Spiritual Awareness

As God proves His Faithfulness to us, our intimacy with Him grows. We feel safe and we trust Him with every aspect of our life. This makes it easier to submit to His will (Ephesians 2:10). 

We spend time in prayer, Bible reading, fellowshipping with His Saints and continually seeking Him. We also develop a confident intimacy with our Father God, which deepens over the years.

Spending time with God increases our spiritual awareness. We learn His ways, and He transforms our nature by His Spirit into His fruit and divine nature (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:4). 

His Spirit illuminates His Word for us. He gives us discernment to make good judgments (John 7:24). Living in His presence brings us total satisfaction as we joyfully die to our flesh and to this sin-filled world (Romans 8:13). 

Eventually, our union with Christ takes priority over everything else in our life (Colossians 3:3-4). We are a better mate, employee, friend, child, parent, employer, etc because of our relationship with Him. 

Since He dwells within us, we live a fuller and more fulfilled life. We come to realize that He is our all in all (Ephesians 4:6; Ephesians 2:8-9). We can do nothing without Him (Philippians 4:13). 

God is our high tower. We run to Him and are safe (Proverbs 18:10). Under His wings we trust (Psalm 91:1,4; Proverbs 29:25). He is our Rock, stronghold and deliverer in whom we take refuge (Psalm 61:3; 91:2; 144:2). 

He is our shield and the horn of our salvation (Psalm 18:2). Our love and respect for the Lord provide our children and us with a secure future (Proverbs 14:26; Deuteronomy 5:10, 7:9; Exodus 20:6).

Prayer:

Father God, lead us by Your Spirit into a richer relationship with You. You promised that everyone who believes in and trusts in You will enter Your eternal life (Hebrews 4:1-11; John 3:16-18).

Bring us to the end of our striving and allow us to enter into the rest You already prepared for us (Matthew 11:28-30). It is only then that we can experience an intimate relationship with You and enjoy a keener spiritual awareness.

Thought for the Day:

God calls us to be still before Him and to patiently wait on Him. - Psalm 37:7

The Call to Salvation

Due to the first Adam’s sin, we are all born with a spirit dead in this sin (Ephesians 2:5). Our spirit must be Born Again for us to be a fulfilled human being with a living body, soul and spirit. 

Until we experience conviction for our sin, we live in self-righteousness. In our self-righteousness, we will never recognize our need for a Savior. We try to live a good life, earning our own salvation (Acts 4:11-12; Ephesians 2:8-9).

This prevents us from realizing our need for the indwelling Spirit of God. Though we live a moral life, we still need Jesus as our Savior. Unless our spirit is Born Again, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:7). 

When this conviction finally comes to our conscious awareness, then we do not need to listen to friends and family who try to talk us out of it. Salvation requires more than a formal, mental relationship with Jesus. 

We cannot connect with Him personally if we rely only on church services. We need a heart-changing revelation of who He is and what He means to us. 

Once this occurs, Jesus takes all of our sins, all of our fears, all of our needs and earthly cares and turns them into blessings.

God calls us to know Him intimately on a daily basis. He heals the deepest recesses of our soul and gives us His new life, one day, one moment at a time (Psalm 23:3). 

When we see Jesus, we see Calvary. We recognize the world for what it is, a cursed place. We no longer belong to this world, but are accepted into God’s beloved family (Ephesians 1:6).

Prayer:
Father God, thank You for revealing to us that salvation has nothing to do with our human effort or human love at all. When we base our salvation more on feelings than Biblical truth, the devil takes advantage of us and draws us away from You. 

Teach us to provide discipleship classes and to intercede for all new Believers. The intercession of Your Holy Spirit for the Saints in this present evil world can only be made through authentic Believers filled with Your Spirit (Romans 8:27). Remind us to pray diligently for them.

Thought for the Day:

As authentic Believers, we cannot help but to speak about the things that we hear and see Jesus do in our own life.

Worldly Gain or Eternal Power

Money, fame, relationships, employment, ambition, pride, rebellion, reputation, worldly goods, houses, etc. are all parts of our carnality, which Believers continue to cling to in this world. 

God calls us to give up worldly gain for His eternal power. There really is no contest between the two! God also gives us the power to relinquish our will to His.

Where He sends us we will go, even if we do not want to go there; and we will not go where He does not send us, no matter how much we want to go. Jesus died for us, so that we can die in Him. 

Our new life belongs to Him, not to us. We wait before the Lord each new day to hear His will for each moment. We surrender each facet of our self to Him and He purges us and breaks sin's hold on us (Isaiah 6:5-7).

At salvation, God raises us up to sit in Heavenly places with Him. We are no longer concerned with earthly issues, but we seek first God's Kingdom (Ephesians 2:1-6).  

Our salvation is provided in justification and our self-life is crucified during sanctification. God fills us with His Spirit's joy and power, which is our strength to accomplish His works with our life (Ephesians 2:10).

As we give God's Spirit full reign in our spirit, soul and body, He takes up residence as His Temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). Without reservation, we surrender to God’s Spirit, and offer our soul’s submission without any reservation (Romans 12:1). 

He renews our mind with the mind of Christ, and our character is replaced with God’s nature, which is the fruit of His Spirit and the divine life of Christ in us (2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 5:22-23).

Prayer:

Father God, when You call us to Yourself, we lay our sinful nature and our natural talents at the Cross. Although it is hard to relinquish our life to You, we know You simply require a willing attitude. 

Christ slowly becomes our whole life (Colossians 3:2-4). We live, move and have our being only in Him (Acts 17:28). Your Spirit in us enables us to enter into Your Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19).

Thought for the Day:

We work out our own salvation, but it is God who gives us both the desire and the power to do this. - Philippians 2:12-13

Depending Only on God

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Sometimes, we feel invisible, as if God does not see us or hear our prayers (Isaiah 40:27). We think that He has forgotten us, because our circumstances are out of control and we need His intervention. Yet, He still tarries. Life is not limited to our time on this earth. We do not need to "get ahead" during this lifetime. God honors those who honor Him and despises those who dishonor Him (1 Samuel 2:30).

Our tendency in a trial is to work it out in our own efforts. However, we usually end up making things worse. We are broken, even if we will not admit it, and God calls us to lean on Him (2 Kings 18:21; Isaiah 36:6). God looks for those who are living by faith in Him. Even the atheists live by faith in something. However, our trust in God is the only faith, which produces eternal results.

If we put our trust in our self, or in other people, we are depending on the flesh rather than on the Lord. We end up worn out, devastated, poor and lonely. However, if we trust in the Lord, He blesses us wondrously (Habakkuk 2:4; Proverbs 29:25). We are rooted and secure. We flourish and are prepared for life's trials. We have no worries, so we thrive and bear God's fruit in our life (Jeremiah 17:5-8; Galatians 5:22-23).

We can relax and live in God's peace, entering His rest, even in the worst of circumstances. He always works out everything for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). Trials are opportunities for God to prove His love for us. If we view them through His eyes, we will see His mighty hand in the midst of them (Psalm 136:12; 1 Peter 5:6).

Prayer:
Father God, teach us not to rely on our human strength or the wisdom of friends, but to follow Your Spirit's leading in every area of our life (Zechariah 4:6). When our activities are inspired by Your Spirit, we see Kingdom results. We depend solely on You for our life and our future. Bring our flesh into submission to Your will.

Thought for the Day:
When we depend on God alone, we put our faith in His faithfulness; since He is our trustworthy defender, we shall never suffer ultimate defeat. - Psalm 62:5-8

Raised to Walk in a New Life

Jesus poured out His life on this earth for all of mankind. During three years of ministry, He had no place to lay His head (Luke 9:58). He was criticized for eating with publicans and sinners (Matthew 9:10). 

He experienced rejection, even from his own people (Matthew 13:57). Jesus ultimately laid down His life on Calvary’s cross for the salvation of anyone willing to accept His redemption (Revelation 22:17; Acts 17:11).

Then on the third day, He raised up His own life again to exactly fulfill the Biblical prophecies about His life, death and resurrection (Isaiah 7:14, 53:12; Psalm 49:15, 24:7-10). Jesus then delivered those who died prior to His death and set them free (Ephesians 4:8-9). 

He became the first child of God to raise from the dead (Colossians 1:18). Then God lifted Him up to the greatest measure of His glory and authority (John 17:5).

God raises us to walk in a new life as well. Since Christ now lives within us by His Spirit, His power and authority are working in the life of every authentic Born Again Believer. 

As we walk in His Spirit, we fulfill the will of God. We mature in our walk of faith and we realize the awesome attributes of God in us. This humbles us and causes us to bow to Him in complete surrender.

God’s Spirit points out sin in our life, and then we cooperate and allow His Spirit to transform us both with the mind and character of Christ (2 Peter 1:4; Philippians 2:12-13). He frees us from sin and the corrupt desires of our flesh. 

He cleanses us from the root issue causing our penchant for sin. We die to our humanity and allow God to mature us in the Spirit, so we can live in the fullness of His resurrected life (Ephesians 3:19).

Prayer:

Father God, You never, ever leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8; Hebrews 13:5). We have faith in Your faithfulness. We rely on You and relinquish to You our worries, fears and insecurities (Matthew 6:25-34). 

 

Your love provides us with safety in the storms of life, as well as the provision we need in order to walk in our new life on this earth. Help us to glorify You on this earth just like Jesus did (John 17:4).

Thought for the Day:

Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith are not dependent upon our circumstances or our feelings or even our health, but only on the Holy Spirit within us in our new life.

My Soul Thirsts for God

Prayer is our method of communication with God. We pray in one of two ways: monologues or dialogues. A monologue prayer is one-sided. We recite a litany of needs and tell God what we want and how He should provide it. 

We even give Him the game plan that we think is His best alternative. Of course, a dialogue is two-sided, and we are quiet long enough to hear from God.

God calls us to be still and to know that He is our Almighty God (Psalm 46:10). His words to us never contradict His words in the Bible. 

If we think we hear from God, and it is contrary to His Biblical words, then we know that Satan, the counterfeit, is trying to lead us away from God’s Truth. God's sheep know His voice; and the more we listen, the more we recognize that He is speaking to us (John 10:27-33).

Have you ever been very, very thirsty? You mowed the lawn or cleaned all the windows or walked for several miles in the heat and your body is crying out for water. 

As we mature spiritually, our soul – our thoughts, choices and emotions - comes to this same place of thirsting for God (Psalm 42:1-2). The soul of a spiritual Saint is consumed with longing for more intimacy with God (Psalm 119:20).

We want all of our being to be filled with all of the fullness of God, to have the richest measure of His presence and to become a person entirely filled with God (Ephesians 3:19). 

Our soul yearns for God, even as we sleep; and our spirit seeks more intimacy with Him both day and night (Isaiah 26:9). Our body and soul ache for Him and cry out for our living God (Psalm 84:2).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that intimacy infers honesty. We cannot have a personal union with You without an agreement to completely expose our life to Your Holy Spirit. We cannot hide anything from You, because You already know everything about us (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13). 

Thank you that Jesus invites those of us who thirst after Him to come to His living water. Even those with nothing to offer to Him are welcome (Isaiah 55:1), and He freely gives us all things (Romans 8:32).

Thought for the Day:

Our intimate interludes with the Lord are our favorite times of the day.

Behavior Does Not Define Us

I used to think I was a bad girl, because I occasionally did bad things. It took me years to come to the realization that I am a good girl, even though I do bad things sometimes. I did not realize that I am a separate entity from my behavior.

I thought that my behavior defined me. I tried to earn my goodness by my behavior; then, when I failed, I felt utterly lost and worthless.

On a glorious day in February of my 18th year of life, God made real to me the fact that He bought me by the blood of Jesus and redeemed me by His Son's resurrection (1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:19). 

He came to live in me and He started the process of converting my carnal nature into the nature of Christ. He set my feet on high places (Psalm 18:33), and renewed my self-image to my true identity in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17).

I am no longer burdened by the notion that I need to be perfect in order to be loved. Father God, who created me, and Jesus, my Brother, who laid down his life for me, both love me unconditionally. I am not a mere mortal, but I am empowered and indwelt by the Spirit of the Living God (2 Corinthians 3:18).

I am not the person that I was at 18. Over the successive years of my life, God freed me from the tyranny of self-effort (Ephesians 2:8-9). He taught me that I am not a bad person, but I simply do bad things now and again. 

He is faithful and just, and He always offers me forgiveness for my transgressions at the very moment I repent of them (1 John 1:9).

We never have to allow satanic influences to condescend, criticize or bully us into thinking that we are "less than" we should be. We are actually complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). 

We are "more than" conquerors through Him, because He loves us (Romans 8:31-39). With Christ in us, we are lovable, interesting and sufficient individuals (Philippians 4:13) who are loved by the eternal King of the universe.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for redeeming us and making us special and unique individuals in Your Family. You give us victory each and every day (1 Corinthians 15:57). We continually walk in Your love and bask in Your fellowship. 

Thank You that Jesus also loves us and gave Himself up for us, as a sacrifice to atone for our sins (Ephesians 5:2).

Thank You too that we are the apple of Your eye (Zechariah 2:8; Psalm 17:8).

Thought for the Day:

We are crucified with Christ and our flesh no longer lives, because Christ lives in us and freed us from our sins by His blood. - Galatians 2:20; Revelation 1:5

The Family of God

 

God, our righteous Husbandman, grafts each of us as a branch into the vine of Christ (John 15:1, 5). He teaches us to balance our life. He reminds us to set apart time to worship Him, to fellowship with His Saints, to play with our family and friends and to help other people in their times of need. 

God gives us wisdom during our workweek, and shows us how to improve both the process and progress of our day. God’s Spirit guides us supernaturally. He gives us power, as Christ's Body on the earth, to perform greater works than Jesus did (John 14:12). 

We live for Christ, and He lives in and through us. We no longer strive, because we enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:10). We enjoy the transformed life with the nature of Christ in us. 

We do not rely on human effort and legalistic performances for salvation, but on Christ’s righteousness in us. We are a fellowship of like-mind, authentic, Born Again Believers, and a Body with a common goal. 

We commit to prefer, honor, love, accept, agree with, serve, bear with, submit to, forgive, admonish, encourage, build up and fellowship with one another. We are humble, sympathetic, compassionate, hospitable, and devoted to each other (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:10, 15:7; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 4:2, 5:21; Colossians 3:13, 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 3:8, 4:9).

God gives us the discipline of forgiveness to keep our relationships in right standing with Him and one another. We face the wounds and feel the grief deeply in our heart. 

Then we choose not to allow the offender to live rent free in our heart. If we do not forgive, He cannot forgive us (Matthew 6:14). We do not let him/her off the hook, but we put them in God's capable hands to mete our His revenge on them (Romans 12:19).

Prayer:

Father God, You amaze us in Your goodness to us. You think of everything we need; sometimes even before we realize we need it (Isaiah 65:24)! We are so grateful to You for making us fellow citizens in Your Kingdom. 

We are no longer outsiders and aliens in this world, because You made all of us members of Your own household (Ephesians 2:19). Your Word helps us to make sense of this world. We look forward to living with You in the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1).

Thought for the Day:

Behold how good and pleasant it is for the family of God to dwell together in unity. - Psalm 133:1

Living in God's Glory

Jesus is our everlasting light and life (John 6:47; Isaiah 60:19). He takes the place of the sun, moon and stars in our life; and we will never dwell in darkness again (Isaiah 60:20).
 
Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee manifested His glory and caused His disciples to truly believe in Him (John 2:11).

The Apostles all wrote about the possibility of us also enjoying the intimate, personal union with Jesus Christ, which they did. Anyone who receives Christ and believes on His name has the right to become a child of God (John 1:12; Acts 16:31).  

All we have to do to enter into this new life is to confess that Jesus is Lord and totally believe that God raised Him from the dead, so that we will be saved.

When our heart believes in Jesus, He gives us His righteousness; when we confess Him as our Lord, we enter into His eternal salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Anyone who does not have the Spirit in them is not Born Again, and they do not belong to God. 

However, if Christ is in us, His Spirit, who raised Christ from the dead, gives life to our mortal body as well as our soul and spirit (Romans 8:9-11).

As vessels of God's fullness, we walk by His Spirit and accomplish His works in the earth (Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 2:10). God's children do not live by the flesh, because God's Spirit abides in them. 

Our carnal desires are dead, so that we can rise up through the glory of our Father and walk in this new life in Him (Romans 6:3-5). God freely gives us all things, both to enjoy and to help us to do His will (1 Timothy 6:17; Philippians 2:12-13).

Prayer:

Father God, Satan is the god of this world and creation is subjected to him and the curse of sin. Therefore, all creation groans for the appearance of Your children. 

Creation is waiting for You to restore Your order to the heavens and earth, and to bring us all into Your glory and freedom (Romans 8:19-22). Christ in us is our hope of entering into Your glory forever (Colossians 1:27). Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).

Thought for the Day:

We receive the glory of the Lord through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by faith in Him to justify us, not by our human efforts, but by our faith in Him. 
- Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9

Our Source of Power

There are only two sources of power on this earth: God and Satan. We will serve one and hate the other. Satan wants us to worship and to serve him. He attempts to convince us that we do not want to wait until the glories of heaven to receive our reward. He promises temporal rewards, which entertain and satisfy our flesh now.

Most people are so earthly minded, that they choose to serve in Satan’s Kingdom. They want instant gratification, so they give in to his enticements. The actual truth, however, is that serving King Jesus also has plenty of rewards right here on this earth, starting with peace of mind and fulfillment (1 Peter 5:5-11; John 15:8-10). God gives us every resource we need to live a successful life.

Fear or doubt can cripple our faith. Faith comes by believing the Word of God; fear comes by believing Satan's lies. Satan's lies are always contrary to God's Word. Satan tries to tempt us to focus on our problems, and he offers us a substitute like alcohol or drugs instead of real help. However, there is no problem too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:27). As we direct our cares to God, He proves that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

Prayer:

Father God, lead us by Your Holy Spirit to accomplish Your works throughout our lifetime. We depend on You each moment of the day. Help us to accept others in their walk with You, without expecting them to walk on the same path that we do. Remind us to forgive those who despitefully use us, so that You can forgive us (Matthew 5:44). Guide us and anoint us to break the yokes of bondage, which keep people under satanic authority. Set them free by Your Spirit within us.

Thought for the Day:

Satan cannot overcome us without our consent.

Messengers of God's Love

 

God abides within every one of His children. He makes His presence known to us in our spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The intimacy of His presence within us fills our heart with peace and joy as we focus our mind on Him (Isaiah 26:3). Regardless of the tribulation we endure, we can recognize God's hand in it. He uses our trials for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

Trials are God's messengers of love, preparing us for what we will face in the future, building Godly character in our soul - our mind, choices and feelings - and proving to us the extent of His power and love for us. We can accept testing without reservation as God's emissary of love. When we are the weakest, then we are the strongest in Him.

We glory in our limitations, because then the power of God can work in and through us (2 Corinthians 12:9-11). As we wait on the Lord each moment of the day, His Spirit guides us and prepares the way for us (Isaiah 40:31). We can continually abide in God's presence. He never withdraws from us; it is our sin, which separates us from Him (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Yet, repentance brings forgiveness and restores our fellowship with our Lord and King. As we dwell in Christ, He keeps us safe (Psalm 27:5). Therefore, we can rejoice in our trials, knowing that they are only temporary (James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6). We rejoice because our hope is in Christ alone, regardless of the circumstances occurring in our life.

God's Spirit helps us to be patient during our tribulation, especially as we constantly pray throughout the trial (Romans 12:12). We can take heart and walk in peace, because Christ in us overcomes the trials through us (John 16:33), and nothing can ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:35-39). This life is only worth living if we live it in God's will and way.

Prayer:

Father God, allow Your Holy Spirit to fill us through our entire being with the fullest amount of your divine Presence, so that we are completely overflowing with all of Your spiritual richness (Ephesians 3:19). Let Your Spirit dwell in us and lead us in Your paths throughout our life. In every trial, You hide us in the shelter of Your tabernacle and You set our feet high on the Rock of Christ (Psalm 18:2).

Thought for the Day:

The Lord will rescue us from all of our trials. - 2 Peter 2:9

 

Fellowshipping With God

God rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). He delights in us when we make a joyful noise to Him. He does not require skilled voices or instruments. He just wants us to spend time with Him. He enjoys us coming into His presence with singing. He is our God and He made us to fellowship with Him.

 

Fortunately for us, our salvation does not depend on our human effort. God just wants us to serve Him with gladness, and not grudgingly. We are His sheep and He is our Shepherd. He watches out for us and protects us from satanic interference. He provides us with healthy Biblical teaching and His living water sustains us throughout our lifetime.

 

Our prayer life includes more than petitions. First, we enter His gates with thanksgiving and then into His courts with praise. The Lord is good. His mercies are eternal and His truth continues throughout every generation. We are thankful to Him for His bountiful provision in our life and we bless His holy name (Psalm 100:1-5).

 

In fellowship with us, God's love burns deeply into our soul - our mind, choices and emotions. He permanently changes our thoughts and the way we feel about life, which affect the choices we make. We emerge from our sessions of fellowship with God exhibiting the mind of Christ and able to make intercession for those whom God's Spirit places on our heart (1 Corinthians 2:16).

 

Prayer:

Father God, help us to relinquish the control of our life to Your Holy Spirit. He prays for us and through us, and guides us and empowers us to do Your will (Romans 8:26; John 14:26, 16:13). Remind us that in our peak of health, or even in our most debilitating sickness, in riches and poverty, and in our youth and old age, we can still function as a prayer warrior in fellowship with You.

Thought for the Day:

God is looking for people to come and fellowship with Him. Will you join Him?

Trials are not Punitive

 

Some people think that if someone is going through a prolonged illness, time out of work, heart-wrenching grief or a trial of some sort, that God is trying to teach them something; and that once they learn it, they will be freed from the trial. Those in the trial beat themselves up by thinking they need to pray more, read their Bible more or make some attempt to appease God's wrath.

This causes people to doubt their connection to the Lord and gives them hours of unrest and soul searching. Trials are not only times of correction and repentance, but also of renewal and sweet fellowship with our Father God. God is jealous and enjoys having us all to Himself. We find our self lost in the presence of God. We surrender all control to Him.

During times of trial, we have an abundance of time to spend with God. When we think back on those days of horrid illness, stress or persecution, we smile; not because we are masochists and love pain, but because our normal schedule is totally interrupted and we have free time. We are isolated from the world and able to spend that sweet time of oneness with the Lord.

Often, the Lord will give us a "holiday" through a trial, during which we can spend focused time worshipping the Beloved of our soul. During trials, do not trust in your own efforts or expect generosity from family, church and friends. Instead, wait with your whole soul – your mind, will and emotions – and put complete hope in the Lord and His Word.

Prayer:

Father God, You hear our voice in the morning, as we lay our requests before you and wait expectantly on You (Psalm 5:3). You love to spend all of Your time with each one of us. The next time we are without work, isolated by sickness or find our self alone through the death of a loved one or the devastation of divorce, we will take this time to spend entirely with You. When we do, we always find our self irrevocably changed in spirit, soul and body.

Thought for the Day:

We walk in the ways of the Lord and wait for Him, because His name and fame are the desires of our heart. - Isaiah 26:8

Belief or Unbelief

 

 

Unbelief is the only sin, which prevents us from enjoying eternity in Heaven (Romans 11:20; Ephesians 3:18; Galatians 2:16). Therefore, God gives every person ever born a measure of faith to help us to believe in His redemptive work, and to claim our salvation through Christ (Romans 12:3). Then He gives us a portion of faith in order to function in the gifts He gives us through His Spirit (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:9; Galatians 5:22-23).

If we depend on our human effort for our salvation, we fall short of God's glory; however, if we believe in and trust in Him who justifies the ungodly, God credits our faith toward our right standing with Him (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:5, 9:32). Our God justifies Jews and non-Jews alike (Romans 9:30). There is no one on this earth that He does not desire to reconcile to Himself (Romans 3:30).

Since this is true, why do so many good people refuse to believe? Some have never heard that Jesus loves them. Others fail to realize the manuscript evidence, which proves the Bible is true. People need to know that we find peace with God through our faith in the justification provided for us by the Lord Jesus Christ through His crucifixion, death and resurrection (Romans 5:1).

He also gives us access to God's grace, so that we can rejoice in the hope of sharing in His glory (Romans 5:2). His Word is in our heart and in our mouth, in order to share it with those who also need salvation (Romans 10:8, 17, 1:18-32). We can present to them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is based upon the foundation of Biblical truth established by practical evidence and human history.

Prayer:

Father God, allow us to walk in the truth that we are crucified with Christ. Teach us what it means to live in this flesh by the faith of the Son of God, who loves us, when at the same time Christ lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20). Help us to stand firm in our faith and to walk by faith rather than to rely on our earthly senses (1 Corinthians 16:13; 2 Corinthians 1:24, 5:7). Remind us to examine ourselves to prove our faith and that Christ abides within us (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

Thought for the Day: Our faith does not rest on human wisdom, but on the power of God. - 1 Corinthians 2:5

 

Surviving Human Relationships

Human relationships are usually based on feelings, which draw us together. However, feelings may also sever the association, because of a lack of communication and personal issues of inadequacy. We mentally interject words and thoughts into a conversation, which are not there, and act accordingly. We feel unloved, rejected and misunderstood. Then, we just give up.

God wants to reprogram our thoughts, which are currently based on lies from the devil ( www.theophostic.com ), with His own words, which tell us the truth about our worth and our victory in Christ. God chose us before the foundation of the world, so we have no need to feel inadequate (Isaiah 43:10). There is not one issue in life, which can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:31-39).

God builds us up (Acts 20:32), when people put us down. His right hand supports us (Psalm 63:8), when others reject us. He provides for us (Philippians 4:19), when Satan tries to steal from us, and kill and destroy us (John 10:10). When we are afraid, He redeems us and calls us by our name, because we are His (Isaiah 43:1). He loves us and considers us as precious in His sight (Isaiah 43:4).

God engraves us on the palm of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). He gives us sure footing regardless of the situation we are living through (Habakkuk 3:19). God chose us as a holy, royal priesthood. We are His special possession. We praise Him, because He called us out of darkness and brought us into the world of His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

Authentic Christian relationships survive the plagues of the world, and the flesh and the devil, which attempt to drive a wedge between two people. There are no issues in a marriage, which justify divorce. A time of separation can free us from the circumstances of the moment and give God time to work out reconciliation between both parties.

Prayer:

Father God, we love you. You are our strength, our rock, our fortress and our deliverer. You are our source of salvation and our stronghold in times of trouble. We take refuge in You. We call on You, who are worthy of praise, and You save us from those who would bring us harm (Psalm 18:1-3). We give You all the praise that is worthy of Your name. Thank You for keeping us as the apple of Your eye (Psalm 17:8).

Thought for the Day:

We can rest secure in God, because He shields us all day long and carries us on His shoulders. - Deuteronomy 33:12