Blood Bought Ministries

01/05/2024

Words of courage

“The rubber meets the road”

John 14:1 (KJV)

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior, then you have confessed that you believe he is truly the Messiah, God’s Son. You believe that he was present at the creation of all there is. You believe his power, strength, and wisdom are greater than any other power, strength, and wisdom.
But where the rubber meets the road—in other words, where the honesty and depth of your faith come into play—is at a point in your life when you face a crisis that sends you into a spiral of fear and worry. How you react to troubles shows your true opinion and feelings about your faith.
Jesus says that if you truly believe in him, you can trust his power, strength, wisdom, and love. Complete trust that leads to powerful courage is the goal. Does this happen easily? Not necessarily. But each time you push fear aside, trust him, and see his response, your faith grows stronger. Each time you cry out to Jesus for help, your belief deepens. Faith is a journey. Learn from each experience, and your courage will deepen as your fear fades away in the realization and experience of Jesus’s love and power.

01/04/2024

Words of courage

“Courage in the dark”

Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

When children are afraid, they want to be close to someone they trust, someone they know will take care of and protect them. They feel safe when they’re with certain people, and they gain courage from that closeness. Any monsters or bad guys they might perceive to be in the darkness are minimized by the presence of someone they trust to protect them.
You have an even more powerful bodyguard walking through life with you: God. Life may take you through some very dark valleys with tall cliffs on either side that hide the sunlight. But the thing is, you don’t walk through those valleys alone. Your loving Father goes before you and follows after you. He guides your every step, even when you can’t see solid ground ahead of you. He protects you from anything that could sneak up from behind to destroy you. He comforts you in the pain of the journey. He whispers to your heart, “ you can do it. You can make it. Keep going.” He cares about what you’re going through. Knowing he’s with you gives you courage to keep moving forward one step at a time.

01/03/2024

Words of courage

“Taking on the big guy”

1 Samuel 17:45 (KJV)

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

You may know the story of young David rising to the challenge of a giant named Goliath who was armed with a shield and spear, while David had only a slingshot and a few stones. David wasn’t afraid. He knew he could win. God was on his side, so he knew he could defeat the big, powerful, well-trained giant. He was right. Nothing and no one is stronger than God.
What “Goliath” are you facing in your life? A job change? Relationship struggles? Health issues? Finding your way in life? Changes in your life situation are challenges for sure. It takes courage to face them and keep moving forward. Where does that courage come from? God himself. Remember that the Lord Almighty is fighting for you. Stop and think about his power displayed in creation and his control over the wind, rain, ocean, and all of nature. Think about how God interacted with his people in Scripture—especially in the Old Testament. His power is immeasurable. His strength is unmatched. His love for you in unconditional. Take courage to face whatever your Goliath might be, because the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, is fighting for you!

01/01/2024

Words of courage

“Uniquely you”

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (KJV)

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

Do you ever feel boxed in by others’ opinions or expectations of you? People can pigeonhole you to be a certain way, to behave a certain way, and even to serve God in a certain way. Once you’ve slid into a certain niche and stayed there for a while, it might be scary to try something new. Sometimes that’s fine. But what if God wants you to try something new? Are you courageous enough to step into that?
God has given you certain gifts to use in certain ways to serve him. Don’t get caught up in doing what you’ve always done if he is nudging you to do something new. Don’t look at someone else and wish you could be just like them. Be courageous enough to be the real you and to serve God and others through that realness. God will work through you to accomplish whatever he calls you to do. Look for the adventure of the new and unique. Be willing to try new things, and see where God leads you!

12/20/2023

Words of courage

“Courage while waiting”

Psalm 112:7 (KJV)

7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

When you undergo medical tests, you must then wait for the results. The waiting is the hardest part. You’re in a holding pattern. You try to keep your mind away from what the results might be. You try not to think about the what-if questions. You try to have courageous faith.
It’s okay to be afraid. Whether you’re awaiting the results of a medical test or you’re dealing with another issue, the road ahead is unknown and it very well may not be easy. However, you can certainly trust that nothing will happen to you without God knowing about it first. You can know that your trust in him will take you to a deeper, more trusting faith, and that kind of growth comes only through trial and testing. Whatever your test results may be, you will not have to go through even one second of the journey alone. God is walking with you, holding you close, loving you, and teaching you every step of the way. Find courage in a deeper, more intimate relationship with him. Let his courage fill your heart.

12/13/2023

Words of courage

“Be prepared”

Ephesians 6:11 (KJV)

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

What are you struggling with? Relationship issues? Too many commitments? Parenting? Temptation? How are you going to win these battles? They might look like normal, everyday battles, but they are attacks by satan to pull you away from God. That’s his goal. But God has provided all the protection you need to fight off Satan’s attacks. The protection is there. You just have to use it.
Putting on the armor of God takes an intentional effort on your part. He has provided it, but you must take action. Some pieces of the armor may be difficult to put on and practice faithfully—for example, the one that covers your thought life and choices. Satan plants thoughts that make you doubt God’s care, thoughts that lead to judgement and criticism of others, and thoughts that make you question your self-worth. You know where your weakest point is, so concentrate on preparing yourself for battle by putting on that piece of armor.
Once you have prepared yourself for life by putting on the armor of God outlined in Ephesians 6– the truth of who God is, righteousness, readiness, faith, and salvation—you will be prepared and protected by what God has provided, and you can courageously and powerfully face whatever life brings.

12/12/2023

Words of courage

“Courage when you’re discouraged”

1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Having courage means being brave, having nerve, being daring. There’s strength in the word courage. The word discouraged, while it has the same root word, means downcast, disheartened, and dejected. There’s weakness in this word.
You may get discouraged when you’re doing God’s work—whether that means parenting as a Christ follower, living a godly example before an unbelieving spouse, being a Christian employee, or serving as a professional in Christian ministry. You may sometimes feel as though you’re failing, or you may get discouraged because you see no progress. It can be hard to persevere.
Trust the apostle Paul’s words here so you don’t get discouraged. Nothing you do for the Lord is ever in vain. While it’s true that you may not see the positive results of your efforts for a long time (or even in your lifetime), you can trust that your work is laying a foundation in someone’s life. Someone else may add the next layer for that person, but be assured that every word you spoke, every helping hand you offered, every prayer you prayed will be used by the Lord. So keep serving with love and intentionality. Have courage in sharing your faith and in doing God’s work because he will use everything you do for his kingdom!

12/11/2023

Words of courage

“Love Song”

Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV)

17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

God is with you. Nothing will happen to you today that he doesn’t already know about. He will walk with you through whatever difficult, frightening experiences come along.
It’s safe to say that God saves you multiple times even in one day because he’s watching over you. He keeps your foot from a false step; he stops your car in time to prevent an accident. Does he stop every single crisis? No, but he gives his presence so you’re never alone.
God doesn’t just save you, he celebrates you. It gives him joy to be with you, to give you things, and to do things for you. Think about that—the Creator of everything in the universe actually delights in having you close to him.
He forgives the sins you commit and the times you push him to the background. Accept his forgiveness, and also forgive yourself and move forward in your life with him.
Lastly, realize that God himself is singing a love song over you, for you, because of you. So be courageous in your walk with him. Love him with abandon because that’s how he loves you!

12/08/2023

12/08/2023

12/08/2023

Please remember brother Stephen Rose and his family in your prayers his uncle passed away

08/31/2023

Words of courage

“Just for this time”

Esther 4:14 (KJV)

14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

It takes courage to tackle some of the challenges that come your way in life. Some of those challenges arise from tasks God calls you to handle. Has God given you a job that feels too big or too dangerous or even beyond what you have the capability to accomplish?
Queen Esther felt that way. The task before her was very dangerous. She could have been killed for doing what she was asked to do. If she was successful, she would save the Jewish nation, if she wasn’t, they would die and so would she.
What can you learn about Esther? She accepted the challenge but asked her people to pray for her. She didn’t go into the challenge without their prayer support. Esther accepted the reality that facing this challenge might have been the very reason God put her on earth: “For such a time is this.”
God has a purpose for your life—work he wants you to do for his kingdom. He won’t send you into that work without walking beside you and equipping you with what you need. The prayer support of others certainly strengthens you too. You aren’t alone, so be courageous and go boldly into what God calls you to do.