Luke 21:1-4 NKJV

[1] And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, [2] and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. [3] So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all;  [4] for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

Tomorrow is Sunday and many people will attend church services across America. One opportunity to express gratitude to God for His blessings is to tithe to the church. A standard is typically 10 percent of your gross income. That might seem like a lot for you to give 10 percent of your gross pay, considering all the expenses you have, but it's not to put you in a financial bind, but to show your trust in God’s promise to take care of you. 

In today's verses, Jesus witnessed two kinds of people giving to the church, the wealthy and one poor widow. The wealthy had no problem giving their fair share as they were blessed with an abundance of wealth. It was noted the other was a poor woman, a widow who lost her husband, her helpmate, who probably brought home a nice paycheck. She was struggling to survive, but knew in her heart the two mites she gave would be representative of her commitment to God. 

Philippians 4:19 NKJV

[19] And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

God isn't counting the dollars, your time, or resources to the church, He's looking at your heart. How much faith you have in Him to supply for all your needs. You might be struggling financially, but that's not a reason to stop trusting God when you give (money, time, resources) out of a faithful heart. God sees your willingness to step out in faith and will bless you in the process.  

You can never out give God. Why not put your faith on the line this Sunday and show God how much you appreciate Him by giving back a portion of His blessings. 

 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:12-17

 In the busyness of life, some families today are getting back to the basics; spending more time together, distancing themselves from things and people who exhaust them, cutting out social media and its negative influences, and thankfully some are finding their way back into churches to worship God. If this is your family, good job and keep it up!

 Today’s verses shed light on the environment Christians lived in over 2,000 years ago and still continue today. A world full of misinformation, deviations from God’s word, and more freedom from religion vs. freedom of religion. There are many platforms these deceivers use to corrupt the morality of society, through social media, news media, public protest, radical propaganda, and one on one contact. Sadly, many are falling prey to their tactics as we see social norms of godlessness change the views of “what’s acceptable” in our country. Our founding fathers are probably rolling over in their graves.

 If you are a child of God, you are just as vulnerable, maybe even more, because the enemy (Satan) wants to deceive you. He finds ways to infiltrate your mind to cause confusion, frustration, hate, and a whole list of emotions and behaviors that do not represent the heart of God. You must stand strong and continue in your faith by getting back to the grassroots of your faith. If that means cutting out things, people and places, so be it. Don’t let the fallacies of this world destroy the foundation of your Christian faith!

 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:6

 If you watch the news, you know that video cameras are everywhere, on street corners, doorbells, on the sides of homes, on police officers, even satellites circling the earth can capture activity on land to the point they can clearly read a name plate. These are used to help law enforcement identify criminals. One element of the identification process is how a person walks and his patterns of behavior. This is one way law enforcement can confirm your identity.  

 Today’s verse talks about a way to identify those people who claim to be a Christian. Their words, actions, and engagements should all resemble the One they claim to follow, that would be Jesus Christ. Ask yourself this question: if you are a child of God, can others pick up on your spirituality? Do they see fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) lived out in you? Do you love everyone, including your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)? Are you quick to forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15)? Do others see your love for God and love for them (Matthew 22:37-40)?

 These are just a few of traits that Jesus Christ displayed for us as a narrow path to follow. The truth is, we can’t incorporate these traits into our life without God’s help. That’s why He gave us His Holy Spirit to transform our heart, mind, and soul so we can walk as Jesus did over 2,000 years ago (2 Timothy 1:7-9).

 Take time this week to evaluate your life. How you engage others by the words you say, your actions towards them, and how you live your life, even in the secret moments when alone. Let His light incinerate anything that doesn’t fit the mold of Christ, so your light can shine brightly into the dark areas of the world around you. Others will not have to question if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, they’ll know it. God bless!  

 

 The Lord has been mindful of us;

He will bless the house of Israel;

He will bless the house of Aaron.

He will bless those who fear the Lord,

Both small and great.

Psalm 115:12 

During my early childhood years, I recall seeing signs in people’s homes that read: “Bless Our Home”. A great reminder of God’s daily blessings and the hope that He will continue to pour out His blessings on the families who trust God. Even in difficult moments, I recall seeing families not waiver in their faithfulness to God.

 I believe that in today’s society, people have moved away from seeking God’s blessings over their homes; and instead seek for personal blessings. By doing so, you isolate other family members, which in turn break down the unity of the family. I know this is a deep thought, especially as I type this at 5 AM; but it’s true and I believe this is why we are seeing a new generation of children not actively engaged in spiritual worship, much less acknowledging God in any aspect of their life.

 And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

 Do you want God to bless not only you, but your family? Start focusing on your family unit, to ensure they know the Creator of blessings and the importance of obediently following Jesus Christ. As Dr. Charles Stanley used to say, “God blesses obedience”. He will bless your family when you keep them spiritually engaged and trusting in God’s faithfulness for every season of life.

 

 “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” John 14:21

 What is the number one thing that confirms someone’s love for you? It might be their faithfulness, commitments to you, keeping their word, or simply just being present in your life. Every person and relationship are different and confirming the bond of love comes in many ways.

 Today’s verse lets us know how Jesus confirms our love for Him.

 1.   Know His commandments. Unless we read and study the bible, we won’t have a clue about His expectations for us as believers. He came to earth over 2,000 years ago and lived the kind of life He wants us to model after. If you truly love Him, you’ll want to know every aspect of His character and develop those traits in your life.

 2.   Obedience to His commandments. Many people today believe the bible is full of “dos and don’ts”, although that might be part of the equation for obedience, it goes much deeper. Jesus gave us a set of standards to live by to help keep us  “unspotted from the world” (James 1:26-27), so we can exhibit His character to those outside the faith. We are to stand out from the general crowd. Not to be a showoff, but to show the love of Christ to empty souls around us. God’s standard of living the Christian life also steers us away from a sinful lifestyle that hinders the connection between us and His holiness.

 God loves you and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to bridge the gap between us and God through Jesus’ sacrifice of death, burial, and resurrection. If you are sincere in your faith, you’ll have the desire to know Him more and follow in obedience, as an expression of your love for Him. God bless!

 

 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

 When was the last time someone tried to scare you? Maybe they stood around the corner and screamed when you came near, or maybe you were alone in a room and someone suddenly appeared scaring the day lights out of you. It’s strange how I can forget so much about my life, but those times when I was scared are vivid in my mind.

 Today’s verse was written by the apostle Peter and he warned church members to be on guard for Satan’s attacks against them. Just the words in this verse can raise hairs when you think about having an enemy who seeks to rob you of joy, in hopes of diminishing your relationship with Jesus Christ. One of his greatest tactics towards God’s children is to tempt them to sin. He knows how guilt can impact people by making them feel unworthy of God’s acceptance. It’s a battle I face daily and I’m sure if you are true to yourself, you are always experiencing the arrows of temptation, and guilt.

 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

 As a child of God, you don’t need to be afraid of the Devil. He’s already been defeated. Jesus Christ came as a sin offering for you and me and anyone who accepts Him into their life. Repentance of sin was taken care of and Satan cannot take that gift away from you. God’s love for you is something difficult to fathom from the human perspective, but it’s real and alive through Jesus Christ.

 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will hep you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiha 41:10

 Where there is no visions, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18

 Throughout history, man has had visions for the future, to achieve what others might have thought impossible. Martin Luther King Jr. had a vision of freedom for the black race, John F Kennedy had a vision of landing a man on the moon, and the early settlers of the American west had a dream of wealth and prosperity in the newly occupied lands. These visions came with a price for many, persecution, isolation, even death, but they forged on to achieve great success.

 As a child of God, do you have a spiritual vision for your life? There are many today whose view of spiritual vision is to attend a church on a regular basis, say a few prayers, and wait to see how God blesses them. Notice the pattern of this behavior is strictly about “self” only. There is nothing challenging in their life to motivate them beyond sitting through another long sermon.

 A spiritual vision is a deeper connection to God, allowing His Holy Spirit to provide you wisdom to recognize your purpose in being here. It’s embracing His plan to use you for His glory, His purpose, and to achieve great things with His help. The churches of today have so many programs and areas to plug into that can actually distract us from seeing the vision of God’s calling for your life. I do this, I do that, I work hard at this…all for the church…but not for God.

 I’m just a guilty of missing the mark when it comes to spiritual vision. Maybe you are too. Let’s spend time this week asking God to reveal His vision for our lives, so we can experience God’s miracles doing the impossible. Your vision might not include others, and that’s ok. God is with you and will bring your vision to reality when you put your faith and trust in Him. In the end, your vision will greatly benefit the kingdom of God either in your circle of influence or across the globe! Nothing is impossible for God as He reveals your vision. Catch the vision this week!