Reaping if We Do Not Faint

Once we come to Christ, His Spirit immediately initiates His sanctifying work in our soul - our mind, will and emotions. He calls us to allow Him to work in and through us as we choose to walk in holiness.

We rarely see the fruit of our labors on this earth. If our efforts are rejected or our advice is ignored, we want to quit trying. However, the book of Hebrews tells us not to discard our confidence (Hebrews 10:35),

Paul promises that if we do not grow weary, we will eventually reap a great reward for God. God's Word encourages us to have patience, so that as we do the will of God, we will receive His promise (Galatians 6:9).

God calls us to walk out our own salvation, but He also assures us that He will give us the power both to have the desire and the ability to do His will. This partnership actually brings Him pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).

Therefore, when we get discouraged, we can refocus on God’s plan and purpose for our lives, we can confidently do the works that God calls us to do, and we can keep the holy fire burning within us, leaving the results of our ministry to the Lord.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that our salvation, sanctification and ministry for Your glory throughout our life are all initiated and fulfilled by Your calling on our life and Your Spirit and presence which abide within us.

This takes out all of the stress in our life and allows us to enter Your rest and to walk in Your peace. We thank You for Your love, care and provision for us every day of our life, for guarding us through perilous times and for seeing us through the darkest nights. We trust in You implicitly and we give You all of the praise and glory, which is due to Your name (Matthew 6:9-13).

Thought for the Day:

In this world, we often sow in tears; but as faithful followers of the Lord, we will reap with joyful shouts and bring with us the fruit of our labors. 
- Psalm 126:5-6

A Faithful Life

The Lord actually searches for faithful people to be His companions. He prefers authentic people who live honorably and respectably, and who serve Him with their whole heart (Psalm 101:6).

He enjoys fellowshipping with us as we pray without ceasing, exhorting us to walk in His ways, disciplining us for crossing the safety barriers that He erects around our life, and gloriously providing for all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).

He even appreciates opportunities to sit with us in companionable silence, or as we praise His name out of the abundance of our heart.

In every church family there are those who are convicted of their sin, but not yet converted from a lifestyle of sin; and also carnal Christians who prefer living for the flesh and their own goals and dreams rather than for the Lord.

Yet, there are also those spiritually maturing Saints who usually put God's will first each moment of their day. They consult Him before taking any action or volunteering to participate in any activity or ministry that presents itself (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Bearing the fruit of God's Spirit is the sign of an authentic Christian (Galatians 5:15-25). As doers of the Word, we delight in His life-giving scripture (James 1:22).

Although we grow at differing rates in our spiritual maturity, we will not remain carnal babes all of our life (1 Corinthians 3:1). We gradually grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ who abides within us (Ephesians 4:13).

Prayer:

Father God, if we give in to temptation and sin, we still reap what we sow, and we break Your heart in the process. Every time we sin we are allowing the flesh to control our behavior rather than Your Spirit. Once we are truly saved, we no longer seek our own life, because Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4). Although we still falter in our behavior from time to time, we no longer live a sinful lifestyle.

Remind us that authentic faith in Jesus produces a life of good works that furthers Your Kingdom in the earth (James 2:14-26; Ephesians 2:8-10). We want to please You with our thoughts, bring You glory with our words, and build Your Kingdom through our actions.

Thought for the Day:

Some people are not actually Born Again, and they are not a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17); they were convicted of their sin, but not converted; they participate in religious activities, which make them feel closer to God and His Saints, but they are not truly saved. 

- 1 John 2: 19; Matthew 7:21; 25:1-13; John 3:3; 2 Timothy 3:5

Using Anger to Protect Our Self

Passionate people often over-react passionately. We use anger to solve our problems and to deal with adversarial relationships; yet, it complicates the issues more often than helps them.

Anger is not our primary emotion; it masks our underlying hurt or disappointment, our impatience or exhaustion, our frustration or a pet peeve, etc.

Sometimes we feel anger for no apparent reason. We have buried the real issues in our subconscious mind and for some reason our soul is denying their existence. A searching inventory of our soul may help us to identify the root cause of our feelings of anger.

This vague anger is protecting us from some real or imagined slight or wound that life's circumstances or some individual inflicted on us. Our inventory of our emotions will reveal this source, unless we detached our thoughts from the event.

This dissociation is used to protect our self from feeling the overwhelming deprivation, abuse, neglect or shame perpetrated on us by some outside source. We can ask our self, "Who do I feel anger towards?" or "About what event am I feeling anger?"

We may feel anger toward God, fueled from disappointment because He did not answer our pray in the way we think that He should. Once we completely learn to accept and abide in His will, this never happens any more.

When we attempt to use anger to overcome our perceived problem or to control the outcome, we are actually using blank bullets. Anger never solves any issue, but only compounds them, because it wounds those whom we should love the most.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that negative emotions are harmful to our body, soul and spirit. You allow us to feel anger, but exhort us not to allow anger to lead us into sinful thoughts or behavior (Ephesians 4:26-27). Anger is not a beneficial emotion and will destroy our relationships, our physical and mental health, and will not really change our circumstances.

Casting all of our cares on You (1 Peter 5:7) is the real solution to any issue that threatens to overwhelm us. You can see the matter from Your perspective rather than our limited, human perception and You can bring resolution and healing by Your Words of Truth. We trust in You with all of our heart and we do not want to depend on our human understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Thought for the Day:

Only a fool loses his/her temper frequently; a wise person trusts God rather than rely on anger for protection, because it does not achieve the righteousness of God. We are to be quick to hear, slow to speak and very slow to anger. - James 1:19-20, Proverbs 29:11

Child-like Faith

 

A young child is naïve, innocent, unprejudiced, accepting of others' faults, unassuming, frank, sincere, impulsive, free-spirited and guileless.

They are also self-centered, stubborn, willful, demanding and disobedient at times. A child has no secrets and will tell the whole world his/her parents' secrets too.

They are unsuspicious, defenseless, undisciplined, and cannot provide for their own needs - trusting that their parents will care for them.

As authentic Christians, God desires that we emulate the positive traits of a child in order to enter into His Kingdom. He encourages us to exhibit limitless faith, trust, hope, love and unbridled joy (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We come to Christ in humble simplicity, confessing our sins and throwing our self on His grace and mercy, which is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Then daily, we grow more and more trusting and reliant on our Father God to supply all of our needs (Romans 8:17). We learn to totally depend on His provision, love, care, presence and Spirit within us (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Abiding in Christ as He abides in us, enables us to mature spiritually into seasoned Christians with the mind of Christ (Matthew 18:4). As we mature, we never lose our child-like qualities that God encourages and desires in all of us.

We throw our self on His mercy each day and watch in amazement as He meets all of our needs though His glorious riches. Even when a vision, that He gives us for ministry, appears hopeless, He always comes through at the last minute in ways that allow Him to receive all of the glory.

Prayer:

Father God, give us the heart of a little child, trusting and true. Help us to walk in sincerity without any guile. Teach us to totally depend upon the guidance of Your Holy Spirit throughout our day. Thank You for providing for our daily needs as we seek first Your Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

Help us to walk in unity with Your children and to prefer one another with compassion and grace as we walk in Your peace. Use us to further Your Kingdom in this earth. We look forward to spending eternity with all of Your Saints from every nation and tribe throughout all generations.

Thought for the Day:
Humility prevents us from depending on our human abilities, and makes us realize how imperative it is for us to live with childlike dependence upon our Father God.

Enjoying God's Presence within Us

My major talents are in the area of crafts. I love to do anything that involves string and a needle, beads, or paper and glue. Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, making jewelry and greeting cards, and quilling with paper are all enjoyable and relaxing for me.

Therefore, when I turned my life over to Christ, I feared that I had no talents, which He could use for His Kingdom. I had little more than a genuine trust in Him.

Over the years, I learned that with salvation comes the gift of faith to accomplish all that God calls us to do in our lifetime (Matthew 17:20). No task, which God plans for us to perform, remains beyond His anointing on us to carry it out.

Our faith works in harmony with the works which God's Spirit leads us to do for Him each moment of the day. These experiences perfect our faith by teaching us to walk in the Spirit and to enjoy the presence of God within us (James 2:22).

We never walk alone, because God fills us with all of His fullness. Works become an indication of our salvation, rather than a prerequisite for it (Ephesians 2:8-10). We learn to obey the Spirit’s promptings in our life regardless of our talents, circumstances or knowledge.

If we give aid to someone outside of God’s will for that person or for us, then we are actually enabling and rescuing, rather than assisting them in a healthy way. Our goal in life is to follow the Spirit’s leading in everything we say and do.

Prayer:
Father God, lead us by Your Spirit moment-by-moment throughout the day, so that we may accomplish the greater works that You commissioned us to perform (John 14:12). Help us to discern the difference between our natural talents and Your gifts and calling on our life.

Remind us that Your Spirit in us is infinitely greater than the boundaries of all of our abilities. You do use our natural talents to bless others at times, but help us to see that our greatest success and fulfillment come by walking in Your Spirit rather than by our own human understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Thought for the Day:
It is not always wise to fill every need that our compulsive compassion prompts us to provide; Jesus helped everyone He felt our Father God leading Him to assist, but He did not help everyone.

Taking Obedient Steps

The masses of humanity wake up each morning with their own agenda in mind. They rev up their caffeine driven adrenaline and pursue their goals and desires for the day.

Many live in fear that they will miss out on some imagined benefit that they are counting on receiving (Ecclesiastes 5:1). The sad result of this behavior is that they fail to take advantage of the opportunity that God gives us to obey Him and to live in His joy and peace on this earth.

If they had only waited a little longer and walked with God a little further, the effort of their obedience would bring more lasting rewards than reaping the carnal results that they are looking for now (1 Samuel 13:13).

Whenever we live outside of God’s will, incalculable anguish and desolation is inevitable both in this life and in the next (John 3:18); yet, living in God's will is the happiest place on earth.

If we walk in obedience to God's Spirit moment by moment throughout our day, we grow in our knowledge of Christ, hear His voice more readily, and reap the positive results of our behavior.

The tasks that God gives us fits into His overall plan. We may not see the fruit of our efforts until years after the event. At other times, we will not even know the effect of our obedience until eternity dawns and God opens the eyes of our understanding.

This is not important, however. Delayed gratification provides a way of gaining assured pleasure in the future. It is like making deposits into our savings account.

We bring God glory with every obedient step we take, regardless of the outcome. God wants complete devotion to Him from a dedicated heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:33). Sometimes, that is the only result for which He is looking.

Prayer:

Father God, do not allow us to depend on our human abilities to solve the issues that life throws at us, because we crowd out Your voice in the midst of the cacophony of static we experience in everyday life (Galatians 5:15-25). If we do forget to follow You, we chance spending time now and for eternity doomed to reaping the curse of our own decisions and actions (John 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:3).

Help us not to suppress Christ's saving work in us, or to grieve Your Holy Spirit's presence in our life by ignoring You throughout our week. Remind us that we do not need to strive to keep every word of the law in order to gain Your favor, because Your love is a free gift (John 3:16; Romans 6:23).

Thought for the Day:

If we never repent of our willful disobedience and totally submit to the will of God, we will spend eternity suffering more than we have ever hurt in this lifetime.

God is Always with Us

God cares for His children, just as He cares for the birds and lilies. As we seek God’s purpose for our life and walk in His ways, we have His guarantee that He will provide for us (Matthew 6:25-33). He works out all things, even the most difficult of events, for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

We no longer entertain any anxiety in our soul about our life. We take no thought about the fundamental needs of food and shelter. Even if we wander in the desert of life, God sends clouds for shade, fire to keep us warm, manna and quail to eat and shoes and garments, which never wear out (Exodus).

King David experienced every type of mental and physical anguish that we do. He worked out his feelings through writing psalms as his "journal". Now, David’s words provide solace for us too.

David expressed the full gamut of human pain, as well as the consolation, which the Lord constantly provided for him. The joy of the Lord was his constant strength, as it is for us (Nehemiah 8:10).

The only time the joy of the Lord flees from us is when we languish in our illnesses, our sorrow or our petty concerns, rather than looking to God to see us through them. His grace provides for our every need and is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In the dark places of life, we want a friend. The Body of Christ provides just such comfort for us, as well as Christ who dwells within our spirit. The presence of Jesus, “Emanuel”, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), fills each of us.

God gives us His peace as He comforts our troubled soul (John 14:27). His hope prophesies that God is always with us, no matter what circumstance we encounter (Psalm 139:7-14; Proverbs 18:24).

These difficulties produce His character in our soul and prove to us that He is worthy of our praise and trust. Jesus is our bread of life (John 6:35), and He is our all sufficiency (2 Corinthians 9:8). He fills every chamber in our body, soul and spirit with His peace, love and comfort, presence and Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, our faith increases with every verse of scripture on which we meditate, and in every moment that we spend in abiding in Christ within us (Colossians 1:27), as well as every time we turn to You in our weakness. We surrender the control of our life to You, we take no thought for what tomorrow may hold, and we forgive our self for the sins of our past.

Remind us that any negative emotions signal an area of our life, which we did not yet surrender to Your Lordship in our life. Help us to clarify our feelings, to locate the root of the negative ones and to surrender the issues causing them to Your faithfulness. We look to You for your love, peace and joy, which come to us through the presence of Your Holy Spirit in our life (Romans 14:17).

Thought for the Day:

God's solace permeates our soul – our mind, decisions and emotions – to the same level and extent to which we allow Him the full reign and control over our life.

A Good Marriage - Expectations and Reality

In every starry-eyed couple there are private perceptions, life-long dreams and goals, individual personal needs and expectations that we assume our fiance shares.

We talk about particulars as we date, such as: cities and styles of home in which we want to live, number of children we desire and childcare options, hobbies, preferred foods and furniture décore, etc.

However, we avoid discussing some of the most important issues, simply because we assume that we share the same expectations. After the honeymoon these assumptions may cause huge issues in our relationship.

If we continue to avoid talking about them, then disappointment may turn to resentment and bitterness; anger may seethe below the surface of our emotions and erupt over lesser disagreements, causing our mate to wonder who they really married.

Living in peace with one another is the better option. Taking the time to mutually pray about and discuss our differences will allow us to find an alternate way of thinking and acting with which we can both agree. 

This mutual respect will go a long way to resolve the matters and avoid future conflicts. Jesus loves us while we are still sinners and He abides within us; therefore, we can love one another even though we do not fulfill one another's expectations.

Working through these issues during a time when we are not stressed and preoccupied, and when we can both focus on each other's needs, will provide both of us with a sense of love and well-being, joy and respect, perseverance and maturity, and relational longevity.

Prayer:

Father God, we all have good intentions when we marry, but we soon fall into the trap of taking each other for granted, giving up on dating rituals that made us fall in love with each other, no longer really listening to each other and taking one another seriously when we share our personal needs and concerns, and forgetting to forgive each other for putting everyone and everything else as a greater priority over our relationship.

Please inspire us to focus on each other, second only to You. Help us to admit our faults to one another, to ask for forgiveness, and to make sure that we are actually hearing the intent behind our mate's words without making new assumptions that will cause future hurts and bitterness. We want to honor You with every aspect of our life, including our marriage.  

Thought for the Day:

These times of giving and receiving unify us more completely as a couple, soften our heart toward one another, cause us to draw closer to God, to open our ears so we can hear what we are truly saying to each other, and also to bind us together with a sense of unity and security.

Apostate or Carnal?

Sometimes, it is hard to differentiate between an Apostate and a Carnal Christian. Only God knows for sure if someone is a Believer or an Unbeliever (John 3:16-18). Since eternal security is a fact of Scripture, the Carnal Christian is still saved.

Carnal literally means “fleshly.” Paul considers fleshly Believers saved, because he calls them brethren, but he describes them as “carnal” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3, 3:15; John 10: 28; Romans 8: 37-39; 1 John 5:13).  

No one is without sin except Jesus (1 John 1:8-9). Authentic Christians may fall into temptation and sin. However, Carnal Christians sin regularly and actually disregard many of God's precepts.

Those who continue to live in rebellion to God’s Word will justify their fleshly, unscriptural behavior and try to entice others to join them in their sin. They hang out at bars, and sometimes even use drugs, steal, etc.

Some are mean and inconsiderate. They cuss, watch R- and X-rated movies, covet worldly goods, gossip and may even be unfaithful to their mate.

If we hang around with carnal Christians or the unsaved who profess to be saved, we may be swayed to partake in their sin (Genesis 39:7-12; Psalm 26:5, 50:18; Proverbs 1:10, 4:23, 6:27, 13:20, 16:29, 22:3; Matthew 5:8; 6:13; 18:8,9; Romans 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 1 Timothy 6:21; 1 Peter 4:3,4).

Carnal Christians continually receive correction and discipline from our Heavenly Father (Hebrews 12: 5-11). We gradually lay down our sin and become more like Jesus.

Apostates are those who were convicted of their sin, prayed for salvation, but continue to pursue a sinful lifestyle. Nothing really changes in their life. They tasted the things of God and decided the price was too high.

Apostates may pursue religious activities, but they are never committed or serious in their walk with God. They eventually walk away entirely and renounce God.

God is attempting to direct us all to repentance from our dead works (Hebrews 6:1). He constantly calls the unsaved to believe in Him and to totally surrender their life to Him (John 3:16 -17).

Prayer:

Father God, please search my heart and know me. Try me and see if there is any wicked way in me. Then, lead me in Your everlasting way (Psalm 139:23). You call us to rise up to live as examples of a Believer (1 Timothy 4:12) and to be teachers of the solid food of Your Word (Hebrews 5:12-14). Help us to be models of Your Truth to unbelievers and Carnal Christians, so they will see our good works and glorify You (Matthew 5:16).

As Authentic Christians, remind us to treat unsaved people and Carnal Christians with Your love and nurture; but not to hang out with them on a regular basis (Hebrews 10:26; Luke 8:5; Jeremiah 5:23). Remind us that Your Word exhorts those of us who are spiritual to gently exhort those who are walking in ungodly behavior by lovingly sharing Your truth with them (Galatians 6:1).

Thought for the Day:

God wants us to allow Him to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 12:1-2); as we surrender our life to Him, we will exhibit more spirituality and less carnality through the sanctifying process of His Holy Spirit within us.

Finding Freedom in Surrender - Lessons Learned

I learned to survive life by adopting an "unsinkable Molly Brown" attitude.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Brown) 

Every person alive experiences some type of abuse from someone, in some area, at some age, time and circumstance or another.

Living with a rage-aholic dad and emotionally distant mom as I grew into an adult, recovering after natural disasters, losing many of my "treasures" by repeatedly moving from one place to another during marriage, divorced by my husband of 22 years, etc. all gave me a huge sense of insecurity about life.

I could count on no one, but myself; and I realized that I needed to prepare in order to survive even the worst of circumstances. I continually pulled myself up by my "bootstraps" and lived to face another day.

I clung to my defense mechanisms of bombastic anger and codependence in my endeavor to control life. These choices actually caused more trouble for me and those closest to me than they helped.

God finally brought me to a place of so much loss that I realized I was failing miserably in my attempts to control life and to prevent any further hurt to my body, soul or spirit.

Through surrender, we realize that all things, even the most negative and horrendous event is as God ordained it to be, unless we caused our circumstances by our willful disobedience or our failure to walk in His Spirit (Galatians 5:15-25).

The Lord taught me to "Let Go and Let God"; to live in the moment; to readily admit my faults; and to make apologies when needed, because I would not be consumed by shame if I did.

Surrendering to God's will allows us to enter God's rest, to luxuriate in His love and peace, and to put the weight of our current trial in His heart - letting go of all of the worry and stress. 

I even bought a heart-shaped box and I write down all of my worries and physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and literally deposit them into God's heart. This shifts all of my faith and energy from control to surrender.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for teaching me to enter into my spirit and to face life through Your Spirit rather than through my soul - my mind, choices and emotions. You instructed me to put a boundary between me and my current circumstance, which would allow me the freedom to journal my thoughts and feelings and to find Your perspective on what is happening in my life.

You taught me to embrace trials rather than to resist them, because You plant a seed for a miracle in each one of them. You are constantly teaching me patience through my suffering, which is making me more perfect, complete and in need of no good thing, because You are giving me the mind and perspective of Christ to victoriously survive the issues in this world (James 1:4-5; 1 Corinthians 2:16).

Thought for the Day:

We will not allow life to distract us to the extent that we forfeit God's grace and mercy; so that we may live in His joy and peace, rather than to wallow in worry and unrest.

Freedom through Prayer

Authentic Christians rely on the Lord as our strength and our shield. We trust in Him with our whole heart, because He always helps us and fills our heart with His joy as our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

We constantly break out into songs of thanksgiving to Him for all that He does for us (Psalm 28:7). He is worthy of our praise, even if He allows us to experience trials in this world.

We often cause our own trials by our thoughts, emotions and choices. If we keep blaming others for our failure nothing ever improves and we are kept in bondage by our anxiety and our past.

If we allow God's Spirit to make us humble, we realize we are powerless in this life. Powerlessness leads to surrender, and surrender inspires us to enjoy true serenity.

Serenity is a deep peace, which transcends our circumstance. God's peace leads to joy that does not depend on positive experiences. Then joy leads to more peace and acceptance of God's will for us.

The happiness that the world provides is fickle at best. It ebbs and flows with the tides of life. God's joy gives us energy to follow the leading of His Spirit as we live through each moment of our day.

When we live moment by moment we have no need to live in regret over the past or fear of the future (Galatians 5:15-25). We plan our activities for the day according to the leading of God's Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us how to pray without ceasing at the same time that we live out the responsibilities of our daily lives. Since we cannot stay on our knees in our prayer closet all day long, we must learn to pray during each moment of our schedule. Thank You for giving us the opportunity to pray about every moment as You give it to us.

When we ask You what You want us to do, help us to follow Your Spirit's leading and accomplish Your will in every moment of our life. Each new endeavor throughout our day is bathed in prayer and we lean on Your strength and provision rather than our human understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Thought for the Day:

Humility admits that we cannot, and acknowledges that God can; and life flows so much smoother when we bathe each moment in prayer.

Come as a Child to the Father

Jesus told us that unless with turn from our sin and become like a trusting little child, we will never get into the Kingdom of God (Matthew 18:3).

I love getting in touch with the part of my soul that was and still is a little child. I had to learn to nurture that part of myself, because my parents had issues that prevented them from setting a nurturing example.

They were great providers and loved us to the best of their ability; but sadly, the wounds from their past held them in bondage all the days of their lives.

When the disciples tried to discourage the children from taking up Jesus’ time, He firmly reprimanded them with the words, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."

Little children are dependent. They have no self-centered pride, which prevents them from total trust in our Father God. They live in simplicity, often playing more with the box, which contained our expensive gift to them, than they play with our actual gift.

Uncontaminated by the world, children are loyal, truthful, unpretentious and trusting. They feel no need to wear a mask and never think twice about their transparency, honesty and sincerity.

They have few fear and insecurities until as adults we teach them to fear different aspects of life. All they really crave is our focused attention and dedicated time.

Prayer:

Father God, You actually want us to lay aside our childish carnality and to grow into mature Saints (1 Corinthians 3:1). You do not want us dependent upon the milk of the Word forever, but to grow up to eat solid spiritual food (1 Corinthians 3:2). Yet, at the same time, you encourage us to trust You with a child-like faith.

You also desire for us to have confidence to approach Your throne in our times of need (Hebrews 4:16); however, we are to derive our confidence from Your love and faithfulness and not from our own abilities or what we think we deserve. A childlike mind is open to being taught by Your Word and led into all truth by Your Spirit (John 16:13).

Thought for the Day:

In the same manner that a parent enjoys feeding, cuddling, providing for and protecting their child, our loving Father spoils His beloved children, who give themselves entirely and only to Him with trust in His loving kindness.

Benefits of a Life in Christ

There is a fine line between attaining and obtaining salvation. We achieve a goal either by attaining it through hard work or by obtaining possession of it through little effort of our own (Hebrew 4:10).

For years I strove to keep all of God's commandments to the letter of the law. I wanted to please God and to pay Him back for His sacrifice for me on the cross. I tried to attain Salvation by my own efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Most religions require their followers to attain paradise through an uphill struggle throughout life. Christianity is just the opposite, however. I heard it said, “Christianity is the only religion where God came down to man.”

We are actually encouraged to cease from all striving as God did from creation on the seventh day. Then we walk in the Spirit and trust God's wisdom and grace as He achieves through us the results that He lead us to accomplish.

When Christ takes possession of our spirit, He gives us His rest for our soul – our mind, will and emotions. His righteousness, peace and joy give us a new life, which replaces our life of worry, abuse and deprivation (Romans 14:17).

We no longer seek to sanctify our self by crucifying our flesh or by our works for God (Galatians 3:1-3), but we accept the work of Christ on the cross for us, which gives us eternal salvation simply by our relationship with Him (John 17:3).

Prayer:

Father God, You provide all of our needs according to Your glorious riches (Philippians 4:19). We live in ceaseless wonder at the sacrifice You made for us and at the heavenly home, which You provide for us, as we abide in You forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Teach us to walk by Your Spirit each moment of every day (Galatians 5:16-25).

By faith, we accept Your sacrifice on our behalf (Hebrews 7:22), and we submit to Your Spirit as You crucify the deeds of our flesh (Romans 15:16). We enter into You rest and obtain Your righteousness as a free gift (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). We love You above all and give You all of the praise and glory due to Your name.

Thought for the Day:

The Holy Spirit transforms the lives He inhabits; so we stop striving and obtain the gifts God has for us by following His lead during each moment of the day.

Life Changers

The Good News of the gospel of Christ is that authentic Believers died with Jesus and are hidden with Him in God (Colossians 3:3-4). He is our life and we are the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).

The more we recognize our union with Christ, the deeper our intimacy with Him grows. Our interest in the affairs, pursuits and pleasures of this world diminish as we put on the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

The mind of Christ infuses our thoughts, desires, motives and actions. We come to the place, like Jesus did, that we speak and act only what we hear and see from our Heavenly Father (John 5:19).

The fruit of God's Spirit transforms our fleshly nature (Galatians 5:22-23). We enthusiastically submit our free will to the will of God for our life – our human will submits to His divine will.

We know without a doubt that the will of God is more perfectly intended for our good than our human will could ever hope to provide for us.

God knows the end from the beginning. His judgment is flawless. He infuses our body, spirit and soul – our mind, will and emotions - with the power of His Holy Spirit.

The only hindrance to this transformation comes when we allow our humanity to overpower the Spirit of Christ within us. Our only hope is to totally immersing our self in the divine nature of God though Christ within us.

Prayer:

Father God, our identity as a human being is dead. Our unique personality is only alive through Christ who wants to live His life through each one of us individually (Galatians 2:20). Teach us that the way to walk out this union with Christ is to live, move and have our being only and fully in Him (Acts 17:28).

We follow the leading of Your Holy Spirit moment by moment throughout our day; and You make us lights in this world, a city on a hill. Help us not to do anything that diminishes Your light in us (Matthew 5:14). We live to praise, honor and obey You. You make a huge difference in our life. Thank You for making us life changers.

Thought for the Day:
As we live in Christ and allow Him to love us and to love others through us, He makes a huge difference in us and in our world.

A More Excellent Way

God wants only what is best for us. His laws and precepts are designed to keep us healthy, wealthy and wise. He gives us the best gifts and shows us a more excellent way to live (1 Corinthians 12:31).

Jesus taught us that humility and service are the best course of action (Matthew 5:3-12). Solomon could have asked for anything this world offers and requested only wisdom to care for God's people (1 Kings 3:9).

Of course, God fulfilled his request and also gave him riches and fame as well. In his wisdom, Solomon knew God's principles of sewing and reaping. He sought God's Kingdom and reaped an abundance of everything he ever needed.

We can learn from Jesus and Solomon and walk in God's more excellent ways as well. We honor God in all that we think, say and do.

At the moment of salvation, Authentic Believers are as full of the Trinity as we will ever get. However, we can draw closer to God, more intimate with Him, each day.

We bear the fruit of God's Spirit in increasing fullness. We glorify God in word and deed, and we keep His will as the center of our focus each moment of every day.

As we take care of God's business, He takes care of ours. We seek His Kingdom first, and He adds to our life everything we need (Matthew 6:33).

Prayer:

Father God, we want You to reveal to us Your more excellent way. Teach us to do only Your will for each moment of our day. We gratefully accept Your provision in our life and we want to walk in Your ways, sow into Your Kingdom and reap your blessings.

Teach us to keep our focus on Your Kingdom and to fully surrender our goals, plans and purposes to Your Lordship. We want to bring You glory in our daily activities and to take advantage of Your divine opportunities to introduce friends, relatives, associates, neighbors and even strangers to Your love and goodness.

Thought for the Day:

God hears the prayers of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29), and blesses us abundantly as He increases our talents, understanding and serenity; we are His children and co-equal heirs with our brother, Jesus Christ.

Parental Super Saints

As children, we come to believe that our parents are super-sized. They are always there with ready advice, a tissue to wipe our tears and a new craft project or game to chase away boredom.

As we age, we start to notice that these super-Saints are human, and that they let us down more often than come to our rescue. This disillusionment with them colors much of the rest of our life, unless we grant them the same grace and forgiveness that we want them to bestow on us.

We have no idea how hectic our parents' lives really are, how many obligations are on their shoulders and how diverse their responsibility really is until we are old enough to "walk a mile" in their shoes.

In our younger years, we judge them on how well they meet our needs. Of course, they are the only parents we have, unless our grandparents are equally involved in our life; so it is normal to expect them to be present with us and for us all of the time.

As parents, we allow the incessant drum of our daily to-do list to distract us from breathing deeply, entering God's rest and enjoying each moment of time as He provides it for us.

We forget that our children are only with us for a few years, but the mountain of dishes in the sink, the footprints on the floor and the laundry piling up in the baskets will still be there tomorrow.

I am so glad that the Lord taught me this lesson while my children were very young. Like my mother, I made sure that I was home to greet them every day when they came home from school. God even gave me four years to homeschool them as we traveled the interstates crisscrossing the eastern USA.

We always made time to watch their sports team's valiant efforts to win championships; to participate in their Scouting activities even when we traveled; and to take them out individually for a milkshake and a chat when their behavior clued us in that something was really bothering them, or when they had a victory that they wanted to share with us.

I cherish those memories and I am grateful that God and my husband allowed me to be a "stay at home" mom all of those years. This allowed me the opportunity to consistently be available to listen to their unhurried worries, concerns and triumphs.

Prayer:

Father God, even as an adult, pregnant with my firstborn, I wanted my Mommy first and foremost. Although she had an emotionally distant personality, she always knew how to let me know that nothing in her life was more important to her than my needs, and the necessities of my three little brothers. Thank You for allowing me to pass on this tradition to my children as well.

Please, use this post to convict or to encourage other parents to give their children focused attention and to let the to-do list wait until tomorrow if necessary.

Remind us that getting our children involved in completing those incessant chores gives all of us a sense of community and camaraderie, and allows our children to realize that they are needed and appreciated at home.

Thought for the Day:

Glib and hurried words or gifts have no real meaning; but when we give the gift of our focused attention, this makes a lasting impression on the ones we love.

God Makes All Things New

God's recipe for eliminating negative thoughts, words and deeds in our life is for us to focus our thoughts on what is true and good and right.

He cautions us to think only about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good aspects in this life. We can think about all that we can be glad about and for which we can praise God (Philippians 4:8).

Apart from God, we can accomplish nothing of lasting value (John 15:5). The Bible declares that Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20). If we have Jesus Christ living in us, He daily delivers us from sin’s dominion by His resurrection life within us (Romans 5:10).

He also gives us new values, priorities and goals in life (2 Corinthians 5:17). He gives us His peace that transcends human understanding (Philippians 4: 6-8). If we do not have the Son of God living in us, however, we do not have any of this (1 John 5:12).

Christ’s salvation goes beyond the spirit to the soul and body as well (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Believers are currently saved in our spirit through Justification, we will be saved in our body when we see Jesus through Glorification, and lastly we are being saved in our soul – our mind, will and emotions - through the lifelong method of Sanctification.

We desire to know Jesus more intimately every day and to see our self grow into His beloved, mature child. Our right-standing before God is by faith in all that Christ accomplished on our behalf.

We do not have to work for or earn this position. If we really believe this fact, then we will take advantage of the opportunity, which He gives us to get to know Him more intimately as our Redeemer, Friend and Brother.

Prayer:

Father God, You freely offers everyone this gift of a personal relationship with You. We have the option to either embrace Your friendship or to refuse to acknowledge You. The choice is ours (John 3:18). You give us this opportunity to get to know Christ and to grow in our understanding of His power, His resurrection and in what He has to offer us in eternity.

You designed the Trinity, so that we can experience firsthand both Christ’s sufferings and His victories as we walk through our trials with Him within us. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5); but in Him we are conquerors over every trial, because You love us (Romans 8:37).

Thought for the Day:

We have the opportunity every day to fellowship with the Trinity; to walk in His mercy, power and grace; to be led by Him, and to live with Him in eternity in Heaven.

A Good Marriage - The Fabric of our Family

Pride ruins so many relationships (Ephesians 4:2). We think that we are competing with one another, having to prove that we are right and our mate is wrong, making more money and advancing up the corporate ladder quicker than the other.

These are lies from Satan and must be rejected at all costs. Our mate is not the enemy, the devil is. We fell in love because we liked one another and were attracted to each other; this love does not die, it simply turns to hatred, apathy or disappointment.

We may find someone else we are more attracted to, or we may decide we prefer to live alone, so we divorce our mate. The problem is that we are never as happy with anyone else than we could be with the mate of our youth (Proverbs 5:18), and the father or mother of our children.

Divorce rips apart the fabric of our family and each person, especially the children, are victims of this terrible malady. We lose our financial, mental, emotional and physical stability.

Of course, there are extenuating circumstances if our mate is unsafe. In these cases, it is best to consult a counselor or to go to a safe house - at least until we both agree to get help with our issues.

Our irritating differences or idiosyncrasies are not really grounds for divorce, however. We can find an alternative behavior if we agree to pray together and to hear the leading of God's Spirit in each area of our disagreement.

A change in our perspective, life goals, pet peeves and focus may be just what the doctor ordered for our relationship. We each have them, and they are usually very different.

Our family histories form our current views on child-rearing practices, values, religious and political views, hobbies, preferences, expectations and traditions.

They may be very diverse; but they do not need to cause strife, especially if we agree to disagree, or to brainstorm to find new choices that meet the needs we have as a couple.

Prayer:

Father God, please constantly remind us what drew up together. Show us that the core values are what we share. Help us to see that the family that we have created together means more than the petty issues causing a thorn in our relationship. Help us to see that our love for one another should be rooted in Your Agape love for us, rather than in fleeting carnal aspects of human love.

Your amazing love is a solid foundation on which we can build a mansion of loving practices and feelings in our marriage. Your love also helps us to persevere through disappointments and hurt feelings that always occur between two people. Help us to listen to Your Spirit each moment of our life together, so that our love for You and one another will grow deeper with each passing day.

Thought for the Day:

We may need to stop doing something or to start doing something that will help to stabilize our home life; Agape love bears with one another and finds something positive that outweighs the negative behavior that gets on our nerves.