Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Directions From God
There are reasons why God
chose Mary and Joseph to be earthly parents for Jesus. One of the most
important reasons Mary and Joseph were chosen is because they were willing to
follow and did follow the directions God gave to them. Many of us pray for answers
or directions from God on a daily basis. What too often escapes us is the
importance of following the directives God has already given to us. From God’s
perspective, perhaps giving you what you consider to be a needed answer is not
nearly as important as giving you an order, a directive, or a commandment He
needs you to follow. None of us will be given the same specific directions God
gave to Joseph. However, we are all given orders and directives by God to love
those the world rejects. We are all given orders and directives by God to love
unwed mothers, prostitutes, AIDS victims, addicts, alcoholics, and the
homeless. Although we might not be able to take any of these people home with
us, we can open up our hearts and invite them into our hearts and lives so they
can know someone somewhere does love them and care about them…in Christ’s name.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Receiving Help
Matthew 21:22--- And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive.
Believing and receiving are
tied together because to believe means we have opened the door of our heart to
God.
When we open the door of our
heart to God, we will hear Him speak because we have opened our mind and heart
enough to hear His words of love spoken to us.
When we need help when we
truly need help in a way we cannot express to anyone but God, He touches our
heart and life.
God does not give us anything
we want.
God does give us whatever we
need to be His humble child. The act of asking alone is not enough.
We must ask in humble prayer
and submission.
When we ask in prayer, we
must have a heart for asking and a heart for receiving.
To ask in prayer and
submission means we must have a heart truly praying in godly, devout, and
unselfish ways. The unspoken supernatural realities of Matthew 21:22 are our
hearts, minds, and soul must unselfishly pray not for ourselves, but for
others.
To receive we must give.
To give to God on behalf of
others mean God will act upon the prayer gift we give to others.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Finding Peace In Chaos
All of us have good reasons
to be anxious, concerned, and worried about many things in life. All of us have
good reasons to be alarmed over many of the circumstances in our life. However,
what happens outside of us need not reach into our hearts, mind, and soul. You
might know of persons who remain calm in any circumstance. You can become such
a person. In any chaotic moment what seems to be such an alarming event at the
moment is not really so alarming compared to all the events of history. What
seems incredibly important and alarming today, will, in time, fade away in
memory. Inner peace is most often achieved when we begin to see things as God
sees them. When we see our life as God sees us, even the traumatic times of our
life can be used for His glory. Although we can often seem to be destroyed by
events, we must remember no matter what events do to us, we have God's
incredible shield of protection around our hearts and soul.
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Our Real Source Of Power
You have the power to heal or
hurt. You have the power to forgive or seek revenge. You have the power to love
or hate. If you accept you have power then be a true child of God by accepting
the responsibility of using the power you have. Your power is a gift from God.
Your power is from God. God gave you the force or energy we call life. When you
are mature, you can direct the power of your life into doing God's will. Using
your power according to God's will produces a blessing for God. When you are
immature you, unfortunately, let the power of your life be corrupted by your sin.
God gave you the power of life for a reason and a purpose. God gave you the
power of life so you can shine His love out to a world steeped in darkness. The
world is thirsting for Christ's Living Water. Your life is to be lived so you
are a vessel pouring out His Living Water to others. In a world full of
darkness, you can bring the hope and promise of life to millions. Perhaps you do
not believe you reach millions, but the power of God within you is
supernatural. Within the realms of the supernatural, you can do the impossible.
Your heart, filled with the power of God's love, touching just one other heart,
can bring the power of God down into the heart and life of many others. Using
the power God gave you, you can, by the way, you live, reach generations of
people you will never know. Your silent prayers, your spoken prayers, your
godly thoughts, words, and actions, bring God into the world.
Friday, December 27, 2019
Telling The Truth About Death
Death is the end of our life on earth. Death is sad for those left behind. Death is a grievous event in the life of those left behind because we treasure the life of those who died. When others pass away, we miss them. Death is the end of our earthly life but death can also be the beginning of our life in heaven. Conversely, death can also be the beginning of our life in hell. Death is fearful because death is unknown in our direct life experience. Our fear of death can be taken away by our blessed assurance Christ has saved us from the eternal fire of hell. Some people have trouble telling the truth about death because they have no faith there is a heavenly life. If people of no faith told the truth about death, they would tell a tale of terror and horror. With no faith, persons face unknown outer darkness…a A place of terror and horror. However, the terror and horror of death need not grip a person. Death can be the beginning of heaven if we accept Christ as Savior and Lord of our life.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Reaching Out In Trials
When we are besieged and under attack within the trials of our life, the natural activity is to not do anything or to pull back into a protective mode.
Certainly, the last thing we want to do when we are under attack is to reach out to help someone else.
When we are undergoing great trials, the first thing our instincts tell us to do is to get others to reach out to help us. Yet in our faith and in our trust of God, we must go against our instincts and reach out to help others rather than having them reach out to help us.
When we are wounded, according to God's supernatural laws and ways, we are to reach out to heal others with no thought about our own pain.
How can we do this?
How can we go against our instincts?
How can we do what is so unnatural?
How can we reach out to help others with no thought of ourselves at a time when all we want to do is think about our troubles?
We can reach out to help others in our trials with no thought for ourselves only with supernatural help.
In the eyes of God and in the will of God, we are to always go against our human instincts and reach out to others in our trials.
We are to reach out to help others in our trials because when we reach out to help others in our tragedy and trauma, great and mighty supernatural things happen for others and for us. We can only do what is truly unnatural with supernatural help.
When we reach out to help others in our trials, then blessings will flow.
The blessings will flow but not always as we want or when we want.
Sometimes the blessings may not flow at all in our lifetime. However, the blessings will surely flow when we get to heaven.
In Heaven, we are immersed in our Lord's healing stream of love and grace.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
How You Are Loved
1 John 4:8-9--- He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
In this was manifested the
love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through him.
Someone you may not know
loves you.
You may never have heard the
person's voice or see the person's face.
You may not believe you are
loved, but believing or not believing makes no difference because you are loved
anyway.
You are loved in spite of who
you are and what you have done.
There are no requirements or
stipulations for being loved because you are loved without any conditions
whatsoever. You can run away and hide when you think you are being loved.
You can deny and make excuses
when you think you are being loved.
You may be afraid of being
loved.
You may even not want to be
loved.
But no matter what you do, or
the attitude you have, you will always be loved.
You will always be loved no
matter where you go or where you are now.
Even if the whole world turns
against you, you will still be loved.
Even if you make grievous
mistakes, you will still be loved. Even if you are the richest or poorest
person on earth, you will still be loved.
If there is one certainty in
your life, this certainty is for most people an uncertainty, there is the certainty you are loved…and the person who loves you is God the Father, Jesus
Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit who surrounds you, uplifts you and walks
with you every second.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Knowing Yourself…
John 8:32--- And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free.
To know yourself, know your
true thoughts and emotions about God as love. Too often we can think of God in
ways in which we leave out the substance of God, and the substance of God is
love. We can think of God as a punisher. We can think of God as a controller.
We can think of God as a destiny maker. We think of God in many ways, and
sometimes we would be correct in how we think. However, the being who created
us is love. Love made us. Love made the universe. Love lives inside of us. We
can know this love that is God if we would just seek, ask, and knock. Our minds
cannot easily see or conceive of God because God is love. Love lives in our
hearts. When we want to know more about ourselves, when we want to know more
about our life and God's place in our life, we must think upon God as love. The
more we come to know about God, the more we come to know about ourselves.
Monday, December 23, 2019
When You Can't Believe
We have times when we suffer
from unbelief. We have times of doubt. God is normally invisible to our eyes,
inaudible to our ears, and untouchable with our hands, so times of doubt do
visit upon us. In these times when you think you cannot believe, then trust a
little more in God's power. When you trust a little more, big spiritual things
start happening. In times of doubt, yield a little. Yield up your doubt to God,
because He understands what you are going through and what you need. Sometimes
you may think God is not listening. Sometimes you may think He is not real.
When you doubt, surrender a little of your soul. When you surrender, His power
of love will fill you with certainty. When you have doubts and you think you
cannot believe in Him, quiet your mind, sit with God, and let Him tell you what
you already know. When the prospects of coming close to God seem remote, try to
see the littlest things around you, for His majesty and His love are often seen
in the little and unseen things of each minute. Lastly, your faith does not
have to be very big, because even when your faith is only the size of a mustard
seed, your faith can move mountains.
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Living In Christ’s Contentment
The will of God is always for
you to live in His contentment rather than living in turmoil. In Christ’s
contentment, no matter what your circumstances might be, you can rest for just
a minute and look up to see Christ’s love beaming down upon your heart. In
Christ’s contentment, you can rest for just a moment and fully experience His
love and grace. In Christ’s contentment, you can hear Christ telling you about
the blessings and grandeur just ahead for you. In Christ’s contentment, you can
bring every burden, every hurt, and every trial to the foot of His cross. In
Christ’s contentment, you can find His peace to renew and restore your energy.
In Christ’s contentment, you can laugh and rejoice even when darkness falls
upon your life. In Christ’s contentment, Christ can give you the power to be
grateful for even the smallest of blessings. In Christ’s contentment, you will
find you are never ever alone or lonely. In Christ’s contentment, you can find
the power to overcome every temptation. In Christ’s contentment, you find His
love.
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Telling God About Hurts
It should be obvious to
everyone God knows all. For this reason, we may sometimes forget to talk to God
and tell God where it hurts. God does not need us to tell Him where we hurt
because He already knows. God needs us to tell Him where we hurt because our
talking to God helps us. Telling God where we hurt does not need to be a time
of whining and complaining to God. Instead, telling God where we hurt can
definitely be a time when we are honest with God about how things are going in
our life. God is with us and He always wants us to talk with Him in total and
complete honesty, especially when we hurt. Amazingly, when we are honest with
God about where we hurt, He will respond to us as He gives us comfort and hope
for the future.
Friday, December 20, 2019
The Best Rewards Of Life
If you look at the lives of the people in your life who have
money, power, fame, and worldly success, look deep and you may see something
lacking. Look deep. Look deep and you may see the worldly reward of others
often comes with spiritual emptiness. Look deep within yourself and you will
see it is better to have inner peace, even in your pain, than to have only your
worldly rewards and live in spiritual emptiness. Many of the people you know
only live for worldly rewards. Their inner life, if you could see it, would be
a life full of emptiness, torment, meaninglessness, depression, and loneliness.
It is because people live for worldly rewards and receive emptiness, torment,
meaninglessness, depression, and loneliness that so many people drink, use
drugs, become addicted, as well as living a life full of anger and hate. Think
long and hard about this issue. Do you want the world or do you want Christ
alive in you? Satan will offer you the rewards of the world, but do you want
the rewards of the world and all the pain in the world? God will not offer you
the world. God will offer you His only begotten Son dying on the cross for
you…hoping above all hope you accept Christ and receive His reward of eternal
life. What reward will you choose today?
Thursday, December 19, 2019
When You Can't Fix It
If we are traveling along a road using a map to find our way
and we make a wrong turn, we can blame the person who made the map, even if the
map is correct in its making. The map may indeed be wrong, but the fact remains
we must fix our mistake and get back on the right path. If we spend all our
time blaming the mapmaker for our wrong turn and we spend no time getting back
on the right path, we never reach our destination. We cannot change what we did
yesterday. We cannot change the history each of us creates every day. All of us
make mistakes. Not one of us who walks the earth is a perfect person. It is
when we begin to understand we all make mistakes we can begin to address what
we have done in the past and also address what others have done to us. When we
begin to understand we all make mistakes, we can then begin to forgive others
and forgive ourselves. Too often and in too many ways we let ourselves make
excuses about why we have made the mistakes we have made. Too often and in too
many ways we tell ourselves or others our mistakes are caused by others or
caused by circumstances beyond our control. However, if we make excuses then we
have not fixed or tried to fix our mistakes. Although we cannot change the
events we create every day after the day is over, we can always change what we
will do tomorrow. Although we cannot change history, we can apologize to all
the people we have hurt in the past. We can all try to make amends with others
without making any excuses. Although we cannot change our history, we can
change the effects of the history we create by never repeating the mistakes we
have made in the past.
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Staying Focused
There will come a time when life erupts into chaos. Each of
us has a time when life seems to come apart at the seams. Some of us may live
to see a time when all of life on earth is plunged into chaos. However, we need
not fear. In times of chaos, when things seem to come unraveled, we need to
keep our focus. In times of chaotic happenings, we are to keep our head and our
wits about us. Our ability to control our life is of critical importance. We
must, when things turn dark in life, maintain our focus and preserve our
self-control. We cannot witness or help others in Christ's name if we have
turned helpless and have lost control over our life. When tough times come, we
are to endure. We are not to wilt under pressure. When difficulty rages in our
life, we are to humbly pray each hour, humbly go where Christ leads us as we
show His love. Chaos comes into a person's life and ends up being a test of
faith. Whether we pass or fail a test of faith depends upon how much we are
willing to endure. We pass or fail according to how much effort we put into
living a life of faith.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Victory
In Christ, there is victory. God's love knows no end in the battle leading to victory in your heart and life. God's love in victory seeks to banish your every weakness. At those times when your limbs and spirit begin to fail, Christ Jesus will push you on. When your knees begin to weaken and your hands begin to tremble, your Lord God will steady you. When your eyes begin to dim, Christ will show you His Light. When your soul grows tired and you have lost all energy, Christ will supply you with new energy and new power. When your heart begins to falter, He will inspire you anew with His mercy. When you shrink back as you think about giving up, Christ will keep you keeping on. God will give you a most powerful vision of a world needing your touch though Him, all you have to do is ask. When it seems you are whipped and beaten by the foe, Christ will pour His spirit into your heart. If you are willing, the Holy Spirit will conquer every foe and defeat every evil in your life. In your hour of tribulation, Christ will show you His Cross…then He will show you His empty tomb…the empty tomb where victory was won.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Monday, December 16, 2019
Hope And Emotion
Hope is directly related to emotion and spirit. Going into a life circumstance or dealing with the adversity and darkness of life with no emotion and no spirit puts us at a loss. We do not overpower the darkness in our life by becoming a non-feeling robot. We do not overpower the pain and suffering of our life by turning off the emotions and feelings of giving life substance. Hope is recognized in us by the powerful feeling hope generates in us. We say we feel hopeful as we describe what life is like in our moments of looking forward with positive expectations. To find and keep hope we need to keep our heart intact and alive. When we shut off what our heart tells us we shut off the messages of hope we store within our hearts.
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Truth Heals And Hurts
Nothing hurts and nothing heals like the truth. Facing the truth is sometimes like getting a shot from the doctor. Facing the truth sometimes brings a sting, but eventually, healing will come and we will feel better. The truth heals us and restores us when we place our life in the hands of God. Without placing our life in Christ's love and grace, the truth can only hurt us and there are even times when the truth can maim and traumatize us. However, God has organized things in such a way as to bless us and heal us when we are with Him and when we rejoice in knowing the truth. The truth heals and restores our soul because when we live and immerse ourselves in the truth, eventually the truth will lead us to God. We are healed and restored by the truth because the truth always leads us to a place where we find comfort and love in His presence. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is this, God loves us beyond our ability to fully comprehend. All the hurt, trauma, and tragedy of this life can be washed away in the truth of God's love and grace if we are willing to be His child. This washing away of our darkness is how the truth heals and restores us. After we are washed clean by Christ's love, we find ourselves being wrapped up in His arms. In the washing away of our lies and deceptions, we begin to see clearly our Savior who stands by us every second of our life. We also see He wants us to join Him in Heaven after our mission on earth has been completed.
Truth Heals And Hurts
Nothing hurts and nothing heals
like the truth. Facing the truth is sometimes like getting a shot from the
doctor. Facing the truth sometimes brings a sting, but eventually, healing will
come and we will feel better. The truth heals us and restores us when we place
our life in the hands of God. Without placing our life in Christ's love and
grace, the truth can only hurt us and there are even times when the truth can
maim and traumatize us. However, God has organized things in such a way as to
bless us and heal us when we are with Him and when we rejoice in knowing the
truth. The truth heals and restores our soul because when we live and immerse
ourselves in the truth, eventually the truth will lead us to God. We are healed
and restored by the truth because the truth always leads us to a place where we
find comfort and love in His presence. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth is this, God loves us beyond our ability to fully comprehend. All
the hurt, trauma, and tragedy of this life can be washed away in the truth of
God's love and grace if we are willing to be His child. This washing away of
our darkness is how the truth heals and restores us. After we are washed clean
by Christ's love, we find ourselves being wrapped up in His arms. In the
washing away of our lies and deceptions, we begin to see clearly our Savior who
stands by us every second of our life. We also see He wants us to join Him in
Heaven after our mission on earth has been completed.
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Courage
Matthew
14:25-26---And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking
on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were
troubled, saying, It is a spirit, and they cried out for fear.
Sometimes the supernatural
nature of God brings fear to the heart of mere mortals like us. If you saw a
human being walking on the water of a lake at night, you could be gripped with
fear. In everyday life, we do not encounter ghosts or a walking Jesus on the
lake. However, we do encounter many frightening circumstances in doing and
being all God wants us to do and be. Perhaps in your home, work, or school
life, you know you need to bring the knowledge of Christ to someone, but you
are afraid to act. Perhaps in your relationships with friends, you need to take
a stand on a moral issue, but you are afraid to speak the Lord's truth. In
these situations and at many other times, you need to take courage and not be
afraid.
Friday, December 13, 2019
Endless Hope
When you have Christ in the
center of your heart, you always have another day. Even on the last day of your
life, there is still one more day ahead of you. In the pain of losing someone
to the Lord, you know the person called home to be with Him has another day
without end. You have in Christ such endless hope you never want to quit, to
retire, or to lay down the work of His call upon your life. You never want to
quit, retire, or lay down His work because there is always another day. His
hope unleashed within you gives you every reason to look forward to tomorrow.
Even when the darkness of evil lurks about you and the darkness may even swoop
down and attack you tomorrow, His unfailing love comes into the darkness and He
gives you hope upon hope. God did not promise you an eternal glory for no
reason. God promised you an eternal glory because He knew you needed His hope
to fuel your life and faith. God promised you an eternal glory because He loves
you and He shall keep His promise to you forever and ever.
2nd Corinthians 1:9 But we
had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves,
but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death,
and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 11 Ye also helping
together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of
many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Striving For Success
A Christian must strive for success in matters both large and small. You should not accept anything from yourself that is not successful. We all fail, but you must never accept failure as if failure were acceptable. When you fail, glorify God by coming back with a renewed spirit and new determination to be successful. You must never falter in striving to be successful in your walk of faith. If you accept failure as normal, you will fail at being Christ-like. You must not shrug off failed attempts. You must work hard to be successful in your relationship with Christ, with others, and in your daily endeavors. Christ expects you to achieve great things for Him. One of His expectations of you is that you give 110% of all you are and all you have in working towards His destination in your life.
Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Believing and BELIEVING!
Christ's victory over death
helps us hold on to our faith. By Jesus coming back from death, He gave our
faith substance. Words fail us in so many situations. The ideas of faith and
substance do not go together. For example, you can say you believe in angels,
yet you may have never seen one. When you have the substance of faith you can
believe angels exist and believe they are real even when you have never seen
them. However, when you see an angel lift a car off a trapped child then you
have substance to your faith. The difference is believing and BELIEVING!
Monday, December 9, 2019
Everyday Faith
We hope and trust in many
things. We use faith and we trust in common everyday things, and we do not
realize we use faith and trust every minute of every day. Every bite of food we
eat, we eat by faith, hoping we do not get poisoned. Every pill we take, we
take by faith hoping we do not have some kind of reaction to the medication and
trusting the pills are made to stringent scientific standards. There isn't
anything we do during the day when we don't use faith. When we walk outside, we
have faith some weather phenomenon will not sweep us away and kill us. When we
drive our car we have faith we will not be in an accident. When we turn on our
TV or an appliance, we have faith the TV or appliance will not start a fire.
When we get out of bed in the morning we have faith the floor beneath us will
hold us up. When we turn on our computer we have faith all the systems in the
computer will work as expected. When we read a newspaper we have faith the ink
in the newspaper is not laden with some kind of poison. The fact is, for people
who think they doubt or who think they are skeptical, they have faith just like
the rest of us. The fact is, we all have faith and we all use our faith. We
could not easily survive or get along in the world without faith. The most
important question is, will you just put your faith in material things that
break or at some point cease to exist, or will you put your faith in God who is
everlasting.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Our Leading God
Always let God lead in your life. Surrender to let Him lead. Do not be stubborn and demand to do our own thing. It is righteous and humble to let God lead in your life. Unfortunately, we want to do what we want to do. However, our way is not God’s way. Our way is flawed and works only on a temporary basis. You must give up wanting what you want. Not giving up wanting what you want results in failure. Give up your wants and needs in favor of God’s wants and needs and you will succeed in life. You can try not following God (called going your way) but when your way does not work, let God lead. Let God lead while you are strong rather than weak. Let God lead while you have things already going in your direction rather than wanting God to rescue you when you are deep in trouble. Let God lead when you do not know what to do. Let God lead when you are certain you know what to do.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Belief In God
Think for a moment about the
consequences of believing or having faith in God if believing or having faith
in God did not require any sacrifice. If believing or having faith in God was
all benefit and no cost, everyone would believe and have faith. However,
believing or having faith in God has a cost and because there is a cost to
believing and having faith, the wheat is separated from the chaff. Afflictions
and how you bear up under your afflictions tell God how much you love Him and
how much you are willing to sacrifice for Him. Belief does not always bring
blessings. Sometimes, maybe much of the time, belief brings great afflictions
in some form or another. Obviously, we want a faith where there are no
afflictions and all blessings. We want blessings but we must understand our
faith also brings afflictions. Our faith brings afflictions because God will
not feed our greed and ego by structuring our faith system so there is no
hardship. As lowly sinners all, we all want the big payoff from God without paying
in anything. However, your belief and faith in God will definitely require you
to pay a price. Get used to it. Get over it. Glory in it!!! Your belief may
require you to suffer greatly. However, if you expect your faith to not come with
afflictions, your faith will not last very long. Strong faith weathers every
storm of afflictions. Weak faith falters under afflictions. To be a true child
of God, your belief must be strong. To be a true child of God, your belief must
be stable. To be long-lasting your belief must rest upon a foundation of quiet
power and inner strength, both of which can totally dominate every affliction.
Most of all, your faith or your belief in God must be grounded in what you can
give to God, not grounded in what you can receive from God.
Friday, December 6, 2019
The God Who Knows
Although we have inventions
and technology unheard of two thousand years ago, the human race has made
little if any progress in terms of our being able to live with and love each
other. What we have in common with Mary and Joseph, with the wise men, with the
shepherds, and with ordinary people two thousand years ago is that we have
worries, fears, anxieties, dashed hopes, broken dreams, and doubts about God.
We also share more positive parts of our life with people who lived two
thousand years ago like our ability to hope, our ability to have hearts
overflowing, and our ability to possess absolute certainty about what we
believe. What we also have in common with persons who lived two thousand years
ago is a God who still loves us and who still walks with us and talks with us
if we are willing to walk with Him and talk with Him. We still have a God, a
being of infinite wisdom and grace, who will still reach down and touch our
hearts when we need Him most. What is so often difficult for us to understand
is why God does not always do what we want or deliver to us what we think we
need. What we must understand about God is that God knows more than we do. What
we must understand about God is that God can see all that is, all that can be,
and all that ever will be. In our understanding of God, we must also learn
to trust God. We must learn to trust God with our life, our future, and all
that exists in our world that is within His will and within His love. If God
does not communicate to you in a dream as He did with Joseph, perhaps it is
because God knows you do not need a dream. If God does not communicate to you
in a dream, perhaps God knows you can handle your life just fine the way it
is…with you and our Lord Jesus walking side by side down His path.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Finding Peace With God
Many influences of life separate you from God. When you are worried and full of doubt, life can seem to have defeated you. However, you are defeated by life only if you have let yourself be separated from God and His love. When you do not live with God's peace in your heart, you do not see God or feel His presence within you. When you are caught up in waging a war of revenge against persons who hurt you, God is far away from you. For when you are next to God, your heart is at peace and you do not want war. When your heart is filled with anger, God is far away. When you seek God, you cannot find Him if you have anger in your heart and mind. To have Christ living and alive in your heart, you must seek His touch to heal you from the wounds and hurts you suffer. The touch of God helps you resolve conflicts and difficulties. The touch of God helps you persevere in peace when the path of your life gets difficult to walk. Your earnestness in prayer in the face of hardships helps you to stay strong. When you are persecuted, wronged, or slighted, remain holy and next to God. When you remain holy and devout in spite of all the attacks of the darkness against you, Christ wins and you win.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
New Direction
Human beings are creatures of habit. We can get fixated and
we can be immobilized by our fixation on things, events, ideas, or conditions.
Being creatures of habit, we don't want to change. We want to keep going in our
present direction so much, even if our present direction is headed over a
cliff, we still want to keep on going regardless of the consequences. As
creatures of habit, we want to keep on doing what we have been doing even if
what we have been doing is destructive. There are times when our fixations, our
immobilizations, and our heading over a cliff must stop. Our destructive
behavior must stop. Each of us must learn to turn in a new direction in our
life. For many reasons, we may have to turn in new directions at any age. As we
move through the stages of our life at any age, we have a choice between
turning in God's direction or Satan's direction. Every waking moment at any age,
in any circumstance, we make this choice between Satan and God. Although we are
not always aware we are making this kind of choice, our choice is still there.
At every instant, in every stage of life, listen to God. Listen to God's voice
in your heart. Listen to God's tender voice calling you to be His child. Listen
to God's tender voice calling you to love others. Listen to God's tender voice
calling you to forgive others. Listen to God's tender voice calling you to
serve Him. God is calling you this minute to go in His direction. Won't you
listen? Won't you follow?
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Access To God
Genesis people wanted access to God. They were protesting the idea of being scattered over the whole earth. They refused to do what God asked of them and at the same time actively sought God out as a power source. They would be very comfortable in today’s Christian worship world where we take such pride in building our mega-worship machines, take pride in what we are doing, praise ourselves for what we will do, and enthrall ourselves with ourselves. These Genesis people would be especially captivated by our claims of getting great power from God. They would be comfortable in our worship services where we talk about all our great achievements.
Monday, December 2, 2019
The Need For Friendship
We all need others. We all
have times when we feel forsaken. We all have times in our lives when we feel
weak in loneliness. We all have times in our lives when being alone is the
worst time of all. What we fail to see during these times is how really strong
we are. What we fail to see in times of hurt and loneliness is how God is with
us no matter what our circumstances might be. God is in every moment of our
hurt. God is in every moment of our trauma. God is every moment of our tragedy.
Inevitably, we all ask why God does not stop or fix the lonely times. What we
must remember is the lonely times are not brought upon us by God but by Satan.
For with God and with His love, all the lonely times, all the trauma, all the
tragedy, all the hurt, all the tears, and all the grief will be washed away and
be made as if they never were. We indeed need others in the dark and lonely
times, but we need God even more. In others, we can be hurt and disappointed,
but in God, there is no hurt and never any disappointment. When you think you
cannot live alone, what you must remember is you have never been alone because
God has always been with you. You might not like being alone. You might ache
for the companionship and friendship of others, but in Christ and in His love
you can find peace and comfort beyond any peace and comfort another person can
bring you. And when you find His peace and comfort, you can then bring His
peace and comfort to another person. Then, in miraculous ways, we cannot often
explain when we bring His peace and comfort to another person we are not alone
anymore.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
"Masks"
Don't be fooled by the face I wear, for I wear a thousand masks and none of them are me.
Don't be fooled, for goodness sake, don't be fooled.
I give you the impression that I'm secure, that confidence is my name and coolness is my game, And that I need no one.
But don't believe me.
Beneath dwells the real me in confusion, in aloneness, in fear. That's why I create a mask to hide behind, to shield me from the glance that knows,
But such a glance is precisely my salvation.
That is if it's followed by acceptance if it's followed by love. It's the only thing that can liberate me from my own self-built prison walls.
I'm afraid that deep down I'm nothing and that I'm just no good, And that you will reject me.
And so begins the parade of masks. I idly chatter to you. I tell you everything that's really nothing and
Nothing of what's everything, of what's crying within me.
Please listen carefully and try to hear what I'm not saying. I'd really like to be genuine and spontaneous, and me.
But you've got to help me. You've got to hold out your hand.
Each time you're kind and gentle, and encouraging, Each time you try to understand because you really care,
My heart begins to grow wings, feeble wings, but wings.
With your sensitivity and sympathy, and your power of understanding,
You alone can release me from my shallow world of uncertainty.
It will not be easy for you. The nearer you approach me, The blinder I may strike back.
But I'm told that Love is stronger than strong walls, And in this lies my only hope.
Please try to beat down these walls with firm hands,
But gentle hands, for a child, is very sensitive.
Who am I, you wonder. I am every man you meet, and also every woman that you meet,
And I am you, also.
Author Unknown
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Staying Focused On Christ
Each of us has the ability to think and focus our thinking on given subjects or ideas. As a Christian, one of your obligations to Christ is to hold Him as the centerpiece of your life. Every minute of every day for the rest of your life should be devoted to holding Him as your reason and purpose for living. Christ should be your focus when you wage the many battles of life. He should be your focus when trying to make decisions about your family, your job or career, your friends, your church, or any other matter. Yet, we know that in reality, we are distracted from holding Christ as the center of our life. Millions of thoughts, ideas, images, cares, worries, concerns, fears, anxieties, phobias, and doubts can assail you each day. Despite this attack upon you from outside your will, you can counter the distractions by willfully and purposely spending time in prayer and meditation each day. You can, each and every hour, pause for just a second to refocus your heart on Him.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Following Christ
Does the will of God, or your will, drive you during the
day? Most likely, it is your will. Each of us has a will. Our will has the power we
naturally call "will power." Jesus also had a will. His will also had
power. Just before Jesus went to the cross, His will wanted to run away from
the terrible suffering He was about to endure for you. In the final hours
before the cross, Jesus wanted to avoid the unfathomable pain and agony of
dying for you. Yet, He did not run away. Jesus followed the will of His Father
in Heaven. Jesus followed God's will to the cross so you could one day be born
anew. Jesus followed God's will so you could become a new person in His
kingdom. Jesus died on the cross for you so in the war between your will and
His will, you would follow His will rather than your own.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Thanksgiving with Meaning, By Billy Graham
Psalm 34:18--- The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a
broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
It is the custom of many Christians to bow their heads in
public places and give thanks for the food that has been placed before them. I
have had scores of waiters and waitresses tell me that when we bowed our heads,
it was the first time they had ever seen that happen in their restaurant.
Millions never pause to give a word of thanks to God for the
food provided. Few homes have a moment of thanksgiving at the beginning of the
meal or at any other time of the day. Even at Thanksgiving time only a minority
will pause and give thanks to God.
Thanksgiving is recognition of a debt that cannot be paid.
We express thanks, whether or not we are able otherwise to reimburse the giver.
When thanksgiving is filled with true meaning and is not just the formality of
a polite “thank you,” it is the recognition of dependence.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Not Blaming
God has never hurt you. It is likely you have mistakenly hurt yourself numerous times. It is a certainty Satan has hurt you. In Satan's clutches, so much of our pain and suffering comes upon us because we are blinded by Satan. In Satan's clutches, so much of our pain comes upon us because of our own sinful doing. However, God has never hurt you. It is a certainty you have defied the laws of God in all their forms and in your defiance you have felt the pain of the wrath of God. If the wrath of God hurts us, doesn't God then hurt us? No, although the wrath of God hurts us, the wrath of God is the absence of God caused by our defiance or by our turning away from Him. If you defy the laws of God, there will be a price to pay…the price called "wrath." If you obey the laws of God, instead of a price to pay, you receive God's free "coupons" of joy, peace, happiness, and love.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Dedication In Life
In Christ's love, always make the choice to dedicate your life to a mission rather than hoping a mission will draft you into something you like to do.
No matter what you do in your life, always be willing to fully dedicate your life to the pursuit of what Christ wants you to do and to be.
When the Lord has a goal for you, do all you can to always be successful for Him and complete His mission.
Every day you are alive, let a fire burn in your heart to never relent in achieving His mission for you.
It is God's will, because of your prayers and dedication to Him, all things remain possible in the lives of those you pray for each day.
In Christ's love, always make the choice to dedicate your life to a mission rather than hoping a mission will draft you into something you like to do.
No matter what you do in your life, always be willing to fully dedicate your life to the pursuit of what Christ wants you to do and to be.
When the Lord has a goal for you, do all you can to always be successful for Him and complete His mission.
Every day you are alive, let a fire burn in your heart to never relent in achieving His mission for you.
It is God's will, because of your prayers and dedication to Him, all things remain possible in the lives of those you pray for each day.
Monday, November 25, 2019
God's Way Instead Of Mine
Imagine what your world would be like if everyone decided to follow their own rules and ignore the rules of society. There would be chaos. The order of the world would be gone. In contrast, the underpinning of every human achievement is self-disciple and self-control. Self-discipline and self-control are required to follow the rules of life. God has rules. Unfortunately, we too often do not follow God's rules as we are disobedient and go our own way. However, the consequences of disobedience can be severe. To follow God's rules requires we be self-disciplined and self-controlled. When you disobey God's rules and go your own direction, the consequences of disobedience are what we call, the wrath of God. The more you follow God's rules, the more peace, love, caring, and compassion you will receive from God.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Experiencing The Love Of God
To experience the love of God we must believe God knows us and loves us even when we are very imperfect. There are no conditions attached to His love. God's love being unconditional means we do not have to do or be anything in any way to experience His love. This truth about His love being unconditional devastates the darkness. This truth about God's unconditional love heals the body, restores sight to the blind, and makes the lame walk. God's unconditional love is a transforming love. His love transforms you and transforms your world. We cannot will ourselves to experience God's, unconditional love. We cannot will His unconditional love into our lives. We cannot make it, generate it, mold it, or shape His love. We cannot earn His love. All we can do to experience His love is to turn away from the sinfulness of our humanity and then open ourselves to His presence. To experience God's unconditional love we must nurture His love within our heart without any strings attached whatsoever. If you do not choose to nurture God's unconditional love, your life will not be much of a life. To experience God's unconditional love, you have to trust Him and remember God is for you and not against you.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Resisting The Enemy
Praising God is a wonderful part of spiritual life. However, praising God sometimes takes special effort on our part because the satanic darkness of the world tries to drag us down. When Satan attacks us, we have little heart left to praise God. When we are attacked by the darkness of the world, we must carry these burdens to Christ by kneeling at the foot of the Cross. When we carry our burdens to the Cross, we begin to see our burdens are not so heavy. At the Cross, the love of Christ flows down to us and we begin to see everything in His Light and Love. When we experience His Light and Love, then the temptations and attacks by the darkness dwindle down. At the Cross, we find the strength to resist Satan and his dark ways.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Eight Gifts that Do Not Cost A Cent
THE GIFT OF LISTENING…
But you must REALLY listen.
No interrupting, no daydreaming,
no planning your response.
Just listening.
THE GIFT OF AFFECTION…
Be generous with appropriate hugs,
kisses, pats on the back, and handholds.
Let these small actions demonstrate the
love you have for family and friends.
THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER…
Clip cartoons.
Share articles and funny stories.
Your gift will say, “I love to laugh with you.”
THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE…
It can be a simple
“Thanks for the help” note or a full sonnet.
A brief, handwritten note may be remembered
for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT…
A simple and sincere,
You look great in red,” “You did a super job,”
or “That was a wonderful meal”
can make someone’s day.
THE GIFT OF A FAVOR…
Every day, go out of your way
to do something kind.
THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE…
There are times when we want nothing better
than to be left alone.
Be sensitive to those times and give
the gift of solitude to others.
THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION…
The easiest way to feel good is
to extend a kind word to someone.
Really, it’s not that hard to say,
Hello or Thank You.
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