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 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” ~HCSB

• John 14:6 “Jesus told him, “I am the Way the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” ~NLT

• John 17:20-21 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe you sent me.” ~NLT

These scriptures are three of many that set the foundation in my relationship with Christ.
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

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​

"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
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“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
​
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“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

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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 
​
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But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with a message. “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy. ~2 Kings 5:10 (NLT)

In the Old Testament there was a man named Naaman.
Naaman was a warrior who had great admiration from the King he served. But in all his greatness, Naaman had leprosy. Following advice from a young girl that was a servant to Naaman's wife, he went to meet with a prophet named Elisha for help.

From the prophet Elisha, Naaman learned what he had to do to be healed of the leprosy.
The instructions in the text above are clear and the actions required are simple. But as simple as they are, Naaman became angry and refused to follow the instructions.

His claims were that Elisha wouldn’t even come out to see him in person, and that the water in the Jordan River wasn’t suitable enough for him!

Looking at this text one would say, “What’s wrong with Naaman?

The blessing is right in his face.

But doesn't this happen to us at times?

In 2 Kings we find that Naaman began to walk away angry until one of his officers stopped him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” ~2 Kings 5:13 (NLT)

Naaman finally followed the instructions from Elisha and immediately became healed.
You see, ‘Your blessing is in your obedience to God's direction!’

When you know what to do, are you willing to do it?

Even if it doesn't come in the form or package you anticipated in your mind.

What if your marriage is the very thing that you have been praying for to help you and your spouse. But the enemy has consumed you with the reasons you are unhappy in your marriage.

The marriage institution is a blessing and God uses it to change the most complex situations for the better.  But sometimes your situation seems so impossible it's hard to see the blessing in it. It's covered up by the hurt, disappointments and frustrations.

We just want to remind you that as you read, meditate and live in God’s Word.

Be mindful of His instruction and feed your spirit so that you are willing to do what God has instructed you to do.

This is how your marriage will be healed.

Don't have a Naaman spirit before he decided to dip in the water!  You take the dip!
Take a leap in faith and watch God blow your mind.

We pray God’s strength on your journey in Jesus name!

Until next time, live in peace!

-Billy & Yolanda
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P.S.- One of the key components that saved our marriage is our willingness to learn communication skills. Once we nailed down these skills in our marriage, instantly we started to see improvements. On Tuesday, December 5 we will be teaching these skills and we want to make sure you have a spot reserved. Join us at 8pm CST, for 5 Simple Ways to Instantly Improve Communication in Marriage. CLICK HERE to register NOW!

"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” -John 17:20-21

When you get a chance read all of John chapter 17. Jesus prayed first for Himself because He was about to take the cup. Then He prayed for His disciples as they would continue spreading the gospel to a world that would continue to persecute them. And finally in His prayer He prayed for us; you and I. "...all who will ever believe in Me through their message."

Jesus prayed for our strength and endurance in our task in His name. You see God is in control. And part of that control is our purpose; what God created us to do. We all have our part in God's control in this world no matter what you think you see.

We want to remind you to be careful with your eye gates and ear gates. The devil is so busy trying to throw you off focus. Off the task God embedded in your spirit to carry out in this world. If you fail you are 'that' part of the body that fails to produce.

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.” 13 "...we have all been baptized into one body by one spirit, and we all share the same spirit."‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We all cannot do everything; but there is one thing, one mission, God gave you that you will and can do, under His power! In other words you may be the 'hand' of the body and may not be able to perform the task of the 'foot'; but your task is just as important to the body of Christ.

You are VALUABLE!!

So don't ever think your journey or task is in vain. Don't grow weary and lose focus because that is what can make you quit. And if you quit the devil's influence would be successful. Let's not give him that victory.

Instead stay in the Word of God.  Pray for God's guidance in your role in the body of Christ.

Until next time, live in peace!
​-Billy & Yolanda
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“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” -‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:11-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hey there, it's Billy in this scripture we see that it says 'He will give life to your mortal bodies.' Hmmm! 

Wow!

I know in my lifetime I have experienced 20+ years of hard drinking. Alcohol was a problem for me and I can't imagine what all those years of drinking could do to my body, the temple God created for me. Let alone what it did concerning my life.

I'm sure if I continued to live that way, death for me was certain. But God gave me a second chance through scripture, (Deuteronomy 30:15), exactly 4 years and two days ago. On September 11th 2013 He gave me a chance between life and death; prosperity and adversity.

In Deuteronomy 30:19 He nudged me in the right direction by directing me to, "...choose life..."
Ten days later, (September 21st), I was involved in a very serious motorcycle accident. Laying there on my back headed into surgery I remember yelling..."I choose life Lord!"
​
It was then I prayed for God's will to become my will.

From that moment on God began to heal me. After all that I have gone through....the Spirit of God, who lives in me, took away my addiction instantly, my cravings for the alcohol, healed my body, and there is no sign of any destruction that the alcohol may have caused!

God gave life to my mortal body so that I could continue on this journey in His name!  As the scripture in Romans 8 says I have 'no obligation' to return to my old ways. I say this to show you that the same Spirit in me from God that has brought me through, is also in you!  You may not have an alcohol problem but you have something that needs healing.

You have to submit to God and choose life. Allow God's Word to be impressed upon your heart to where it becomes your lifestyle.  We are heirs to His glory, and as the scripture speaks we must take the suffering with the glory. Verse 18 of Romans 8 says, "Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later."~NLT

I suffered, my marriage suffered for a long time, but when God stepped in and gave me a choice; I'll never turn from Him again. The blessings He has given to me and my family are great and I am grateful for God's strength in my endurance!

Will you be ready when He gives you the same choice?

The 'hard road' you anticipate is just the training time; the boot camp you will go through to receive the blessings of God's glory. These blessings were already prepared for you. Hang in there and continue to feed your spirit with the word of God. 

I continue to pray for God's strength in your journey my friend.Until next time, live in peace!
-Billy

P.S.- Discover how you can achieve a purpose-filled godly marriage in our new book I Thee Wed: A Couple's Journey to a Godly Marriage. CLICK HERE to grab your autographed signed book.

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It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. -Ephesians 1:11-12
 
What is your purpose? 

What exactly are you on this earth to do?  Why did God create you?  You may have asked yourself these questions or maybe someone has asked you and you stood there like….”UH, I am not exactly sure”. 

Right now let's check-in on your mindset about 'your purpose'.

• First, in this scripture we see God had His eye on you long before you knew Him.  
• Second, long before you ever heard of Jesus Christ, God had His eye on you.  This means that His design for your life; the path for you; was already determined and laid out.  Wow!  That is simply amazing!
• Third, God has prepared in advance ‘glorious living’ for you which means you were chosen to live good and be good. 
• Fourth, He has done this because you are a part of God's body.

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of
Christ. -1 Corinthians 12:12
Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.  If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. -1 Corinthians 12:14
But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. -1 Corinthians 12:18-19

Simply put, you are "...part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone..."

The questions for you are:

• 1) Have you accepted this truth?
• 2) Are you following your hearts unique design that God gave you; OR are you being who others told you to be; OR what your circumstances are forcing you to be?
• 3) Do you believe God wants to use you to make a difference in the world. 

I love this quote by Pastor Rick Warren:
What matters is not the duration of your life but the donation of it.  Not how long you lived, but how you lived. -Pastor Rick Warren

It is our prayer for you today that as you stay in God's Word, He will reveal to your heart, (if He hasn't already), your purpose.  We pray God's strength in you as He trains you for this 'designed purpose'.

Your life matters in the body!  God is ready to use you for the building up of the Kingdom. 

Until next time, live in peace!
-Billy & Yolanda

P.S.- Hey friend, we really want you to see God's purpose for your life.  So we have created this one-page quick resource guide "5-Minutes to Discovering Your Purpose" just for you.  This guide has the 5-key questions that will certainly help you to discover your purpose in just minutes.  Click the pretty red button below to download the guide and get started!

"Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."  -Ephesians 6:7​ 

​This scripture covers a lot. Including what we've heard growing up; 'Turn the other cheek'.  Today this is hard to do with all that's going on in the world. But remember, we are fighting the 'good' fight! A fight from victory because the battle has already been won.  Thank you Jesus! 

As much as your flesh attempts to pull you away from the 'fruits', (Galatians 5:22), you must allow the Spirit to guide your peace. 
That means you have to: 

• ​be nice in the face of anger and aggression; 
• give even when someone takes; 
• remain courteous when all around you may be threatening; 
• keeping your head when all others around you are losing theirs. 

Work, live, act, respond, love, speak, give and bless enthusiastically as if you are doing EVERYTHING for the Lord. Because, guess what, you are! You are a Kingdom Citizen and your actions should align with your beliefs.  

When you find it hard to comply to this, pray the prayer found in:
Psalm 119:5-8 (NLT) "...Oh that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don't give up on me!"     

Don't ever do anything that will make you feel ashamed in the eyes of God. Your 'want' should be that you make Him proud, so that not only will He bless you more, but He will also assign greater missions to you in your ministry. 

Remember, the same way the world is attempting to torment you, it already tried with Jesus and lost. I'm so glad my Savior didn't give up. Let us follow Him and stay the peaceful course. I pray God's strength in you on your journey. 

Be blessed!

Questions for Reflection:
1) What have you found to be the best response when others do not agree with your belief or stand?
2) What is your current assignment for the building up of God's Kingdom?
3) How can you let your light shine even brighter in your marriage, on your job and in your community this week?

Until next time...live in peace!
-Billy

P.S.- Many couples have found that our new book "I Thee Wed: A Couple's Journey to a Godly Marriage" has increased their knowledge and understanding of the Word and how it relates to marriage today.  Pick up your copy and join us on this journey.  CLICK HERE to order!

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