Consistent Love

Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. ~ Psalm 119:89

The word ‘forever’ as an adjective means permanent, or unchanging, and according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary it also means “for a limitless time”.  God’s word is established and eternal; it cannot be changed; it is finished; complete.  Done. Period.  God is the same yesterday, today, three years ago and forever.  I can believe in God’s sovereignty, goodness, and faithfulness forever.  I can trust that God’s ways will never change, and His love will never change.  My hope and guidance for my life here on earth is rooted in the unchanging word of God.  I know God’s word because I read the Bible to see what God’s word tells me and to glean wisdom and understanding that will never change.  While the rules and laws of our world change on a yearly basis, God’s word cannot and will not be modified.  You want to know what He thinks, or thought about something then open up the Bible and soak it in.  His ways and thoughts will never change.  Being rooted in God’s word will bring you great peace as you will have a sincere sense of consistency.  Consistency because God’s love, faithfulness and goodness doesn’t change regardless of the chaotic world we live in, or even regardless of the crazy life we may live.  God’s love for you looks the same whether you’re a faithful follower, or have messed up big time.  His word is settled.  He cannot change!  His love cannot change.  Yes, there may be consequences, but His love is not conditional; it’s consistent.  It cannot be improved upon.  God’s word and love is unchangeable and we need to be reading God’s word everyday to help us wade through the difficult and hard times.  Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of our God endures forever.”  This world, planet earth, one day will be no more, but God’s word will remain.  It’s set in heaven forever.  He’s will, will be done. ~ Amen

All Hours

As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me.  Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. ~ Psalm 55:16-17

David wrote this Psalm when he was in the middle of trying, stressful and difficult times; yet he still trusted that God heard him and would help him.  David is in great distress as a former friend has rebelled and become a powerful leader in Jerusalem and has conspired against David while destruction and violence rules.  There now seems to be enemies of David all around and he has become fearful.  He is living in such a state of fear that he is crying out to God for deliverance.  Never underestimate the power of crying out to God in prayer.  Prayer is one of the best weapons we have against the powers of evil.  Prayer moves things in spiritual realms we cannot see and moves mountains we otherwise would not be able to move.  When we cry out to God, we are acknowledging that we can’t do life on our own and need His help.  God loves it when His children come to Him in prayer.  He longs for it.  He wants to help.  Don’t let prayer be your last resort, but instead, let prayer and praise be your first response in times of good, plenty, joy, difficulty, pain and sorrow.  God cares.  God listens.  God loves you.  Prayer can calm a storm, calm a heart, and give peace to your mind and soul.  Not all religions have a God that is relational and wants to be your help, but as followers of Christ, the privilege of prayer has the ability to move lives in miraculous ways.  David knew this.  He trusted God to hear him and to know his voice, and to save him.  Life throws all of us curveballs and instead of running from our fear, or troubles, we need to run to God in prayer and wait for His faithfulness to make everything work out for the good of those who love Him.  Magnify your prayer life.  Prayer goes where we cannot and changes circumstances we have no control over.  Prayer is powerful and supernatural. How often do you go to God first?  Make it a habit and you’ll be blessed, and your spirit will be at rest even in the midst of chaos. ~ Amen 

In Motion

When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the son of man is glorified and God is glorified in him.” ~ John 13:31

By washing the disciples' feet, even Judas’ who Jesus knew would betray Him, we have a solid definition of servanthood and love even in the midst of our enemies.  Earlier in John 13 it says that the devil had already prompted Judas to betray Jesus (John 13:2), and Jesus knew that, but He still loved Judas.  God is love, and since Jesus was God on earth, Jesus is love.  God has to be consistent with himself as God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was sorrowful of what he knew Judas was about to do.  He loved him.  However, Jesus knew that this betrayal would set things in motion for Jesus’ death and God’s ultimate plan.  He knew when Judas left the upper room at the Last Supper the implication of the next few days even though the disciples had no clue.  The beginning of the end of God’s redemptive plan had begun.  As fully human, a whirlwind of emotions must have enveloped Jesus – anger, love, confusion, sorrow, compassion, fear, anxiety and hope, but He knew that through the cross He would be glorified, or lifted up for the sake of mankind.  My guess is that Judas also had a lot of emotions when he left the dinner table where Jesus sat knowing what he was about to do.  Longing to say good-bye, but not knowing how.  Everything has been set in place.  God will be glorified through His son, Jesus.  The sacrificial lamb.  God’s son will honor him and because of their unique “one-ness” He will also glorify himself.  Jesus then calls the disciples his “little children” and gives them the new command to replace the others – love one another.  I believe Jesus is still glorified today when His children unapologetically love one another.  Jesus was the ultimate model of love; the cross represents an agape love that only Jesus could have fulfilled.  He was glorified and God was honored.  Now we, as followers of Christ, must love one another not when we feel like it, but always.  It’s not optional.  It’s a command from the one who gave His life for you. ~ Amen

Troubled Betrayal

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” ~ John 13:21

Let’s be honest, being blind sided by betrayal is highly hurtful, but to know it’s going to happen and still choose to love and forgive that person is down right supernatural.  No one expected Judas to betray Jesus, he was one of the 12, he was the treasurer, he took care of the poor, why would anyone think Judas would betray Jesus?  Greed.  Some scholars also believe that Judas may have become disillusioned with Jesus because they didn’t always see eye to eye and Judas was a bit prideful and arrogant; which prevented a deeper relationship with Jesus.  For 20 pieces of silver (approximately four months wages back then), and expected praise for denouncing Jesus, Judas betrayed our Lord and Savior only to wish later that he could take it all back, but it was too late.  This may have led to a demonic possession and a full on spiritual battle that Jesus allowed to help further and fulfill His mission of redemption of mankind.  When Judas realized the religious and political leaders were discussing the plan of crucifixion for Jesus, he became overcome with grief.  He tried to return the silver to no avail and in a matter of hours was taking his own life due to intense grief of what he had done. Had Judas just waited it out a week instead of taking his sorrow into his own hands, he would have surely been overwhelmed with joy, peace and gratitude for Christ. God’s plan of redemption for mankind was carried out.  God’s plan for your life will continue even through hurtful experiences like betrayal.  You can trust in God even in the middle of hurt and sorrow.  If Jesus had to experience love and sorrow at the same time, we should expect to experience it also.  But He will see us through. ~ Amen

From Infancy

From infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ~ 2 Timothy 3:15

Timothy had been raised and brought up in faith by his mother and grandmother.  He was raised in a home of God fearing and faith filled women.  He was taught and instructed by these women through the Jewish scriptures and was often in the local synagogue.  We, as parents and grandparents, should make this our top priority in life – to raise and instruct our children in God’s word and to raise them according to God’s will above all else.  To show them how to have a real relationship with Jesus and introduce them to Jesus’ ways. The best gift we could ever give them is Jeus.  The world is going to present them with all kinds of ideas and they will even tell them to “do what makes you feel good regardless of others”, not to mention that at least once they’ll hear the horrible lie that many believe…. “you're worthless”.  We need to be sure they know how to tell the difference between their Creator’s voice and their enemy’s voice.  The world will tear them down enough; they need to know they have someone in their corner ALL the time.  We need to bring them up the way God would want us too; not the way the world would.  This is a confusing place, and the devil uses it as a playground.  We need to make sure our children are bought up in truth and we must make sure they find their identity in Him.  Do not leave your child’s, or grandchild’s soul, or identity up to the world; that will only lead to heartache, disillusionment and disappointment.  The world has baggage to leave our loved ones, but Christ wants to take that baggage.  There is stability, wisdom, and a great sense of love and purpose that will cultivate and grow when you teach your littles about Jesus.  The ultimate choice will be theirs as to whether to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, or not, but if we don’t bring them up with Him, who will?  How will they ever know?!  The world sure isn’t going to tell them.  The world is distorted in their beliefs and we want our children to be able to make wise decisions that will lead them to redemption and salvation.  Don’t leave it up to someone else.  Show them today! ~ Amen

Rid Yourselves

Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit.  Why will you die, people of Israel?  For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord.  Repent and live! ~ Ezekiel 18:31-32

Our Creator, the Lord God Almighty, longs to spend eternity with each and everyone of us.  Just as He said this to the Israelites, He would say the same thing to us thousands of years later.  It’s a plea from the heart of God to turn from the sin of the world and repent so that we may live an eternity with Him.  Our God does not long for people to die apart from Him, but it’s our choice.  I once heard it said that, “God is a gentleman.  He won’t push himself on you, or force you to believe in Him.  The choice is yours, but just as there are natural consequences here on earth for our behavior, there are also eternal consequences, so choose wisely.”  Sin equals death apart from God, why would you choose that when He wants so much more for you?  We live in a world full of sinful behaviors:  lust, greed, anger, jealousy, adultery, stealing, and lying just to name a few, and just because we decided to follow Jesus these temptations didn’t magically go away.  We live in a broken world.  However, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, repent and turn our hearts to God, and trust Him, He promises to meet us and give us new hope and life.  We must be intentional everyday to dwell in the things of God instead of the world and we must guard our hearts.  If you have never put your trust in God, or asked for His help out of sin, I urge you to now. Repent, turn from sin and watch God give you a life you have never experienced before. ~ Amen

Paths Straight

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Believing in God is one thing, but to trust God with my whole heart is next level.  Sometimes He has allowed fiery trials that make me wonder if He’s anywhere near, or listening to my cries.  How can I trust when this hurts so much and doesn’t seem helpful?  He is good.  He is sovereign.  He is trustworthy because He is perfect; He cannot be untrustworthy.  He is the beginning and the end; the one true God; the maker of Heaven and earth and the reason I have breath in my lungs.  My existence relies on Him.  I can trust Him.  And to trust Him with my heart means that my whole being will trust Him – all of me.  My emotions and my feelings may not believe I can trust Him, but I can consciously choose to trust Him no matter how I feel.  I must choose to trust Him even when the circumstances hurt.  There are bigger pieces and more to the jigsaw puzzle of our life than we can see.  Our minds are only allowed to understand the natural world, but God works in the supernatural; which means we are not privy to how He makes things work.  We all understand things differently, where God only has one way to think; the right way all the time.  We all have different perspectives that can change and evolve; God's ways are the same yesterday, today and forever.  God’s ways and His understanding is better than mine and when I choose to trust in His ways He will make all my paths straight.  Straight right directly to Him.  There may be some bumps in the road and storms to still go through, but my path will lead me to Him.  If you don’t think you know how to live the best way you can in God’s understanding, then I suggest you dive into the bible.  God’s inspired scripture can tell you how to live.  My suggestion would be to start with the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament and then read the four main gospels in the New Testament of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to get a good picture of Jesus.  Pray God will reveal himself to you and pray that you will learn to trust Him.  I promise He will meet you. ~ Amen

Very Purpose

Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:5-6

We are being prepared for our eternal destiny everyday in some way while we are still here on earth.  God is shaping us and molding us daily down here and when bad things happen to us, we have the Holy Spirit to walk with us. Sometimes what goes on down here on earth is devastating, but as followers of Jesus we can be confident of the goodness that is waiting for us eternally because of our faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I must be willing to walk and live by faith in this temporary body while living in my temporal home.  I am away from God, not in his physical and literal presence, while I am in this body on this earth, but one day all of that will be reversed.  I will be with my Lord for eternity and apart from this temporary body.  I will have a new body and I will dwell in my forever home because I walked in faith with the Holy Spirit and my purpose here on earth will have been fulfilled.  We waste a lot of time worrying and thinking about our future here on earth, but what does your eternal future look like?  Are you confident you’ll be in the presence of God?  Life is precious and life is short.  Live for God’s  glory and will.  The death of our body here on earth means our soul is finally going home to heavenly bliss.  Death on earth equals doom and gloom, but for the believer death should equal hope, peace and unexplainable joy. ~ Amen

Broken Walls

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. ~ Provers 25:28

Oh the world of gluttony!  That’s where I personally like to live.  I am being totally vulnerable here when I tell you that I have pretty good self-control in my life except for one area …. I love food!  I am a self-proclaimed “foodie”, but what I really am is an overeater.  Big portions and seconds are not uncommon and it’s something I have to work at almost every time I eat.  To let our worldly desires overtake us and to have no control of our spirit is like a city with no fortified walls up as defense.  The city is an easy target and can easily be taken over.  The same thing can happen to us when we let our own actions and emotions run wild; we run into sin and ruin as we are, by nature, sinful people.  We don’t stop the harmful behavior, but instead let it run wild instead of reigning it in.  Our defenses are down and our city is right for the devil’s picking.  Many people who have been in trouble with the law got in that predicament because of lack of self-control.  Trouble came in through the front gate and there was no resistance.  You cannot produce a rich spirit filled life if you do not have self-control.  The opposite of control is chaos and nothing lasting, or of good measure comes from chaos except more chaos and confusion.  I hate to say it, but sometimes our worst enemy is ourselves.  When we give up and let our emotions, feelings and spirit run free we will end up with heartache at the end of a long journey.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”  Our hearts and spirits are inherently misleading.  We  need to rule over them.  You need to resist your flesh and obey the Lord’s ruling over your life.  Put your desires aside and ask God for help.  Build your defenses and walls with prayer and bible study.  You cannot reign in your heart on your own.  You will need help.  Ask Him.  Ask godly friends and family to help you.  Identify where you need help.  Take over your mind.  Ask God for strength and He will provide. ~ Amen

Dear Children

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ~ 1 John 4:1-4

The enemy of your soul, Satan, only has as much power of your life and thoughts as you allow him to have.  Once you become a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit makes a home inside you that when called upon, the devil has to flee.  The devil likes to fill our heads with negative thoughts and our hearts with fear, but the Holy Spirit’s power in us is much bigger than any negative thought, or fear so call it on his help in the name of Jesus.  We are overcomers because of our faith.  However, this isn’t just a verse on overcoming temptation and fear.  It’s also an instruction and warning to us about the importance of discerning false teachings and prophets.  Too many teachers, or religious beliefs make the claim “that we’re all getting to heaven,  just maybe with a different belief" and that is so wrong.  That’s what John means when he says to test it. Not everything is from God even if the moral compass is clean.  Be careful!  There are many out there who want to speak on behalf of God, but what do they say about Jesus?  Who do they say Jesus is, or was?  Pay attention!  Test their knowledge of scripture and salvation.  Just because someone knows the bible doesn’t necessarily mean they know Christ.  There is head knowledge as literature and there is God’s inspired word.  How do they define the bible?  Test them.  Don’t blindly accept everything.  Know the truth and test what you are not sure of.  Live free of fear and temptation from Satan and live in obedience to the faith of Jesus Christ. ~ Amen

Remind People

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. ~ Titus 3:1-2

I don’t like to get into political discussions.  At all. In fact, I will leave the room once someone brings them up.  I just feel like the majority of citizens have clothed themselves and placed way too much of their identity in their political beliefs.  We tend to try to destroy someone’s character if they don’t believe just like us.  I have seen families being divided for years because of varying viewpoints.  The fact that families, and longtime friendships can be destroyed based on personal political preferences proves that everyone, followers of Christ included, need to work on the very principles Paul was telling Titus about in the above verses.  I don’t always agree with our government leaders, or even the President of the United States, but I do understand that God has allowed them to be our leaders for some reason, and I need to trust Him…as in God.  I may not always understand, or like the laws of the land, but as a follower of Jesus I am to obey them to help keep some sort of order to the land.  It is not my job to argue the law, it is my job to follow the law and let God judge who, and what He needs to judge when He feels the need to do so.  As followers of Jesus, we need to live in obedience to how God instructs us to live and God will take care of the rest.  Titus was told hundreds of years ago to remind the followers of Jesus how to act and hundreds of years later we still have to be reminded.  We still don’t have it right.  And if I dare say, here in the 21st century, our social fabric and standards are declining at a rapid rate as we become obsessed with ourselves, our own feelings, and our own needs and wants over those of our neighbors.  We have become hardened to the laws of the land; we are disobedient when things don’t go our way; we slander anyone who looks, thinks, or acts differently than us; we drive into our garage and quickly close the door even though we see our neighbors needing help bringing the groceries in; no one holds the door open for the people behind them anymore; and loud, contentious riots in the name of justice are anything but peaceable.  As followers of Jesus, we are to put others first; watch our tongues; be humble and do not quarrel; be obedient; be encouraging, gentle, peaceful and courteous.  Our world notices our attitudes and actions and they are watching.  Dare to be different. ~ Amen

Generous Prosper

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. ~ Proverbs 11:25

I am glad our God is a generous God; generous in love, mercy and grace.  No matter how many times I foul up, God continues to be generous in His character.  That’s just who He is.  He can’t help it.  In the same way, followers of Jesus are called to be generous, and this doesn’t just mean with your money, or resources.  How about your time?  Are you generous with kindness, grace, forgiveness?  We tend to associate the word generosity to wealth, or financial gain, but Christ meant it as giving out of what you have.  You can be generous with other things and talents besides just money.  Giving someone a compliment, a sandwich, a ride to the store, forgiveness you may think they don’t deserve, an encouraging word – all of these are counted as generous, and when we help others, we help ourselves.  In helping others, our mood changes, we become happier, we feel a sense of joy, and might even catch ourselves smiling.  We water our souls.  When you feel a nudge to be kind, encouraging, or generous, act on it.  You cannot outgive God, and He will, in turn, bless you.  God created man to do life together and to lift each other up. There is no better way to do that than to be generous with what you have and loving people through your gifts and talents.  God doesn’t expect you to spend a ton of money, or time, but he does expect you to work with what you have.  It’s a genuine attitude of giving from the heart that God wants.  It’s a heart issue at the core; not a financial issue.  If you want to be blessed, you must bless others.  We reap what we sow.  When you plant seeds of kindness, encouragement and blessing, you will reap kindness, encouragement and blessing.  The same is true if you plant seeds of anger, bitterness and jealousy; expect to get the same crop back.  God expects His people to take care of each other as He has taken care of us.  Be a cheerful giver. ~ Amen

Reaches Heaves

Your love Lord, reaches to the heaves, your faithfulness to the skies! ~ Psalm 36:5

I love the imagery of this verse; “reaches to the heavens” and “to the skies” basically means God’s love and faithfulness never end.  They are endless attributes of God’s character.  God’s love and faithfulness towards us has no limit.  He does not run out.  As a follower of Christ, God will always love you and be faithful no matter your past, present, or future.  God never fails to provide these things to us.  He may not give us what we want, but He always gives us what we need.  Matthew 6:26-34 says, “ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  I often pray, “Lord, please provide for all we need and let us have enough,” and He has never failed me.  When I don’t get what I think I need, I just figure God told me no for a reason and I must have all I need.  Vast and wide are the skies and the heavens; that type of measurement we cannot fathom – this is God’s faithfulness and love to us. God’s love is not only humongous;  it is limitless – without end.  God’s faithfulness means He will keep His promises.  In today’s world people may disappoint you and their words may be no good to you anymore.  They’ve let you down so much in life that you don’t believe a word they say.  You don’t trust anyone.  Not anymore.  God promises to be loyal and faithful, and keep His promises!  He has to; it’s who He is.  He has promised to be with us forever and to love us forever.  God showed His generous gift of love and faithfulness when He chose to use His own son as a sacrifice to be brutally murdered for us so we could be reconciled to Him.  He was faithful to redeem and restore our relationship if we would accept His son.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe I will, or could ever, sacrifice a child in hopes that someone would have a relationship with me.  But that is our God.  That is Jesus.  That is love and faithfulness fulfilled.  It is our privilege to accept this great gift and our responsibility to be faithful in telling the world of God’s great and limitless love. ~ Amen

Enduring City

For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. ~ Hebrews 13:14

Most people who claim to be followers of Jesus know that whatever city you live in, the state you live in, the country you live in and even earth itself is not our permanent home, but boy do we hold tightly to the things of this world.  When was the last time you thought about your eternal home over your earthly home?  We are to be transient people here on earth as this planet was never meant to be our permanent home, or where we will find lasting treasures.  We can have an impact on the cities we live in by showing God’s love, grace and mercy to others, but we need to guard ourselves into thinking like the world thinks about materialism and getting comfortable here.  The city of our future and eternity is with God and His angels in the heavenly realms.  Revelation 21:2 says, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”  Boldly live differently here on earth; be comfortable in being persecuted for your beliefs; your rewards will be great in your eternal home.  Live differently and serve others.  I need to be reminded on a daily basis that his home is a temporary landing spot; it’s not my forever home.  I live in an older home and would love to do some remodeling, but one day the question “why?” crossed my mind.  After all, this home will probably outlast my time on earth, so why should I get sucked into spending time, money and resources remodeling my physical home if I don’t really need to? Please know this was a personal revelation; remodeling your home is not a bad thing to do in of itself, but my personal thinking had become a little skewed.  I was in the head space of comparing myself to others and that is a lie from the enemy…..so the light bulb moment was a good one for me.  This is all temporary and will not matter in the end.  I should be more about spending my time, money and resources furthering God’s kingdom instead of trying to keep up with my neighbors.  After all, I should be sharing the gospel with my neighbors instead of being in competition with them.  That’s what we, as followers of Christ, need to be in the business of – showing compassion and making a difference so that many will know eternity in heaven. ~ Amen

Very Good

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day. ~ Genesis 1:31

The world was created by a perfect God; which means everything created has no flaws, or defects.  A  masterpiece was created “good” in its original design, beauty and order.  God gave it His stamp of approval – very good.  We see that after almost everything God created He stated ‘it is good’, but in verse three of Genesis 1, after everything was complete, including man, that’s when the creation was labeled ‘very good’.  The animals got along with each other and roamed freely; the air was unpolluted; mankind had dominion over everything and best of all, man was created and meant to walk with God on a daily basis.  This verse is a reminder of the goodness that God created in the world and that same goodness can be seen today.  Years after the fall of Adam and Eve, even though sin became part of our world, God’s goodness can still be seen in his provision and faithfulness.  In the end, Christ will put everything right and we will marvel at the ‘very good’ state of this world once again with the second coming of Christ when creation and Jesus' followers will be restored back to the original state of creation.  God’s creation was made with purpose and inherently good and all that will be made new once again.  Today we should look at the world for the beauty and order that God intended us to enjoy.  God marvelled at His creation and everything was intentional and meaningful.  Our ultimate fulfillment is in Christ and our purpose is to love Him and love people.  This is ‘very good’. ~ Amen

Better House

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:20

So much of the Bible gives us instruction and guidance on how to live here on earth and how to relate to others, but this verse reminds us that our ultimate density is death and we shouldn’t lose sight of that reality.  Many of us live selfish lives based on ambition, greed, and materialism instead of serving others and living for the eternal rewards once we pass away.  We should be living and showing Christ down here so that our destiny in the after life has more treasure than what we have accumulated here.  We would be wise to embrace the truth that we will all perish, but we tend to be scared to think, or even talk about the end.  There is wisdom in the house of mourning.  You can learn a lot about your character through the death of a loved one, a job, or even a dream.  Death can come in many different forms, but as followers of Jesus, we need to remember that death is not only the end, but a beautiful beginning.  When we were born we were born into a sinful world, but as followers of Jesus, when we die, our final hope and faith will be made complete and there will be no more sorrow, or tears.  This verse emphasizes that while there is time for feasting and celebration there is great wisdom in mourning that we would not learn, or know elsewhere and by being a child of God we can rejoice in both the feasting and the mourning.  Having a healthy view of life and death is what this verse ultimately begs for us to have.  We must live a life for Christ and trust Him here while spiritually preparing for the end; which will one day catch up to us all. ~ Amen

Those Kind

Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves. ~ Proverbs 11:17

My grandma used to say, “You’ll catch more kindness with honey than you will with manure.”  Growing up, I never really understood what she was saying until I was in about the 8th grade.  I got into a fight with my best girlfriend and she started being downright mean.  I don’t even remember what the fight was about, but I do remember plotting revenge against my friend and my grandma overheard me telling someone my plan; which I can’t remember now either.  Next thing I heard was her song and dance about kindness.  I decided not to do anything and let my friend continue her attack without responding.  About a week later, she had shut her mouth and moved on.  Two weeks later we were friends again.  I believe my taking the high road by not responding back made my friend have no choice but to look at herself.  She apologized for her nastiness and we moved past it.  It’s easy to get sucked into wanting to hurt those who hurt us, but Jesus would tell us to be kind, and merciful even to those who are cruel to us.  It’s easy to be nice to those who are nice to us, but it takes extra grit and will power to be kind to those who are hurtful.  None of us were meant to do life alone, so why be cruel?  Being cruel will just isolate you from people, and leave you miserably alone when we were created as relational beings.  The only way to practice kindness is to interact with others and to treat them like you treat yourself.  Interaction with others is the best indication of our character.  Are we kind to others?  Are we encouraging?  Are we helpful?  When you do these things you are showing Christ and will benefit the same from others.  However, if you tear people down, think only of yourself and tend to turn the other way when help is needed you will reap the same from others.  Kindness will reap a harvest of friendships while being cruel will leave you lonely.  Give kindness and mercy. ~ Amen

Firm Forever

The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.  But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. ~ Psalm 33:10-11

The fact of the matter is you were created to live forever; beyond this life.  Plans of mankind change and evolve from one year to the next, but the Lord’s plans and purposes are firm and one of those plans is to have us with Him forever.  I know we all have plans for our life here on earth, but have you ever thought about what your forever eternity will look like?  I know where I will be spending eternity and as a follower of Jesus I also know that God has great plans for me down here on earth.  I am a planner.  I am not good at spontaneity and I love schedules.  Saying this, there have been many times when my planned day has been interrupted and I have become frustrated.  I have to remind myself often that my plans may not have been God’s, and so sometimes I need a divine interruption.  God allows my plans to succeed as long as they don’t interrupt His plans for my life.  Once my plans start to derail from His there is usually a disruption in my path.  God sometimes allows us to derail for a while and then when we get to the dead end of our own plan, He gently guides us back.  The loved one who is off living their life for themselves, if they are a follower of Jesus, may be allowed to hit rock bottom for God’s glory, purposes, and plans later.  Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declared the Lord.  Being mindful. Being prayerful and trusting God’s plans are best will bring you patience and peace instead of frustration and anxiety.  What plans do you have today?  Is there room for a divine interruption, or will you become frustrated?  And where do you plan to spend your forever?  God would love it to be with Him. ~ Amen

Great Understanding

Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick tempered displays folly. ~ Proverbs 14:29

I don’t get angry much, but when I do, I usually always regret how I reacted later.  In the above scripture, it says that if we are patient, or less reactionary, we are wiser than those of us who spout off without thinking.  How often have you said something, or done something hastily in anger to only wish you could take it back?  Many times, when I look at where my anger comes from, I notice that my anger is a secondary emotion usually steaming from the fact that I can’t control a situation, or person.  Something, or someone didn’t act, or turn out the way I wanted and so I get angry.  How selfish and prideful of me!  The world needs more patience and understanding and less anger and foolishness.  The person who takes thoughtful consideration leads a life of empathy and compassion whereas the person who leads a life of snappy and impulsive behavior leads a life of regret and confusion.  I want to be self-controlled and I want wisdom as opposed to being hasty and a person others may not want to be around.  To be slow to anger is a sign of spiritual maturity, of walking with the Holy Spirit.  Being hasty and impulsive is a sign of selfishness and may lead to hurtful words and actions.  I want to take into consideration how my words and actions may affect someone before I react.  Is it helpful?  Will I hurt them?  Does what I have to say encourage them, or tear them down?  How we react to something that makes us angry could either further His kingdom, or make others question God’s people.  There is a righteous anger, but even that has to be dealt with in a way that is helpful in the end.  Let’s not let our anger show foolishness, but let us harness it with self-control and respond with thoughtfulness. ~ Amen

Your Faithfulness

Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. ~ Psalm 143:1

Life is hard.  If you haven’t weathered a storm yet, one is most likely on its way.  In times of trouble and crisis, the Lord is waiting for us to call out and He is faithful to listen and help.  We may not always like the way He answers, but we must trust Him for His ways are higher than ours.  Here in the above scripture David knew he would be able to plead with God and ask Him for help because David understood the character of God and had built a relationship with Him.  Many times David’s life was in crisis.  Whether he was running for his life from Saul, or asking for relief from his own son’s rebellion, David knew God to be faithful, and merciful because He always had been in the past.  Remembering God’s character when praying brings into focus the reverence and awesomeness of what God can do instead of using prayer only as a tool to get what you want.  David knew God.  David knew God’s heart and David was obedient to God; therefore, David knew he could trust in God’s righteousness in times of trouble.  Sometimes our pride and disobedience get in the way of our prayer life and God decides to answer in a way that is less pleasing to us.  We need to be humble, believing, trusting, and obedient followers when leaving our cries for help at God’s feet.  I have never been in a situation like David where I was hiding for my life, but I have been in some deep dark holes where I recognized and understood that I was not going to make it out without God’s help.  I was helpless.  I felt it and I became very aware of my own weakness….so I cried out, wept and pleaded with God on a daily basis.  My trial didn’t go away overnight, but a few weeks later, I could feel the darkness starting to subside and the situation starting to change.  Months into my pleading there was significant growth and two years later I was able to finally see light from that deep hurt.  God heard me.  God carried me.  God comforted me and He delivered me.  I don’t know what you’re facing today.  It may take only a few hours, it may take days, months, or even years for complete healing, but I do know we have a faithful God in times of trouble.  Seek Him! ~ Amen

Full Restoration

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice!  Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.  And the God of love and peace will be with you. ~ 2 Corinthians 13:11

And just like that Paul gives the Corinth church, and us today the exhortation that if we would be of one mind we could all live in peace.  But what is “one mind”?  It doesn’t mean that we all have to agree on the same thing, but rather that we would all try to be Christ-like in our thinking towards each other.  We would be pleasantly peaceful if we had Christ-like forward thinking toward each other as it would force a servant-like and compassionate, empathetic attitude toward life to grow our faith.  Having the same priorities aligns people; to remember what matters most in life promotes healing. Today, just like back in the Corinthian church, there is much division in our churches, communities, politics and I dare say, our own families.  But when we put our pride to the side, and our personal preferences to the side to serve others as we imagine God would serve them, well, something special happens.  When we recognize that life is about others and become the workers of God, we change, people change and circumstances change.  The gift of grace Christ has given us is the same grace He expects us to give others; undeserved merit.  Undeserved favor.  Undeserved anything and everything.  You have to be willing to give as Jesus gave.  To give selfishly and to pray that Gods’ will be done in everything.  We are called to rejoice, encourage, and shower everyone with grace and live peaceably.  This Christ-like way of life would not only bless all of us, but bring much glory to God.  Be humble. Pray God will fill you up daily; to see this world and love these people as He would want you to; and when you do this, you will feel complete joy, peace and satisfaction with your own life no matter the circumstances because there is no greater feeling than being used by God.  I know God wants the best for me….so I will trust Him and serve Him.  I will rejoice, encourage and strive to see others with Jesus-like eyes. ~ Amen

Body Temples

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore, honor God with your bodies. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Bodies are temporary housing units for our souls and while our souls will live forever, it is true our bodies will give out.  But just like we take care of our homes, as our dwelling places, we should take care of our bodies as our soul’s dwelling place.  We should be good stewards of our bodies.  When our physical home starts needing repair, we take notice and fix things.  A roof might leak, a pipe might break, we may need some electrical work, or a fresh coat of paint.  In the same way, we need to be mindful of what repairs our body and mind may need.  How is your mental state?  Do you need help? Maybe some counseling?  Do you need to get into God’s work and remind yourself what He says about you?  Are you leaking toxicity, or negativity?  What are the eyes to your soul seeing?  Maybe it’s time to change our outside influences so we can repair a spiritual leak.  What kind of nutrition are you fueling your body with (my personal struggle; I’m not very good at always eating right)?  We were born as sinful creatures, but as soon as we become a follower of Jesus and accept what He did on the cross for us, ownership of our bodies now becomes a temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell in.  Our body becomes a housing unit for royalty!  The prince of the Most High’s spirit is living in you!  Doesn't He deserve the best? While this verse was written by Paul to address sexual immorality, it is relevant to any type of sin against the body:  self harm, mutilation, gluttony, and substance abuse just to name a few. My dad used to tell my sister and I, “what you watch, read and listen to you are also making Jesus watch, read and listen too. Would he be okay with it?”  Just one of many things my wise father taught us, but it caught me off guard and really made me pay attention to what I was saturating my mind and body with.  How about your temple?  Are you treating it holy?  Forgive me Lord for not keeping a clean house.  Show me how I can be better at keeping your temple clean and help me follow your lead. ~ Amen

With Gladness

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. ~ Ecclesiastes 9:7

So many Jesus followers have given up their right to have a “good time”.  I don’t know how many times I have heard that Christians are fuddy-duddies, and aren’t allowed to have fun.  In fact, some non-believers may hold back becoming followers because they are afraid of giving up their fun lifestyle.  Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes the “fun” this world likes to experience is wrapped up in shiny, pretty packages of sin that we should avoid, but God never said Christians can’t have fun, or enjoy themselves.  We are just called to a cleaner, healthier, non-temptuous type of fun. Drunkenness, for example, is a sin; enjoying a glass of wine with a celebratory dinner is not and can be enjoyed by a believer.  Sex outside the confines of marriage is a sin; sex within the confines of marriage can, and should be enjoyed.  After all, who do you think invented it?  The fact of the matter is that God approves, wants, and commands us to enjoy life, and the pleasures He has given us without sinning.  To show the world that we can celebrate for all the goodness, and blessing God has bestowed on us.  This is a good thing.  Life is hard.  We need to enjoy and celebrate the good times.  The Creator of the universe wants us to experience joy, and pleasure.  Our lives should not be documented by only trials and difficulties, but also triumphs and celebrations.  God is the ultimate source of our joy, and the more we walk with the Holy Spirit we are told we will have more joy.  Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”  Joy.  To enjoy life and life’s pleasures, without sinning, puts a smile on God’s face.  One day, when we are standing in His presence, we will understand the full meaning of joy, but until that time, enjoy God’s goodness in a pure way. ~ Amen

Kingdom Prepared

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ~ Matthew 25:31-34

We have been referred to metaphorically throughout the bible as sheep, but here we see that there appears to be a second animal we can be referenced as also – goats.  Inquisitive, independent and oftentimes stubborn, it seems only fitting that God would metaphorically use them to symbolize non-believers.  An animal and people who are not eager to be led by anything.  The Lord alone has the right to divide mankind into two groups – the believers and the non-believers.  Before the judgement day, the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of the universe, will then become the judge and jury and hand out judgement of eternal implications as the sheep will be called to heaven and live with Christ for eternity and the goats will be condemned to damnation, or the place of hell.  No one ever has, or ever will have this much power over mankind, only the Lord.  He will have everyone’s attention.  What He says will now be intensely important to even the goats and an overwhelming realization will set in.  The sheep will have eternal life with Christ that no one will be able to snatch away from them.  Their faith, and faith alone has blessed them into His final care no matter how many steps backward they may have taken as this judgement is purely faith based. Faith gets you into heaven and the works of a believer will give them extra heavenly rewards, but does not hold up entry to heaven.  God will applaud, angels will cheer and we will be welcomed home based on our faith.  It’s once again, a heart issue.  All eternity rests on this question:  what did you do with my son, Jesus?  What kind of relationship did you have with Him?  Do not let this question catch you off guard!  Choose Jesus today! ~ Amen

Love Neighbor

Love does no harm to a neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. ~ Romans 13:10

Neighbors.  They come and go, but do you know a neighbor is defined as, “one living”, “or located near another”?  One living.  That means everyone is your neighbor.  So really what this verse says is love doesn’t harm anyone.  Basically if you can follow in the footsteps of love for everyone, you are living the way Christ did.  We may still have to have hard conversations and conflict will always be part of our lives, and we may even have to set up boundaries with people to keep ourselves sane, but when we are doing these things with them in mind and with a right heart attitude it’s still considered love.  After all, think about the ways the Israelites displeased God in the Old Testament and how many times they had to be disciplined.  Yet God still loved them.  Love doesn’t mean the absence of conflict, or that you always have to see eye to eye.  Love means that we work through the hard with respect and dignity and we help others in their time of need expecting nothing in return.  Love is learning to agree to disagree and acknowledge differences with respect.  Love means treating everyone the same way you would want to be treated.  Instead of pointing out the differences, why can’t we look at all the similarities, and love people for who they are and where they are at?  As a follower of Jesus, I am called to live a life of integrity and love everyone who crosses my path – even when they are a complete polar opposite of myself as they were still made in God’s image and He loves them.  But how do I do this?  We can only take on this attitude towards others by walking in God’s truth and word.  I pray Lord, that you would help me love others as you have loved me and help me be a vessel of your love to everyone I meet. ~ Amen

Human Mind

However, as it is written:  what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived - the things God has prepared for those who love him - these are the things God has revealed to us by his spirit. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

God’s wisdom is so outside of human wisdom and reasoning that there is no way for us to reconcile, or understand it without it being revealed to us through the Holy Spirit and the only way that happens is to accept, believe and love Christ.  The wisdom of God started before time and mankind and will last for eternity.  His wisdom included a redemptive salvation that included the sacrifice of His own son.  No one could have guessed that; nor would human wisdom suggest such a plan.  A Creator, a ruler, a king, a president so in love with their people that instead of being self-absorbed and demanding of servanthood they become the servant and lavish unconditional love on their followers and want to spend all of their life with them.  To sacrifice their own offspring to bring us into a relationship with them.  Human wisdom does not understand; cannot understand.  We gain the knowledge and wisdom of our Creator by having faith and believing and trusting in His goodness.  Those who see from an earthly perspective with human eyes have not seen all the blessings God has prepared for his children.  More beauty and worth are in the message of the gospel than anyone can comprehend apart from the Holy Spirit.  Those who have denied Jesus Christ as Lord have no idea what they are truly missing.  Even as children of God, whatever we have envisioned, or heard heaven will be like, in God’s wonderful wisdom, we will still be utterly surprised when we do make it home. ~ Amen

Moral Filth

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. ~ James 1:21

If I claim to be a follower of Jesus, I must turn away from sin and pursue a Christ-like lifestyle.  Sin will always be in the world and I will always be a sinner, but I must let the Holy Spirit guide me and choose to get rid of the sin that may have permeated my life before becoming a follower.  We make choices everyday that affect our spiritual walk and people are watching what we do.  The world is full of moral filth and explicit evil, that everyone agrees with as being sinful, but what about the self-centered sins of me, me, me, or gluttony of material things, or lust for someone other than your spouse?  Sins of the selfish us that others may not know, or see.  These may be the hardest to acknowledge and turn from – the secret sins.  God sees and we must make a daily choice to humbly accept Christ and His goodness, for only through His righteousness and forgiveness are we truly saved from ourselves.  We must choose to make a conscious effort to put our sinful wants behind us, ask for forgiveness and accept and trust in God’s goodness to save us.  For only Christ can save us when we decide to accept what He has done for us through His sacrifice and when we choose to dive into His word to grow our spiritual garden and weed the choking sin out.  Just because you know of the Word doesn’t make your spiritual walk better.  You have to receive God’s scripture and accept it with humility before God can really grow you.  It’s a heart issue.  You must be willing to learn, listen and love like God.  You cannot come to God arrogant and prideful and expect to flourish.  It’s about being humble, putting away your sinful nature and trusting God. ~ Amen

Your Life

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ~ Matthew 6:25

I feel anxious around payday; always hoping and praying there will be enough to cover all our bills and some of our wants.  And you know what? I don’t know why.  God has always been faithful in HIs provision for this family even though we are not nearly as faithful to Him.  Our family has never experienced a real need and I am very thankful for that as I know some have.  Yeah, maybe He met the need in a different way than I expected, but it was still met.  And I emphasize need because sometimes as humans, especially here in the United States, we get our needs and our wants mixed up and sometimes what we want God to provide for is really our want.  While God does want to give us the desires of our heart, that is not His first priority.  His first priority is to bring you back to Him.  Where do your worries come from?  Are you more concerned about your material well being than your spiritual well being?  Most people who listened to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount were considered poor and Jesus still told them not to worry, but to trust.  To live one day at a time and trust Him.  Human nature is selfish and wants more, more, more, and here in 2025 God would want us to not only stop worrying about our needs, but stop chasing after material things.  We have become so obsessed with trying to keep up with the neighbors and their “toys” that we have compromised our spiritual growth.  Our worry, anxiety, and constant desire for more, or greed at its core, hinders our growth and our outreach to others.  For some of us, it may be debt outside of our control that has us stressed, but God cares for us more than anything else in this world and you can trust in His faithfulness to help you.  In the end, it’s a heart issue.  Where does your heart belong?  Trusting God, or worrying?  Lay your cares and worry at His feet, live one day at a time in obedience to Him, and trust.  May you feel His peace. ~ Amen

Walk Humbly

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your God. ~ Micah 6:8

On our kitchen cabinets I have taped note cards with scripture that I find to be very helpful little notes for daily living.  It would come as no shock that this is one of them taped up.  Straight and to the point, it’s a good daily reminder of how to live in Christ’s character.  Relationship with God is always better than a long list of religious rules and love is at the heart of justice, mercy and humility.  To act justly you must do what is morally right and fair no matter what the circumstances are and no matter who is involved.  Even when it’s unpopular.  We cannot and should not always follow the crowd.  We are called to be compassionate leaders.  We must be merciful, or kind even when we would rather turn the other way.  God has shown us great mercy and kindness even while we were far from Him.  We are required to do the same.  Then we must walk humbly with God; which means we walk willingly with God in His ways and do not become arrogant, or self-absorbed.  Humility is a heart issue.  It comes from knowing God’s goodness has granted you all you are and all you have.  Putting yourself in the right place with God ultimately first followed by service to others and you last.  The people of Israel in Micah’s time thought that God wanted more lavish sacrifices to pay for their debt, but what God truly wanted was for them to show the same justice, kindness and mercy that He had shown them.  I dare say He would love to see the same from His followers two thousand years later.  The Mosaic Law had been given to the Israelites; the Lord had told them what was good, they just weren't the best at following through.  The same is true today.  We know what is good; let’s start doing it.  Act justly, love kindness, and humbly walk with Him.  As a follower of Christ, I am called to walk in the Spirit to the glory of God and my actions must follow. ~ Amen

Richly Provides

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ~ 1 Timothy 6:17

Being rich sounds great!  And while that has never been one of my goals in life, I wouldn’t mind trying it out for a day.  Oh wait!  Compared to most of the world, I am rich. I am blessed with a house, a mattress as my bed, running water, food at my fingertips, transportation and a number of accessories that are only considered necessary here in the USA.   Being born in America has already blessed me above someone born in a third world country.  The sheer fact that I was born here gives me a head start.  The world tells us to “accumulate more, get as much as you can, make as much as you can,” but God has never said any of that.  Wealth doesn’t just come from our own hard work, but from God above who has allowed the gift of wealth to some.  It’s important to realize that in His goodness wealth is given to be used in a way that glorifies Him.  The attitude of the heart is what is important to the Lord no matter if your bank account balance proves you wealthy, or not.  No one has the right to be proud of what they have; it all comes from God.  We have to be careful to not pride ourselves on being a “self made” man.  There is no such thing.  That is a vile and abhorrent view of life in God’s eyes.  To become greedy and work hard towards a self made wealthy attitude is to forget who your dependence really should lie with.  When you start developing an attitude of self-reliance and self-dependance you are starting down a road that may just leave Christ behind.  Don’t do that!  Enjoy your blessings, be generous and be mindful that it’s all God’s.  Give Him the glory. ~ Amen

Demolish Arguments

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

We live in a broken world physically separated from our Creator. I don’t believe God ever intended for us to be apart from Him, but that’s what happened when Adam and Eve fell for the sly serpent and sin entered the Garden of Eden.  The rest of mankind was affected.  Now we are in a constant spiritual battle whether you believe that or not, the truth of the matter is there is a war waging everyday for our souls in the spiritual realm.  When battles are fought on earth, world leaders send their strong military lines to fight with weapons ranging from hand held swords, to complex systems like missiles, submarines and tanks.  As followers of Christ, fighting against unseen demonic and evil forces, our weapons are much different, but still have the power of a destructive tank.  Our weapons are not physically seen, but spiritually fueled and fought with through prayer, persistence, hope and standing on God’s word.  As followers of Christ we have an army of angels ready to fight on our behalf if we would only stand firm and call on the Holy Spirit to fight for us.  We can tie up lies, bind up sin and toss negative thoughts into the pit of hell when we stand with confidence and faithfully pray for God’s help.  You can break that sinful cycle, you can break that stronghold of fear, you can resist discontentment – hit your knees in prayer and soak in and memorize God’s word.  Our quest to resist the devil with prayer, reciting scripture and speaking God’s truths and promises has divine power that you will not find in the world and those faithful acts will help you win your battle and break strongholds. Stand firm.  Scream at the devil in Jesus name.  He cannot stand against you when you have Jesus fighting for you.  Declare victory and always be ready to battle.  Do not get spiritually lazy.  Be at the ready.  If the devil hasn’t waged war with you lately, believe me, it’s coming.  Arm yourself with His truths.  Prayer can go where we can’t.  It’s a mighty weapon that brings great peace.  Use it and clothe yourself in scripture.  Pray, faithfully seek God, speak scripture, take captive every thought that isn’t from Christ and watch the arguments be destroyed and the battle won! ~ Amen

Without Faith

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. ~ Hebrews 11:6

Faith; what a strange concept.  For a lot of us we put faith in things, or people.  Faith that our car will get us to work; faith that someone will show up when we have asked for their help, or how about faith in our communities and government.  However, Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Honest, genuine faith comes from accepting, knowing and being confident in what you cannot see.  To please God you must exercise faith in believing He exists, diligently seek Him and watch Him bless you.  I need to make it clear though, this is not just an acceptance, or acknowledgement of God, but a belief and value that your moral being, doing, acting and love for people is built on.  It’s part of your life's fabric.  We must have a faith that follows after God’s own heart to please Him and be blessed by Him.  So many people want God’s blessing without being followers of Jesus.  This is contradictory to God’s Word.  It is impossible to please God without believing He exists.  Atheists cannot please God and therefore, cannot get His blessing.  Some people throw random prayers into the air in hopes of blessing, but no genuine faith.  This is also contradictory to God’s word.  A heart who has faith in His existence, believes and trusts Him, and seeks Him will have rewards here on earth, and in eternity.  There must be a deep conviction that God is real to draw close to Him.  Without believing God exists you cannot have a relationship with Him and therefore, cannot please Him.  Some people have accepted knowledge of God, but have not moved that knowledge to a heartfelt devotion, or genuine faith of becoming a Christ follower and therefore, have not pleased God.  Only through a genuine belief that God is real, and that He exists can one begin to establish a relationship with Him that will hopefully lead to a life of trust and salvation.  Faith.  It’s all you need. ~ Amen

Might Increase

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.  But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ Romans 5:20-21

In this verse Paul is making the argument that the Mosaic law increased mankind’s sinning.  In essence, Israel sinned more once the Ten Commandments came into play because now they were actually rebelling against God by doing things they now knew were in direct conflict with Him.  It’s like when people drive however fast they want on the Autobahn highway because there is no speed limit posted. Sometimes no law = stupidity.  Rebellion = stupidity.  No law may mean to some that they can do whatever, whenever they want.  But here in the US of A, there is a speed limit, so going as fast as you want is not permitted and we all know that even though some of us chose to break the law anyway.  Likewise with the Mosaic Law and the Israelites.  Before the law there was no real law, so who really counts sin as sin?  But after the law was revealed, it increased the sinning as an unintended consequence because everyone was made aware of the law they were now breaking.  God, however, had a different plan.  One like non-other before.  While sin increased, His plan of grace and redemption through Jesus Christ was in motion.  Romans 6:23 says,  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  The reality is man was headed down a road of destruction and spiritual damnation because our sin was leading us to a death apart from God.  But God’s son, Jesus Christ, settled our payment through grace when he died on the cross so that we might have eternal life through Him.  Sin increased through the law, but Christ’s great gift of grace through Jesus’ righteousness overcame sin and death.  This is the way God has saved everyone who believes in Jesus Christ no matter your past, or what you’ve done.  You can have an abundance of grace through Him and eternal life with Him.  Where we once were helpless and hopeless in our sin, God showed up.  Through this great gift of grace, we can have joy, peace, and hope even in today’s broken world.  ~ Amen