The Wonder of God's Love

There is no help or refuge during times of trouble, no one who gives us more strength, love, wisdom and support as our Lord God. Through earthquakes, volcanoes, heavy storms, tsunamis, tornadoes, trials, etc. God is always there.

Calamity falls on the just and the unjust, the wise and the simple-minded, the poor and the wealthy, the strong and the weak (Ecclesiastes 9:11). No one is exempt from the effect of sin in this world.

We will have many troubles – spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and physical, but God promises to deliver us out of them all, and to work out our issues for our eventual good (Psalm 34:18-19; Romans 8:28).

God is a refuge for the oppressed, and a stronghold in times of trouble (Psalm 9:9). We can run to Him and be saved. When we take refuge in Him, He helps us and delivers us from evil (Psalm 37:39-40). We are never alone.

His peace and care always carry us through tribulation, and through our recovery after we experience them. He walks with us in them and through them all (Psalm 46:1-3). He is close to the broken-hearted and cares about the health of our body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

God gives us the light of His Word, so that we can use it to illuminate our path, and the path of others who follow after us. We can trust in God at all times, and pour out our heart to Him (Psalm 62:8).

The Lord is our sustainer (Psalm 54:4) as we walk through life (James 1:2-4). We break forth into praise at the wonder of His love. He is our Fortress, our Rock and our Shield of protection through everything that we ever face (Psalm 59:16, 62:7).

Prayer:

Father God, keep us from considering our self wise or to boast in our talents, wisdom, strength or riches. We know that the swift will not escape calamity, the archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, the strong will not rely on their strength, and the warrior and horseman will not save their own life.

You have our best interest in the forefront of Your thoughts, and You delight in meeting our needs abundantly more than we could ever think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21). You are totally trustworthy and we place all of our cares in Your capable hands, because You care for us. We love You and lift You higher each day of our life.

Thought for the Day:

It is only in God that we find our safety, our provision, our strength, and our salvation, and we can only depend on and rejoice in Him and His deliverance; we will be joyful in Him, because He is our God and Savior. - Habakkuk 3:18

Is Hell a Real Place?

Jesus assured us that He provides us with resurrecting life. If we believe in Him, we will live, even though our body dies (John 11:25). Our last breath on this planet is followed by our next breath in Heaven. What a heavenly thought!

There is no reason for fear, stress, anxiety, or any negative emotion to capture our thoughts. When we believe in God, and in His plan for our salvation through Jesus' death on the cross, our heart calms and peace flows through our soul (John 14:1).

Our Father God has a house filled with many mansion-sized rooms. This house is 1500 square miles in every direction. Just like Noah's ark, there is plenty of room for everyone to enter-in with us, and Jesus will come to take us there (John 14:2-3).

People who refuse to believe in Christ have an interesting view of life. Many do not believe in heaven nor hell, and some do not even believe in reincarnation. They just live and die, and that’s all there is.

Some even see the idea of heaven as a mythical utopia that has no merit in truth, but one that is needed by those of us with weak spirits and strong emotional needs. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, of course.

Many despise the fact that Christians believe in the idea that people end up in hell on the grounds of their unbelief in Jesus Christ. Only those who resist God's love, and refuse to admit that they are sinners and to repent of their sinful lifestyle, will find themselves in hell (John 3:18; Luke 16:19-31).

Jesus is the only way to secure our place in our Father's house. He is the only truth and life as well. When we come to know Jesus, we also know God and His Holy Spirit, because they are three aspects of one God (John 14:6-8).

Prayer:

Father God, Your Word proclaims that if only in this life we have hope in Christ, then we are to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19). However, since Jesus Christ rose from the dead, it is now possible for those who believe in Him to also share in His risen life for eternity. To believe in life beyond death gives us a promising perspective to the life we live now.

Heaven is where You are, and it is not limited by the constraints of space or time. You are our refuge in this life, as well as in the next (Psalm 62:8). We can trust in You and pour out our hearts to You. You care about every aspect of our existence, including the timing of our liberation from this earth and our inauguration into life in the heavenly realm. This world is not "all there is" to eternal life.

Thought for the Day:

In our Christian belief, heaven is not a place where everyone goes, nor is it a place where only "good" people go; it is a place in which, through God's mercy and love, forgiveness is granted to anyone who trusts in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and who believes in redemption through His death and resurrection.

A New Life for Us

Jesus died to pay the debt we owed for our sins. So, can we keep on sinning, since He will continue to forgive that debt? Absolutely not (Romans 6:1, 15). We no longer dwell in the realm of sin, we packed our bags and moved from there on the day of our salvation.

Sin no longer appeals to us, especially when we consider that continuing to live in sin, continues to crush the heart of God and to crucify Jesus all over again. When we rose up from the baptismal waters, we entered a new walk in grace (Romans 6:1-7).

Our old carnal life is nailed to Calvary's cross with Jesus, and we move into a sin-conquering life through the power of His resurrection within us (Romans 7:24-25, 8:2, 13; Colossians 2:11-12, 3:5). He overcame all sin and He resides within us.

Through the cross, we are dead to the allurement of sin, and alive to Christ in God. We are permanently free of our old life (Romans 6:6-14). We no longer desire the forbidden fruits of sin. They provide no attraction for us.

The tyranny of Satan's world no longer has a hold on us, and we live in the freedom of a life sustained and ordered for us by God Himself (Galatians 2:20, 5:24; 2 Corinthians 5:14). We serve a new Master where grace and mercy abound, and we no longer reap the devastation of sin (Romans 6:15-18).

We are healed in our spirit, we are being healed in our soul, and we look forward to possessing an immortal body when we see Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Even now, a true, eternal, productive life awaits us with each new sunrise (Romans 6:22-23, 8:2).

When we adhere to God's Word, and believe in Jesus' saving work through His death, resurrection and ascension, we are not condemned (John 33:18). We cross over from a dead-end existence into the glorious freedom of the Saints of God (John 5:24; Romans 6:4-5).

Prayer:

Father God, we humans constantly search for the fountain of youth, the correct product that will provide us with longevity, a way to achieve Nirvana in our lifetime, etc. Remind us that You give us all of this when we are born again into Your Kingdom as co-heirs with Jesus.

Remind us that we are free from the power of sin and the lusts and expectations of this world. Our old nature is crucified with Christ, and He lives His life in and through us (Galatians 2:20). Once our mortal body expires, Your angels are there to immediately whisk us off into Your presence, where we will spend eternity worshipping and serving You.

Thought for the Day:

Eternal life begins for us in the instant we believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins, and rose again to give us a new life in Him; at that very moment, we take our first step out of this mortal world and into the immortal Kingdom of God.

Our Main Focus

As we decrease as the main focus of our life, God and His agenda increases (John 3:30). Our thoughts, plans and goals center on Him instead of our self. We daily die to our self-interests and desires, and we follow His perfect plans for our life (1 Corinthians 15:31).

When we come to realize that our self-life is crucified with Jesus, we understand that we no longer live our life, but He lives in and through us. The life that we now live in our mortal body, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loves and died for us (Galatians 2:20).

We are like a glove - sitting lifelessly on a table, in a coat pocket, or in a drawer, until God's hand fits perfectly inside of us. He moves each finger and uses us as He deems best. Only as Christ moves into our Spirit are we useful tools for His glory.

The glove completely conforms to the hand, and we walk in the Spirit every moment of every day. He is our constant hope of living a glorious existence on this earth and throughout eternity (Colossians 1:27).

This concept removes the striving from our walk with God. We no longer attempt to earn His love, or demand that He bless us. We are the exact representation of Christ, hidden in God (Colossians 1:15, 3:3).

God is in absolute control, and we readily submit to every directive from His Spirit as we live a spirit-filled life. We conform to His ways, and live in His service at home, and in our vocation, church and community.

Without Christ in us, we can do nothing (John 15:5); however, through Christ in us, we can accomplish anything that He calls us to do (Philippians 4:13). We must guard against volunteering to do more than He directs us to do. He will use others to fill those places.

Prayer:

Father God, at times, we view our self as the Savior of the world. We forget that You already gave Jesus that job and honor, and we are simply Your emissaries as Your Spirit directs us. Teach us to walk in simple obedience and not to consider our self as more important than we are (Philippians 2:3).

You created us with a pre-ordained purpose (Ephesians 2:10), and we walk in those plans as we follow Your Spirit's direction each moment of our day. We do not want to live with worry, stress and anxiety, but to enjoy Your peace, love and joy all of the days of our life here on planet earth.

Thought for the Day:

At times, we must remind our self that God has a special calling on each of our lives; this thought prevents us from making our own plans and forfeiting His blessings and provision in every area of need that we will ever encounter.

God's Guiding Light

In His loving kindness, our Father God sustains us according to His promises. We live in His Spirit, and He keeps our hope and peace from crashing on the jagged rocks we face in life. He delivers us and supports us as we obey His Word (Psalm 119:116-117; John 14:15).

Without Christ abiding within us, our needs and desires are merely delusions that never materialize; fleeting glimpses of them keep us motivated, but we eventually get weary of waiting (Psalm 119:118-119). We cry out for help, but do not know who to trust.

This is a good time to trust in Jesus. We quickly stand in awe of Him, and worship Him for who He is, and all that He provides for us each moment of our day. He gives us discernment to choose wisely in this life (Psalm 119:120-125).

God continually guides us with His wisdom and counsel all of our days, and then He receives us into the glories of heaven when we pass through death into true and eternal life (Psalm 73:24). That is why we give Him our praise continually.

We no longer entertain the fears and anxiety, with which Satan inundates our life. Our compulsion to attempt to control life wanes, because we know without a doubt that our Daddy God has everything under His control.

Now, when someone hurts us, abandons us, neglects us, etc., we stop endeavoring to manipulate everything in our sphere of influence with a bombastic, or bossy attitude. Instead, we move on and follow God's Spirit each moment of the day.

God enables us to relinquish our expectations and to go with the flow. This floods our soul with His peace and joy. He leads and guides us through chaos to contentment, and we grow in our intimacy with Him in every way.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that no amount of self-effort guarantees us a peaceful life. All of our expended effort eventually crumbles at our feet, leaving us disillusioned and hopeless. Only You give us the assurance that we crave. Your Word promises Your provision for us on a daily basis. Only You give us serenity, which is the exact opposite of anxiety.

If Your Kingdom is our desire, instead of our own success, You will not allow our hopes to be dashed against the rocks of the circumstances, which we encounter. You ensure our well-being as we serve You. You prevent the arrogant and the liar from oppressing us. You continually bless us according to Your loving kindness.

Thought for the Day:

God teaches us His commandments and writes them on our heart to prevent us from sinning against Him; His great peace envelops us and nothing can make us fall or even stub our toe upon the impediments of adversity.

- Psalm 91:11-12

Joy Comes in the Morning

Life happens, and not necessarily in pleasant, expected or acceptable ways. We are left with our head spinning and our heart bewildered. We may even cry all night. However, if we consult the Lord, His joy fills us by morning (Psalm 30:5).

His mercy and grace follow us all the days of our life (Psalm 23:6). They empower us to uncompromisingly stand up for Jesus, as we enjoy the blessings that He showers on us each moment of every day.

The secret is not to bow to modern expectation or to give up our traditional values in order to make excuses for our sins - as if there is nothing wrong with them. We stand accountable to God's Word, and honor Him with every breath that we take.

Daniel's friends refused to bow to the idol, which Nebuchadnezzar erected in his own honor. The megalomaniac wanted to use them as an object lesson to the rest of his kingdom, so he tried to incinerate them.

You know the rest of the story. Jesus joined the boys in the fiery furnace, and they had a dance party instead - praising God for His intervention and deliverance. The boys stood up against the crowd, and chose to stand up for God.

Remaining true to our Living God, we ferret out the idols in our life and renounce them for the lies that they are. We also trust God through every circumstance, even fiery furnaces; and He proves His faithfulness to us.

We can stand up, and stand out for God in our daily walk. We remain true to His Word and His calling in our life - no matter what the circumstances, or who we are with, or what is expected of us by our family, friends, neighbors and associates.  

Prayer:

Father God, help us to realize that our preoccupation with worldly pleasures, popularity, monetary gain and our hesitation to live up to Your values is actually sinful behavior. Continue to draw us to Your heart each day; and shower us with Your grace, as we attempt to walk in Your truth.

We want to lay down every sin that so easily entangles us and keeps us in bondage to Satan's lies. Set us free, so that we will be free in Christ (John 8:36). We want to serve You each moment of the day through divine appointments, and we want to praise You with every breath that we take all day and night long.

Thought For The Day:

When we take a stand against the world, and live a God-honoring life, which is void of compromise, we reap what we sow and live a blessed life both now and for eternity.

Choosing Choices

At times, I get tired of submitting to others, and I want to protect myself. We cannot change another person's choices, behavior, worldview or thought processes, but we can make our own decisions in areas that personally affect us.

We do not have to reap the consequences of another person's choices. The real issue during each moment of the day is God's plan for our life. If we choose to follow the ways of Satan, the flesh, or the world, we often disappoint God with our choices.

I wonder how often God grants our request, knowing all along that it is not His best plan for us. In our quest for life, sometimes we look for fulfillment in all the wrong places. Then, we reap the results of our own choices.

God gave the Israelites a prophet to speak to them directly, but they wanted a king instead (1 Samuel 8:5). Eventually, it turned out that their king had to go to the prophet to find out God’s will for them at any given moment.

A king is merely a middleman; however, Israel wanted a king, so they could be like all the other nations in their world. They wanted to fit in, and to follow the normal behaviors of their society.

Do we marry the wrong person, take the wrong job, go to the wrong school, move into the wrong neighborhood, buy the wrong car, and wear the wrong clothes just because we want to be like everyone else in our world?

As we focus on laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts, and where thieves do not break through nor steal (Matthew 6:20), we are much happier in life.

Prayer:

Father God, when our heart longs to be like the world, we step out of Your will for our life. Help us not to sew to the flesh, because we will most certainly reap destruction (Galatians 6:8). Transform our mind to see things from Your perspective, and make us content with Heavenly treasure instead of earth's counterfeit.

Remind us that we can choose to be different from others. We can put You first, living out Your will for our life, and dressing and living in such a way as to give glory and honor to You (1 Corinthians 10:31). As we seek first Your kingdom, You will provide us with everything that we need to live in Your peace, joy and unconditional love (Matthew 6:33).

Thought for the Day:

When we seek to follow the Spirit’s direction with our life, we may not always see the results, but we know without a doubt that we are laying up treasures for our self in Heaven.