the stove or in the oven. If you wanted yesterday’s leftovers, you put them in a pan, heated the oven up and waited until the oven warmed your food up. Today, we get to put a plate in the microwave for 30 seconds and ‘BAM’, our food is ready. Or how about watching a movie? The old VHS tapes would take forever, it would seem, to fast forward or even rewind to the part of the movie you wanted to watch. Now with the DVD, we can go right to the scene. It is no wonder we want things in our lives to go that very same way. It shows in our prayers. We pray to God and want God to deliver right away. If we don’t see results in a day or so, we give up on God’s deliverance because we think He is not there for us, or not listening. We allow some of the desires of the flesh, found in Galatians 5:19-21, to guide our judgment and actions when our impatience sets in as a result of our prayers not being answered in the time frame we expect. Let’s take a look at that ‘time frame’. You know the feeling of time when you are with someone you enjoy very much. It seems like you can’t get enough time with them. A thousand minutes seem like one. But when you are going through those trials, enduring struggle stress and sorrow, that one minute can seem like a thousand. This is what God feels with us. He loves us so much that He creates gifts of blessings and salvation wrapped just for us. But when he tries to give us these gifts, we don’t receive them. The results of our impatience to wait on the Lord cloud our belief that He will make a way out of no way. These results cloud our trust in Him knowing what is best for us better than we know ourselves. These results cause us to forget that He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for our salvation. Thank God for His patience with us. Instead of God taking His gift back, and never offering it again, He waits on us, (…how about that…), and allows us to find repentance in our actions. He doesn’t want us to fail. He doesn’t want us to be rejected and he doesn’t want us to fall short of His gift to us. Why? Because He made a gift JUST for you. It is your blessing and He loves you enough to wait on you to believe in Him, trust in Him, and depend on Him. Thank you God for your patience, mercy and grace! Don’t allow Him to wait on you any longer. As Peter says in the book of Acts, repent and turn to God! Receive the gift He has for you. In Jesus Christ precious name, we pray God’s strength and wisdom on you as you continue your journey. Until next time, live in peace! -Billy Like this Devotional? Sign up below for our weekly devotional and as a THANK YOU, we will send you our FREE eBook 14 Days of Powerful Prayers for your Marriage. CLICK HERE to sign up!  For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
~Isaiah 43:19 (NLT) After my motorcycle accident where my leg was shattered, I was recovering from one of several surgeries. The wound to my leg was so severe that it had been routine that I be sedated in order for the doctors to treat and change the dressings on my leg. On this particular day the doctor said that he would check my leg and change my dressing without putting me to sleep. I was excited and a little concerned at the same time. The nurse took my dressings off and when I looked at my leg I became terrified. It looked like a bear had mauled it! I looked up and the doctors were congratulating themselves and smiling. I actually said loudly, “What is wrong with all of you? Do you see my leg? Look at this blood and this flesh! My leg is wide open and you guys are smiling like everything is ok!” A young doctor walked up and said to me, “Mr. Jackson, we are excited that the tissue we used for your leg has been accepted by your body. The bleeding is proof that your healing process is successful.” I just looked at them, then my wife and said "well ok then"! You see this week's scripture in Isaiah talks about ‘Wilderness’. Wilderness can be defined as a place of ‘no clear path forward’. God makes a path in this type of place. My leg represented a ‘wilderness’ that I saw and it kept me from seeing my direction and my blessing. God used the doctors to explain to me that they were celebrating ‘a path in the wilderness’ that I did not see; the blessing and miracle of my leg healing! Like a popular song says, ‘…where I saw broken beyond repair, they saw healing beyond belief.’ God is a miracle working God! Billy & Yolanda, in this New Year, know that your blessings are right in front of you. The world may have them disguised as a ‘wilderness’ where you see no way out. You may see a ‘…dry wasteland’; but know that God will create rivers in that land. How do you do this? If you let peace calm your storm; if you let forgiveness rule your words and you allow love to control your heart, you will see a path appear. God loves you and wants the best for you. Love Him back and receive what he has for you. May God continue to give you strength and wisdom on your journey in Jesus Christ name. Until next time, live in peace! -Billy Like this Devotional? Sign up below for our weekly devotional and as a THANK YOU, we will send you our FREE eBook 14 Days of Powerful Prayers for your Marriage. CLICK HERE to sign up! |
Authors Billy & YolandaThis is the place where we share our heart through God's Word in faith that will inspire and empower you to live in peace. Archives
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