Better Country

Instead, they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. ~ Hebrews 11:16

Your home on earth is a temporary stop; this is not your real home.  Material and earthly possessions should be looked at as temporary and for a season and believers should remember that God is building them a permanent home in heaven where eternal rewards will have much more value than anything down here.  The things of this world were not of importance to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Their faith and obedience in God and what His plan, promises and eternal future looked like to them was more important.  They wanted a relationship and friendship with God and they cherished that and hoped for something that was way better than earthly things.  Wanting to please God and honor Him above all else pleased God, and He honored them as they honored Him.  God saw that the patriarchs put Him and their faith above all, even worldly possessions and comfort.  They lived, breathed and communicated with Him continually knowing that He was their sustainer above all else.  A life lived with an eternal perspective over the here and now is pleasing to God.  He will never leave you and will always hear you.  When you put the eternal perspective ahead of earthly pursuits, God takes notice.  Every time we live in faith and by faith, God is pleased.  Trusting in God for His faithfulness and His provision even when you may not see His promises fulfilled while you are here on earth is a faith that God honors here and in heaven.  The faith that presses on during difficulties, heartache and loss will pass on long after you have passed away.  Your living and dying in faith during your lifetime here in your temporary home will be honored and rewarded.  Let us keep our faith and eyes set on our eternal home and keep our eternal perspective at the forefront of our minds and lives so that we can honor and please God. ~ Amen

Have Confidence

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.  Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be no benefit to you. ~ Hebrews 13:17

It’s important to note that this verse is specifically a biblical instruction regarding our church leaders and how we are to submit to them; so please do not confuse this instruction with our political leaders.  While there are plenty of verses that encourage us to submit to other forms of authority, this verse is in context to church leaders including, but not limited to our priest, ministers and pastors.  Shepherds of the church.  While you may not always see eye to eye with your church leaders, or pastor, we should always respect them and have confidence that God put them in those roles for a reason.  One day they will have to give an account to God on how well they followed His directions regarding His people, and they will be judged more harshly than the rest of us.  We would benefit greatly by honoring, praying for, and revering our leaders.  You may not always agree with them, but you are called to honor them, and let God take care of the rest.  They will be judged on how they led and we will be judged on how we followed; let’s not make it harder for them.  They could use our encouragement, and need it now more than ever in this broken world.  The responsibility to watch over our spiritual care is a heavy one and as followers we should try to make it a joyous job for our church leaders instead of one filled with grief and strife.  Developing a spirit of submission does not mean blindly following.  Biblical submission is honoring those leaders who are aligned with God’s word and following them in their vision for you and the church while learning from them.  If they are not aligned with God’s word, and unfortunately this does happen, do not blindly follow them as they may be a false prophet.  We also must remember that our ultimate authority is God and we should be submitting to His plans for our life while living for Him.  Let us be quick to be our church leaders and pastors’ biggest cheerleaders.  They have a tremendous job and could use all our honor, help and support. ~ Amen 

Better Patient

Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. ~ Proverbs 16:32

The one who has control of their emotions and reactions is more powerful and self-controlled over one who can take a city down.  Mastering your inner emotions and being able to control them comes with a lot of wisdom and internal strength.  External strength shows great physical power, but when one can control their emotions without letting them get the best of them, that shows strength that has been practiced, and a self-control that has been harnessed by practicing tremendous power, and inner patience.  We have all known, or maybe been a person ourselves, who loses control of their anger in outward and unhealthy ways, but to those who have learned to control their temper much wisdom has been given.  When we lash out in our reactions the outcome is often negative and cannot be taken back, but when we learn to bite our tongues and control our emotions by giving them to God, the wrath of hurtful words and actions are suppressed and peace comes much quicker.  Putting self-control into action is not lost on God; He rewards those who can control their anger and doesn’t add more strife.  He rewards the peacemakers and commends the quiet in spirit.  Anger is a real feeling, but when controlled, you allow time for the Holy Spirit to do His work.  Too many times we let our anger get the best of us and let that emotion control our reactions and words when as followers of Christ we need to learn to control the anger and be slow to letting our flesh react.  Instead of speaking before thinking, we must think before speaking.  Those of us who have the courage, strength and knowledge to control our own spirit are stronger and more powerful in God’s eyes than the military who take over a city.  Let us pray for strength to control ourselves and our emotions instead of letting them control us so we can bring more glory and honor to God. ~ Amen

Things Promised

All these people were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ~ Hebrews 11:13

We all will leave a legacy behind and I pray mine was one of living by faith when I pass away.  Hebrews mentions Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah as biblical figures who all passed on to heaven before seeing promises from God fulfilled here on earth.  While living here on earth, they trusted in God’s promises and lived by faith and believed God’s promises would come true even after they were gone.  We have all had people promise us things and we’ve probably made similar  promises ourselves only to have them broken, or unmet in time.  However, that is not God’s nature.  He keeps His promises for all eternity.  God is a good and just God who, by nature, cannot break promises and is not limited by earthly time.  He does what He says He’ll do, but His time is not our time and so we must live by faith knowing that all things work out for the good of those who love Him.  I know I am personally praying for saved souls and changed lifestyles that are so far from God that I don’t know if I’ll ever see them changed, but I have to remember that even if it doesn’t happen in my lifetime, it can still happen.  The hope and faith that God hears me and that His ways and timing are better than mine give me the persistent push I need to keep praying for things I might not see while here.  Not to mention the many answered prayers that I have already seen when impossible turned to possible.  We please God when we live by faith and remember our eternal perspective over our worldly one.  God does not break promises and is not limited by our perspective.  Let us keep our eyes on our fatih, believing and hoping for things and promises we have not yet seen and by doing so pleasing our Lord. ~ Amen

Through Faith

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ~ Galatians 3:26-27

A child of God.  A term once reserved for the Jewish people only in the Old Testament, we now all have the opportunity to be adopted into Christ’s family.  Most of the Old Testament is the story of the Israelites delivered, then their constant battles of complaining and disobedience, back to God disciplining them, and the people coming back into obedience.  The matter of fact is that there were so many laws under the Mosaic Law, hundreds in fact, that there is no way the people could have kept from sinning on their own.  After all, they were only human.  So God sent down His one and only son to be sacrificed as the final payment for all our sins.  God in human flesh, the only perfect, sinless and blameless human - Jesus Christ, walked and taught a new way to live here on earth and became the sinless and perfect sacrifice to wear all our sins so that we could live in freedom from the law and be reconciled back to our Creator.  There is no way anyone could have lived a blameless life after the fall of man in Genesis and so the only way to be truly reconciled to God, in order for the bridge to be gapped, God made a plan.  Now to everyone who believes that Jesus Christ died and rose again for them and accepts that by faith is called a child of God.  Co-heirs to Jesus Christ.  Free from the threat of being left to our own sinful nature we can have confidence in our forgiveness.  To all who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we have been clothed in His righteousness and the Holy Spirit has entered our beings to live a life of transformation.  The new believer puts on new “clothes” and must be intentional about changing their attitudes, heart and life.  God will bless them and welcome them back to Him with open arms.  Let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds and wear our new clothes joyfully. ~ Amen

Lord Answered

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. ~ Psalm 34:4-5

Radiant.  Never covered in shame.  When you stay in constant communion with our Father you want to live and be the righteous person He has called you to be.  You tend to stay on the right path and live the way He has asked of you.  Close communion equals less tendency to go astray and want to hide anything from Him.  When you keep yourself close to God, He stays close to you and instead of being covered with shame, you are covered with his brilliance. His light.  I desperately want to be a brilliantly shining face that glows Jesus’ love, joy and peace at all times.  God has and will continue to deliver His children when they earnestly seek Him.  We may not always get what we want, but if we seek Him wholeheartedly, we will always get what we need.  He never disappoints.  Growing up my dad used to tell my sister and I, “you need to get your wants and your needs separated.  What you are asking for is a want, not a need,” anytime we would beg for something over the top like a pair of designer jeans.  The truth of the matter is that is how a lot of the world lives today.  We want bigger, better, and shinier instead of being grateful for what we already have, or what the Lord has already provided.  But when you live with a grateful heart, seeking the Lord, you will see His goodness always come through.  We have what we need.  In times of great distress, fear, desperation and severe loss we should also seek the Lord and ask Him for deliverance knowing He will give us what we need.  He will give us the strength, and the peace even if the end result breaks our hearts.  For those who seek Him, He will calm our hearts even through tremendous trials and loss.  Sometimes God allows us to go through desperate and debilitating trials so we can learn to give him our fear and become a radiant light to others.  So that when nothing is left we have to call on Him.  It’s a cause to make us put Him first. Sometimes it’s to glorify God and for the benefit of others around us.  To see us walk through trials and wonder what we have that gives us strength.  To make them want it.  To witness to others so that their hearts would be turned to Him.  To grow His glory and kingdom.  To grow our faith and trust.  Do not fear.  Give it to God.  A deep, dark fear may swallow us up, but when you cry out to God for help, He will hear you and answer you; He will comfort and strengthen you.  He hears us when we seek Him.  He cares.  Let us not forget to run to God when we are paralyzed with fear and worry.  Let Him hear your cries and give you what you need.  Let Him comfort you and sustain you.  He will always give you what you need. ~ Amen

One Audience

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That’s why the world hates you.” ~ John 15:18-19

I have to be reminded that the things of this world may rub me wrong because I don’t live as the world does, but try to live as Christ has called me and that is oftentimes in direct opposition of each other.  Only God’s view of us and our life should matter. We are called to live only for Him and differently than this self-centered world.  All of us have experienced some kind of persecution for something we did, or did not stand up for.  As followers of Jesus, we are told to expect this as we remember that this is not our home.  If Christ, who loved all people, was persecuted while here on earth, how much more will we be persecuted?  We must remember, however; that we are called to meet hate with love and to turn the other cheek.  Followers of Jesus do not, or should not show hate for hate, but instead show love and have a prayerful heart.  A life and faith built on what Jesus Christ has done for you will look differently than a life and faith based on the world’s standards.  Can people tell where your life and faith lie?  Do you live differently than the unbelieving world?  Have you been mocked, or criticized for your beliefs?  The world should see something different in you.  That fact that I live in the United States means I can worship and show my faith openly, but in places all over the world Christians lose families, jobs and sometimes even their life for their faith.  Would you be willing to love and follow Christ through that kind of persecution?  I have often asked myself what it would take for me to denounce my faith in Jesus Christ.  Is my faith strong enough to withstand the loss of my health, job, or heaven forbid, a child?  I sure hope so.  I pray I have built my trust and faith so secure that nothing, even debilitating loss, or the hatred and persecution of this world, would have me turn away.  Let us live differently, expect persecution and trouble, but hold steady and unwavering from our hope and faith in Jesus Christ.  Let us remember that He will make all things right and new in the end.  Let us live for an audience of one. ~ Amen 

Endures Forever

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. ~ Psalm 107:1

In this world everything will fade, grow old, die out, but God’s love is eternal and will never fade, but will last forever.  Even when this world is gone, God’s love will be exceedingly poured out on all who followed him.  There is nothing we can do that would ever make God not love us.  He may be disappointed, but He still loves us.  He has unfailing kindness and unfailing and unconditional love for His children.  God will always uphold His side of His relationship with you and will never leave you, or forsake you.  He is a God of relationship and restoration.  Healing through love.  His love is not conditional.  It’s not a “you do this for me and I’ll do this for you”.  He is love and good all the time.  Amid friendships, marriages, family relationships, people have loved each other and left only to leave wounds that sometimes never heal and betrayal that is hurtful for a lifetime.  God is not going to do that.  God’s love is steadfast, pure and faithful.  He deserves our praise and gratitude.  Our God sacrificed His only son to have a reconciled relationship with us so that we could be with Him forever.  This is not a natural love; it’s a supernatural love that far exceeds anything this world has to offer and it’s yours for the taking if you would commit your life to Christ and accept what He did for you on the cross.  He will never forsake you, or leave you.  If you feel distant from God could it be that you’ve pulled back?  Run back to Him.  He is waiting with outstretched arms.  So many people will let you down.  You’ll let others down.  God never will.  In his love He has provided, sheltered, protected and heard all our cries and by his faithfulness and grace He has been good to us and has never left us.  Let us give Him all the praise and glory He deserves with thankful hearts for His unfailing and steadfast love. ~ Amen

Enjoy Joy

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared.  This day is holy to our Lord, do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ~ Nehemiah 8:10

In Nehemiah, the people of Judah had just rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem and the walls were not as impressive as other city walls, or even the old ones of this very city.  This discouraged some of the people.  Not to mention that there was great opposition to the walls being rebuilt in the first place, so even though the work was complete, there was a quiet lull around the people.  They had listened to Ezra, the high priest, read from the Book of the Law, worshipped God and then began to weep.  They acknowledged their disobedience to God and felt defeated.  Nehemiah, the governor, seems like he became a little annoyed and wanted this to be a joyful celebration.  These people had forgotten they were God’s people and the rebuilding of the walls was a great accomplishment.  They had forgotten their joy.  I dare say they were also a little downcast because they had forgotten some of The Law and God was now in a process of restoring them.  The people of Judah had let themselves get distracted and now it was time to repent and repoint.  Anytime anyone repents to God, it’s a great time to celebrate.  The moment anyone addresses their sin and wants to repoint their lives to Christ, He is there waiting to rejoice with them, not demean them.  Nehemiah wanted these people to realize that God is in the business of restoration and forgiveness.  Rejoice!  This is holy ground and we should celebrate with everyone!  Even in the middle of our life’s biggest mistakes and messes, God wants to meet you there.  God doesn’t expect you to clean up before He can show up.  Just invite Him.  He can take the dirty and make it clean!  He can give you a joy that you’ve never experienced before!  Not the joy that comes from this world and your circumstances - that’s circumstantial happiness.  True joy can only come from the Lord when we abide in what He has done for us and the greatness of what’s to come.  True joy stays focused on the eternal perspective of life and produces strength to endure whatever comes our way.  True joy is not circumstantial, but consistent focusing on God’s promises even through the fire.  And true joy is to be shared - shared with others so they may be drawn to Christ.  True joy is shared and finds trust and comfort from God no matter the circumstances.  Repentance is a great starting point to finding joy in the Lord.  Let’s be joyful for everything God has done for us and is yet to do. ~ Amen

Will Weep

Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.  You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ~ John 16:20

Young and old non-believers rejoiced when Jesus was crucified thinking they had finally put to death this radical man who was disturbing the religious and political leaders of the time, but Jesus had told his disciples that even though his death would bring them great sorrow, their grief would turn to joy.  In deep sorrow we struggle to understand how anything can be good again.  We wade through the thick mire and murky weight of grief weighing us down in a broken world, but if you are a follower of Jesus, there is always hope.  Under great grief is the potential for tremendous growth.  Cling to Jesus.  Jesus never promised that we wouldn’t experience sorrow, grief, or hardships, but He did promise to walk through those times with us.  Jesus himself experienced grief and horrible pain while on earth, but He also experienced joy that He knew only came from His father.  Battles in this world are just that - battles of unbelievers and worldly desires, but we can turn from the battles of the world and rejoice in what we know is at the end of this life for us.  By basing and anchoring my joy to the foundation of Jesus’ death and resurrection, I can have a joy that will carry me through heart ache and sorrow.  Asking, seeking, and following Jesus through every circumstance can bring me peace.  Never doubt that God doesn’t see your pain and sorrow.  He desperately wants you to press into Him and trust.  Amid great turmoil, we must remember that this world is not our home and our joy will be made full and complete when we are in heaven, at home, with Jesus.  But in the meantime, we have the Holy Spirit to comfort us, guide us and give us peace that passes all understanding.  Lean into Him.  Let us mourn, weep, and wade through difficult times with Jesus knowing that joy can be ours again if we keep our gaze on the eternal reality that this is not our home and we are not alone. ~ Amen

Pisgah Peek

Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east.  Look at the land with your eyes, since you are not going to cross the Jordan.  But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you see.  ~ Deuteronomy 3:27-28

Years and years passed through Moses’ hands as he led the Israelites to the promised land - so much wandering, so much complaining, so much walking!  The land God is leading them to will meet all their needs, wants and expectations, but Moses will not be the one to get them across the finish line.  He rescued them out of Egypt, but he will not be the finisher of this race with them.  His race for the Lord will finish before they get there.  His job will be done.  We know that God is a good God, but when we disobey Him, there are still consequences.  In Numbers 20:10-13 Moses was commanded by the Lord to speak to the rock for flowing water; however, Moses struck the rock with his rod instead and so for his disobedience, God told him he would no longer be the one to cross the Jordan.  Instead, he was charged with encouraging, and strengthening Joshua and to pass the baton of leadership to him.  True godly leaders want to help, serve, encourage, pray for and uplift those coming up behind them growing in leadership.  Good godly leadership starts at the top and trickles down so that each leader is a good role model for the next.  Leadership should not be self-seeking, but God seeking.  Personally, I find this verse to be a bittersweet reminder - that even though we might not get to see the fruition of God’s promises here on earth, they will still happen.  God gives us glimpses of things ahead even if we won’t  see them happen with our own eyes.  I can continue to pray for deliverance of addiction for a loved one and know and trust God has them.  I can pray for my lost loved ones and know and trust God has them.  God’s work will continue somehow and somewhere from generation to generation in my family after I am long gone.   Most importantly, I can trust in God’s plan and remain faithful to the end whenever He decides my time is up.  I can trust that His plan is good even in dark times.  Greater things are always around the corner.  God’s promises are true for everyone even if I don’t get to see the completed picture here on earth.  I can’t imagine how Moses felt standing on top of Mount Pisgah looking over the Promised Land knowing he wasn’t going over.  Sadness.  Relief.  Unbelief that they finally made it.  Happiness.  Bitterness.  Humility.  Gratitude.  Whatever it was, I am also sure He wrestled with the fact that His time had come to an end.  He had finished his God given mission.  I am sure he felt the sovereignty and goodness of God.  May we all lead our families and friends into a relationship with God and hold on to His promises that everything will be okay.  Let us lead like Moses and trust in God’s plan for our lives and our families lives and pass the baton on. ~ Amen

Morning Bring

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. ~ Psalm 143:8

This is a prayer of devotion to God and to acknowledge that David depends on God for guidance and direction.  A beautiful request we should memorize and tuck into our hearts.  David had been through many dark trials and great times of victory and he knew God to be his refuge and strength.  He knew he could trust God with his life and lead him daily.  The love of the Lord never fails and His mercy and grace is fresh every morning.  It’s an unlimited supply from God.  Life is hard.  We were never promised a trouble free life, but we were promised, as believers of Christ, that He would never leave us.  To trust Him with decisions in our lives even when they may not make sense.  Hearing God may not always be easy, but if you dive into His word in the quiet of your day, pray and wait, you’ll be amazed at the nudge and revelation you will receive.  Sometimes there is no great change in our direction, but sometimes when you trust wholeheartedly, the phenomenal may happen.  Having developed a habit of quiet time every morning since a teen, if I miss my time with God in the morning, my day just doesn’t quite feel right.  I feel like I have missed my daily refill of what God has to say to me and sometimes I even find myself cranky.  Let me be the first to tell you that if you can make it a habit to meet with the Lord first thing every morning, your day starts off with the good news and hope before the rest of the world comes crashing down, crowding and expecting from your day.  Being filled up with His word and putting my burdens at His feet and leaving them there trusting He will take care of them is a powerful privilege for Jesus followers.  I don’t need to trust in my own strength and wisdom for the day.  I can invite God to lead me and give me direction and know that He loves me enough that I can trust He only wants the best for me - even when it looks difficult, or impossible.  Let us give our days and steps to God every morning knowing we can trust Him completely.  How liberating! ~ Amen

Unseen Eternal

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18

We live in a world of the here and now always trying to gain more in the least amount of time.  Often we are a people of short sightedness and have little time for the waiting game.  We want to acquire wealth, success and money so that we can live a comfortable, oftentimes, materialistic lifestyle.  Short sighted only to what we can see and touch.  The same goes for our periods of trials and difficulties.  We get short sighted and can only see how we are suffering instead of seeking and praying to God while waiting for healing and restoration.  We can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We don’t see how God could make anything beautiful out of our pain, or loss.  But He can and He often does.  The things of and in this world are all temporary.  Even if your pain, affliction, or earthly wealth last all the days of your life - it is still temporary compared to our eternal glory.  Your life will ebb and flow, have ups and downs, but this is not all there is and it’s not even the end.  The apostle Paul understood this principle and urged believers that if you keep an eternal perspective, you will understand that everything will come to an end - our earthly possessions, our earthly troubles and trials and even our bodies.  Everything outside of eternal and spiritual realities will come to and end.  Only the spiritual world will live on.  Eternal means forever and these eternal realities cannot be lived here on earth.  Believers will not have eternal difficulties, but they can have eternal hope.  Believers will not have eternal wealth, but they can have eternal joy.  Believers will not always have strife, one day they will have complete peace.  The world and all that is in it will perish, but believers of Jesus will live an eternity with their Maker where the world’s realities will be no more.  Put your faith, trust and hope in the fact that your trials will one day be no more.  Hope.  Hope for a better future, and know that this is not all there is to life.  The here and now will pass away. A new sunset will appear, a new trial will arise, but neither will last forever. Let us keep our eyes and hearts focused on our eternal perspective so that we can live a hope filled life here on earth. ~ Amen

Yourselves Testify

You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but am sent ahead of him.’  The bride belongs to the bridegroom.  The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.  That joy is mine, and it is now complete. ~ John 3:28-29

How often have you wondered about your role in life as a follower of Jesus?  John the Baptist knew he was sent ahead of Jesus to prepare the way for Him.  He was considered a best friend of Jesus’ and was excited to be part of the plan.  Are you excited to be part of His second coming plan, or do you just sit idly by awaiting His return?  How have you planned and prepared yourself and others?  Do you tell them of the good news that is the gospel?  Following John’s example, we should be humble and full of service to others so that they may see Christ in us.  Not for our own glory, but for His glory so that Christ can do work in the people that we meet.  We are called to have great influence in this world not for self gain, but so that people can see Christ in us and repent and turn their lives to Him.  Joy is when we see souls of loved ones and friends make the decision to follow Jesus.  True joy.  When God is lifted high in our lives people take notice and we find fulfillment in being a soul winner for Christ.  John the Baptist knew he must be humble and obedient for Christ to shine through him for others to see.  We must become less worldly and more humble and Christlike to win souls for his glory.  Humbling ourselves for his use and happily taking a back seat to Jesus’ will in our lives.  In this world and culture of self-gratitude and promotion, we need to be mindful that Christ has paved the path for us and share that news with others.  Life is not about us, it’s about Him.  Every role, every position we have has been granted by God for His purposes - not our own. There is no greater service to God than to humbly love others, plant the seed of the good news and step aside to watch the Holy Spirit takeover.  Let us be an example like John and put our best foot forward by humbly preparing the way for Jesus’ return. ~ Amen

 

Seasoned Salt

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. ~ Colossians 4:5-6

People are drawn to others who make them feel heard, respected, important and who make them feel genuine.  Boy, I have a lot to work on here myself.  Each of us knows people who we are happy to be around and people who we dread to interact with.  Most of us are drawn to positive and uplifting people, not negativity and complaining.  Then there are the people who don’t share your same values and morals; how do you treat them?  How do they see you?  What kind of message do we send them?  Man, in a world of  “my way, or the highway”, and in a country where it seems like we’ve forgotten that it’s okay to think differently, I hope I come across as kind and caring no matter who I speak to.  Some people will only come to know Jesus through my actions and words.  That’s scary.  That’s a big pill to swallow.  Lord, help my heart be prepared to be genuine and authentic to everyone in love.  There is no room for judgement.  We must love people for who they are and where they are in life.  Christ died for them just as much as He died for me and I pray I never pass up an opportunity to speak of God when prompted by the Holy Spirit.  We must be ready.  Every word that comes out of my mouth must be full of grace and life for those I might run into.  Many people will come in and out of our lives, yet some of them may still not have seen, or heard Jesus.  Ouch!  How tragic.  I am not saying that every conversation has to be about your salvation, or God, but every conversation should make the other person feel good and make them wonder what is so different about me.  Sometimes it’s about planting little seeds of kindness and compassion that later become watered, take root and grow into a big stalk of faith.  Let us never miss an opportunity to speak of and act like Jesus.  No judgement here. ~ Amen

Have Given

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ~ Luke 10:19

When Jesus sent His disciples out to proclaim the good news of God and His coming He also gave them a small taste of His power and authority.  We know that in Genesis Satan came to Eve in the form of a snake to deceive her and now in the verse, again, snakes and scorpions are used as a metaphor for the devil.  We know that the demons and the devil have to submit to the Lord.  They tremble; they cannot stand Jesus.  Power and authority has been given to every follower of Jesus through the Holy Spirit that will make the devil flee.  We can fight our spiritual battles and know that God will answer us.  We need to meditate on God’s work, be prayerful and thankful for what He has done and is going to do and we need to remember that we have victory over our sinful nature.  There are dark forces in this world and Satan would like nothing more but to destroy you, but you have the power to fight back.  Fight!  Just as Jesus gave His disciples power to overcome the enemy, we as believers must embrace that same power.  The enemy has plans to destroy your life, but God can turn what the enemy plans for bad and turn it into a beautiful work of art and good.  Through our salvation and because of what Jesus did on the cross, we are no longer bound by the world, or sin.  We have the power to overcome.  It is not by our own power, but only through Christ can we trample evil and wickedness.  The evil one has no authority over us anymore as followers of Christ.  Let us show him who is boss!  Let us take back our families, homes, and communities and trample the evil and wickedness out.  When you are afraid….stomp it out!  When you feel hopeless….stomp it out!  When you are tempted….stomp it out!  When you feel yourself getting sucked down by the weight of the world….stomp it out!  Let us use the authority and power to defeat the enemy and give God all the glory. ~ Amen

Their Destiny

Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach and their glory is in their shame.  Their mind is set on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ….~ Philippians 3:19-20

Our world is full of self-indulgence.  Too many people try to fill their lives with things that they think will make them happy only to find themselves unsatisfied in a matter of time.  They are insatiable.  For people who only rely on themselves and this world will never be completely satisfied.  They have no hope beyond their worldly pursuits.  In the end, their pursuit of selfish desires mixed with their denial of Jesus Christ will lead them to an eternity apart from God and will end in destruction.  These unbelievers have rejected God and sought to find peace in their earthly flesh.  They try to fill the void in their life with the world's pleasures only to be led to despair.  Instead, believers of Christ walk in His ways, trust and hope in the things to come and drink from the well of life that will bring victory and joy.  Forging ahead through life in prayerful and right living, we believe and know that everything will work out in the end.  Understanding that this world is our temporary home, believers don’t get swayed by the pursuit of worldly happiness.  We know our real rewards will be in heaven given to us by our Creator and the Maker of the universe.  There will be some who will have rejected God in order to pursue their selfish desires.  We are called and expected to be different as followers of Jesus.  Selflessness should be part of our being and we should live humbly seeking God’s ways and desires over anything this world has to offer.  Paul urges believers to follow his example in Philippians 3:17, Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.  Be faithful, be on guard, do not let people sway you from the truth.  Keep vigilant and close to God.  Just as Jesus warned the New Testament churches that there would be many false teachers, the same is true today.  Be awake.  Be alert.  Let us keep our minds and hearts on the things of God, which will never pass away. ~ Amen

Great Love

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ~ 1 John 3:1

It astounds me that the Creator of the universe calls me one of His children.  Through my acceptance, belief and faith that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and rose again I have gained favor with the same God who tells the wind where to blow.  And I have a hope and a love that no one can take away from me.  Being a child of God means I never have to walk this world alone and I have tremendous hope knowing all things will work out for my best in the end.  Weathering storms of life can be less difficult as I've acquired a whole army of brothers and sisters to help.  The Holy Spirit has made a new home in my heart and gives me peaceful guidance and direction when I ask and listen.  Jesus has shown me the way to live in a broken world.  When we become part of Christ’s family, we put our old ways and attitudes up and put on a new armor.  We become co-heirs of a greater kingdom and God’s love and grace are poured out on us.  What kind of God sacrifices His only son for people who may not even acknowledge Him?  My God did.  My God loves me so much that He wanted to reconcile my relationship to Him by sacrificing His perfect son.  That is unspeakable and unfathomable love.  All that God ever bestowed on Jesus is now for me also.  People, don’t do life alone without hope and a love that covers a multitude of sins.  The world does not know this kind of love, peace, hope and forgiveness because the world hasn’t accepted Jesus like believers have.  If you haven’t checked Jesus out and all that He wants to do for you, I ask you to just say a simple prayer to Him.  Just ask Him to reveal himself to you and see if He doesn’t come through.  Jesus wants you to be part of His family.  What do you have to lose?  Basically nothing.  Jesus, if you could reveal yourself to this reader today, what would you say?  When you become a child of God,  you will desire a purer and holy life and you will be guided by the grace and love of the Holy Spirit.  The world may not know us, but we will know each other for our love.  Let us rejoice in our new family! ~ Amen

More Grace

But he gives us more grace.  That is why scripture says:  “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” ~ James 4:6

In chapter four of his book, James is scolding and warning the believers of the church on how they have been acting towards each other.  They have looked no different from non-believers in the way they fight, covet, back bite each other and go after worldly pleasures.  Without realizing it, they have put God in the back seat and have taken their lives back over without submitting to Him first.  They have sort of lost their way, got off track, became distracted by their own desires and pleasures.  In essence, they became prideful and thought they could do life on their own; their way.  They became cheaters of their faith and therefore, took a step back into their old worldly ways.  James tells them to snap out of it!  You can not be best friends with the world and still live as God has commanded you.  However, there is good news.  God is in the business of grace for His children and it never runs out. When we have turned away from God and put our life in the ditch, God is there waiting for our return.  When we realize we have gone astray, if we repent and humbly come back to God with a sincere heart, He is more than willing and able to show us grace.  The gift of unmerited favor is poured onto us and He draws near again.  He lifts us up and we get a fresh start.  He delights in giving grace to the humble who come back.  No questions asked.  However, be warned, if as a follower of Jesus you stray too far and do not come back humbly on your own accord, one day God may use His own method to get your attention.  God always gives us opportunities to come back on our own, but if we don’t take those opportunities, in His timing, He may use a method of His choosing to bring you home.  He will leave the 99 to find His lost one.  So stay humble and submit to what God has for your life.  Let us be mindful of how we act and where our loyalty lies so that we may always be covered in God’s grace. ~ Amen

Work Impartially

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. ~ 1 Peter 1:17

When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are accepting and believing that He has paid for your sins and the Holy Spirit begins to transform your heart, mind and life to want to live in accordance with God’s ways.  This way of thinking and living is counter intuitive to how the world wants you to live and your judge on the matter no longer becomes the world, but God himself.  No one else’s opinion should matter.  The world would have us live for ourselves, but as believers of Jesus, we should live in hope, holiness and out of a deep respect for God.  Being a child of God, we know that He has good things in store for us, but we must remember that He will judge us all fairly for our time here on earth and our actions, or the way we lived.  Not that our salvation can be taken from us, but that our heavenly rewards will be justified.  We don’t fear God out of a terrified state, but we should fear God as an act of reverence, respect and awe.  We should want to live a God pleasing and God fearing life when Christ takes His rightful place in our hearts.  2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” Living lives set apart from non-believers will have its challenges when we live in such a self-centered world, but we must learn to love people and God first.  We should not fit comfortably into the world’s view of things.  We should act humbly and learn to walk the way God desires.  Our hearts should not desire monetary growth for personal gain, but we should long for spiritual growth and a profound reliance on our Creator.  Let us live differently so that our hope and light will attract others for His glory. ~ Amen