Eternal Results and Rewards

We often forget to consult God for His plans rather than making our own "to-do" list, or becoming a slave to other people's expectations of us. We fall under the misnomer of believing that we can do more than is healthy for us to attempt to accomplish.

We overly schedule our time and fail to plan times of rejuvenation for our self to have fun, to spend time as a family, and to design mutually enjoyable dates with our spouse. Nurturing the relationships in our life is one of the wisest activities we can accomplish.

Even Jesus realized the limitations of His humanity. He said that He could do nothing from His human resources. He never sought His own will, but the will of our Heavenly Father who sent Him to earth with a mission (John 5:30).

We forget that God has a perfect plan for our life as well, and we take continual detours from His path. We do accomplish good things, but we fail to walk in His will for our day. God's Spirit will orchestrate our steps though each moment of our day if we consult Him first (Proverbs 3:5-6).

In the process of obeying God's Spirit one moment at a time throughout the day, we may end up offending a friend or looking silly to someone we would rather impress, but we always look forward to the spiritual rewards that come from obeying the Lord

When we walk in the Spirit, we do not fulfill our carnal desires, and we bear more spiritual fruit, which provides us with a sense of fulfillment that far exceeds any pleasure we reap from following our own agenda (Galatians 5:15-25).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for stripping us of the habit of self-sufficiency and relying on our human reasoning instead of on Your Spirit. Teach us to obey You regardless of the outcome, the circumstances, or the consequences. Draw us ever closer to Your presence within us. Teach us to wait on You and to obey Your Spirit’s leading each and every moment of the day.

Help us to keep our eyes on You, and not on what we see around us that needs to be done. We want to walk in Your light with the dawning of each new day. Help us to clearly see Your purpose behind Your Spirit's directions, even if the outcome is not what we expect. Help us to learn that our only responsibility is to obey You, regardless of how or even “if” the other person ever responds. 

Thought for the Day:

As we wait on His direction and timing, and do not depend on what we think is best, God opens doors for us that we could never imagine possible.

A Place of Rest

Our life is often filled with stress, anxiety, overwork and overwhelming events. We overly schedule our time, enroll our children in way too many activities, and volunteering with so many events that we get impatient and impoverished in body, soul and spirit.

There is no room for creativity, free play and thoughts and fun, purposelessness, and rest for us or our children. When was the last time you went to the park to play, had a family game night at home, enjoyed swimming at the lake, took an aimless stroll on a nature path to discover the treasures God puts there for us to enjoy, etc.?

Our Father is Creator of the Universe and His creativity manifests itself in and through each of us, just like it does in daily sunrises and sunsets. He leads us to sew clothes, write a book, throw a party, repair a broken bike or lawnmower, paint a picture, knit a blanket, invent a new app, discover a scientific breakthrough, design websites, make a craft, etc.

God created us as human BE-ings, not as human DO-ings. There is no mandate for us to be productive with every moment of our life. If we are, then we squeeze God's plans for us right out of our life (Ephesians 2:10), and we neglect our times of prayer, praise and devotion to our King.

We may gather worldly accolades, vocational success, a large bank account, growth in our ministries, etc. along the way, but what are we sacrificing to get them? Are we striving too much to gain favor with God or the world? Do we have peace, joy, and rest in the Lord? Even God rested on the seventh day.

Prayer:

Father God, help us to allow Your creativity to flow through us as we follow Your path for our life (Ephesians 2:10). We want to make the events of our day as acts of obedience and worship to You. Remind us to pause and rest between and during each endeavor, so that we can hear Your voice directing us on what to do next and how best to do it in Your way and timing.

Teach us to work smarter, not harder and longer; so we can move more slowly and enjoy Your presence in everything we think, say and do. We want to enter into Your rest each moment of our day and to focus on obedience rather than on productivity and worldly success. We want to live as a praise to Your name for Your glory.

Thought for the Day:

God shows us how to create, to enjoy life, and to rest in Him through each moment of our day, as we are led by His Spirit in His eternal plans for our life.

A Good Marriage - Relationships Restored

During a time of tension in any of our relationships, if we journal our disgruntled feelings, we purge them from our soul. This is an act of prayer as we surrender them to the Lord. While we wait on the Lord, rather than blurting our feelings out loud, we allow patience to have her perfect work in us (James 1:4).

The key to faithfulness in our relationships is forgiveness and apologies. Even if we were not wrong, we can apologize for hurting the other person's feelings. Humility puts our partner at ease and generates an environment for them to apologize for their own part in the quarrel.

Of course, they may never ask for forgiveness for the disappointments, abuse, broken promises, deep wounds, taking us for granted, rejection of us from their life, insecure life we experienced at their hand, etc., but God has us in the palm of His hand, and He will bless us in spite of their attitude.

If our differences of opinion with our mate are ignored, the issues will resurface with some future catalyst. They will also cause our feelings over this new issue to balloon out of proportion with the added steam from the unresolved conflicts of the past.

Sometimes, relying on God’s agape love is the only way to care for an individual in the absence of any feeling of human love toward him/her. The painful memories ease with time, but a restored dedication to the unity between us creates loving emotions in us right away. 

Then, our words will be as sweet as apples of gold in pictures of silver (Proverbs 25:11). Every relationship eventually experiences an argument. To protect the integrity of our relationship, we recommit our self to one another after every stressful event or time of discord in our life.

Prayer:

Father God, when we experience conflict in a relationship, please give us the humility to admit where we are wrong and to apologize for hurting their feelings. Move by Your Spirit to renew the bonds of love between us, and allow us to walk in one accord. Help us to develop a spirit of unity and cooperation that will be a light to our family and community.

Remind us that even if we are not at fault, we can apologize for contributing to the discord. The other person may never apologize to us, but if they do, this serves to reassure both of us of our faithfulness and love to each other now and for the future. If they actually never apologize to us, we can accept the fact that their fault in the issues between us is in Your capable hands.

Thought for the Day:

To restore our relationships, we start by submitting to God's efforts to heal the factions within our own personality; as God makes us whole and complete in Christ who abides within us, we find it easier to accept one another exactly as we are; then, conflict rarely arises.

- Colossians 2:10

Christ Dwelling within Us

The Trinity is one God with three separate personalities and functions - our Father, His Son and their Holy Spirit. The Trinity joins together in a spiritual union as one God, three equal entities who all dwell within each other.

By the Spirit, the fullness of the Godhead dwells within us too (1 Corinthians 6:17). We are complete through our union with Christ. Jesus is the head over every ruler and authority - those on the earth as well as those in the heavenly, spiritual realm (Colossians 2:19).

Nothing can touch us or affect an authentic Believer, apart from Christ giving them permission, unless we open the door for them by our own unwise or sinful choices. If we are not Born Again, we experience our trials alone.

However, in Christ, we are never alone, and He never forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). We are not separate, but united with the Trinity. We are assisted by the Trinity in every trial, which ever assails us, and guided through each moment of every day.

It is often confusing when we think about Jesus. Why did He pray to the Father, if He and the Father are one (John 10:30)? Jesus, as the Word, was with God from the beginning (Genesis 1:1).

As part of the Godhead, He took part in Creation, and he has no beginning or end (Genesis 1:26). Jesus is also the only begotten Son of the Father - conceived when the Holy Spirit entered Mary's womb and joined with her seed.

He is the first born child of God. As a human being, Jesus suffered everything that we endure; He was tempted in all points, just as we are, but without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He can relate to us in our trials and tribulation on this earth.

Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29); and every Born Again Believer is adopted into God's family. As descendants of Adam we all sinned; but in Christ, we are all redeemed (Galatians 2:20-21). Jesus is our High Priest and our Advocate with our Father God.

When we repent of our sins, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved for eternity (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9). He walks with us and in us forever. His presence in our life is a constant that we can trust in and on which we can rely.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that Your Trinity permanently abides in our spirit once we ask for forgiveness of our sins, and ask Your Son Jesus, the Word, to richly dwell in our heart (Colossians 3:16). As our divine fortress, You protect us from the evil in the world, and You walk with us through every trial that we ever experience.

Your grace enables us to meet all of life’s demands in Jesus’ name. As we come to truly know You, we find a warm, committed relationship growing between us that is built on Your faithfulness and our trust of You (Proverbs 3:5-6). You prove to us all day long that You love us. We want to spend our whole life doing the same for You (Colossians 3:3-4).

Thought for the Day:

It is not enough just to know that God loves us, because His love is a gift to be felt continually, moment-by-moment as we walk in His presence and act on that love throughout the day; in the face of the worse trials life offers us, we never lose hope, because it is simply light and momentary affliction when compared to the incomparable, unseen weight of glory, which God has prepared for us in eternity.

– 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Help for Our Troubled Soul

We are often troubled to the very depth of our soul during our lifetime (John 12:27). We lose a loved one, our place of employment closes down, our church splits and half of our friends are gone, we lose our car keys and cannot find them for days, etc.

Life is hard and unpredictable, causing stress and discouragement at every turn of events. We struggle with trouble and trials, which continually flood our life. We find our self treading water just to survive.

Wave after wave of distress and betrayal wash over us. We are scorned, disgraced and shamed; surrounded by enemies. This breaks our heart and we feel helpless. We look for sympathy, but there is none; for comforters, but we find none.

Jesus knows exactly how we feel (Isaiah 53:3). As a man, He suffered from the adjustments of growing up in an Israeli town occupied by a foreign nation (John 1:10), step-sibling rivalry (John 1:11), the strain of false accusations (Luke 23:4-5), the stresses of making a living (Matthew 6:3), the pain of betrayal (John 13:2) and the sorrow of rejection (Isaiah 53:3).

He also suffered spiritual separation from our Father when He took our sin to Calvary's cross. This loss of God's presence ripped a cry of anguish from His throat (Matthew 27:46). He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with the deepest grief, just like we are.

At Gethsemane, Jesus pleaded for God to find another way to satisfy the penalty of our sins. Yet, even in the face of the horrendous crucifixion, He went forward with the Father's will, to bring God glory and to bring us Salvation and Eternal Life with Him.

Prayer:

Father God, we are so grateful that because of Jesus sacrifice for us, we will never experience the utter abandonment and rejection from You that Jesus suffered on our behalf. We want to follow Your will for our life, just like Jesus did - regardless of the suffering, how much it costs, and how long it takes.

We rejoice in the presence of Your Holy Spirit, who sustains us throughout our lifetime. When we come to the place of spiritual maturity where You possess all of our heart, we look forward to receiving Your abundant blessings, which bring us far greater joy than the fulfillment of any of our selfish desires. Thank You for Your protection, provision and perfection in our life.

Thought for the Day:

When we give God our life, and allow it to unfold according to His will rather than our own, He uses us as He planned before we were ever born; He changes our life, and those lives that He touches through us, by His indwelling Spirit within us.

- Jeremiah 1:5; 2 Corinthians 3:18

Courage to Face the Future

God has perfect plans for our life, which He made for us before we even lived one day. His ways are faultless and His timing is impeccable. He delights in us when we do His will, and He gives us more responsibility in His Kingdom when we prove our self faithful to His will (Luke 12:42-48).

God disciplines us as His children when we stray from His straight and narrow road; not to exact vengeance on us, but to keep us safely in the center of His will. We never lose the anticipation of His coming, or our home going into His physical presence.

The devil attempts to distract, divert and disengage us from our service to our King Jesus. He scrambles our thought processes and discourages us with more than we can bear (Proverbs 23:7). At times like this, we rely on our intimacy with God and increase our obedience to His Spirit.

We have no need to entertain fears or doubts about our future, because God has a perfect plan for us in any circumstance. We can keep our self spotless from the decay of sinful temptations and reap the blessings of God on our life (1 John 3:2-3).

When we wait on the Lord and believe in His Word, then we free our self from Satan's bondage; trust that Christ in us is greater than any tribulation, doubt or anticipation that we may entertain; and realize that God works out everything for our eventual good (Revelation 1:3; Romans 8:28).

God's Word prepares us for life with wisdom, inspiration, power and saving faith. We have an eager anticipation of our future, because we see God's faithfulness to us in the past. We realize that even the most trying circumstance is given to us so that God's glory will be revealed in and through us.

Prayer:

Father God, help us not to grow weary in life, and to abandon the hope that is within us to the point of allowing the cares of this life to consume us. Remind us that Christ will return to earth with His bride, and establish His rule and reign over all the nations, and we will be a big part of all of that (Revelation 22:12; 1 Corinthians 11:26).

This will help us to maintain a heavenly worldview and mindset, rather than to be sidetracked by the deceptive philosophy of this world and the lies of the devil (Colossians 2:8, 3:1-5, 4:8-9). It will also give us peace of mind and fellowship with other authentic Believers (Romans 8:5-6).

Thought for the Day:

Developing a heavenly mindset helps us to focus on our resurrected life in Christ, to submit to the purifying discipline of our Father God, to rejoice that we are already crucified with Jesus and hidden with Him in God, and that we can look forward to our future life on this earth and to our eternal reward because of His redeeming work in our life.

The Humanity of Jesus

We often think about and refer to the divinity of Jesus, the part of Him that is equal to God (Philippians 2:6); however, we rarely consider the humanity of Jesus, and what He actually experienced as a man on this earth. We think of His humanity as insulated, isolated and protected by His divinity.

However, many scriptures refute this supposition. Although the entire world was made by Him (Hebrews 1:2), when Jesus lived on earth, the world did not recognize His divine power, wisdom, authority and position.

He was not handsome or physically remarkable in any way, He was a man of troubles and acquainted with misery, He was not esteemed or given His rightful honor. He took our weaknesses and carried our sorrows, and people assumed that He was stricken and afflicted by God (Isaiah 53:2-4).

During His earthly existence, Jesus cried out to God with prayers, entreaties and tears. Although God heard Him, because of His reverence for our Father, He created the humanity of Jesus for the very purpose of carrying for us the punishment for our own sins (Hebrews 5:7).

Many Old Testament prophecies attested to the fact of His coming, as well as His sacrifices for us, from infancy to adulthood. Jesus was actually despised and rejected by others (Psalm 22:6). Even His own family, friends, and community did not receive Him as their Savior until after His resurrection (John 1:1, 10).

Jesus actually learned obedience through the things that He suffered, just like we do. Although His divinity was already perfect, His humanity was made perfect in order for Him to become the source of eternal redemption for anyone who believes in, trusts in and obeys Him (Hebrews 5:8-9).  

When the Magi came to Herod to inquire about the new ruler's birth, Herod summoned the religious leaders of the Jews to find out what they knew about this. Due to prophecy, the Jewish men even knew where He would be born (Matthew 2:1-9).

Although they had this wonderful opportunity to do so, they did not seek Him. As is true about Jesus' lifetime on the earth, the world still ignores and rejects Him - in fact, this occurs more and more in these final days before His imminent return for His Bride (Matthew 24:12).

Prayer:

Father God, it is an eye-opening thought to realize that many rejected Jesus during His lifetime, and were appalled by Him (Isaiah 52:14). Remind us that our individual sin - our pride, rebellion, and desire to satiate our fleshly impulses - caused You to have to crush our Lord and cause Him to suffer in our place. He was disfigured beyond recognition, and marred beyond any human likeness through the persecution prior to His crucifixion (Isaiah 53:5).  

Yet, no one took Jesus life from Him, but He willingly laid it down by His own decision (John 10:18). Due to His obedience, You will give Him many adopted siblings, prolong His days, and prosper Him at His second coming (Isaiah 53:10; Philippians 2:8). Teach us to have this same devotion to You, through Christ in us (Colossians 1:27). We want to serve you both now and throughout eternity.

Thought for the Day:

Although people mocked Jesus and sneered at Him and whole nations abhor Him, even as they do now, upon His second coming, princes will rise from their thrones and bow down to King Jesus, because He was faithful, and chosen by God as the Holy One of Israel (Psalm 22:7; Isaiah 49:7).

Eternity Plus

There are so many blessings waiting for us in eternity with Jesus. John tells us that there is a crystal clear river flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb, straight down the middle of the Street of Gold (Revelation 22:1-5; John 4:13-14).

On each side of the river stands the Tree of Life that yields new fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. There will be no more strife and division between the nations under the rule of King Jesus.

God will heal all of creation (Revelation 22:3), which has been groaning for the revealing of the Sons of God since the curse began (Romans 8:19). When we see creation suffering in this present time, we realize the depth of the consequences of our sins, and we never want to sin again.

Jesus lifted the curse by His crucifixion and resurrection, and in eternity there will be no more sickness and death and crying (Revelation 21:4). There will also be no more darkness and night, because God's presence gives us Light.

Every aspect of the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1-3) will be blessed of God: sinless perfection, benevolent government, harmony among the nations, glorified Saints in an immortal body, etc. We will live in the atmosphere of Paradise once again.

As His servants we will serve Him, and we shall behold His gracious face forever. We enjoy His peace, joy, grace and forgiveness now, and that will continue on into eternity. His name will be engraved on our foreheads, and we will reign with Him forever and ever.

Prayer:

Father God, Your glorious riches are more than we can comprehend: gates made of one pearl, streets of gold, crystal river, New Jerusalem with mansion-sized rooms, etc. Your creation on earth is perfection itself, but when we realize that nature is groaning for the revealing of Your sons in order for the curse of sin to be lifted from the earth, we cannot even imagine the beauty we will behold in the new heaven and earth.

We look forward to serving You for eternity, for glorifying the Lamb who is worthy of all of our praise, for dwelling together with the hosts of angels and all of Your Saints, for being like Jesus when we see Him face-to-face, for living in Your very presence forevermore, etc. Thank You for Your plan of salvation that forgives our sins, and gives us the opportunity to live as co-heirs with Jesus of Your Kingdom that is without end.

Thought for the Day:

During the seven years of the Great Tribulation, God will destroy the decaying, corrupt cosmos in which we now dwell; and then He will create a new heaven and earth that will mirror His glory, giving a supernatural body and existence to authentic Believers for eternity in order for us to serve at His pleasure.

- Ezekiel 12:22; Matthew 24:43; John 3:16-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:4, 13; 2 Corinthians 5:17

Perfect Love

Anything that affects our spiritual, mental and emotional well-being also affects our physical health. Hospitals and doctors' offices are full of people with psychosomatic (mentally induced) illnesses. God has a much richer plan for us.

Learning to love our self is vitally tied to learning to love our neighbor. The sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit during each moment of our day does a complete work in our body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23?)

Having a solid, healthy sense of who we are in Christ, and of our God-inspired, unique individuality, allows us to enter into loving “interdependent” relationships with our family, our church and our community.

When we feel overwhelmed, taking time out to hide beneath the shadow of the Almighty allows us to seek refuge under His wings. We run to our secret place where we can honestly face the realities of our life and trust God with them.

As we ask the Holy Spirit for the wisdom, guidance and strength to step aside, we permit Christ to accomplish His will through our life. We live like Mary who allowed herself to sit at Jesus' feet, as we serve others like Martha did (Luke 10:38-42).

God wants our giving to flow from our genuine desire to serve Him, and from our choice to obey the leading of His Spirit. As we spend time with Him, God renews our strength, and equips us to perform the works that He calls us to achieve (Isaiah 40:31).  

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that allowing Your love to build us up in Christ's love makes it possible for us to serve others out of love, rather than out of coercion or codependence. Help us to see that it is not the amount we are giving that counts, but the process – serving from a cheerful, obedient heart – that really matters (2 Corinthians 9:7).

If You do not give us peace to comply with a request or a need, then remind us not to get involved, but to pray. Our light will then shine like a city set on a hill (Matthew 5:14). With Your hands sheltering our obedience to Your Spirit from the winds of guilt, shame and perfectionistic expectations, our perfected love for You and others can grow.

Thought for the Day:

As we sit at Jesus' feet like Mary did, we soak up God's grace until we are filled with His Spirit; this enables us to serve others from a place of faith, and to obey the Spirit who leads us by His peace from within.

- 2 Corinthians 9:7

A Divine Intervention

A few years ago, I received an email from a middle aged man, whom I taught in Sunday School during his elementary school years. He asked me about a song I used to sing with my class. He knew that I wrote several of the songs that I sang with the class, and he asked me for the words to that particular song.

The song, that consumed his interest at that time, was called "Camel Train"; and though I did not write it, I did sing it often with my class (words below). I told him that I found it interesting that the Holy Spirit was bringing that song to his attention, because prophecy about Christ coming for His bride was almost totally fulfilled, and His coming could happen at any time now.

He had rejected the elementary teachings of Christ from our class time - in favor of satanic lies, humanistic worldly philosophies, and skepticism about the Christian teaching that Christ's eminent return was very near.

He mentioned that Paul's Biblical writings stated that Christ would come for His bride back in Biblical times, and he ended his monologue with the intellectually-driven, rote mantra of, "You Christians have been saying that for thousands of years; I just don't buy it."

I did not feel led to argue with him, and prayed for him instead. Then, last week, I got a similar email from him, asking again if I wrote that same song, and requesting the words, because it was continually running through his mind.

This time, I emailed the words to him without saying anything about Jesus coming soon for his bride. Then he asked me what the words were to my favorite song that I did write when he was a child. I sent him those words as well, praying all the time that God's Spirit would use these two songs to completely draw his heart to our Father God's loving heart.

I request that you join me in praying for this young man's future choices, and for his favorable response to God's gentle wooing of His soul to an intimate relationship with God's Trinity. He has lived an exemplary life in many ways, but he refuses to walk in God's ways.

His genius would be a great asset to the Kingdom of God in these last days, if he would indeed set aside His pride, and his rebellion against what he knew was truth as a young child, and totally surrender to God's call on His life.

Prayer:

Father God, I see strong evidence that You want this young man to respond favorably to Your call on His life. Thank You that our bond was never broken, and that You allowed him to come to me twice to ask for the words to this prophetic song. We pray that You will use these words and continue to remove the scales from his eyes, so that He can fully look into Your wonderful face.

We also pray that You will strengthen his inner being so that he can draw near to you (Ephesians 3:14-21), and to resist the devil's lies (James 4:6-8). We ask that he can clearly see the truth of Your Word, and the evident soon return of Christ for His bride (Matthew 22:1-14). We so look forward to joining You for eternity and to serving You with our whole heart, soul, and strength.

Thought for the Day:

CAMEL TRAIN

'Twas a day in early springtime
by an ancient wayside well
Eliezer paused to rest his camel train

He had found a bride for Isaac
ere the evening shadows fall
for his weary journey had not been in vain

So he took the fair Rebekah
dressed in jewels rich and rare
quickly to her waiting bridegroom far away

Where Rebekah loved her Isaac
and he loved Rebekah fair
Oh it must have been a happy wedding day

(Chorus:)
Oh, get ready
the evening shadows fall
Don't you hear the Eliezer call

There's going to be a wedding
Our joys will soon begin
In the evening when the camel train comes in

(Verse:)
Now the blessed Holy Spirit
from Our Father God above
has come down to Earth to find a worthy bride

For our Isaac over yonder
he's prepared his tents of love
and he wants his fair Rebekah by his side

We've left our kinfolk gladly
We've bade the world goodbye
We've been called to be his pure and spotless bride

Where we'll soon behold King Jesus
in that blessed eternity
What a happy, happy wedding that will be
(Repeat chorus)

Our Rock and Fortress

Even if our loved ones forsake us, the Lord will abundantly care for us and adopt us into His family (Psalm 27:10). When we feel isolated and alone, and in spite of the fact that whatever could go wrong inevitably does go wrong, God has a perfect plan for our life (Ephesians 2:10).

At times, our prayers seem to fall on deaf ears, but God always hears our cries to Him (Psalm 34:17). The Biblical account of Jacob and Esau leads us to believe assumptions and fears that God has favorites and indiscriminately picks and chooses whom He will bless and love (Romans 9:13, 15).

However, Jacob had a heart after God, and Esau was totally carnal and worldly. Yet, because of His promise to Abraham (Genesis 12: 2-3), God blessed Esau all of his life, as well as He blessed Jacob (Genesis 33:9). He will care for us as well.

We all spend our childhood exerting energy in trying to please our earthly father and mother. We try to make them proud of us. We endeavor to earn acceptance and affirmation from them. Even after a lifetime of trying to gain parental approval, many people never do.

We transfer this same self-effort in trying to earn God’s love. Whether or not our earthly parents ever showered us with unconditional love, we are fully acceptable to God the moment we repent of our sins and accept Jesus’ blood sacrifice for us (Ephesians 1:6).

The good news is that our eternal standing with God has nothing at all to do with our efforts, but everything to do with God's mercy, grace and truth (Romans 9:7-9, 11-16). The only factor keeping us from realizing true fulfillment, in this life and the next, is our unbelief (John 3:18).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to see that although our parents - regardless of their efforts, motives and motivation - may be imperfect in love, imperfect at parenting, and imperfect in every other area of life, they do their best, just as we do, as flawed human beings. You are the perfect Father, incapable of error on any level. Once we surrender our life to You, we are acceptable in Your beloved family (Ephesians 1:6).

As Your imperfect children, we are privileged to accept Your free gift of perfect love at any time during our lifetime (Romans 11:17, 8:17). You never turn us away, never stop loving us, and never give up on us. You never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5; Genesis 28:15).  Your love is bounteous, and You never tire of wooing us ever closer to Your generous heart.

Thought for the Day:

How comforting is the covering of God's feathers and His high tower in times of trouble; He is our only rock, salvation, and fortress, and as we trust in Him, we shall never be greatly shaken.

- Psalm 9:9; 62:2, 91:4

Wonderfully Made

God created us and knit us together in our mother's womb with all of our flaws, talents, personality quirks, gifts, and idiosyncrasies. We are awesome and wonderfully made, and God knows us better than we know our self.

Our Daddy God is involved in our life before we are ever born. He planned each day of our life before we lived even one of them (Psalm 139:13-16), and He stays with us until the day that we pass into eternity.

The Lord puts a protective hedge around us to keep us safely in the center of His perfect plans (Psalm 139:1-6). Of course, in our pride and rebellion, we often go outside of that hedge; and we suffer the consequences of all of our decisions.

We often blame God for our circumstances, when we are simply reaping what we choose to sow (Galatians 6:7). God searches our heart, and He knows everything about us: when we go to sleep and when we wake up, our thoughts and words, our goals and plans and activities, our motives and attitudes, etc.  

As we come of age, we often attempt to escape what we consider as the confines of God's ways, little realizing that they are there to protect us. However, there is no place that we can actually escape from His Spirit's presence.

God knows our success, our disappointments, our highs, our lows, our fleshly depravity and our spiritual pursuits (Psalm 139:7-9). He loves us even in our rebellion against Him, and provides for us because of the faithfulness of our ancestors (Exodus 20:6).

Our eternal destination is determined by our belief or disbelief of the Good News about Jesus and His place in our life (John 3:16-18). If we totally surrender to His will, our Heavenly Father guides us with His hand, and He keeps us as safely under His wings (Psalm 91).

Even our worse trials are not devastating, because His light shines in our darkest hours (Psalm 139:10-12). His presence is our constant help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1-3). He is the only God of all people, and Lord of us all.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for directing our thoughts, words and actions every time that we consult You for Your will for each moment of our life. We trust You with our whole heart to provide for and to protect us in every issue of life. We promise to cease from consulting our human wisdom, and to rely on Your wisdom instead (Proverbs 3:5-6).

We love You with every fiber of our being, and we are thankful for all of Your blessings on each moment of our day. You are our all in all. As You work through all of us, and abide in us all, You teach us that we start this adventure with You by walking away from willful sins, and by inviting You to dwell within our spirit (Ephesians 4:6). We rely on You to remind us, that before we do or say anything, to consult Your will for us.

Thought for the Day:

When we trust in, rely on and obey God during each moment of our day, He keeps us on track for success, gives us the best of everything, and fills our resources with abundance for every good work that He calls us to allow Christ to preform through us.

- Proverbs 3:5-8; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 2:10

Waiting on the Lord

If we wait patiently for the Lord, He never fails to hear and answer our prayers. He lifts us out of the slimy pit of despair and the quick-sand of troubles and tribulation. He is our Rock and He always gives us a firm foundation on which to stand (Psalm 40:1-2).

When we are abused, abandoned or neglected by those we love, God never leaves or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). His constant watch-care over us puts a new song of praise on our lips (Psalm 40:3). Our faith is recharged, renewed and restored as we patiently wait on His timing and plans for our life.

Our Father God uses our trials in life to bring blessings in us, for us, and through us to others who suffer in the same areas that we do. He levels out the steepest mountain climbs and deepest valleys of depression to make our way smoother (Proverbs 3:6; Isaiah 45:2-4).

When we use human resources to attempt to heal our heart or to help someone else, we often circumvent the efforts God wants to make on our behalf. That is why patiently waiting for His provision is preferable, even if it takes longer than we expect or would like to endure.

God began a good work in us through salvation, and will continue His plans for us until we see Him face-to-face (Philippians 1:6). As we wait on His provision, we guarantee that we will not miss His legacy as co-heirs with Jesus of God's Kingdom, now and throughout eternity.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us not to attempt to leap ahead of You or to drag behind You when we or a loved one meets the challenges of this life. Help us to wait on You, to watch for Your provision, to praise You for both the good times and the bad, and to stay out of Your way by not using self-effort in a feeble attempt to bring a change in our circumstances.

We will sing of Your love and righteous judgments, and walk blamelessly in Your sight, even if You take longer to provide our needs than we would like to endure (Psalm 101:1-2). In our weakest moments, help us to remember that You do hear our cries for help and listen to our prayers. Teach us to gain our encouragement from Your Word and from authentic Believers that You place in our life (Psalm 101:6).

Thought for the Day:
We can patiently and faithfully wait on God in our times of affliction, because He does not hide His face from us, or turn a deaf ear to our pleas in our times of distress; and, at times, He even answers us quickly rather than using our tribulation to allow patience to have her perfect work in us.

- Psalm 102:1-2; James 1:4-8

A Good Marriage - Sharing our Soul

When two people share their soul with one another - our thoughts, feelings and possible choices - a bond of compassion, trust and intimacy grows between them. Sometimes, we want advice to solve our problems.

However, at other times, we are simply asking from our spouse the validation for our thoughts, as well as sympathy for our feelings. Commiseration from the one we care about the most in our life goes a long way in assuaging us during our trials. Also, praying together about the issue unites our spirits as one.

God often places opposites together in order for us to complement each other, to strengthen one another's weaknesses, and to allow us to draw from our spouse's talents, wisdom and experience. At times, our pride will cause us to reject our mate's solutions.

We may also fear that our spouse will attempt to manipulate or to control our life if we take their advice or draw from their talents, education, experiences, and organizational skills. We may avoid revealing to them our deepest fears and insecurities.

However, we can reassure one another by cherishing, appreciating, and complimenting each other, as well as not taking each other for granted. Expressing the ways that we feel attracted to our mate will also encourage physical intimacy and a deeper satisfaction in our soul.

A good marriage depends on love, trust and loyalty. We live up to our commitment to each other and honor our marriage vows. We give assurance to our mate by wearing our wedding ring with pride, fidelity and dedication.

Gazing into each other's eyes as we convey our feelings of love and appreciation emphasizes the honesty of our words and gives our mate a feeling of reassurance of our love and the depth of our commitment. This decreases our fears and insecurity and increases our feelings of intimacy.

Gifts of our time, focused attention, shared moments, verbal affirmation, and planned dates together are as vitally important as an expensive purchase that we may think that we have to provide. These simple actions also pave the way to more physical intimacy.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us that intimate sharing that is designed to bring us closer, helps both of us to feel loved and appreciated as committed spouses. Remind us that shutting each other out of our thought processes fills our spouse with fears and insecurities, and that stress is always easier to bear when we carry it together.

Open sharing allows both partners to understand what is actually going on in our heart and mind. Help us to see that this tactic will displace the lies of the devil that grow in our mind and soothe any insecurities that plague our heart. Teach us that honest communication also helps us to resolve any conflicts between us. Mutual trust grows with intimate conversation, because it prevents satanic warfare from tearing us apart.

Thought for the Day:

Sharing our soul with our spouse increases our love and respect for one another, deepens our trust in our love, and cements our friendship that started the day that we met; even if we are upset with each other, we can accept each other the way we are, then both learn from these experiences and be humble enough to change some aspect of our self if we are the problem.

Rivers of Living Water

Most of humanity darts from one activity to another, swooning over the latest fashion until the next one is introduced, and drifting aimlessly from one relationship to another. The more laden with earthly treasures we are, the more dissatisfied we get.

Billionaires die with shrunken bodies scarred by addictions, millionaires are jailed for petty theft, movie stars change partners almost as often as they change their wardrobe, etc. We are all searching for the same thing…salvation from ourselves.

Offices, malls, retail stores, and adventure parks are full of "thirsty" people who are drinking from fountains that will never satisfy. Thirsting for more of life and hungry for adventure, nothing ever gratifies us.

However, when we take the leap of faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are allowed to drink from rivers of living water that both fulfill our life and flow to others from our heart (John 7:38).

Through His sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross, Christ provided a well in the midst of our dry and thirsty land (Psalm 63:1). Only the life-giving water that Jesus Christ supplies can quench our thirst for satisfaction.

Although there is no way to convince anyone of their need to drink from His well of living water, we can still lead them to it. All we need to do is to open the door to expose them to the truth of God's Word, and share with them how God eternally satisfied our thirst.

Prayer:

Father God, Your river of life flows from Your throne and out of our heart (Revelation 22:1; John 7:38). Help us to step out from behind our fears and excuses, in order to share Your life-giving water with everyone we meet. Remind us that if we do not warn them of their impending doom, their blood is required on our hands (Ezekiel 3:18).

Through our conversion, allow many others to see the radical change You bring into our life. The adventures of our walk with You begins when we leave behind the self-defeating patterns of our old life, and we drink from Your well of living water.

Thought for the Day:

We seek relevance and significance, but gain no wisdom or understanding; however, once we drink deeply from Christ's well of living water, we breathe a sigh of relief that expels all of the stress and anguish bottled up within our soul, and the toll from the years of futile searching falls away in that instant as God renews us from the inside out.

Union with Christ

Living in union with the Spirit of God is in direct opposition to the philosophy of this world. It is also a concept that few people understand or attempt to pursue. God wants us to experience unbroken fellowship and unity with Him each moment of our day.

We can make our plans from a sacred or a secular viewpoint. The earthly issues clamor for our attention, driven by satanic forces which disguise themselves as important and imperative. Day-to-day activities crowd out any desire to increase our intimacy with God.

Busyness almost forces us to relegate our worship of God to one hour a week, to neglect God's Word, and to forget to pray without ceasing. At times, guilt may prompt us to establish a more spiritual routine, but events in life often sidetrack us from that commitment.

Finding a balance in our mindset is impossible until we get off the merry-go-round of life, and choose instead to increase our unity with God (Romans 7, 8, 9). This takes the conflict out of the equation and we do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Even what we eat and drink, our to-do list, our scheduled events, our efforts at work and at home change drastically. We totally surrender to God's plans for us in all areas of our life, and the conflict in our soul ceases. We live in peace and find more joy even in the mundane aspects of our life.

True union with Christ allows us to commune with God during each aspect of every moment of every day. Even the unexpected or frustrating events that we encounter take on new meaning when we view them from God's perspective.

Prayer:

Father God, show us how to submit to You in our role as a spouse, parent, employer/employee, homemaker, community member, part of Your church family, neighbor, etc. Teach us to view spiritual disciplines as part of every area of our life. We want to live, move and have our entire being in You, so that our whole life is an act of worship and unity with You (Acts 17:28).

Help us to follow the leading of Your Spirit in everything that we say and do, rather than compartmentalizing our activities between the spiritual and the worldly. With a Godly perspective, we stop spinning our wheels, living in frustration, and toying with bitterness over our lot in life. Each moment becomes a faith-filled experience complete with Your peace and joy.

Thought for the Day:

When we live in union with Christ, we no longer neglect our self, our family, our ministry opportunities, and our worship of our Creator and Savior and King; instead, we walk in the Spirit and do not fulfill the plans of the devil for us or the desires of our flesh.

- Galatians 5:15-25

Victory in Spiritual Warfare

Realizing the fact that we have died to unrighteousness and are now hidden with Christ in God is a major victory in the spiritual warfare that we face as authentic Believers (Colossians 2:3). The power of this union with the Trinity of God frees us from the petty sins that used to plague us.

Regarding our self as dead in Christ aids us in pursuing a spiritual mindset. This helps us to understand that we are also united with Him in His power, wisdom, discernment, and supernatural abilities. Our old, carnal nature is stripped away, and we are slaves to righteousness now, rather than to sin (Romans 6:5-7).

Sin no longer entices us, because we are alive to God in Christ (Romans 6:11). Habitual sins have no stronghold over us. We can break the chains, which these ungodly habits employed to keep us in bondage to depravity, by pursuing more intimacy with God, His direction for healing from our traumas, and time in God's Word.

We view our self differently, develop fresh aspirations for our life, and cultivate new wholesome habits. Even if we occasionally fall back under temptation's enticements, we realize the futility of these unwholesome quests. They lose their appeal, because of our new nature in Christ (Luke 14:26-27).

We are dead, and Christ is alive in us. He is our whole life (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3-4). As our intimacy with God increases, this earthly existence no longer satisfies us as much as our commitment to furthering God's Kingdom in the earth.

We are no longer attracted to the allurements of this realm. Paul personified a crucified life, with Christ living in and through him. Jesus is our perfect example of how to submit to our Heavenly Father's will, even if it hurts, rather than to entertain worldly goals and plans (Luke 22:42).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that focusing on life in this earthly existence is futile. Help us not to waste our time consumed by procuring and amassing worldly goods, fame and fortune. Teach us how to change our focus to storing up treasures in heaven instead (Matthew 6:19-21).

Satan - the ruler of this world, the prince and power of the air, and the spirit at work in those who refuse to believe in You - will stop at nothing in order to attract us back to his pursuits, to sidetrack us from our relationship with You, and to cripple us and make us grow weary and discouraged. Remind us that You already set us free from his domain as objects of Your wrath, and You made us alive in Christ and dead to sin (Ephesians 2:1-5).

Thought for the Day:

We are foreigners and nomads in this world; we no longer care about the pursuits of this life, and the basis of our self-esteem is now derived from the cross of Christ, through which worldly interests and standards are dead to us.

- 1 John 2:15; Ephesians 2:19; Galatians 6:14

Christmas Magic

At Christmas time, the earth's population sings traditional carols without paying any attention to the words. They give Santa the glory for what they call "Christmas magic" or "X-mas miracles", and he gets the praise for giving them the gifts that loving friends and family actually purchased for them.

However, the very word Christmas gives us the true meaning of Christmas. A mass to celebrate the birth of Christ. The actual day is debatable, but since we are going to honor Jesus' birth anyway, one day is as good as another.

Christmas carols are full of Biblical truth, starting with "The First Noel" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", which relate the fact that shepherds heard the first Gospel message from Angelic beings (Luke 2:13-14). "Away in a Manger" also regales us with the fact of His birth.

The words of "Little Town of Bethlehem", denote His birth too (Micah 5:2), and if we pay attention to these songs, we too can celebrate this beginning of our Savior's life on this earth. "Go Tell It on the Mountain" reminds us to share our faith and the truth of Jesus' birth.

Next, we have "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", which personifies the authentic Believer's longing for Our Savior and King to take His rightful place as Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth. This song declares prophecies about Jesus - as the Rod of Jesse, the Descendant of David, His virgin birth and His name Emmanuel, which means "God with us" (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).

My personal favorite is "Joy to the World." It is not really a Christmas song, because the verses proclaim the truth of Christ's second coming to sit on His throne with the government on His shoulders, and to restore order to our mixed-up, degenerate world (Genesis 3:17-18; Psalm 96:11-12; Psalm 98).

"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" proclaims the power of Christ over demonic activity (Mark 2; John 3:16). "Oh Holy Night" is another definite favorite carol that reminds us that although not everyone will choose Christ as their Savior, every ear will hear.

So, the next time you hear a Christmas spiritual, pay attention to the words, and sing them from your heart in praise to our King. He left the glory of heaven with the sole purpose of paying the penalty of our sinful behavior as our pure and perfect Lamb of God.

Prayer:

Father God, Christmas is the season of the year when the focus of many is on songs about Your Son's birth. The sad part about Christmas is that in spite of their love for these songs, very few people will hear the actual words and believe in the Christ of Christmas (John 3:16-18). They are too wrapped up in the trappings of the season, and they neglect the actual meaning of it.

Impress on everyone the truth of the songs that we sing. Jesus will eventually reign and rule the world with Your authority, righteousness, truth, and grace that will delight the inhabitants of the earth. Remind us that we can enjoy this euphoria every day of the year by turning from our sinful lifestyle and dedicating our life to Your service.

Thought for the Day:

Christmas carols preach the Gospel of Christ every year, but most people focus more on the delusion of Santa's fictional powers, the glitz and glitter, and getting their wishes granted than on the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ that changes our life for eternity.

- Matthew 24:14

A Good Marriage - A Supportive Unity

Spending time developing a lasting unity in marriage is well worth the effort. Learning each other's love language, and cultivating an understanding of our partner's needs makes one another feel accepted, cherished and loved. We spend quality and quantity time together. ( http://www.lovelanguagequiz.com/ )

We cannot nurture one another if we do not understand one another, and what we each need to function in our role, calling, ministry and union in life and in our marriage. We both compliment and complement each other.

A husband cannot care for or protect his wife if he does not understand her fears and insecurities (1 Peter 3:7). A wife cannot support and respect her husband if she does not take time to learn about his vocation and to notice and appreciate what he does for her.

Daily performing small acts of kindness, and making frequent big sacrifices for each other will ensure an exclusive and permanent relationship that will last a lifetime. This helps to discourage affairs and shuts the doors on ideas of divorce. The grass is rarely greener on the other side of the fence.

Our union is inseparable, and we delight in time spent together by having adventures and exploring opportunities to enjoy our community, state and surrounding areas. Together, we visit extended family, and we take vacations as a couple every year.

We understand that our union with our mate is the only option ordained for us by God. Our commitment to each other builds with each passing year, because we refuse to listen to the devil's lies or to entertain the draw of the world to be unfaithful to our spouse in thoughts or deeds.

Prayer:

Father God, we are never more fulfilled than when we walk close to You as individuals and as a couple. Through Christ in us, You change our nature from a carnal, earthly, fleshly one to a new character full of purity, Godliness and spirituality (2 Corinthians 3:18). You give us a way out of every future temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), as well as Your wisdom, peace and joy.

You walk with us every moment of every day, giving us Your strength to go through every trial as You deliver us through each issue that we face (Philippians 2:12). With our mind focused on You, we walk in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Our deepest affections are reserved just for You and for our mate, as we dwell together in unity and live a life of praise to Your name.

Thought for the Day:

When we focus on life through a carnal perception, we experience stress, anxiety, anger and many other negative emotions; yet, when we focus with an eternal perspective, we are only interested in God’s intentions, instructions and His inclusion of us in His plans.