Thoughts while waiting for Resurrection Day

Greetings:
There is much meaning in the Christian observance of Holy Week, no matter what denomination you follow.
Today, Holy Saturday, is a day of waiting. We are waiting for Christ's promised and prophesied resurrection from the dead.
We know it is coming tomorrow on Easter Sunday, but step back for a moment in history and try to view things from a the perspective of those who actually knew Jesus face to face and followed his ministry.
They had just witnessed his horrible torture and death on the cross. Jesus died in a terrible humbling manner.
His relatives, friends and followers had to be grief-stricken, shocked and bewildered.
What were they going to do now?
They would have been wise to remember Christ's seven final statements or the last words he painfully uttered as his human life was being sucked from his body. There is a deep message for all of us to understand.
I attended a community Good Friday service last night that focused on Jesus' last words. The words made me think and feel incredibly blessed.
*Luke 23:34: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.*Luke 23:43: Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.
*John 19:26–27: Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.
*Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34: My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
*John 19:28: I thirst.
*John 19:30: It is finished.
*Luke 23:46: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
Traditionally among theologians, these seven
final word statements from Christ represent forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph and reunion. Think about the meaning of each of these in our lives as Christians.  They form the basis of our belief, our faith and our hope.
As we wait to commemorate the resurrection of Christ tomorrow, on Easter Sunday, let me say that the death and the resurrection of Jesus leaves no doubt that Christ was divine.
The Resurrection leaves no doubt that Christ has the power to forgive sin and wash us clean through his mercy, grace and love.
One cannot deny that Jesus Christ shook the world on Resurrection Day - even among those who did not believe. His life and death dramatically shaped the course of history in his time, in our time and for generations to come.
Be blessed.

Good Friday was truly good

Greetings:
On this Good Friday, let us reflect on the cross and the atonement it provided for each of us as Christians.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4(NLT), the Apostle Paul wrote, "I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures."
Nearly 2,000 years ago a poor, homeless, single man in his early 30’s was executed by crucifixion - just like many other common criminals. He was a common man. He never traveled more than 200 miles from his home, never held a political office, never married or had children, and never ran a company. His name is Jesus Christ and history is divided into the periods before and after his life.
Thank you Lord for the Cross this day. Thank you Lord for your amazing grace and love that was shown to us.
Christ died so we might live.
It was a long, painful death. According to the  Gospel of Mark, Jesus endured the torment of crucifixion for some six hours from the third hour, at approximately 9 a.m., until his death at the ninth hour, corresponding to about 3 p.m.
Take time today, to understand what it meant when Jesus was nailed to the cross that day many years ago at Calvery.
1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed."
Christ's final words before his Spirit left his body and he died are reason enough to be encouraged.
He said, "It is finished." (John 19:30).  This is from the Greek word "tetelestai" , which is also translated "It is accomplished", or "It is complete".
Christ death paid the price in full for our sins that day. We received unmerited, undeserved, unearned forgivess.
On this Good Friday, reflect on the goodness of God, His mercy, His grace and His love for each of us. We know that the best is yet to come on Easter morning, but this act at Calvary is the foundation of our salvation.
Remember, Christ died so we might live.
To believe that fact, we must believe in heaven and hell and not be misguided by some church leaders. We must believe in the validity of God's Word as written in the Holy Bible. To believe, we must understand that the death of Jesus on the cross fulfilled more than 100 Old Testament scriptures.
In Isaiah 53:9, the prophet Isaiah wrote about a sinless servant being put to death with the wicked and buried with the rich. About 700 years after this was written, Jesus was put to death along with two criminals and was buried in a tomb owned by a wealthy man. 
I choose to believe.
Be blessed.

Know the source of relief

Greetings:
Our lives can be a place for stress to manifest to very uncomfortable levels, if we allow it.
Psalm 131 offers relief.
The psalm is short and to the point. It only has three verses.
In the Living Bible the psalm reads:
“Lord, I am not proud and haughty. I don’t think myself better than others. I don’t pretend to “know it all.” I am quiet now before the Lord, just as a child who is weaned from the breast. Yes, my begging has been stilled. O Israel, you too should quietly trust in the Lord—now, and always.”
Our stress levels usually escalate when we are asked to perform tasks that are far outside our comfort zone and when we’re expected to “be” someone we are not.
What can be done? It helps to discover who we are and what we feel comfortable doing. We need to accept the way God has made us.
Importantly, we need to learn to say “no” as God directs. In Psalm 131, it is interesting to note that David’s confession of his inadequacies is prefaced by a declaration of humility.
Humility is one of those traits that if we think we have it, we probably don't.
Psalm 131 reminds us that we should not be pursuing 'great things', unless we turn and become like children.
We are called to become like children like a weaned child, who has learned the secret of contentment in his mother's arms because the secret of contentment is humility.
David’s intimate declaration in Psalm 131 is a great remedy for stressful emotions.
We have nothing to prove to God. We can come with empty hands, because everything was provided for us at Calvary. When we see what Jesus accomplished in dying in our place, taking the judgment that belonged to us, we’ll be able to find our true rest in God.
Let us all put our hope in God and Godly things.
Let us focus on being content and to humble ourselves in service to God and to one another to find real peace and relief from the stress that is all around us. We should not worry about what others think, if we are following God’s leading.
Be blessed.

Christ's death and resurrection is all the hope we need

Greetings:
Hopeless is a tragic, frightful place to be in life.
Many around the globe find themselves in that spot this  morning.
What those individuals, who are lost and hopeless, need to know is the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. That is the foundation to what we believe. It is why we believe.
We are presently in Holy Week, which is a yearly remembrance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, two events that changed history for believers and non-believers. There is little debate that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is history's most significant event.
There have been many really important historical events over the centuries, but the raising of Christ from the dead stands in the forefront. This fact has generated heated discussion among the educated and the not so educated, among the rich and the poor, among those to know Christ and those who do not.
Jesus' claims during his earthly ministry are tested about himself in his statements of "Who do you say I am?"
It all rests on whether Christ indeed rose from the dead or stayed in the stone grave.
Some non-believers assert a risen Christ is nothing more than a leap of faith with little basis in truth. Some might even call it fantasy, fiction or an outright lie.
However, when confronted with the facts, those who are intellectually honest with themselves must admit that the resurrection is an historical event based proof and facts.
The Resurrection confirms that Jesus is who He claimed to be - the Son of God.
Jesus Christ predicted His resurrection in Matthew 16:21. From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he would suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Even though the disciples did not understand what Jesus was telling them at the time, they remembered His words and recorded them in what is now The Bible. Knowledge and understanding of who Jesus was, what he did as well as what he continues to do in each of the lives of believers is what washes away hopelessness.
Let us thank God everyday, every hour for his mercy, grace and kindness extended to each of us - even the non-believers.  By selecting his son, Jesus, to come to this earth in human form and died so we might have salvation God provides us with hope. Salvation gives us the opportunity to enjoy eternal life in heaven and wipe away that hopelessness that a death without God will give those destined for an eternal place of torment in hell.
Be blessed.

Follow Paul's example of prayer

Greetings:
The Apostle Paul was a man of deep faith. He knew how to pray and shared his passion for prayer with others of his day.
In Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV), Paul prays for the brothers and sisters in Ephesus.
It reads: “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Paul is praying on his knees. It's time to get serious.
He is interceding for the brothers and sisters in Ephesus. He is asking God to do something more than fix their problems.  He is asking God for a greater blessing than financial prosperity or health or mental and emotional stability or a happy life.
Paul prays that God might strengthen them with power through His Spirit, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith.
He prays they would have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge. He prayed that they may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Paul prayed with boldness and with sincere expectations that his prayers would be answered. It was more than just words.
We need to pray like the Apostle Paul. We need to pray more boldly, directly and expecting God to move.
In 1 Timothy 2:8, which was written by Paul, we see his instruction on how to pray. He writes, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.”
The raising of hands is not about us. It's about surrender. Raised hands are the universal sign of surrender and we need to surrender our hearts, our fears, our insecurities, our sin, our anxieties, our troubles and burdens to God.
Paul didn’t just talk about prayer; he prayed and surrendered all to God. We can do the same thing.
Be blessed.

Build the right foundation

Greetings:
Time and time again God has proven that he's with us, watching over us, and protecting us.
I've been in situations - many times - that looked like the ground under my feet was about to crash or give way. But somehow God moved on our behalf just at the right time and the feared situation was calmed.
It takes faith on our part to wait on God. We get anxious and think God doesn't hear our prayers, but that is a lie that the devil wants us to believe.
The devil likes to 'second guess' our decision to 'give it all to God' and let him work a situation out that does seem impossible in our eyes. But with God, The Word tells us, "all things are possible".
This means we should do everything we can possibly do ourselves to bring an answer to our prayer to the forefront, and then let God do the impossible.
That is difficult if we are facing a medical challenge, a financial situation or a relationship conflict with a spouse, a co-worker, a friend or a neighbor.
But that's the time when we simply must stand firm in faith. That's where we stand on The Word, trust in God and feel confident that our prayers will be answered.
The devil cringes and flees at the thought of God's Word. He can't stand it. That's when our faith is bolstered and we are able to rest in The Lord.
Does standing on The Word immediately always make a bad situation better? Sometimes 'yes', but other times it does not. Again, that is where we have to trust God and believe that God is God and he has the situation under control as he sees it.
I am reminded of several scriptures which speak to the enormity of God and his ability to do the impossible in our lives.
Psalm 89:8, reads, "O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds us."
Hebrews 10:23 adds,  "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."
In 2 Thessalonians 3:3 we read, "But  the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one."
So on those days when you think your world is sitting on sinking sand, God is the solid rock on which we can all stand. God turns light into darkness and we can stand on his faithful and unchanging grace.
God gives us that foundation that runs deep and strong. Foundations are not built over night. It takes some digging, carving, and chipping away to get everything just right. Our lives are the same.
Forming a deep foundation in God takes some time, some study, prayer and plenty of work on our part..
We can rely on and trust in and stand firm on The Word in our battle against the devil. The Word is our strongest weapon in that fight.
Rocks through our natural eyes are hard to break and difficult to move. They stand firm in the same place for years, generations and centuries. God gives each of us that same kind of foundation that runs deep and stands strong.
Be blessed.

Believe to be healed

Greetings:
Many of us have asked why we have not received our healing. Or, we say 'why did I get sick in the first place?'
I can't precisely answer either question, but I can say definitely it is God's will for each of us to be well and free from disease or ailments.
This is a complex and often debated topic, even among Christians, who ought to believe in healing if they believe the Word of God.
I don't know why everyone is not healed who is prayed for. I know that healing is hindered by the lack of faith and sin. I also know that sinners with no faith have been healed.
I don't have the answers, but I have God's Word and I choose to believe what it says about healing.
I have read a good teaching on healing from The Rev. Kenneth Copeland in which he says, "Believing that God can heal our body should be no different for you than believing He can forgive your sins. And yet, that truth becomes even more powerful when you realize that, not only can He forgive you and heal you — He already has! God’s provision for the healing of your body and the forgiving of your sin are just two of the many benefits you received when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Your forgiveness and your healing were secured for you."
There are many scriptures in the Bible that deal with healing, including:  Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 13:15, Matthew 21:22 and Proverbs 4:20-23.
We should meditate on them and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal how we can apply them in our circumstances.
Praying for your healing or the healing of others is more than asking and thanking. We need to pray with a sincere belief that our prayer is heard. We must have the faith to believe our healing was already carried out for us on the cross and we are now thanking God for its manifestation.
"It may be difficult to believe God’s promises to you at first because the physical circumstances are probably screaming just the opposite of God’s Word at you. So train yourself to look at God’s Word, not at the evidence of your five physical senses. Hear the Word, receive it by faith, stand on it — you need no further evidence," Rev. Copeland also writes.
It is scriptural to call for the elders of the Church and even the entire Church to come and pray with us and for us.
In Matthew 16:17-19 and Matthew 18:18-20 it says when two or three believers get together in Jesus’ Name, He is there too. And if they ask anything and agree in prayer, it is done.
The Bible also talks about the laying on of hands for healing in  Mark 16:15-20, I Corinthians 12 and Hebrews 6:1-2. That is scriptural.
We are directed to speak words of faith in Proverbs 12:6; Proverbs 13-14, Proverbs 18:20-21; Mark 11:22 and Mark 5:22-28.
Do not misunderstand what I am writing. I am not saying to not go to a doctor and not to take medication.  That would be foolish.
I am saying pray, believe and thank God for your healing. God can and does work through the hands and minds of physicians and surgeons. We do not know what avenue will lead to the carrying out of the manifestation of our healing. God works through the science he created.
Going to the doctor does not mean you have less faith. I have had doctors pray for me, not because they were smarter or better trained than I am. They prayed because they are believers and had faith.
This process involves more than just saying “I am healed” a couple of times. We have to dedicate ourselves, our time and our efforts to receiving the very best God has to offer.
We are advised in Acts 3:6.,16; John 14:12-14 and 1 John 3:23 to have faith in the Name of Jesus. Jesus’ name carries all the authority of Jesus Himself. When Peter spoke in Jesus’ name, it was as if Jesus were speaking. He spoke words of faith—in Jesus’ name. In the same way and with the same authority, you can speak to your affliction.
There are times when we just have to stand in the midst of our sickness or illness knowing that it is God's will for us to be healed.
We have to accept the Bible as the absolute truth. We can't be moved by how we feel. We have to speak our healing, confess our healing and talk about our healing until it comes to pass. This might take, days, weeks or even years.
Sadly, it might not come at all. But that does not change the Word of God. We do not know or understand His plan. We have to remember that, but don't let that limit the scope of our faith.
We have to come to the point when we admit, 'I don’t look healed. I don’t feel healed' but God’s Word says by His stripes I am healed,’
Let us accept the Word of God, rather than the circumstances.
Be blessed.

Be led by the Spirit, or don't go.

Greetings:
Following the leading of the Holy Spirit is a personal thing, a key aid to our own prayer life and essential if we are to walk in the will of God.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:14, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”
Soak up Romans 8:26-27 in the Amplified Bible to more fully understand the workings of the Holy Spirit. It reads, “So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groaning too deep for utterance. And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.”
In 2 Corinthians 5:7 Paul writes, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
This means that 'walking in the Spirit' or 'being led by the Spirit' is a faith thing that is contingent on our belief. To be led by the Spirit, we have to put in the prayer time to hear God's voice through the Holy Spirit.
We can't just say, "Ok God, I'm ready. Lead me by your Spirit."
We need to spend time in God's Word. We need to spend time crying out to God for guidance. We need to listen to what The Spirit is telling us.
If we don't hear anything, then, we shouldn't do anything. We must be patient and let The Holy Spirit reveal God's plan to us.
We can be grateful for Biblical scholars and we can read their helpful commentaries. The Lord will use them to teach us something, but we are not dependent upon them.
In reality, the Holy Spirit is our guide and teacher.
Remember to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Let our actions line up with what is written in the Word of God. It requires the operation of the Holy Spirit, to understand, to grasp the immensity of those tremendous, awesome things that we read about in God's Word.
Let us be thrilled with the excitement of what God has set before us.
Be blessed.

Forgive to be forgiven

Greetings:
It is never ease to forgive.
By our nature, forgiveness does not come without a personal struggle within. We must first remember that as a Christian we received forgiveness freely when Jesus died on the cross on for each of us long ago. The price of forgiveness has been already been paid in full.
If we understand how great that debt was, we will overflow with love and gratitude for this merciful act. We will overflow with mercy towards others.
Too many times we carry around the burdens of our own failures, shortcomings or disappointments and we do not forgive ourselves.God died for our own forgiveness as well as for the act of forgiving others.
We also have to forgive our enemies - those who have wronged us, hurt us and despised us. We have to forgive those who said and did bad things against us.
We have to forgive those who have plotted against us in any way - even our Christian brothers and sisters as well as non-Christians.
Some of my deepest hurts have come from professing Christians and it took and is still taking a while for me to get to a point where I could or will  honestly say I forgive them.
I, like you, must forgive them all, no matter what. When we do, it opens the door for God to act in our lives. Unforgiveness hinders or stops our prayers from being answered.
We might say, "God, you don't understand, what this person did to me. Many times they were and still are terrible, mean, spiteful, full of vengeance, malice and hate.
Do we really have to forgive them too?"
Yes, and we have to even do more than just forgive them, that's the easy part. The Bible directs us to pray for them.
In Matthew 5:44 (NIV),  Jesus said, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
You will be amazed to see how your heart will be changed when you pray for your enemies.
But what if they don't accept that act of forgiveness and scoff or ridicule us, do we still forgive them?
Yes.
I've experienced that end of forgiveness and it hurts, but it took me a while to realize that I did my part. I forgave them and I still continue to pray for them.
I felt better when I asked for their forgiveness. I was given my release.
The message of forgiveness is one of those things that is simple, but complex at the same time.
Take to heart what it says in Ephesians 4:32 , which reads,  “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
The key words here are, 'we are forgiven' by grace and the blood shed by Christ. It's nothing we earned or deserve.
Be blessed.

Be still and know I am God

Greetings:
How do we know what we are hearing is God?
So many times, I've wanted God to just say, “Hello, it's God”.
Or, perhaps a more effective way for God to keep us on the straight and narrow path would be to give us a stern rap on the side of the head whenever we veer off the course.
We often doubt if we are hearing from God until we learn to recognize the ways God speaks to us.
John 8:47 says, “He who is of God hears God's words.”
God sometimes speaks to people through dreams, visions, prophecy, His written Word, and even an audible voice. God also speaks through other
people.
No, that does not make you mentally ill as a television host recently accused our nation's vice president, because he professes as a Christian to hear the voice of God.
God sometimes speaks through circumstances, the opening and closing doors of opportunity. We are not to be led by people, but only by the Holy Spirit.
We are to walk by faith not by sight, and faith comes by hearing the spoken words of God and recognizing His voice.
Actually hearing from God isn't so much a matter of if he's talking to us, but rather, whether we're listening in the right way to him.
Psalm 46:10 offers the best advice, “Be still and know I am God.”
Be blessed.

Have a God talk

Greetings:
I am reminded that prayer is more than words. It is an attitude of the spirit and your mind coming together and reaching out to God.
Prayer is a two-way conversation. We make our requests known to Him, and He reveals what he expects of us.
Make time to come quietly into his presence. Listen and speak to God and thank him for his mercy, grace and love. Doing this will enable each of us to walk in an attitude of peace and trust in HIM.
Be blessed.

Hope is what we crave

Greetings:
As long as we have hope, there is life.
Hope gives us strength so we will not become discouraged. It supports us when we feel deserted. Hope makes our heart shine in anticipation of eternal supreme blessedness. Encouraged by the virtue of hope, we are preserved from self-concern, leading us to greater happiness that comes from charity.
Hope is one of the weapons of the Armor of God. It protects the Christian in his battle for salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 says, "Let us put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation."
During hardships, we maintains hope.
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer,” as it says in Romans 12:12.
So we really can and do crave for hope. God's Word is our blessed hope. Know that God is our refuge and our help and our hope. Hope is the virtue that makes the us crave for the Kingdom of God. Having heard of the Kingdom of God, we want to go there.
The virtue of hope stirs us to desire eternal life as our final happiness. It draws us to place ourf trust in the promises of Jesus Christ, relying on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit to achieve this final goal.
Hebrews 10:23 says,  "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He Who promised is faithful."
There is a song by 'For King and Country' called “Hope is What We Crave” that speaks volumes.
The song, which was used in the companion album for the television mini-series, "The Bible", is a beautiful tribute based on Psalm 121. It is a testament to the hope we receive as a virtue from God.
The closing lyrics of the song are inspiring:
“Hope is what we crave
And that will never change
So I stand and wait
I need a drop of grace
To carry me today
A simple song to sing
It's written on my soul
Hope's what I crave.”
Hope answers the Christian's burning desires for happiness, a desire that God has been implanted in every heart.
Watch a live video of King and Country performing “Hope is What We Crave” at the following link:
http://youtu.be/GrXLXVL_0AE
Be blessed.

What quenches our thrist?

Greetings:
When we are really thirsty, what does it feel like?
In the midst of the typical southern Indiana hot and humid summer months, we can almost 'spit cotton' as my grandmother used to say.
What quenches our thirst when we are extremely thirsty?
Is it Gatorade, Pepsi, or water that satisfies?
It's probably water that satisfies more than anything.
How about being thirsty for God or the things of God.
What can quench that thirst?
Look at Psalm 63:1 (NIV), it reads, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water."
If we have been a Christian for any amount of time, we know that spiritual passion, sight, and affections sort of come and go.
At times our sense of spiritual realities can be strong and vibrant. Other times, our hearts feel like they have lead weights attached to them and we find ourselves longing for God to visit us once again and to bring refreshment.
These seasons of “spiritual drought” find intimate expression in many of the Psalms.
David often cried out to God in times where his soul seemed like dust, and he yearned to be refreshed by the presence of the Lord.
Other psalmists expressed their longing to have their parched souls to be replenished by the Lord .
Read Psalm 42 if you want to understand those who have tasted of the goodness of Christ and know know what it means to be without that taste.
The Psalm starts off introducing us to a picture…that of a deer.
“As the deer pants, so my soul pants…my soul thirsts for God”, it says.
So we've got a deer and it does not say anything about the deer running or being lost. It says that the deer is parched. So in our minds take a deer and put it in the middle of the desert and that’s where we are at.
The psalmist is talking about thirsting for God with an animal-like ravenous thirst. The dry mouthed, hot, sweaty, horrible taste, foamy saliva, must drink or die kind of thirst.
And David says, “I thirst like that…for God”.
Spiritual drought, though a persistent and unwelcome visitor, is not something with which we must constantly live. There are Biblical means by which we can, by grace, put ourselves in the way of refreshment.
We can be restored to once again feel the joy of our salvation.
We pray to God to show us the place where our spiritual thirst can be quenched, refreshed and soothed.
Let us forsake the stale, dirty water offered by the world’s broken cisterns or wells.
The water pulled up from those earthly places may temporarily wet the craving of the throat, but it can never quench the thirsting of our souls.
Look to God's Word for true refreshment during those dry times and receive the living waters that the psalmist was talking about.
Be blessed.

God is always present

Greetings:
God is ever-present in our lives, even when we don't really realize it.
When we wake in the morning, God is there.
When we step into our vehicle for the commute to our places of employment, God is there.
When we do our jobs - inside our homes or out -  God is there.
When we finish our respective jobs or chores,  God is there.
Matthew 18:20 (NIV) says, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Further, words written in Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NKJV) leave no doubt that God is always everywhere in all places and at all times. He is omnipresent.
The passage reads:
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord,
“And not a God afar off?
Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord;
“Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord."
When we do any and everything, God is there. Have we acknowledged his presence?
Have we thanked him for another day on this earth?
Have we slowed down from our daily routines enough to just pray a prayer of praise for our God is always there with us.
God is there.  All we have to do is reach out, call his name and touch him.
If we can't hear him, God hasn't moved. We have.
Be blessed.

Have hope always in Christ

Greetings:
On those dark days and dark seasons that we sometimes have to walk through, Jesus Christ provides us hope and shines light onto our path.
During the dark days, I am reminded of the words in Isaiah 50:10 (NIV), which reads: "Who among you fears The Lord and obeys the world of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, which has no light, trust in the name of The Lord and rely on his God."
Ephesians 5:8-10 tells us, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in The Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth and find out what pleases The Lord."
I am encouraged by the words in Micah 7:8-9, which says, "Do not gloat over me my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, The Lord will be my light."
I look to the Psalms and find more hope and encouragement.
Psalm 34:17-20 says, "The righteous cry out, and The Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but The Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all of his bones, not one of them will be broken."
If we have Christ, the Son of God as our Savior, then the day is really not that dark at all. By faith, we see the sun rising on the horizon and brighter days are not far away.
Be blessed.

Pray with boldness

Greetings:
Every time we connect with God in prayer, we are praising Him because we are acknowledging our need to set our burdens on His strong shoulders. 
Isaiah 25:4 (NIV) says, "You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat”.
God is there as a stronghold to keep us standing against the crashing waves and raging winds.  A man on his knees in prayer can stand before any tragedy.
When we read Psalms, we can find so many verses about God’s children singing praise even in the midst of hard times.
David writes in Psalm 142:5 (NIV), “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
One particular song that has speak to hard times and suffering is “There Will be a Day” by Jeremy Camp.
The chorus of the song says, “There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears. There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we'll hold on to you always..."
Let us remember when Paul wrote that we should rejoice always, and in everything give thanks, he wasn’t kidding.
It can be the hardest thing when you’re going through even the tiniest of trials, to turn your attention upon Jesus – and yet, people have done it, because it works if we are anchored in faith and our hope remains steadfast though Jesus the son of God.
In prayer, Paul turns his attention to the God, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.
Paul prayed with boldness. Let's try it.
Be blessed.

We are different, but alike

Greetings:
Look around at the people around you, what do you see?
We are all different.
If you want to do a unique study in human appearance, sit down near the entrance to Walmart some evening and just watch the people coming and going.
You will see a lot of individuals who are different and unique. This didn't happen by accident.
God created us with our own unique physical traits, personalities, character, temperaments, talents and abilities.
Even in what we call identical twins, there are differences.
We each have unique identifying feature that's called a fingerprint. There are no two fingerprints the same.
God created us different for a reason to fill a need in his overall plan.
Look to the sky on the next clear night.
You will see many different stars. None of the stars are the same.
In 1 Corinthians 15:41 (AMP) we read, “The sun is glorious in one way, the moon is glorious in another way, and the stars are glorious in their own [distinctive] way; for one star differs from and surpasses another in its beauty and brilliance.”
Look at  2 Peter 1:5-8 (AMP) to understand our individual role in God's Church, even though we are different. It reads:
"For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, [develop Christian] love [that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit]. For as these qualities are yours and are increasing [in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity], they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ."
As Christians, let it be each of our goals to find our individual role and place in God's plan. When we struggle to be like others, we lose our identity, our uniqueness our individuality that our Creator intended for each of us.
Let us be satisfied that we are different. But as unique individuals, we can learn our role, our purpose, our ministry in service to God as one body.
Be blessed.

Stepping out into God's plan

Greetings:
An approaching problem may look menacing, like a huge wave coming toward us.
But by that time it confronts us and it may not be nearly as bad as we imagined in our minds We didn't see the whole picture or the whole plan.
Being obedient to God is want matters.
The key is to pray, and learn God's plan for our life and act on it. It generally takes some faith and stepping out into unknown waters where we can't see the bottom and don't know what lies ahead.  But we take small cautious steps forward.
The place to start understanding God's plan is reading his Word.
It's the road map, the instruction manual, the fix-it guide, the source that has more answers to our questions than Google, Yahoo or any online search site.
In Jeremiah 29:1 we read: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
So, when we find ourselves in an unfamiliar place, and we don’t know what to do, there’s really only one thing to do – trust God.
It's a way to deal with people or situations we don't understand.
We would be wise to follow the advice of the late Mother Teresa who once said, "People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered; forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives: Be kind anyway. What you spend years creating others could destroy overnight: Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it may never be enough: Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God: it was never between you and them anyway."
The late C.S. Lewis suggests, "Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done."
Let's be encouraged. because God is not calling us out to do nothing. God is up to something. God has a plan. His plan is always for our good.
Be blessed.

Seek out God-like goodness

Greetings:
The power of our words impact people in ways we sometimes never really know.
The word  'goodness' is one of those power-packed words from a biblical sense.
Goodness is an attribute of God and it's also a foundation that each of us should embrace. The “goodness” of God is a prominent theme in the opening chapters of the Bible.
Every new day gives us reason for expressing our gratitude to God 's own goodness.
Goodness is a term that is thrown around rather loosely. When surprised or startled by something that happens it’s not uncommon to hear someone say, “Oh my goodness”.
Or when exasperated with the way a conversation is going someone might say, “Oh, for goodness sake”.
Another phrases is “goodness gracious”.
Given the frequent use of the term it’s possible that our senses can be dulled as to what true goodness is  all about and where it is found; namely, in God Himself.
Repeatedly, God pronounced everything which He created as “good”.
In Genesis 2, God saw that it was “not good” for Adam to be alone, and so He created a wife for him.
In the garden of Eden, where God had placed Adam and Eve, there was “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” From the fruit of this one tree, the man and woman were forbidden to eat.
It's plain and easy to say the issues of 'good' and 'evil' are prominent at the beginning of the Bible.
The goodness of God appears to be the sum total of all of God’s attributes. The goodness of God may thus be viewed as one facet of His glorious nature and character and also the overall summation of His nature and character. May God's goodness becomes a truth we not only accept, but embrace, so that it becomes the perspective from which we view all of the events of our lives.
Psalm 107:1 says, "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
God is good, but His goodness should prompt us to study His Word so as to know how to please Him, and then determine to live in harmony with His will.  We cannot disobey Him while claiming His goodness.  His goodness is what motivates us to live to please Him.  How foolish it is to think that we can disobey God because He is good. 
For those who are faithful to God, may His goodness ever remind us there is so much to praise Him for and to be thankful to Him for.
Consider what is written in Psalm 100:4-5, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”
God is good...all the time.
Be blessed.

Questions for God

Greetings:
Have you ever wondered what question or questions you might have for God, if you were presented the opportunity to ask them?
We have to remember that God's ways are higher than our ways, but the question is, “If you could ask God any question, what would it be?"
Why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?
Will God really forgive all of my sins?
What does the future hold for me?
What does God want from me?
Why do some people, even ungodly people, get healed, while others, some who are believers, still suffer with terrible diseases?
I was doing some reading recently and came across this beautiful response to some of these questions from the late C.S. Lewis in his book, “Mere Christianity”.
He states, “People say, "I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the devil of Hell. You must take your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
We have to stand on what it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."
That doesn't mean we are stupid or naive about life and circumstances.  It means we have to trust and have faith that God's ways are truly higher than what we can understand. We must believe that God does have a plan and it might not always go as we have planned for, hoped for or even prayed for.
That is where we stand on the Word of God and believe each of his promises.
It is called faith. We can not see it, taste it, feel it, but it is there, if we believe.
While there are many other questions that intelligent people might ask about God, these are some of the principal ones that could become intellectual roadblocks to those who are truly seeking to know the truth about God.
So what other questions would you have?
Be blessed.

Don't stop seeking the voice

Greetings:
The same God, who has power over all things, is the same God who takes care of his people – you and I.
He gives us strength when we need it, when we are weak and when we are overwhelmed.
The Lord can help us through any and every circumstance.
This same God, who has power over the chaotic waters, is the one who can give us peace in this chaotic world that we live in.
In Psalm 29 we read a powerful message about the glory and strength of God.
Several times in the psalm David mentions 'the voice of the Lord' to hammer home the theme of this psalm.
In the New Living Translation (NLT) Bible, Psalm 29:3-5, 7-9 reads:
"The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea.
    The God of glory thunders.
    The LORD thunders over the mighty sea.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
    the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD splits the mighty cedars;
    the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon...
The voice of the LORD strikes
    with bolts of lightning.
The voice of the LORD makes the barren wilderness quake;
    the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
The  late Rev. Billy Graham once wrote, “How do we find peace with God? We must stop fighting! We must surrender! We must serve! Of course, these steps will be motivated by faith and mingled with love. Having found peace with God, next we experience the peace of God. This peace of God is not a mere abstraction advocated by preachers and theologians. Thousands of people can witness that they have actually experienced the peace of God and have found it wonderfully adequate for this present day.  For He is our peace.”
The voice of the LORD still speaks to believers boldly today, no matter what a misguided television mouthpiece for a 'left' political and moral agenda recently told our nation's vice president.
Thank the Lord for His strength, power, his voice and the many lessons he leave with us.
Be blessed.

Wait expectantly on The Lord

Greetings:
I keep learning, over and over again – to wait on God expectantly.
God never, ever changes.
God remains faithful.
If we learn to step back and allow God the freedom to deal with a situation, he is faithful and will do just exactly what he says he will do.
When we let God be God, and allow him to do what only he can do, what a tremendous load that takes off our shoulders.
Things and situations in our lives can change on a dime.
Things can change that we never would have predicted could change.
Opinions can change.
People can change.
One of the greatest lessons in life we can ever learn comes from what is known as the "Serenity Prayer".
It reads: 
“God, Grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference."
It takes courage to show the love of Christ, instead of retaliating. Maybe that's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: "Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; Love keeps no record of wrongs; it doesn't keep score. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.”
Do we have the courage to truly live those words or are they just meaningless words that we often hear as part of a marriage ceremony?
Do we have the courage to do what we know is right, even when someone else does wrong?
Do we let God work things out in his own way, in his own time?
Do we have the courage to simply trust our God?
Be blessed.

Let hope be our hope

Greetings:
Sometimes circumstances and conditions nearly get the best of us. The mountains in our life almost look too tall to climb.
That is where we have to hold on and simply rely on faith - even if we don't think we have any.
When all is hopeless, it's hope that keeps us going.
We should never underestimate the extend of God's love for us and the expanse of his grace.
I am blessed to know God is right there with me from the rising of the sun to its setting in the western sky.
Reflect today on God's awesone power and his unending grace in our lives.
We serve a God of love, forgiveness, healing, deliverance, mercy, kindness and power.
We serve a God who is true to His Word and the promises it contains. Let us always be thankful and filled with praise for His Holy name.
We serve a God who is enough and over flowing with the ability to meet our needs.
Remember what it says in Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT), "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Let us believe and trust Him more each day.
Be blessed.

In our prayer place

Greetings:
God is always with us as a source of comfort and guidance. We have to learn to seek and hear God`s voice in order to know his plan for our lives.
This is done through prayer, study and simply being quiet  in what I like to call our prayer place.
Many of us seem to find time to do everything else except to spend time in our prayer place with God.
In Psalms 46;10 (NIV) we read: "He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
I like the scripture as translated in the New American Standard Bible. It reads, "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
What this says is, stop trying to figure out everything on your own. Stop and listen to God.
Our prayer place is where we receive our guidance and learn of God's plan. That is where we do our real listening.
In our prayer place we have the opportunity to repent for our sins by asking for forgiveness.
In our prayer place we can get into God's holy presence, a special safe place of personal praise and worship.
In our prayer place we learn we can trust and lean on God, instead of trying to figure it all out alone.
In our prayer place we can thank God for our many blessings and acts of personal kindness, favor and healing we have received. We can also thank God for things that we are going to receive in an act of faithful gratitude.
In our prayer place our faith has a chance to grow and we learn to rely on the guidance of The Holy Spirit.
Please find that prayer place and visit it often. It is there that we will find peace, comfort and strength no matter what is going on in our lives.
Be blessed.

There is help for the mountains

Greetings:
When there are mountains in front of us that we can not move them or climb over,  know we are not alone.
God is there always, even when we can't hear him, or feel his presence.
When I'm down and out, feeling sorry for myself, when things are not going as I had them planned, I take comfort in the words in James 1:2-4. It reads: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
The passage tells me that if we want to enjoy our Christian life, we need to keep a godly attitude and a strong steadfast faith in our time of testing.
We must never give up and never give in. There is no turning back. We have to press forward in prayer to boost up our faith.
If our spiritual “God-hole is filled up with faith nuggets and we know God's Word, then when tough times do come along, we will be ready for the attack.
Know for sure that struggles are an attack – not from God, but the devil.
Spending time with God will keep us calm, stable and steadfast.
Always let God be our anchor in that churning sea of circumstances.
Lets get the words of Deuteronomy 31:6 down in our heart – “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."
If we believe those words, then whatever wall we are facing won't seem so tall.
Be blessed.

Pleasing in the eyes of The Lord

Greetings:
During this Lenten season, I ask God to show each of us how to better walk on the right path and make the decisions that are pleasing to Him.
I am guided to Psalms 139 and the words seem to jump off the page and speak to me.
There are times that we, like King David, are troubled and it seems the whole world and everyone in it have turned against us. They talk about us. They plot evil against us. They want to see us fall. They set hidden traps along the way for us to trip up and fail.
Each day let us examine our hearts and cast out all that is not of God. Let's put our selfish nature aside and focus on those things that are pleasing in the sight of God.
In Psalm 139:23 (New Living Translation ), we read:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!"
That's a beautiful prayer for each of us to consider. We must invite God to examine our actions and our thoughts.
Do we miss it and mess up at times? Yes, we do, but God is there in those times of shortcomings to lift us, guide us and help us to make right out of a wrong situation if we heed to the instruction of His Word, which tells us to repent and then move on.
Too many time, we like to linger around and beat ourselves up for the days when we've missed it, instead of looking ahead to what God has in store for us.
Remember we are never alone, even when it feels like it. God's Word says he's there with us. All we have to do is trust him and walk in faith.
Be blessed.

Seek God's place of rest

Greetings:
Let us understand how to rest in the Lord.
There is no true rest when there is a shadow of doubt in your belief of a true and living God, a breathing, seeing, moving, fast-acting God – an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God.
When illness, suffering, difficulties, anguish, confusion, fear, weakness, worry overwhelm, we must rest in His Word.
God's Word enlightens us, strengthensus and comforts us. The "Word is God' as is says in John 1:1.
To rest in God is His will for us. To be still in His presence and be confident in Him and His power are what He truly wants us to be.
Search out and seek your place of rest today and breath in God's goodness, his peace and his love. Your day will be a good one.
Be blessed.

God is with us always

Greetings:
As I sit here this morning welcoming in another day, I am reminded of the words of Psalm 28:7, which say, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him."
The last few days have been challenging, but I know God remains in control. He is the reason to have faith and believe. He is the source of all healing. He is the reason to smile and be filled with joy when your body says to do otherwise.
I remain encouraged that today will be better than yesterday and the next day even better.
However, if it is not, I will still love, honor and respect The Lord I serve.
God is worthy of all our praise because he gave the ultimate sacrifice for each of us. His only son died on the cross for our salvation. It was a gift we did nothing to earn.
God's love endures forever.
Today take time to thank Him for His mercy, grace and love. He loved us before we existed and continues to keep us under His wings.
Be blessed.

Rest in the Maker

Greetings:
Let the soothing presence of the Holy Spirit flow into our bodies and let peace reign today.
Try to depart from troubles and concerns and let the presence of God's grace and mercy replace them.
Even when things look bad on the surface, let us have confidence that God remains in control of all of the outcomes.
Let this day be the day to understand how to rest in the Lord.
There is no true rest when there is a shadow of doubt in your belief of a true and living God, a breathing, seeing, moving, fast-acting God – an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God.
When illness, suffering, difficulties, anguish, confusion, fear, weakness, worry overwhelm, we mut rest in His Word. His Word enlightens us, strengthens and comforts us. The Word is God as is says in John 1:1.
To rest in God is His will for us. To be still in His presence and be confident in Him and His power are what He truly wants us to be.
Let's search and see our place of rest today and breath in God's goodness, his peace and his love. Your day will be a good one.
Be blessed.