WHO WILL YOU CROWN? By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “Again, the devil took him (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”” – Matthew‬ ‭4:8-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “Corona” means “crown,” and Lucifer is the prince of this world (Jn 12:31). Like Jesus, we are being tempted by the devil in this desert of testing.  The enemy wants us to bow in fear before him and crown him king. Satan is the author of death and disease.  Killing, stealing and destroying are his “deeds.”  He delights when we mention his works — those things that cause us to cower in fear. Rise up, Beloved!  Hear the Word of the Lord: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” – Psalm 111:10 ESV “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” – Psalms‬ ‭96...

SET APART By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” - Matthew 9:12 Are you in a mandated stay at home period?  We are coming to the end of week two.  So far no one in our household appears to be infected, but then again, there is that sneaky incubation period during which we feel fine, but any manner of viral growth might be underway.   This morning I began to wonder how many things of an unhealthy moral or spiritual nature that I might be exposed to on a regular basis.  While I may see no immediate evidence of infection, I might later recognize that my encounter did not leave me unaffected, and some malevolent force had been secretly growing inside me. Watching those playing on the beach in Florida, while wiser folks were staying home, I wonder if I have been cavalier in what I have exposed myself to, because I felt immune to the dan...

CLEANING HOUSE By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly We are in a mandated shelter at home.  Unable to go into town except for emergencies, I am making use of the time cleaning house. This morning as I was lying in bed, I felt a nudge in my heart from the Lord. “It’s time to clean house.” It’s time to clean out the closets of my heart.  It is important to me to have a clean house when guests come.  How much more important it is to have a clean heart when the Lord comes. Passover in coming.  During the first Passover, Egypt was inflicted by plagues so Pharaoh would release the Israelites from slavery. At the end of Passover, the Israelites were to put the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their homes, as a sign to the spirit of the Lord to pass over them from the final plague—the death of the first born in each household. That evening they were to roast the lamb, go into their homes and close the door until morning. When they ate the lamb: “This is ...

A PRAYER FOR THE FEARFUL By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly Beloved, are you afraid because of what you see going on around you?  Psalm 23 reminds us that when we walk with God, we can have peace in turmoil, uncertainty and even when surrounded by darkness.  Let’s pray and bring it all to the Lord. Father, we have never been here before, and we are afraid.  Be with us.  As You spoke to the waves, “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39), speak peace to the anxious storm in our hearts. Touch our physical bodies with healing, and our minds with the mind of Christ.  Your Word says that You have not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7).  We purpose to turn our eyes away from our circumstances to set our eyes on You.  We claim the peace offered by Christ Jesus, our Prince of Peace. Father, hide us in the cleft of the Rock.  Cover us with Your peace that passes understanding.  Show us how to take our thoughts...

HOLD ON! “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” - John‬ ‭6:66‬ ‭ Scores of people saw Jesus in the flesh.  They walked and talked with God, eye to eye.  They ate of divinely multiplied food and were healed by His touch and the mere power of His words.  Imagine that! Yet even after all they had experienced, there came a day when some turned their backs and walked away.  When they received difficult teaching, or were asked to do something that appeared too hard to do, they succumbed to temptation and gave up. Had they stayed the course, they would have been offered the gift of eternal life, healing and adoption by the Heavenly Father. They would have come to know lifted burdens and all-prevailing hope and joy. We are living in challenging times.  Are YOU being tempted to give up, beloved?  Hold on!  Don’t miss out on the good that is coming!  He hears you.  He sees you.  Even in the darkne...

EVERY KNEE By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly Current events have the world in a tailspin.  The stock market is all over the map and people are hoarding everything they can get their hands on.  The world is gripped with fear. What if we turned off the news and got on our knees and prayed?  What if this disease is an answer to prayer that ushers in revival?  Scripture says: “so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians‬ ‭2:10-11‬ ‭CEB‬‬ Perhaps every knee will bow not simply out of revelation, but desperation.  Throughout scripture God allowed trials and tribulations to turn the hearts of the people back to Himself.  I am NOT saying that God created this virus.  Neither am I saying that those infected are being punished.  Satan is the author of sin, disease and death.  What I am saying is ...

ARE YOU READY? BY:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly Hoarding toilet paper can never bring peace.  No amount of food in our pantry, money in the bank or ammunition in the safe can fully protect us from harm.  The vast majority of wealthy people when asked how much money they need to feel secure will say, “Just a little more.” We forever chase the dangling carrot of peace, but it remains just out of reach.  Peace by way of “things” is a mirage.  Things can buy a measure of temporary comfort, but true peace cannot be attained by any amount of hard work, shrewd dealings or hoarding.  True and lasting peace comes from God alone. Most of us have heard about the return of the Lord.  The message may be so familiar that, with delays in fulfillment, we have hardened to the message and reassigned it’s promise to the category of fairytale.  Too old for “fairytales,” we shelve the hope, busy ourselves and live like those who have lost sight of eternity and...

COMFORTED TO COMFORT By: Julie Souza Bradley Lilly I was a widow at 53.  My precious first husband, Jim, developed cancer, and was gone before he could see his 60th birthday. In the days and weeks surrounding his passing, the Lord sent several to minister to me.  All of their kindnesses were of comfort, but it was the voices of other widows, my sisters in Christ, that spoke with greatest volume. Knowing that they had suffered similar grief and loss elevated their voices above others.  They had survived what to me felt unsurvivable.  I looked to them as a roadmap, as I searched for hope and a way of escape from the unending heartache. Successfully navigating the waters of great difficulty gives us a voice to those who similarly suffer.  Experience carries more weight than mere information ever could. We are never alone in our suffering.  The Father intimately knows our grief.  Through Jesus, He knows our pain,  disappointment and betr...

THE EYES OF THE LORD “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” – 2 Chronicles 16:9a Sometimes we find ourselves in a mess, lost, afraid or lonely.  We search high and low, turning over every rock, looking for hope or rescue. The good news is, if we are pursuing God as our source of help, we will find Him, because He is also looking for us.  There is reason to hope. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Ps 34:18 Be encouraged!  Call out to Him; He will answer (Jer 33:3)! Father, we thank You that when we search for You, we are also sought. When we call out to You, in compassion You come to our rescue, bringing hope, salvation and strength. We turn our eyes to You, seeking You first in all things.  Hear our voices, Lord, and give us ears to hear Yours.  In Jesus’ Name ❤️ https://www.facebook.com/Prayers-of-a-Ragamuffin-Warrior-1...

POWER IN THE BLOOD:  Declining The Impotent Gospel By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” - Ephesians 1:7 NIV Years ago, I had a conversation with someone about offensive words found in scripture.  I am not talking about unwholesome language, but words like sin, death, crucifixion, Hell and blood. Some congregations had postulated that cultured people are offended by the graphic nature of these words, and a more diluted and sanitized gospel began to emerge. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all aware of our sin, whatever we choose to call it.  We feel it’s weight and desperation. We are not saved by a diluted and impotent gospel.  We are not saved by our good deeds, good thoughts or crossed fingers. We are saved by the death of the sinless Son of God, who died as the sacrifice for sin.  We are saved by His ...

MAKING THE CUT Growing up, I was never anyone’s first choice when picking teams for sports.  Usually I was picked next to last, because while I was a pitiful athlete, they thought I was funny and smart, and didn’t want me to feel bad.  Let’s call it a “pity pick.” Team captains would begin picking teams, and I’d want to hide until the humiliation was over.  This chubby kid who was absent on the day they passed out eye-hand coordination, would finally breathe a sigh of relief once the focus shifted, and we were running out on the field to start the game. Most of us have gone through something similar—whether we were picked last for a sports team, project at work or at a dance.  There is an uneasiness in the process, and we fear being passed over. It has been a long time since I was in school.  But seeing children playing football this morning, I suddenly remembered that familiar twinge of pain in my heart. And before I could even take my next breath, th...