New Jerusalem, the City of God

 

 

The house that Jesus went to prepare for us in Heaven is 1500 miles in every direction. The rooms are like mansions and we have story upon story of individual rooms. The city of New Jerusalem has no need of the sun or the moon to shine, because God’s glory is our light, and the Lamb of God (Jesus) is our lamp (Revelation 21:23).

 

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky gives witness to His handiwork. All of nature, both in the daylight and at night speaks of the knowledge of His glory. There is no place or circumstance where its voice is not heard (Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:20). We have no excuse to reject Jesus as our Savior.

 

Therefore, once we learn to believe God and to believe in Jesus, we have no need to feel anxious or troubled (John 14:1). The Word of God – Jesus, was with God in the beginning because He is God, and He became our Emmanuel – God in the flesh (John 1:1). 

 

When Jesus is revealed as King of kings and Lord of lords, the glory of the Lord shall be revealed to all flesh at one time (Isaiah 40:5). We worship the Lord Jesus, even now, because of His glory and strength. We give Him the glory that is due to His name, and we offer our total submission as an offering to the splendor of His holiness (1 Chronicles 16:28-29). 

 

He gives us the courage to declare His glory to the nations, as well as His marvelous works on our behalf to anyone who will listen (1 Chronicles 16:24). Everyone who conquers the devil’s lies and deception will sit with Jesus on His throne, just like Jesus was victor over Satan in his life and sat down on our Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21). 

 

God is glorified in us, as well as over the whole earth; therefore, we exalt Him above the heavens (Romans 1:20; Psalm 57:5). Whatever we ask in Jesus’ name, in order to accomplish the greater works that God plans for us to do, our Father will answer these prayers so that He will receive glory in His Son (John 13:32, 14:13). 

 

Regardless of how successful, steadfast and faithful our works are on this earth, we give God’s name the glory for everything that we accomplish. We can take no credit, because it is Christ in us that is accomplishing through us these Kingdom victories (Psalm 115:1; Ephesians 2:8-9).

 

Prayer:

Father God, we are nothing apart from You, and all of our attempts to work for You are only filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Help us to see that it is only through our obedience to Your Spirit that we can accomplish anything of lasting value with our life. We so look forward to the coming of Jesus on the clouds of heaven with power and with all of Your great glory (Matthew 24:30).

 

In this world we often grow weary and our heart is discouraged, but when we rely on You, we walk in faith because You are our strength and our inheritance forever (Psalm 73:26). Jesus is our King of glory, strong and mighty in spiritual warfare (Psalm 24:8). We look forward to serving You and to receiving our reward as co-heirs with Jesus (Colossians 3:24).

 

Thought for the Day:

We cannot imagine the magnitude of what God has prepared for those who love Him; but we shall all experience the bounty of His provision both now and throughout eternity - as our knee, and every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth, shall bow to King Jesus. 

- 1 Corinthians 2:9; Philippians 2:10

 

Going Along to Get Along

 

 

In today’s society, we often fit into the mold of the world around us, and we go along in order to get along. We abandon our true inner self in order to promote our stock in other people’s eyes. We trade our beliefs and goals for what is more socially acceptable. We also ignore God and His plans for our life (Ephesians 2:10).

 

As God’s Spirit sanctifies our soul – making us more like Jesus – He replaces our critical spirit with discernment, our unsympathetic nature with gentleness, our penchant to manipulate and to control others to keep our self safe with acceptance, our focus on the flesh with the desires of God for our spiritual maturity, etc. The list goes on until His fruit take over our personality (Galatians 5:22-23).

 

Detachment from this world, its lusts, satanic lies, and our carnal desires gives us more time and energy for developing our intimacy with God. We start to recognize the blessings of God in our life and we live a life filled with gratitude, peace, and deep inner joy regardless of our circumstance.

 

God searches us and knows our heart, tries us and knows our thoughts. He sees if there is any wickedness left in our soul and He leads us away from sin, and toward His everlasting path for us (Psalm 139:23-24; Ephesians 2:20). This purging and pruning leaves us with room and energy to pursue holiness.

 

He calls on us to take frequent searching inventories of our thoughts, words, attitude and behavior to see if they line up with His principles. At times, we need to make an adjustment, or care for one of our needs, or to forgive and trust God with some issue.

 

We also start to notice the little things in life that mean so much. Pure joy and acceptance replace our constant discontentment and yearning for more of this world’s goods. We put people first and detach from our attachment to worldly treasures. 

 

Our love for God, our intimate union with Him, and our obedience to His precepts take priority over any other relationship. Then, out of our unity with God’s Trinity, we are more present with the significant others in our life, as well as our needs, and the needs of friends and strangers in our community.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for giving us Your Spirit to sanctify our soul, and to make us one with You, just as You and Jesus are one (Romans 6:5-7; Galatians 2:20). We are so privileged to share in Your Kingdom as co-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17), and to inherit everything that You have prepared for us to receive both now and in eternity. 

 

Help us to live exemplary lives, rather than hypocritical ones, that will be a witness of Your love and kindness to everyone around us. We do not want to hoard or amass inconsequential physical treasure, but instead to store up treasures in Heaven that last for eternity. You are our Savior and Lord, our Master and King, and we live to serve You now and always.

 

Thought for the Day:

As we walk through life, we experience victories or failings, success or regression, we follow a plan or wander aimlessly, we take giant steps or baby steps, we live consistently at times and erratically the next moment; therefore, it is beneficial for us to remain faithful to God’s principles each moment of our day as we share in His bounty and receive His constant blessings. 

-Deuteronomy 28:2; Proverbs 16:20; Philippians 4:19-20

God’s Consuming Love

 

As authentic, Born Again Believers we come to know God more intimately over the years, we experience the power of His resurrection in our own life through salvation, and we share in the fellowship of His suffering. Due to Jesus’ persecution, death and resurrection, His Spirit conforms us with the mind of Christ (Philippians 3:10).

 

We abide in Christ, and He abides in us. He is our Vine, and we are His branches. We hang out with Him, and His Spirit flows through us, bearing fruit for everyone to enjoy and from which we can all benefit. As branches, we cannot bear fruit unless we are connected to Jesus, our Vine (John 15:4-6).

 

Through this intimate connection, we learn to love the Lord, our God, with our whole heart, soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:5). If the Lord does not protect the city, the watchmen on the wall work in vain (Psalm 127:24, 139:1). He has searched us, and He knows us and what we need before we even ask (Psalm 139:23-24).

 

Our God is mighty and dwells in the midst of us. He saves us and rejoices over us with joyful singing (Zephaniah 3:17). We rest in His love, care and provision. Due to His tender mercy and kindness, He has compassion on us, which we do not deserve and which we cannot earn. 

 

So much so, that He arranged for Jesus to give His life to pay the penalty for all of our sins (Psalm 51:1-19). Our Father God also raises us with Christ and encourages us to seek spiritual things rather than carnal ones. He plans for us to sit with Christ on His right hand (Colossians 3:1).

 

God even knows how many hairs we have on our head – including the new ones that grow in, and the loose ones that fall out when we brush or wash our hair (Matthew 10:30). His love consumes every part of our life, bathing us with renewed vision, vitality and victory.

 

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to wait on You, and to trust You to bring Your vengeance and judgment on those who abuse and misuse us. You call us to serve our enemies, and not to take revenge into our own hands (Zephaniah 3:8). We want our focus to remain on You, so that we will live in perfect peace, regardless of our circumstances (Isaiah 26:3).

 

We want to learn to call upon You in our day of trouble, and to serve You all the days of our life (Psalm 20:1, 27:5, 50:15, 86:7, 107:6). If we are suffering, You call us to pray; if we are blessed, You request that we sing praises to You and to honor Your name, because You are worthy (James 5:13). We trust in You for wisdom, and You show us great and mighty things, which we never thought were possible (Jeremiah 33:3).

 

Thought for the Day:

If we humble our self and confess our sins – acknowledging that we need Jesus in our life as our Savior – He cleanses us and makes us holy; then, we realize that what we used to value in our life is useless compared to our relationship with Jesus.

- 1 John 1:9; Philippians 3:7-8

Peace We Cannot Comprehend

 

 

Peace is what most humans lack, but wish they had more of in their life. Work, children, physical ailments, busy schedule, agreeing to take on too many “jobs” at one time, etc. can all rob us of our peace. That is why being led by God’s Spirit is the best way to walk in continual peace.

 

Peace affects our spirit, body and soul – our thoughts, actions, attitude, and emotions. Peace radiates from us when we walk in it, and other people notice it and get curious. Some people will even ask us about our countenance or attitude, which gives us a chance to witness to them about God’s intervention in our life.

 

Peace follows spiritual rest in the Lord. Stress is eliminated, and negative emotions are easily analyzed, solved and purged. Peace comes when we learn to trust in the Lord with our whole heart and mind. We develop spiritual convictions and beliefs, and we live by them without compromise.

 

When we prayerfully investigate the reason for our lack of peace, God always shows us where we are failing to have faith in His faithfulness; and where we are attempting to control life, rather than having trust in His eternal control over all things (Matthew 11:29). 

 

God always has only our ultimate good in His mind, even in the most heart-rending or physically painful situations that we experience (Romans 8:28). He hides us under the shelter of His wings through every storm that we ever encounter (Psalm 91). The presence of the Trinity within us gives us comfort each moment of every day.

 

Intimacy with His presence within us gives us peace that nothing in this world can ever produce for us (John 14:27-31). Through our repentance and surrender to Christ, we form a union, a bond with the Godhead, that is indestructible and eternal; then, we practice totally trusting in God each moment of every day.

 

Prayer:

Father God, remind us to flee to Your side when we grow weary from the burdens of life. Helps us to lay down our human pride and to humble our self under Your mighty hand as we trust in Your goodness. Teach us how to continually yoke up with You, so that You can carry our heavy burdens with us. This will help us to enter into Your rest for our soul (Matthew 11:29). Your Spirit transforms our human mind with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

 

Your peace always comes into our soul like a flood when we stop relying on our self, and trust that You have everything in Your bountiful control. Help us to lay our expectations, goals, worldview and desires at Your feet, so we will never be disappointed or discontent. We want to seek more of You, and less of this world’s trappings that often sidetrack us, because a union with You can never be taken away from us (Romans 8:35-39).

 

Though for the Day:

When we seek worldly fame, fortune, or success we forfeit the type of peace that God gives, which is different and so much more fulfilling than anything this world can offer us; humility and finding rest in the Lord are the key ingredients to finding ultimate, eternal, everlasting peace.

- John 14:27-31 

 

Cultivating God’s Presence within Us

 

 

What makes you feel loved by God? Is it the major supernatural events with which He blesses your life, or the little everyday things and the trails and troubles too? God gives us assurance and affirmation, confirmation and comfort all throughout every day.

 

Maybe He causes your favorite bird to land in the tree in your yard, or when He has Your favorite foods on sale at the store, or when He speaks to you from a Bible verse, or the numbers on the clock, or the words from a song, or a comment by a total stranger, etc. God continually blesses us in a multitude of ways that we often overlook.

 

God also speaks to us through His Word, His people, a TV or radio preacher, our pastor, and by His Holy Spirit speaking truth into our spirit. He often likes us to “be still and just acknowledge that He is our God” (Psalm 46:10), without any communication at all. We just hang out together in companionable silence.

 

We can also appreciate God’s gifts, talents and strong points that manifest in our spouse, children, neighbors, church family, and natural extended family. Cherishing each other is the greatest gift we can give and receive, especially when we accept each other just as we are – idiosyncrasies and all.

 

God gives us His protection too, by using our spouse, parents, adult children, neighbors, church family, and supernatural answers to our prayers. After stubbing her toe on the vacuum in the dark, my friend, a nurse, prayed to see her favorite doc during her work hours. She did, the very next morning at work, and he x-rayed and found three breaks in one toe and treated it.

 

All humans are flawed, so we can expect each other to let us down now and again. We also have their strengths that we can draw from to cover our own weaknesses. God will give us wisdom and compassion to build each other up, rather than to tear one another down. Communication and our attention are major keys in keeping our relationships vital and our connection to God viable.

 

Prayer:

Father God, help us to see the good in our day that You and our spouse, family, friends and neighbors provide for us. We do not want to overlook Your blessings in our life any longer. We want to be pleasant, positive, productive and patient rather than to spiral down into the pit of gloom and ingratitude. Help us to focus on Your generous hand in our life.

 

As we serve You and one another in love, we receive a whole new mindset and focus on life in general. We can spend time outdoing one another in expressing our love for each other as an outpouring of Your love upon those around us. Keep us focused on how we each are maturing spiritually rather than on how far we still need to grow; however most importantly, help us to draw nearer to Your presence within us each and every day.

 

Thought for the Day:

We feel the most loved by God when He supports us in spite of the fact that we cannot earn or deserve His blessings; we love Him because He first loved us, even when we were still sinners.

- Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John 4:19, Romans 5:8

 

A Good Marriage - A Better Spouse

 

 

In a bad marriage, rather than dream of a better spouse out there somewhere in the world around us, whom we hope to find, we focus instead on how to be a better spouse to and for one another (Ephesians 4:15). As we change, this often inspires our spouse to change as well.

 

If only one of us strives to improve our attitude and actions, this may not make a difference in our enjoyment of our relationship with our spouse, but it will improve our dependence on and intimacy with God as our true mate. Rather than looking outside of our marriage for fulfillment, we look within our own spirit.

 

We grow into maturity spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Our choices are more in line with God’s will for each moment of our day. We learn to take care of our self, rather than expecting our mate to meet all of our needs, which is virtually impossible for them to do. A truly fulfilled life comes from a fulfilling relationship with the Trinity of God within us.

 

God instituted the covenant of marriage and uses it as a type of His relationship with His Church (Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:25-32). If we look outside of our marriage and our relationship with God to meet our needs, we set our self up for disillusionment and a slippery slide into temptation.

 

Rather than entertaining thoughts of divorce, we can use our discontentment to fuel our passion for more intimacy with God. When our spouse feels less pressure from us to meet our needs, and he/she sees our commitment to our marriage and our spiritual growth, they may also join us on our journey.

 

Yet, if they choose divorce instead, it sets us free to serve God with more of our time and energies. Through our sorrow over the unexpected dissolution of our marriage, we can trust that God has wonderful plans for our future as we continue to rely on Him alone to meet our needs (Jeremiah 29:11).

 

Prayer:

Father God, help us and our mate to view our relationship as the second most important part of our life, second only to our union with You. Teach us to value each other’s place in our marriage, to have patience with one another’s shortcomings, and to appreciate our differences as well as our contribution to our relationship.

 

Help us to accept one another just as we are, to show compassion toward each other, to cherish our mate’s place and role in our life together, to compliment their contributions to our wellbeing, and to help one another to grow in Your grace as we support our marriage as a vital part of our life. Thank You for showing us Your will for our union, and for showering us both with Your loving kindness.

 

Thought for the Day:

As we face life’s challenges together as a couple, we learn to unite in our decisions, choices and priorities – making our relationship the bedrock of our life together, rather than an appendage that we can choose to live without; investing in our marriage is the best decision we can ever make, and our life in the long-run will be much improved by uniting as one, rather than splitting apart.

 

The Habit of Gratitude

 

 

For many people, it is very hard to feel gratitude for our lot in life. We seem to suffer insurmountable, continual trials and it takes weeks and months to navigate through them (1 Timothy 4:4). We get weary and we lose our faith in the Almighty, until we learn gratitude for what we do have, and all that He does for us on a daily basis (Psalm 28:7).

 

Those who do not have Christ in them might refuse to show gratitude to God for their negative experiences (Colossians 1:20; Roman 1:21). Due to their pride, they find it hard to show God any gratitude at all, and they fail to see what God has actually done for them and in them (2 Chronicles 32:25).

 

Many of these people love themselves and money, and they are boastful, arrogant, abusive to others, and have no gratitude or respect for what is holy and righteous (2 Timothy 3:2). They find it easy to cut out people from their life who do not agree with them, viewing them as toxic to their worldview and belief system.

 

However, the more gratitude that we show toward God and others, even for the little things that they do for us on a continual basis, the more positive our outlook is and the more we experience life with more health and blessings. Gratitude fosters healthy thoughts, emotions and actions.

 

When we only see the negative aspects of life, we end up spiraling into a deep pit of depression and hopelessness. We forget to live a life of praise to the Lord, even for the negative issues that come our way. Praising takes us out of the moment and into the courts of our God (Psalm 100).

 

Praising for negative circumstances sounds hypocritical and insane, but a Biblical principle that brings true joy to our life is that of rejoicing evermore, giving thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:16-28), praising with our whole heart, and telling others about His marvelous works (Psalm 9:1-2; Psalm 104:24, 139:14).

 

Prayer: 

Father God, You are our God. We exalt You above all else and we continually praise Your name forever. You are faithful and true to us, and You constantly do great things for us. Even the ancient writings of Your Word are relevant for us today (Isaiah 25:1). Everything that has breath praises you; and if we fail to pour out our gratitude to You, the very rocks around us will fill in the gap (Psalm 150:6; Luke 19:37-40).

During the good times and the bad, my soul along with everything within me will bless Your holy name (Psalm 103:1; Acts 16:25). You are our strength, our help, and our shield. You protect us, and our heart totally trusts in You and greatly rejoices in You. We sing Your praises all day and night long (Psalm 28:7). Your loving kindness is better than anything this world has to offer to us, and we lift up our hands and voice to bless You all the days of our life (Psalm 63:3-4).

 

Thought for the Day:

When our soul – our thoughts, feelings and choices – are discouraging and dismal, we can change them by hoping in God alone; we praise Him even when we see no rhyme or reason to do so, and He puts a song in our heart, and a smile on our face as He removes the worry lines that crease it.

-Psalm 42:11

 

Home is not a Place

 

 

Human beings will never be perfect, no matter how awesome they are. We all break promises, get grouchy or silent when we are tired and weary, make selfish decisions, and plan our own goals disregarding what God or our mate has planned. We all hurt one another, as is evidenced by those who separate from their spouse(s) and remarry over and over again.

 

Rushing into a marriage is never a good idea. We settle, we ignore red flags of warning, we marry for all of the wrong reasons, etc. Even if we get to know someone inside and out, we may think that we can change that person once we are married. This never works out – you get what you see, so see him/her through the eyes of the Spirit.

 

In reality, the only true lover of our soul is Jesus Christ. If we repent of our sins, and trust only in Him, He has our good planned out for every day of our life (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11). As we walk in His Spirit and obey His principles, we stay in the very center of His will for us. This is the happiest place on earth.

 

Home is not a residence, a building, a particular city, furniture or keepsakes. Home is in the presence of God’s Trinity abiding within us. We may be jailed for our beliefs, but “Home” goes with us. No one can separate us from God’s presence, and no one can ever take Him away from us (Romans 8:35-39).

 

Home on this earth can also be a person – that special person that loves God more than he/she loves us, and who loves us more than they love him/herself. This rare specimen of humanity is hard to find, but if we wait on God, He grows them up all around us and will lead us to that special person whom He designed just for us.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for working in the life of everyone who submits his/herself to You. Your Spirit changes us from one stage of glory and perfection to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18). There are people like Enoch, whom You took home with You one day, and he never experienced death on this earth (Genesis 5:24). I wonder about all of the “missing” people from earth. Did You take some of them home with You too?

 

Life with You, under Your direction and walking in Your perfect plans for us, is such an adventure. We never tire of You using us to reach those in our sphere of influence who are humble enough to accept Your love. We wake up each morning in anticipation of what this new day in You holds for us, and we retire each night with praises on our lips for the mighty evidence of Your intense love for all of Your children.

 

Thought for the Day:

Usually, the word “home” is so comforting, reassuring, and raises positive emotions and thoughts; of course, if the only home we have known was abusive, then the opposite is true; but we all yearn for a home where we feel safe and secure, and when our home involves the love and care of our Father God, we always smile when we think of it, regardless of where it is.

Disengaging from Self-centeredness

 

Self-centeredness causes us to focus on our sinful desires, and to work toward achieving their fulfillment rather than on developing a dynamic and spirit-filled lifestyle of worshipping and serving our King Jesus. When we change our focus, we passionately concentrate on His desires for our life, rather than our own.

 

Saints of old realized the truth that if we do not purposely develop a single-minded worldview of centering our affections on spiritual matters, then we will give in to the lure of the world and to carnality that Satan constantly uses to tempt us away from our service to God.

 

The more we mature spiritually, the less we have any attachment to this world, its philosophy of life, or what it deems important. Delighting our self in the Lord allows Him to put His desires in our heart (Psalm 37:4). We read His Word (Romans 15:4), pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and pursue His plans for each moment of our day (Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:3-4).

 

Over time spent with a Kingdom focus, we wake up with a song of praise to God on our heart, and we make melody in our heart to the Lord all day long (Ephesians 5:19). Then, we retire at night with a new song (Psalm 96:1) that He uses to fill our soul with longing just for Him, His Kingdom, and His ways.

 

Old habits fade into the background, and we develop new, Godly habits that fuel our spirit and transform our soul – our thoughts, feelings and choices. We are true soldiers of the Lord, emissaries of His Gospel, and trusting adopted children in His family (Ephesians 1:5).

 

We heed the call of the King of fishermen and spread our nets for people who are wandering around in this world with aimless, unfulfilled lives. Even the most successful of individuals soon find little joy in their endeavors, and they launch a search for more meaning in their life.

 

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that learning to detach from the lure of the philosophies of this world is possible only if we change our focus from success in this life, and place it on fulfillment through Your eternal life (John 3:16-17). We release our hold on meaningless, carnal exploits and turn to a life that is so much better – an intimate relationship with You. 

 

Teach us that detachment from this world brings a freedom to our soul that we long for most of our life. Thank You that Jesus willingly disconnected from worldly success in order to bring salvation to the whole world, if they will only believe. Thank You for helping each of us to become Born Again Believers, who willingly choose to commit our life to You, rather than to grasp for the wood, hay and stubble that makes up this world (1 Corinthians 3:12-13).

 

Thought for the Day:

When we willingly give up what the philosophy of this world offers as the markers for success and fulfillment, we find a life that is so much more fulfilling to our soul than anything we could ever imagine; we focus on giving rather than getting, encouraging instead of belittling, loving rather than despising, forgiving instead of taking revenge, cooperating rather than controlling, giving others the freedom to be who God created them to be rather than manipulating them into someone that will meet our personal needs.

 

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

 

 

God’s Spirit fills our heart with God’s unconditional love (Romans 5:5). The Saints of God feel His amazing love during our every waking moment, and we believe that He has our best interest at the core of every issue that we ever experience (1 John 4:16). We learn, during our walk with Him, to abide in God’s agape love (Jude 1:21).

 

His love is perfected in us, through our obedience to His Word and as we keep His commandments (1 John 2:5). He teaches us His ways in order to protect us from the lure of sin in the world that causes destruction and devastation in our life.

 

He teaches us how to love one another, to dwell together in unity, and how not to allow our differences to drive a wedge between us. We respect each other’s uniqueness and individuality in the bond of peace and love (1 John 4:12).

 

I am constantly amazed at the benevolence of God's gifts to us to meet every single need that we ever have. For instance, I went to the medical supply store, but could not find a "walking boot" that supported the particular stress fracture I had in my foot, caused by months of not wearing my arch supports in my house slippers. 

 

I did find a padded brace that is amazingly supportive of the bone, so we purchased it. I used this brace, along with a compression brace we had from other issues; and inside my dressy cloth ankle boots, the break was firmly supported, but not enough to actually walk on it.

 

However, a few days later, I was perusing women's ankle boots on Amazon, and the Great Physician directed my attention to a particular women's winter dress boot that was on sale with over half-off the original price. It was made of leather-like material and a tad bit higher that my current cloth boots. 

 

I felt total peace about buying them ... AND ... they work perfectly as a walking boot along with my two braces, especially with my arch supports velcroed inside to support my flat feet. WIN-WIN ... AGAIN. The steadfast love of the Lord supplied my needs as He always does. 

 

Prayer:

Father God, we love You, because You loved us first and gave Your Son Jesus as our ransom for each one of us (1 John 4:19). We enjoy the benefits of Your grace, the insurmountable heights of Your love, and the daily fellowship of Your Spirit when we pray without ceasing for Your wisdom, guidance, peace and joy (2 Corinthians 13:14).

 

We want to live our life in step with Your plans for us, so that we will accomplish everything that You desire to accomplish through us. We want to increase our unity and intimacy with Your Godhead each moment of every day, and to hear Your commendation at the end of our life, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

 

Thought for the Day:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never, ever ceases, and His mercies never come to an end - they are NEW ever single morning;” God loves us so much and cares about every single issue we could ever have.

- Lamentations 3:22-24

Eternal Peace

 

We may come from different countries, cultures and belief systems, but we all came from the same family – parented by Adam and Eve. One thing that every human being has in common is the desire for peace in our world and in our own life. The hard part of living in peace is developing peace within our own soul.

 

Peace brings us serenity regardless of our circumstances, and inner fortitude to bear up under extreme trials and griefs. The more detractors to peace that we allow into our life, the more stress will attack our health, and the less physical and emotional and spiritual well-being we will maintain.

 

Jesus suffered throughout His entire 33 years on earth with every trial conceivable to mankind in general (1 Peter 4:1; Hebrews 4:15); and yet, He lived in total peace and contentment, as well as in sinless perfection. He gave us His example of prayer, gratitude and righteous living as a pattern for our own life.

 

We have the same measure of God within us that Jesus had from His Heavenly conception, because once we are truly Born Again by trusting in Jesus’ ransom for our sins, the Trinity of God actually abides within our spirit. We can experience the same inner calm that He did, because we are filled with His Holy Spirit. 

 

We do not garner peace by amassing physical security and possessions, but by deepening our intimacy with Christ in us – the hope of our eternal glory (Colossians 1:27). When life disturbs our trusted routine, we can return to an even keel by holding onto God’s eternal hand, and by hiding under the shelter of His wings within us (Psalm 91).

 

If peace escapes us, we can take an inventory of our priorities, our busyness, our focus in life, and our friends and activities. Do any of them fail to line up with God’s will for this season in our life? What about our personal values, faults, choices, goals and what we deem as important?

 

Also, viewing our trials and tribulation from a positive perspective allows us to see the seed for a miracle that God plants within every one of them. Living in humility and service to others bring us more peace than continually striving for more of this world’s goods and successes. When we strive to enter God’s rest, we give up a worldly focus and we exchange it for a spiritual one instead.

 

Prayer:

Father God, help us to see if we are actually clinging to our anger, pride, sinful desires, financial and personal goals, and unhealthy choices? Even as simple as what we eat and drink effects our overall health (1 Corinthians 10:31). Do we take the credit for what You do in our life? Do we feel puffed up because of the fruit of Your Spirit that You are working into our life? 

 

Remind us to desire an intimate relationship with You above everything else (Psalm 84:10). If we do, we will certainly walk in unsinkable comfort in our soul, abiding peace and eternal rest in You. We adjust to the situations arising in our life when we view them from a position of peace, of faith in Your faithfulness, and of trust in Your goodness.

 

Thought for the Day:

We experience a daily dose of sweet repose when we adjust our focus from our human understanding of the trials in our life to the reality of our position in Christ; He gives us his eternal peace that prepares us to deal with every situation that we experience on this earth, gives us the security of our position with Christ abiding within us, and provides us with an inner strength to face tomorrow and its challenges.

-Ephesians 3:16; Job 11:18; Ezekiel 37:26; Hebrews 4:9-16

 

A Good Marriage - A Good Foundation for Love

 

 

It is so important, during the dating phase of any relationship, to pay attention to those issues, habits and character traits that cause red flags to rise up in our soul. Also, sometimes people put their best foot forward during the dating phase of a relationship, so we need to be discerning in all of our relationships. 

 

We are so “in love” with being “in love” that we often ignore or deny these irritating or concerning characteristics in the person we are dating, rather than to admit them openly. We also attempt to hide who we really are and to adopt attitudes, behavior, and ways of thinking that are more in sync with the person we are seeing. 

 

We fit our self into an unrealistic mold in order to be accepted and loved. This only sets us both up for disappointments down the road. If we want a lasting relationship, it is very important to be honest about who we are and what makes us happy, and to honestly assess our friend’s shortcomings and true assets. 

 

This is why dating people of like mind, those that we already consider as our friend, is the best way to form a lasting marriage. As friends, we already worked out many of the kinks in our relationship, and we found areas that we really admire and respect and enjoy about one another.

 

A firm, enduring friendship is a partnership where we are happy to help one another. One person does not demand all of the attention, while the other person is a doormat or goes along to get along. One of us does not do all of the serving, while the other makes all the demands and has all of the expectations.

 

We share similar priorities, worldview and mindset about the important issues in life, such as: having children, parenting styles, where to live, what type of church to worship in, the activities we accept or those that we really enjoy; the type of meals that we prefer; the habits that we can tolerate and those we cannot; financial principles we use as a budget for our earnings, etc.

 

We will not change one another after we say, “I do.” Therefore, it is important to love or wholeheartedly accept everything about each other before moving into an engagement period. It is better to remain friends and date other people than to attempt to force each other into our mold for them. This is never successful.

 

Prayer:

Father God, marriage is a sacred institution initiated by You in Paradise. Help us to adopt Your goals for us as a couple, to pray together, to work together toward a common goal, and to play together. Teach us to communicate our values prior to marriage and to support each other in them after the ceremony. Remind us to forgive one another before the sun sets (Ephesians 4:26), so that we do not carry over negative attitudes or feelings into the next day.

 

Help us to accept the advice of people outside of our marriage, but to make the final decision together as a couple. Preferring to please our parents, children, friends, etc. rather than our mate, sets us up with a situation that will undermine our love and acceptance of one another. Remind us to pray together about every decision, so that we can hear Your Spirit’s direction for all of our goals and activities.

 

Thought for the Day:

Although no relationship is ever perfect, if we have an attitude of service to one another – both of us giving rather than taking – we can work out any disagreements through prayer; and at the same time, increase our love, respect, compassion and cherishing feelings for one another all the days of our life.

 

 

God’s Glory Over the Whole Earth

 

In Old Testament times, the glory of God appeared to individuals and the Spirit of God filled certain people to help them to accomplish God’s will for their life (Numbers 20:6). Since Jesus ascended back to Heaven in His immortal body, He sent His Spirit to abide within every Born Again Believer (John 14:26). 

 

If we do not have His Spirit within us through salvation through Jesus Christ, we are not part of His eternal family (Romans 8:9-11; John 3:16-18). By turning from our sins, and trusting in Him, we develop an intimate, personal relationship and union with Him. His Spirit leads us each moment of the day through His internal peace (Philippians 4:7).

 

During the Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land, the Israelites made a poor choice not to enter the land; and therefore, that entire generation and their families wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, until all of those, who did not believe God and enter the land, died. 

 

God proved that He is slow to anger and abounding in love, mercy, grace and faithfulness (Exodus 34:5-7), because during this time God did not abandon His chosen nation. He supplied water, food, and direction through a warm pillar of fire by night and a cloud to cover them from the hot sun during the day (Exodus 13:21; Deuteronomy 5:24). He even kept their clothes and sandals from wearing out. 

 

At the end of the Old Testament era, God gave us Jesus to supply us with the provision for all of our needs (John 3:16-17). We rejoice in hope that God’s glory will fill the whole earth and have full authority over the state of affairs on our globe (Romans 5:2; Revelation 21:23-25). 

 

God chooses the people in authority over the nations, not for our benefit, but according to the culmination of His plans to turn the government over to King Jesus for eternity (Romans 13:1). We are currently experiencing “birth pains” before the Great Tribulation.

 

Pandemic health issues, increased natural disasters, record breaking weather patterns, melting ice caps that are increasing the infringement of water from the ocean along the earth’s coastlines, abounding iniquity in our society, a great apostacy and falling away from Biblical foundational truths, the absence of any Christian nation left in this world, etc. 

 

The attitude in the world today is to further minimize the effect and influence of Christianity, as well as to increase the persecution of those who adhere to Biblical principles and worldview. Governments marginalize our outreach, social media blocks our posts, laws are passed to make it illegal to mention certain sins during writing articles and public speaking, etc. Still, the worse is yet to come – be prepared.

 

Prayer:

Father God, we put our complete trust in You to yoke up with us during these increasingly tumultuous times, and to make our load easier and lighter (Matthew 11:29-30). You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. You created all things for our enjoyment, and we want Your will to prevail. All creation exists and was created by You and for You (Revelation 4:11). In Jesus, the whole fullness of the Trinity dwells in bodily form and You abide within us by Your Spirit (Colossians 2:9). 

 

We glimpse Your invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature in creation, and in every person ever born; therefore, there is no excuse for anyone not to believe that Jesus is the exclusive Savior of the world (John 3:16-18). Thank You for granting to us Your divine power and godliness, and for the ability to know without a doubt that You created us for Your own glory and excellence (2 Peter 1:3). We are called by Your name, and formed, prepared, and created for Your glory (Isaiah 43:7; Galatians 3:26).

 

Thought for the Day:

We refuse to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or to live a purposefully sinful life, or to join with the scoffers of the world, and we choose instead to delight in God’s law and to meditate on His Word day and night; this allows us to abide as a tree planted by the streams of water that yields fruit in each season of our life – regardless of the perils of existence in these End Times - while we worship Him as the Lord of hosts, and look forward to the whole world ultimately filling with His glory. 

-Psalm 1:1-5; Philippians 1:11; Isaiah 6:3