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!

 

 I Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord  are on the righteous, And His ears are  open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord  is against those who do evil.”

Years ago one of the major cell phone company had an advertisement stating they could be heard just about anywhere, as the actor repeated: “can you hear me now”. With all the advancement in cellular technology, there are still areas of the country that have no signal to communicate.

Do you ever feel like God can't hear your prayers? You pray about something with all your might, even asking God, “can you hear me now”, yet the prayer seems to go unanswered. Today's verse sheds light on your question about the connection you have with God. God is present everywhere, seeing everything and everybody. He always hears your prayers, but sometimes your requests might not align with His perfect will for your life. 

I John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 

The painful truth is, no response is a response. Let me explain. If your child were to ask you for something that you knew would harm them, you wouldn't get it for them….correct? The same is true with your Heavenly Father. Your prayers might be sincere and logical, but unanswered prayers should tell you that what you are praying for isn't going to always be delivered, or will come at the perfect moment. 

On a personal note, I've had prayers go unanswered because it wasn't the best thing for me, looking back now I see why God withheld my request. And times when he delivered at the right time, any earlier would have been wrong for my life. And sometimes when we aren't living right with God, our prayers are put on hold until a prayer of repentance opens back up the line of communication. 

In closing, God hears you always. Ask Him to reveal His perfect will for your life and follow in obedience as you stay connected to Him, no matter where you are on this planet. God bless. 

 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

 Today marks 10 years of blog writing since I started on July 10, 2016. During that time, I’ve written 2,130 blogs, as led by the Holy Spirit, that has been read in well over 20 countries across the world. God has been so good and faithful to provide me thoughts to share through this platform. I’m so thankful you are one of the 76,000 people who’ve read them!

 During my career I sent a draft letter to my boss for his review. His comeback was….”have you taken a course in writing?”. I guess the message was, I need to do better with my writing. Today, I still need help, but God has been my helpmate, giving me thoughts to type out to share in hopes that it might help others come closer to God and strengthen their journey of faith. I know many of the blogs have given me encouragement and wisdom, as I go back and re-read them to digest exactly what God was telling me. One interesting note, some of my best blogs came during a time when I was struggling in life with obedience, faith, and lowliness. Those valleys of life can be good times for learning, healing, and most of all encouragement.

 God created you with a purpose. Have you discovered your purpose? You might not be good at what you do, but that doesn’t bother God one bit. If He believes in you, then you should have faith in Him, knowing that He will provide all that’s necessary to get the job done. All God needs is a willing person to accept and jump in to do the Lord’s work.

 Let’s get started today! This world needs more workers for the Lord. He’s got a plan mapped out for your life to spread the gospel through words, actions, and prayer. Do your part and find God’s blessings in the busywork He’s prepared for you! God bless!