Phillip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joesph.” And Nathanel said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Phillip said, “Come and see”. John 1:45-46

 Most larger cities have neighboring towns that are small and people believe not much good comes from them, whether it’s the people, lack of businesses, or issues with crime. Many people have a prejudice towards those smaller towns without really knowing the people of those communities. Truth be told, there are probably many good people in them and their lives are much better off than those in the big cities.

 That was exactly the case in today’s verses. Prophets foretold that a Savior would come out of Nazareth, yet when Phillip told Nathanel he found Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Savior of mankind, Nathanel had doubts because of where He came from. In Nathanael’s mind, nothing good could have come from that community.

 The same could be said of some people’s view of churches and the people who attend their services.  Unchurched people have a prejudice towards church attendees because of what they’ve heard through other’s opinions, actions of those who claim to be “Christians”, or bad news published in the media about church leaders who’ve fallen prey to worldly lusts. Because of their prejudices, they don’t’ want any part of a church or the people who attend them. Sadly, this is the case for millions of people, some who live right across the street from a church. Maybe you fall into this category.

 If church attendance is not on your Sunday morning agenda, I encourage you to stop relying on your personal opinions, and be like Nathael, come see for yourself what really goes on in that church building. You might be pleasantly surprised by the love that greets you upon entry, and the sound doctrine that is preached from the pulpit. You might actually see those half-hearted Christians kneel at the altar, seeking God’s forgiveness. They are no different than yourself, people just living life in this world, trying to be better people for God to bless. Why not make plans to attend a church this Sunday and see it for yourself.

 

 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Psalm 86:5

 Back in high school, something bad happened between myself and one of my closest friends. We both went to the same church and actively involved in our youth group. Because of our spat, we didn’t talk to each other for months on end and it impacted the dynamics of our youth group. A group of us attended a Christian youth conference and at that conference God removed the hurt, resentment, and anger between us and our friendship was restored. Since that time, I have always tried to quickly settle up any disputes I have with others.

 Today’s verse provides encouragement for God’s children, as He is always ready to forgive and even forget our trespasses against Him. To be honest, there isn’t any living human being who can forgive as easily as your Creator.  

 Sadly though, there are many people today who believe God is unwilling to forgive them for the sins they’ve committed, isolating themselves from the blessings of His love, grace, and forgiveness.  Even some Christians battle with the question, how can God forgive me for disobeying Him?

 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

 Maybe you are one of those who struggle to understand how God could forgive you, especially if your life is a complete wreck from making poor decisions. God’s love for you goes beyond human reasoning. As proof, He came to planet earth in the form of human flesh and made things right with mankind by dying on a Roman cross, as payment for all your sins: past, present, and future. All you have to do is come to Him with a repentant heart, asking His forgiveness and know that He is ready and able to restore the wonderful relationship He longs to have with you. Confess your sins today and be free from the chains that bind you to your past. God loves you enough to forgive even the worst sin.

 

 Romans 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 

I just learned of someone I know who is going through a divorce after being married for less than 2 years. No doubt we live in a fallen world where relationships end for various reasons, breaking the bond of love between them. 

Today's verse provides encouragement for us that nothing in this world can separate us from God's love. Sadly there are many people who look at God from a worldly perspective and believe that certain things they do can break the bond of God's love, leaving them to question their eternal salvation. This is one tool Satan uses to make God's children ineffective, by creating doubt and worry. 

Friend, you can't even begin to wrap your mind around God's love for you. It's totally unconditional and never ceases, no matter what you've done. Yes, sin distances you from Him, but His love, grace, and mercy is always readily available to restore your eternal union with Him. Never doubt the love God has for you. Come to Him with an open heart and be ready to receive a love like nothing you'll ever experience in an earthly relationship. God bless. 

 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. Matthew 21:22

 A while back I was with my granddaughter and we were watching cartoons. With each commercial, a toy was advertised and she would say, “I want that Pappa”. After an hour her wish list was pretty large with all the toys she wanted.

 Jesus said that we are to believe we’ll receive anything we ask for in prayer. That sounds pretty open ended, and the old saying, “be careful what you wish for”, comes to mind. When people begin a new relationship with Jesus Christ, they are like a young child, asking for everything they want. When God doesn’t come through with the request, it leaves doubt in the mind of the baby Christian. But overtime spiritual maturity develops in that person and they soon discover what Jesus meant when He said to believe you’ll get what you ask for.

 God is certainly capable of giving us everything we want; but He can also see what harm certain request can bring to our relationship with Him. With that said, by Him not giving us certain things, He is still responding to our request by protecting us from harm. I can think back to many times in my life when I asked God for something and He said NO or didn’t give me what I wished. As I matured, I developed confidence in God’s responses, knowing HE will give me what’s best for my life and our relationship.

 When you come to God with your request, be prepared for His NO at times, knowing that is His response because He cares for you and wants what is best. Trusting God with every request will always have an answer, just be open minded to which way He delivers. God bless!

 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Hebrews 10:35-36

 Discouragement comes in many forms: a struggling relationship, a mundane job, repeated health issues, continual debt….the list is endless. Because of discouragement, one tends to sink into a state of mind that simply wants to give up, throw in the towel, or run from their problems. That is exactly what was happening to the early church of believers in Jesus Christ. Under great persecution for the belief in Jesus, some turned away from their faith and went back to the Old Testament traditions, believing that would make life easier on them. Sadly, they missed out on the blessings God had in store for those who continued in the faith.

 No doubt in today’s society, living the life of faith in Jesus Christ can be challenging. I see so many opinions about life that have no biblical foundation to support their beliefs. Yet, there are groups of people who want you to believe their opinions are better than the time-honored tradition of faith in Jesus Christ and the morality of the bible. Don’t fall for their deceptive beliefs.

 Let today’s verses give you the encouragement to sustain your faith, no matter the pressures you might experience to believe something other than the bible. Your faith and belief in Jesus Christ should be the foundation of your life and anything that counter’s God’s word should not even be considered. Speak the truth to those who Satan has blinded, so they can realize their darkened mind (2 Corinthians 4:4) and see the light. Your reward for sustaining your faith will bring you blessings, now and forever! God bless!

 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles. Proverbs 24:17

 Karma comes in all shapes and sizes. I’ve seen things backfire on people who’ve tried to attack me and their plans only hurt them in the process. I’ll be honest, my thoughts were, “that served them right”, and a good feeling came over me. But, is that how God wants us to truly respond when our enemy falls?

 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” says the Lord. Romans 12:19

 As a child of God, you must realize that judgment should only come from God. He is the ultimate authority over your life and when you take action to revenge your enemies, you place yourself in a vulnerable position, and most likely your plans will backfire on you. Trust me, it’s happened to me and it’s embarrassing, and totally out of character for the life I proclaim as a Christian. So what are you to do?  I want to share a few verses that touch on this subject. Before you read them, take just a few seconds to think of any enemy you have and how these verses can be applied to your current situation.

 Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink, for in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head. Romans 12:20

 Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

 You might want to take a sledgehammer to the person who hurt you emotionally, mentally, even physically. There are limits to what you should endure, but responding with goodness, will only dilute the potency of their attacks and eventually they will either stop or become your friend. Many times people attack others out of jealousy or pride, but when you respond with goodness, you draw them into the presence of Christ, living in you. Pray for them and let God take it from there friend. One final verse I want to share:

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

 Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.” Ruth 3:18

 Waiting, it’s something many of us, including myself, have a difficult time doing. Waiting to hear about a job interview, waiting to get pregnant, waiting to get accepted into a college, waiting, waiting, waiting….what are you waiting for? I recall many times in my life when I was uncertain of how my future would turn out and I had to wait for things to line up. As much as I wanted to pursue a different path, something told me to wait. God came through with the perfect plan for my life and now I’m reaping the benefits of time waiting for direction.

 Today’s passage comes from the book of Ruth. Ruth was a young lady, who was married to a man who died early in life, and she remained by the side of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi was also widowed and decided to return to her homeland of Bethlehem. Ruth could have stayed, but she followed Naomi with the hopes of starting a new life. Through a series of events, she met a wealthy man, Boaz, who married her and conceived a son, who was part of the lineage of Jesus Christ. Ruth had to wait for Boaz to make the decision to receive her as his wife.

 God has a plan for you too! Sometimes the waiting takes days, maybe weeks, even years as we read about Abraham and his wife Sarah. God’s timetable is much different than your desires and plans, but they turn out perfectly when you remain faithful to the Lord, patiently waiting for His direction. I asked earlier in this blog, what are you waiting for? Pray to God that He will give you the patience needed to wait and the vision to see His plan unfold at the perfect time. Your faithfulness will yield a greater blessing than you could ever have imagined! God bless!