Our Safety Net

God's principles and laws are a breath of fresh air, an umbrella on a rainy day, a steady rock in a tumultuous river, steps in the side of a mountain on our uphill climb, as well as eternal and spiritual security.

The authentic, Born Again Believer is not restricted by God's laws. They are our safety net. An atheist complains about the multitude of rules in the Word of God; but they incorporate more restrictions on their life than God expects of us.

If we love the world, the flesh and a lustful lifestyle, and if we take pride in what we can do in our own human reasoning and talents, the love of God is not in us. These accomplishments are meaningless and have no eternal value (1 John 2:15-16).

Calamity lurks in outlooks which oppose God's principles, because they promote self-destruction. Satan, the father of this world, has a limited agenda: to steal from us, to kill us, and to destroy our body, soul and spirit (John 10:10).

It is only as we walk in God's will for each moment of our day, that we reap positive results that last into eternity (1 John 2:17). There are so many enjoyable activities available to the Christian Believer, starting with fellowship with the Saints of God.

The person who trusts in the Lord is free indeed - not free to live a corrupt, sinful lifestyle, but to enjoy the spiritual, mental, emotional and financial freedom available only in Christ (John 8:34-36). We are completely free from the encumbrances of the world, the flesh and the devil.

Prayer:

Father God, we delight in Your law, because it provides us with an organized and serene life (Mark 2:27). You are our good, good Father, and we are loved by You (Psalm 103:13-15). You are not a task master, but a joy-giver. We are foolish to attempt to live any other way.

Your fruit provide us with abundance in every area of our life, and frees us from the restraints of the world's expectations, the lies of the devil, and the boundaries of our human personality and philosophy (Galatians 5:1-25). We can participate in any community event that does not promote a sinful lifestyle, and we thank You for Your freedom, peace and joy.

Thought for the Day:

God's law provides us with abundance, safety, provision, peace, joy, and His constant love; we live in gratitude for this security and serenity, which He provides every step of our life.

- Psalm 119:14

Authentic Believers Never Die

Upon our death, our human body goes to the grave, and our spirit and soul either go to heaven or hell. Our eternal destination is determined by our beliefs, which either condemn us with Satan or liberate us with Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18)

Unbelievers condemn themselves to the second death - eternity in hell (John 3:18; Revelation 2:11). They die physically, and then their spirit and soul go to the lake of fire where they suffer never-ending torment for eternity (Revelation 21:8).

Death is not the end for authentic Believers either; yet, for us, it is a new beginning. We leave the limits of this earthly realm and enter into the glorious riches of the Kingdom of God.

We are not disembodied spirits wandering the earth until we finish the business we failed to accomplish in our lifetime. Neither do we need to contact some human being to help us to leave a message for our loved ones, or to straighten out some misunderstanding we left behind.

Paul was confident that the very moment a Believer's spirit and soul leave our body, we are immediately present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). We graduate from the school of life. Through Christ we passed all the tests, and we earned our diploma.

Even in our lifetime on earth, God fills the Believer's spirit, body, and soul – our thoughts, choices and emotions - with His joy, as we experience exquisite pleasures in His eternal presence here and now (Psalm 16:9-11).

God rejoices in the death of His Saints (Psalm 116:15), because we are no longer separated from Him, but we dwell with Him for eternity. The angels carry us into the presence of God in heaven (Luke 16:22), where we will never die.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for drawing us to Your heart during times of strain and sorrow, which accompany the death of our loved ones. I ask that You help us to always find our refuge under the shadow of Your wings, our strength in Your joy, and our comfort and clarity of thinking in Your wisdom, as You lead us beside the still waters and restore our soul (Psalm 23).

I thank You that Your peace, which exceeds all human understanding, will flow over us like a waterfall. As Believers, we experience You as our refuge in death (Proverbs 14:32). You make us like angels in this respect, because we are Your children. You already raised us with Jesus from the dead into a new life with Your Son (Luke 20:36). Thank You that You fill our heart with Your love so fully that we will feel no other emotion.

Thought for the Day:

God looks forward to the death of His Saints, because our last breath on earth is immediately followed by our first breath in Heaven; our mortal body stays in the grave; and at Jesus' coming, God provides us with our immortal body for eternity.

- Psalm 115:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:53

The Benefits of Vulnerability

Communication is a very difficult talent to perfect. What I say, what I mean by what I say, and what you hear me say, often have very different perspectives. At times, we expect others to know how we feel without us even saying a word.

We can take offense, if we assume that we understand what another person says to us, unless we take the time and effort to clarify what we think we heard, especially when we feel a negative emotion arise in our soul, due to our assumptions.

We may also doubt our self, and believe that people could not possibly love us as we really are - with all of our foibles and imperfections. People can sense our guarded attitude and interpret it as mean-spirited, cold-hearted or a fear of commitment.

Therefore, they may reject us before we can reject them. Fear of vulnerability causes us to throw our self into our vocation, hobbies, other people's families, and charitable causes for our fulfillment. We convince our self that we do not need anyone to feel whole and complete.

Of course, clarifying what we think we heard takes courage and vulnerability. The alternative is to live a guarded life, controlled by the fear of hurt, rejection or disappointment. This stilted lifestyle robs us of the joy, spontaneity and love that is possible with an open heart.

We can change this toxic cycle by realizing our need for God, which will fill that longing in our soul. We learn to love as He loves, to lay down our life for others as Jesus laid down His life for us, and to serve and help others with a compassionate and joyful heart as His Spirit leads us.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that we can only love others as we love our self (Mark 12:31). Attempting to hide our authentic self from others in order to prevent hurt and possible rejection, reduces our ability to serve You with our life; so give us the courage to risk vulnerability, and to allow You to use us to bless other people. We love functioning through our gifts in a local congregation of Believers, which helps us to flourish in body, soul and spirit.

Help us to analyze our negative emotions throughout the day and to care for our needs, or to leave them in Your capable hands. Teach us how to heal from the toxic comments made to us, and about us, by significant people in our past. Remind us that Your Word is a two edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), which can help us to heal from our insecurities and to grow in our faith in Your faithfulness.

Thought for the Day:

When God created Adam, He decided that Adam needed companionship; we also need close friends, family and an intimate relationship with our Father God in order to find fulfillment during our lifetime on this earth, and to enter eternity as part of the family of God.

- Genesis 2:18-20; Ephesians 2:19-22

Who is a Christian?

Where does the label "Christian" come from? The Bible tells us that King Agrippa copied the use of this term from those in Antioch (Acts 11:26) to define the Followers of Christ apart from the rest of society (Acts 26:28).

The apostles accepted the term, and the rest is history (1 Peter 4:16). God revealed Himself to mankind through Jesus. Now, as followers of Christ, we exhibit a godly sorrow for our sins, and embrace a spiritual conviction that Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4).

Jesus was fully human; yet through His divine nature from the Holy Spirit's formation of Him in Mary's womb, He is also fully God. With His presence within us, we enjoy a similar measure of union in our earthly existence - fully human; yet, filled with Christ within us.

By faith, we unleash the power of God in our life through entering into the Kingdom of God by His adoption of us into His family. Then, we submit to the sanctifying work of God's Spirit in our life, and allow Christ to reign supreme in our thoughts, words and actions.

Jesus is the Son of God (John 11:27), and also our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), High Priest (Hebrews 3:1, 8:1), and our Risen Lord (Matthew 28:6). Father God revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus, by His Spirit; and His power now manifests itself to and through authentic Believers (John 1:17; Luke 10:22).

The rest of humanity, whether they call themselves Christians or not, give Jesus the status of a celebrity, and commemorate His life; but they are disengaged from the reality of who Christ really is, and they do not follow His Biblical teaching or submit to Him as King and Lord.

Yet, authentic Christians have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), possess the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), and exhibit the fruit of God's Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Our obedience leads to our ultimate freedom through our union with Him in this life (James 1:25).

Prayer:

Father God, You did not choose us, so that our life in You will be reduced to a list of do's and don'ts. You give us Your laws and write them on our heart to keep us safe and filled with Your righteousness, peace and joy (Hebrews 10:16; Romans 14:17). Thank You for our new birth and spiritual regeneration and resurrection (John 3:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10).

Secondly, we are forever grateful to You for giving us Your Holy Spirit in our new birth (Romans 8:4-11; John 4:24; John 1:13), and for giving us eternal life with You, through Jesus, the Christ (1 John 5:11; John 10:10, 11:25, 14:6). Since Jesus rose from the dead, we can now live each moment of our life in Your presence, because He gives us the desire and power to work out our salvation during our lifetime (Philippians 2:12-13).

Thought for the Day:

Jesus came to earth and died in our place in order to secure for us His righteousness in exchange for our sins, as well as the Godly character of His holiness that is exhibited by Him through our life on this earth; through this process, He is facilitating our union with His Trinity.

- 1 John 2:1, 1 Corinthians 6:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 1:11

God Smiles on Us

Salvation through Jesus Christ is a free gift; we do not earn it by our beliefs or our behavior (Romans 6:23). The gift of God's presence, however, entails our obedience and love for Him. Walking in God's Spirit allows us to maintain this constant communion with the lover of our soul (Galatians 5:16-25).

Consulting God in all things also helps to prevent the good activities, which we are invited to participate in, from becoming the enemy of God's best for us (Ephesians 2:10; Proverbs 3:5-6). Constant busyness keeps us in continual stress and turmoil. 

Our hectic lifestyle prevents us from entering into the rest of God's presence (Hebrews 4:1-16). Some people work two or three jobs to supply their family with the lifestyle they believe they need. When does the workaholic have time to spend alone with God, family and friends?

As we love the Lord with our entire heart, having no idols in His place and ordering our steps to seek Him throughout the day, He will provide us with His love and guidance (Proverbs 3:5-6). We always walk in fulfillment, and we find joy in the simplest encounter with His goodness.

Alone (All-one) time with God allows us to enter that place of abiding, which connects and fills us with His Holy Spirit. Continually abiding in Him provides us with an opportunity to enter God’s rest, to soak up His presence, and to operate from a sense of His peace.

God's joy gives us needed vitality to meet the trials of the day (Psalm 46:1-3). His wisdom and goodness help us to succeed. His presence in us matures our faith, gives us hope in what we cannot see, comforts us in all of our afflictions, and helps us to rejoice in the Lord always.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that when we admit that we are powerless and cannot control the events in our life, we found the key to a successful, fulfilled existence. We willingly relinquish all control to You and Your perfect will for our life. We rest in Your faithfulness, because we know that You plant a seed for a miracle in every trial.

We trust You with our whole heart, and we thank You for providing everything we need each moment of the day. Help us to make time every day to stop all activity, and to cuddle in Your lap, like the little children that we are (Matthew 19:14). We want to continually rest in You, so that You can immerse us in Your love, while we love You with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).

Thought for the Day:

As we take time to be still, and to focus on the fact that God is God and there is no other like Him; this releases His power in our life, as well as allows Him to bless us, keep us and give us every good and perfect gift, which He has already prepared for us; then, we can praise Him for shining His face on us, and for showering us with His grace and mercy, which are new every single morning.

– Psalm 46:10; Numbers 6:24-27; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Lamentations 3:22-24

Trusting God for the Outcome

Life is full of questions, but God has all the answers. So often we try so hard to find a solution to a problem, but cannot enjoy success in any of our efforts. When this happens, I find that I am trying too hard, rather than trusting in God.

The answer comes much more successfully when I stop trying, and start trusting God first. I focus on living in His will, led by His Spirit each moment of the day. At times there seems only two ways to go, but God often shows us a third option if we wait on Him.

At the right time and place, God brings me the solution and gives me the coveted answer that I formerly diligently searched for without success. It is better to consult the Lord in all things, rather than to trust in our human understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

This occurs in our marriage relationship, vocational decisions, even in deciding what to fix for dinner, or for finding the answer in a word search puzzle! God cares about every issue of our life, and He has a solution to every issue - even if it is to say, "My grace is sufficient for you."

Developing a heavenly mindset (Colossians 3:1) seems like an insurmountable task until we realize that we already have the mind of Christ through His free gift of salvation (1 Corinthians 2:16). We leave the anchor of this finite world and enter the infinite world of the spiritual realm.

Our life is now blessed with atonement for our carnal ways; holiness in our thoughts, words and actions; and redemption and Christ's resurrection power in all of our decisions and deeds. Our only struggle is to develop the discipline of seeking God first and always (Romans 12:2).

We rid our self of all anxiety, the desires of the flesh, and the temptation of the devil through God's Word, His Spirit, His anointing, and His direction - until we find His will in every decision.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that we do not live this life by fighting with weapons of this world. We have Your divine power to decide what we will think and feel. Remind us to demolish strongholds from sin and Satan through the inspiration of Your Word and the power of Your Spirit (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

We lasso our thoughts and emotions, and bring them into submission to You, rather than allowing our flesh, the world and the devil to influence them. Help us to set our mind on spiritual thoughts, not on the philosophy and expectations of this world. We want to live in joyful and peaceful hope, as we pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17).

Thought for the Day:

United with Christ in His death, we are also united with Him in His resurrection; therefore, we do not even consider the thoughts and deeds of our flesh that attempt to draw us away from God, because we are no longer slaves to sin, but free to live in the presence of God every moment of every day. - Romans 6:5-7

A Light for Our Path

Some people consider the Bible as an archaic collection of opinions, poems and interesting stories or fairytales. Yet, for authentic Believers, each verse gives us wisdom for living, sustains our spirit and soul, and increases our faith (Romans 10:17).

God's Word is a light for our path and a lamp for our feet, so that we do not stumble on our way through this world (Psalm 119:104-105). It acts as a compass to keep us moving in the right direction. We count on Biblical wisdom to help us to make good choices.

The Bible's parables, instruction, correction and exhortation, (2 Timothy 3:16) provide us with a successful and encouraged life. Eventually, no storm we encounter will concern us, because we have strong faith, built within us by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

As our carnal, fleshly character gives way to the nature of Christ in us (Galatians 5:17-24; 2 Peter 1:3-4), we struggle less and triumph more over temptation, fear and trials. When we hide His Word in our heart (Psalm 119:11), we are comforted and encouraged.

We also have instant recall for reassurance through every trauma we face. As we hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6), God plants His desires in our heart (Psalm 37:4), and His ways become our way of life.

Our goal on this earth is to use our gifts and talents to further His Kingdom through our relationships, vocation, hobbies, ministries, and as neighbors. As we digest God's Word, it becomes a part of every fiber of our being, (Proverbs 6:23).

The commandments of the Lord are good and totally righteous, helpful and protective of us. We prosper when we pay attention to God's counsel in His Word, and when we walk in His precepts as part of our daily routine.

The fulfillment of the words of the prophets recorded in the Bible throughout history, confirm our faith beyond any doubt. We walk in peace as each new day dawns, and as the morning star rises in our heart (2 Peter 1:19).

Prayer:

Father God, we pray for Your will to be done in us as it is in heaven, and for Your Kingdom to come both in us and on the earth. We can never thank You enough for providing for us not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well (Psalm 23:1-4).

You gave us Your Spirit and Your Word to inform us of Your goals, methods and intentions through the ages and dispensations of time. We thank You for our daily bread, and for forgiving us of our sins, as we forgive those who negatively infringe physical, emotional and mental trauma on our body and soul (Matthew 6:9-13). We give You all of the praise and glory.

Thought for the Day:

God allows certain circumstances in our life in order to lead us into a deeper walk with, and trust in Him; therefore, when we circumvent His work in someone else's life by trying to help them without God's direction, we actually block God's plans for them.

- Ephesians 2:10

In Christ Alone

As authentic Believers, not only does Christ live in us (Galatians 2:20), but we also thrive in Him (Galatians 3:26-28; 1 Peter 5:14; Philippians 1:1; Romans 8:1). We are God's children through faith. He walks with us, and abides within us, surrounding us with His four dimensional love (Ephesians 3:18; Romans 8:35-39).

We accepted Jesus' sacrifice for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:17), died with Him, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4). We leave our old, carnal sin nature behind in the baptismal grave, and we are now filled with God's Holy Spirit (Luke 9:23, Mark 8:34; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

When God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Christ (Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 8:12; John 3:16-18, 20:31). Regardless of our lot in life, we are free to enjoy God's continual blessings (Ephesians 1:3), as we serve as slaves to Christ (Romans 6, 8:1; 1 Corinthians 7:4).

We enjoy freedom in Christ (John 8:32, 36). We are a new creation, children of God, partakers of Jesus' divine nature and alive with Him, as well as co-heirs with Christ of God's entire Kingdom (Galatians 3:26, 4:1-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:5; 2 Peter, 1:4; Romans 6:4).

We choose to walk away from sin's temptations by the power of Christ within us (Philippians 4:13; Romans 8:37). God chose us in Christ before He even created the world (Ephesians 1:4). Filled with His grace (2 Timothy 1:9), we receive all of the riches of God's grace in Christ (Ephesians 1:7, 2:7; 2 Corinthians 9:8).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for accepting us and adopting us into Your family, and making us co-heirs with Jesus for eternity. Thank you that since we are incapable of earning our own salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9), our position in Christ has nothing to do with our merits or works, but everything to do with the saving work that Jesus gave us through His crucifixion, death and resurrection. We can leave all of our cares with You, because You truly love us (1 Peter 5:7).

Thank You that we are eternally in Christ with the same intensity as Christ is in us. Your presence is our most precious possession in this life, and we look forward to serving You each day as well as throughout eternity. Remind us that You ordained that what Christ is, what He has, and what He will receive in the future, also belongs to us, because we are in Christ.

Thought for the Day:

In Christ, we are:

·       Foreknown before creation - Romans 8:29

·       Predestined to be God's children - 1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 1:11

·       Chosen by God - 1 Peter 2:4; Matthew 22:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12, Titus 1:1

·       Called - Romans 9:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:24

·       Justified - Romans 3:24, 5:1, 8:30, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Titus 3:7

·       Reconciled - 2 Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 1:20; Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthian 5:20

·       Redeemed - Colossians 1:14, 1 Peter 1:18; Romans 3:24

·       Brought Near - Ephesians 2:13

·       Given accessibility to God: Ephesians 2:18, 3:12; Romans 5:2; Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-20

·       Considered Adopted Children of God - 1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 3:26, 4:5; Romans 8:15,

·       Forgiven - Colossians 1:14, 2:13, 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, 4:32.

·       Crucified - Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20

·       Dead - Romans 6:8; Colossians 3:3

·       Buried - Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12

·       Raised - Colossians 3:1; Romans 6:4

·       Ascended - Ephesians 2:6,

·       Born Again - 1 Peter 1:23; John 1:12, 3:7

·       Hopeful - Ephesians 1:18

·       New Creation - 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:10

·       Totally acceptable in His Beloved - Galatians 4:7; Ephesians 1:6, 1 Peter 2:5

·       Righteous - Philippians 3:8-9; Romans 3:22, 5:17, 10:3-4, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21

·       Sanctified - 1 Corinthians 1:30, 6:11; Hebrews 10:10

·       Perfected - Hebrews 10:1-2, 14

·       Complete in Christ - Colossians 2:10

·       Heirs with Christ - Galatians 4:17

·       Citizens of Heaven - Philippians 3:20; Ephesians 2:19; Hebrews 12:22

·       Members of God’s Household - Ephesians 2:19, 3:15, Galatians 6:10

·       Heavenly Inheritance - 1 Pet 1:4-5; Ephesians 1:14; Colossians 3:24; Hebrews 9:15

·       Eternally His - John 6:37, 10:29, 17:6,11,12,20

·       His Bride - 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 19:7; John 3:29

·       His Possession - Ephesians 1:14

Spirituality and Science

I read an article yesterday, and a phrase hit me between the eyes: "It is impossible to believe in science without believing in God." He went on to explain that God set up all of the scientific laws that human beings have discovered over the years.

The Law of Gravity, the Laws of Motion, and the Laws of Forces are a few that come to my mind. They all make human sense, and many scientific laws have been proven; yet we feel a need to write God out of the script, even though He set all of these laws into existence. 

Of course, some humanistic theories are now accepted as laws, even though there are missing links that are needed before they can actually be considered a law. Yet, they are widely taught, and accepted by supposed wise people, as facts rather than as theories, which they actually are.

Mankind is determined to remove God from their conscious consideration, because if they fail to do so, they must accept the fact that they are simply a sinner in need of a Savior. They want to believe that they can save their self.

They strive all of their life to make peace in their soul with the fact that they are less than they need to be. They want to prove themselves as complete in themselves. Yet, at the end of their life, they will all come face-to-face with their Creator, but it will be too late.

God's Word proclaims that everyone on earth, in heaven, and under the earth (in hell) will bow their knee to King Jesus (Philippians 2:10). Some will rejoice in our Beloved, but some of them have already condemned their self to hell by their unbelief (John 3:18).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for creating such an orderly universe and for sustaining it through these many centuries of time. We look forward to seeing and hearing, as You already do, the magnificence of Your creation from Your vantage point. You say that Heaven is Your throne and that earth is Your footstool (Acts 7:49). That puts things into perspective for us.

Most people know who Jesus is, and use His name as part of their curses rather than in their prayers. They are duped by Satan into believing that if they trust You, they must reject what they learned through science. Help them to see that You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending of all things.

Thought for the Day:

God did not send Jesus to die to save the world as a generalized gesture, but to pay the penalty that each and every one of us owe for the sins of our fathers, as well as our own unbelief; and He freely gives His love to everyone who takes the ultimate leap of faith into His everlasting arms.

- Romans 3:23, 6:23; Exodus 34:7; Psalm 79:8, 109:14; Numbers 14:18; Isaiah 65:6; John 3:18

Our Existence in Christ

God's plan for our life is the reason for our presence on this earth in our particular timeframe and location. We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10; Acts 17:28), and He makes us whole and healed and vital (Acts 4:10). He provides everything we need to live a fulfilled life on this earth (Psalm 90:12).

Therefore, we are wise if we consider His plans before our own, His goals instead of ours, and His desires above those of our human reasoning (Ephesians 5:15-17). His will is the firm foundation on which we base our choices, and is our guide for every-day living.

Our peace comes from total surrender to His will and complete trust in Him alone (Matthew 7:7). This world is not our home (Hebrews 13:14). We are simply pilgrims and aliens who dwell in the temporary tent of our body (1 Peter 2:11; 2 Corinthians 5:1, 4), until He calls us Home to His house (Psalm 27:4).

God has a perfect plan for each moment of our life (Ephesians 2:10). Our true existence comes from our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our very breath is according to His will. When we stop breathing, we enter the eternity of our choosing (John 3:16-18).

Our function on earth is to glorify God with our thoughts, words and actions, as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), as well as to abide in His presence in the very center of His will, which truly is the happiest place on earth.

Prayer:

Father God, You intend for everyone, living everywhere, in every century of time, to seek You with our whole heart, because You are never far from each one of us (Acts 17:27). It is only in You that we live, function and enjoy our very existence on this earth as Your children (Acts 17:28).

Teach us to love You, obey You, and cling to You, because You are our very life (Deuteronomy 30:20; Colossians 3:3-4). You provide for us abundantly above anything that we could ever ask or think, and we find our joy and peace, in the center of Your will. We praise You, and we want to glorify You with every aspect of who we are in You.

Thought for the Day:

Proverbs 3:5-6 gives us a succinct format for living our life:

1.  Trust in God alone

2.  Do not depend on our human understanding

3.  Consult Him for His direction for each moment of our day

… and He will certainly guide our steps.

Blood Bought and Eternally Saved

Jesus bought us with His blood, and our life now belongs to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Redeemed from the law of sin and death, we are forgiven all of our sins (Colossians 1:13-14). God welcomes us into His beloved family (Ephesians 1:6). Jesus is now both our brother and our friend (John 15:15; Proverbs 18:24).

Once we surrender our pride and rebellion to God, and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are accepted as His beloved Saints (Ephesians 4:12). We are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), having direct access to God’s throne at any time (Hebrews 4:14-16).

We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), united in Spirit as one Body with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17, 12:27). We no longer live a lifestyle of willful sin and deprivation, because Jesus lives within us (1 John 3:9). He justified us by His death, and renewed us by His resurrection (Romans 5:1; Titus 3:5).

Complete in Christ, we have need of nothing (Colossians 2:9-10; Philippians 4:13). God adopted us into His family, and accepts us as His dearly loved children (Ephesians 1:3-8; John 1:12). We are secure in Christ’s love for us, and seated with Jesus in the Heavenly realm, even now on earth (Ephesians 2:6

We are the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8). He anoints us to work in His service during our lifetime, continually blesses us with His presence, seals us with His Spirit, and establishes our place with Him in heaven (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 2:20).

God gives us power, love and a sound mind to dispel any fear, which Satan tries to inflict on us (2 Timothy 1:7). Now, as we walk in the Spirit, we no longer fulfill the lusts of our dead, carnal flesh (Galatians 5:16,25), because God's Spirit replaces our former unregenerate penchant with Christ's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for choosing us as branches on the true vine of Christ, and for giving us Your fruit to bear by our connection to You (John 15:5,16). Amazingly, we are also the temple of Your Spirit, and You continually abide in the spirit of each authentic Believer (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Remind us that You raised us up to minister Your reconciliation to the lost and dying world around us (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). We can confidently approach Your throne day or night for any need we may have, and You answer all of our prayers (Ephesians 3:12). Thank You for Your timeless love and grace.

Thought for the Day:

We are God’s Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do the works He preordained for us to accomplish before we were even formed in our mother's womb, and before the creation of the world.

– Psalm 51:5, 71:6, 139:13-16; Ephesians 2:10; Isaiah 44:24, 49:15; Jeremiah 1:5, Galatians 1:15; Job 3:16 

Life and Death in God's Hands

The world encourages us to fight and to never give up in surrender. This philosophy caused my friend to fight cancer for three years in six different organs, only to lose the use of all of her joints, which were destroyed by the medication, and to eventually die from a seventh tumor.

Yet, my husband's cousin's wife chose to trust God through cancer; and she lived three strong years, serving God through every minute of them until the very end. I am not advocating one choice or the other. We each need to consult the Lord for our self.

Trusting God with our whole heart; ignoring humanistic counsel and philosophy, as well as our own desires; and consulting Him with all of our decisions - great and small, allows Him to direct our choices in life (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

The devil attempts to stop us from abiding in God's rest by filling our mind with his lies and humanistic thinking. Resting in God's faithfulness is one of the most effective weapons we possess when facing spiritual warfare; this is how Jesus faced death triumphantly (Mark 14:36).

Our Lord continually surrendered to God's will, even when living His final days on earth. Yielding to the will of God empowers us to trust Him with our trials in life, as well as in death. If we live each moment guided by His Spirit, we clearly hear His voice (Galatians 5:15-25).

Worry only complicates our problems by adding the debilitating result of stress to our circumstances. God's Word highly recommends that we turn our anxiety into faith (Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 6:31-32). God sees our troubles and cares about them all.

Resting in God's will is like swinging in a hammock all day long, sipping lemonade, feeling the breeze caress our hair, and enjoying the warmth of the Son's rays as they infiltrate every cell of our body with His peace and joy.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to consult You with every decision we have to make all through the day. We want to trust You with our life and death, rather than in humanistic advice from the world's philosophy, and from supposed wise men and women. You know what is best for us.

We want to rest in Your love, peace, wisdom, timing and will for our life and death, rather than in decisions made for us by well-meaning people. We focus on You and disregard our circumstances, knowing full well that Your ways and timing are perfect. You are our refuge, strength, and ever-present help in every moment of trouble (Psalm 46:1-3).

Thought for the Day:

Jesus slept in the boat during the fierce storm, because He rested in our Father's will for His life; God calls us to lift up our face without shame, to stand firm and unafraid whenever we face trouble or death, and we will fear no evil because God is with us and comforts us.

-  Matthew 8:24-26; Job 11:15; Psalms 23:4

Our Intimate Union with Jesus

Jesus gave us the ultimate example of surrender when He submitted to the suffering of Calvary in order to provide us with salvation. God gives us a free will, which allows us to choose or to reject His salvation.

He works His “ministry of reconciliation” in us and through us to the world around us (2 Corinthians 5:18). We are in Christ, but Christ is also in us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1 27; Romans 8:10; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 3:16-17).

Jesus was always with God (Matthew 1:23; John 17:21); Jesus came from God (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7-11); and Jesus is fully God. God performed His will on the earth by abiding in the human body of Jesus, His begotten Son (John 14:10; Acts 2:22).

Jesus abides within us and wants to work through each of us. We are the visible presence of Christ in our world (1 John 4:17). We are born of the Spirit into an eternal, spiritual union with Jesus (Romans 8:9,16).

Now, He works in and through all Born Again Believers by His Spirit (Luke 4:14-15). Every Saint of God is intimately united with our triune God (John 17:21). The Trinity takes up residence within us (John 14:23; 1 John 4:15-16).

Our divine union is as intimate as the union between a husband and wife (Ephesians 5:28-30). We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in His new life. Our old carnal self is crucified with Him, and our body is no longer ruled by sin (Romans 2:20, 6:12).

Prayer:

Father God, as our triune God, You come to make Your home in everyone who believes in Jesus. You call us to obey the teachings of Christ, and all of Your inspired Word (John 14:23). Jesus sent the Spirit of truth to come and guide us into all truth. The Spirit speaks Your words to us and reveals to us what is yet to come (John 16:13). We trust you now and always to bring Your will to pass in and through our life.

You are waiting for us in Heaven (Matthew 6:9), but You are always with us through Christ and Your Spirit. Jesus promised to always be with us, even to the end of the age of grace (Matthew 28:20). You will never ever leave or forsake us; and for this fact, we are eternally grateful to You (Hebrews 13:5).

Thought for the Day:

God always sends a warning before He sends judgment; then, we can either accept His freedom from eternal destruction, or reap the penalty of our choices; every sin we commit stems from the root of unbelief, and it is our own unbelief which actually condemns us. - John 3:18

The Power of Spiritual Warfare

Sometimes, we think that God is deaf, or that He just does not care, because we pray and nothing changes. Neither of these thoughts are true, but lies from the father of lies - Satan himself (John 8:44; Revelation 12:9). The devil continually attempts to discourage, sidetrack, derail and impede our efforts.

This is where spiritual warfare comes into play. God's answers may be thwarted, because God's messengers are involved in spiritual warfare, but He is never overcome (Daniel 10:13-21). He always comes to our rescue, but His answer may be delayed according to our human timetable.

God rejoices in our attention and delights in our continual companionship. He inhabits our praises (Psalm 22:3) and intervenes in our darkest hour (Romans 8:35-39). God gives His angels charge over us, to keep us in all of our ways (Psalm 91:11).

The blessing of living in this new covenant with God is that Jesus already won the war on Calvary's cross, and now God's Holy Spirit abides within us. We delight in, and serve our living God   - who was, and is and always shall be (Revelation 1:8). He is always the same (Hebrews 13:8).

God's Spirit seals every crack and crevice of our life, as we honor and obey His direction each moment of the day. We are filled throughout our entire being with all of the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19). Regardless of our ministry, we do all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Even mundane efforts such as housework, the scariest time as parents, or our most challenging issue in our vocation are all performed by the direction of God's Spirit, and can lead to furthering the Kingdom of God now on the earth and for eternity.

When we think with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), we walk lockstep with the King of kings each moment of the day. We obey Him in singleness of purpose, and He fills us with His power. Our intimate union with Him increases, as our focus on this world decreases (John 3:30).

Our every deed is our spiritual service to God (Romans 12:1). We live, move and have our existence in Him alone (Acts 17:28), so that He can accomplish His plans in and through us. We serve as soldiers of the Cross (Numbers 1-3; 4:3-43), and we wage war in the spiritual realm on our knees.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that spiritual warfare starts in our prayer closet, and continues as we pray without ceasing all through the day (1 Thessalonians 5:16-23). If we draw near to You and resist the devil, He has to run from us (James 4:7). You are within us, and greater than him, because he is only of this world and You are eternal (1 John 4:4). He opposes everything You stand for, but we take our stand with You, and come against him in Jesus' name. As Your army, we take our marching orders from You alone.

Help us to remain faithful to position our self with Christ in spiritual warfare against all powers and principalities (Ephesians 6:12). Remind us that victory is already won by the blood of the Lamb on Calvary's cross. In Christ, we are victors, and always victorious over Satan and all of his demons. Thank You for allowing us to enjoy unity with Your Trinity. We are so grateful to You for regenerating our spirit, sanctifying our soul, and one day, glorifying our body for eternity.

Thought for the Day:

God delivered us out of the possession, oppression and authority of the kingdom of darkness, and brought us into the glorious, eternal Kingdom of the Son of His love; He always makes a way for us to accomplish His will in and through us, even when there seems to be no way.

 - Colossians 1:13

Grace is our Life-line

Our true riches as Believers are in God's grace (Ephesians 2:7). We cannot earn grace, because it is unmerited favor freely given to us by God. There is a popular, widely used acrostic that gives us a clear picture of God's grace toward us:

G-od's

R-iches

A-t

C-hrist's

E-xpense

God is our righteous judge, and He demands retribution for the sacrifice He made in the Garden of Eden to cover the first couple's sin (Genesis 3:21). That is why Israel sacrificed animals to atone for their sins for years and years, until Jesus came to pay it once and for all (Hebrews 10:1-18).

We praise God for His glorious grace to provide us with the abundance of spiritual, emotional, mental, physical and financial blessings that He bestows on us according to the pleasure of His will throughout our lifetime (Ephesians 1:3).

God's Word instructs us to live worthy of this free gift of grace. Otherwise, if we use grace as an excuse to sin, we are perverting the Gospel of Christ (Romans 6:1-2). On the other hand, if we attempt to walk worthy through our works, we miss everything that God in Christ already did for us.

God calls us to rest in Him through the finished works of Christ on Calvary's cross (Hebrews 4:10). We are saved by His blood, justified by His sacrifice, sanctified by His Spirit, and we will be glorified when we see Him face-to-face.

By no merit of our own, God accepts us into His beloved family at the moment of our salvation, adopts us as His children, makes us co-heirs with Christ of His Kingdom, and fill us with His Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, the gifts of Your grace are truly very precious to us. Thank You for humbling us with the realization of our need to come to Christ for salvation. You strengthened our inner being (Ephesians 3:16) to help us to surrender to Your love. We pray for this same process for our loved ones as well.

Your Spirit within us is our proof that You are truly alive in us, and that He is our guarantee of living with You for eternity (John 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Help us to live now as a worthy temple for His habitation (1 Corinthians 6:19; John 7:39; Romans 5:5, 8:9; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 4:6).

Thought for the Day:

By God's grace, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God, who is our promise and guarantee of our eternal inheritance as God's treasured possession, because of His great love that He bestows on us each moment of every day.

- Ephesians 1:13-14, 2:4, 5:2; Romans 5:10; 1 John 3:1

Fulfilled Christian Life: I Will Never Die

Fulfilled Christian Life: I Will Never Die: When Jesus' body stopped functioning on the cross, His spirit and soul were set free from their earthly confines. He fulfilled p...

I Will Never Die

When Jesus' body stopped functioning on the cross, His spirit and soul were set free from their earthly confines. He fulfilled prophecy by His body remaining in the tomb for three days, while His spirt and soul set the captives free (Matthew 27:50; John 2:19; 1 Peter 3:18-19; Luke 23:43; Ephesians 4:8; Psalm 68:18).

But after the three days, Jesus burst the tomb wide open with the dynamite power of His Holy Spirit (Matthew 27:54). Jesus assures us that He is the resurrection and the life, and those who believe in Him will never die (John 11:26).

When we shed our shroud of humanity (2 Corinthians 5:1), we will continue to be present with the Lord throughout eternity (2 Corinthians 5:8). Now, there are three ways that this may occur:

1.  We may be translated into Heaven like Enoch and Elijah.

2.  Or possibly, our body will cease to function and our spirit and soul - our thoughts, feelings and choices - will go to be with Jesus

3.  Or we will be counted among the number that will rise in the "rapture" and meet Jesus in the air.

The body is just a shell of our existence. Our true self is contained in our soul and spirit. Yet, we spend millions of dollars to preserve this body throughout our lifetime. When we realize that our identity is not dependent upon our body, we are set free (John 8:36). 

Authentic Believers never actually die. Our last breath on earth is followed by our next breath in God's presence. He sets us free from the pain, grief and suffering in this life, and gives us a glorified, immortal body (Revelation 21:4).

At this same time, our spirit and soul unite with this new body, and we will forever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We look forward to every opportunity on this earth to minister in God's service, but we look forward to eternity as well.

Prayer:

Father God, if we gratefully receive Your gracious presence into our spirit, we enjoy a spirit-filled life walking in Your perfect plans for us each moment of our day. If we reject Your free gift of salvation, we condemn our self to an eternity in the torment of a lake of never-ending fire (John 3:18; Revelation 20:15).

At salvation, we are no longer our own, but are bought with the price of the shed blood of Your perfect Lamb, who takes away all of our sins (John 1:29). We cherish the thought of serving You in eternity with all of Your Saints from all of the ages.

Thought for the Day:

At Salvation, this world is no longer our home, our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20), and Christ lives in us and through us from this point on into eternity; to live on this earth gives us opportunities to serve for the glory of God (Philippians 2:21); but to leave this earth is to our advantage.