No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

 In the late 1960s, on a few southern beaches of California, gathered a group of young people who turned from the worldly culture at that time to a culture of spiritual awakening and finding Jesus Christ. By 1971 it was reported that over 3,000 groups of “Jesus freaks” scattered all across America. Contemporary Christian music was birthed during this powerful movement and still today massive congregations gather to hear the word of God so they too can become friends of Jesus!

 In today’s verse, Jesus called His disciples “friends”, as they followed Him throughout His 3-year ministry before His death on a Roman cross. Friends because they followed Him and had the insight to God’s wisdom through Jesus’ teaching. Can you imagine the impact that Jesus had on their lives, face to face with the Savior of mankind?

 Well, thankfully after 3 days in the tomb, Jesus was raised back to life! As we near Easter Sunday, take time to consider your relationship with Jesus Christ. Are you a faithful friend of Jesus? Or, are you friendly to Jesus, but haven’t surrendered your heart to Him? There’s a big difference, and only those who’ve truly repented of their sin, asked for His forgiveness, and committed their life to Him will be called a friend of Jesus by God the Father.

 Although Jesus is not physically present, you have all the resources available to understand who Jesus is, His wisdom, and insight to your everyday life. Following Him through His word and committing your life to Him is one of the easiest things to do, for He made the path to a relationship with Him simply by praying one prayer. If you are ready for that commitment, say the prayer below, so you too can become a friend of Jesus Christ. God bless!

 Dear God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus paid for my sins on a cross, died and rose back to life 3 days later. I ask Jesus to come into my heart, forgive my sins as I commit my life to Him. I want to be a friend of Jesus and have that special relationship with Him. Amen!

 Brethren, pray for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:25

 You see a prayer request on social media, or hear someone say they need prayer; what’s your response? If you are like most, you’ll quickly comment, “praying for you”. Truthfully, some will pray, others with good intentions will offer prayer but soon forget their commitment to pray.

 Prayer is a powerful tool, especially in the thoughts and hearts of God’s children. Over the course of my life I’ve heard and witnessed people diagnosed with a terminal illness who were miraculously healed, stories of God’s protection when missionaries faced an enemy at gunpoint who quickly turned away freeing them from torture or death, and many other stories that leave you amazed at the powerful acts of God because many faithful prayers were lifted up on other’s behalf.

 Who do you pray for? I’m sure you can put together a list of people who are within your circle of influence that could use prayer for encouragement, healing, and most of all experience the presence of God in their lives. Prayer is not complicated, it’s simply talking to God, just like you would a friend. And trust me, God wants to hear from you, so lift up others in prayer today, and add a word of gratitude for God’s blessings in your life. You’ll be amazed at the outcome of your faithful commitment to pray!

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

 Last week I had to change our granddaughter’s diaper. We use our bedroom (and bed) as a changing area. Once done, I set her down on the floor and proceeded to walk out of the room with the expectation of her following me. Once in the other room, I discovered she was not behind me and found her crawling through the bathroom and into the closet, in complete darkness.  I thought to myself, that girl hasn’t learned to fear the darkness yet.

 Today’s scripture, quoted by Jesus Christ, says that anyone who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but follow His light. The question we all need to ask ourselves, “are we afraid of the darkness?”. As Christians, we should be fearful of darkness, because that is where the Devil resides, and nothing good is found in the dark things of this world.

 Sadly, the news has been full of stories of people who’ve chosen darkness over the Light of Christ. The result yields prison, ruined marriages ending in divorce, addictions that take away every possession, including their souls, and worst of them all, suicide. This is not the kind of life Jesus Christ provides for all of mankind.

 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

 God gives each of us “free will” to chose who we’ll follow through this life. If  you claim to be a child of God, your duty, your calling, and your desires should be focused on following the light of Christ in strict obedience. My prayer is you’ll always be fearful of darkness, so you’ll remain in the light of your Savior, Jesus Christ. God bless!  

 

 “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” Mark 10:15

 If you have grandchildren, you know what a blessing they are in your life. They are inquisitive, wanting to know everything you know, want to mimic what you do, and most of all love to see you and spend quality time with you. As a grandparent, you do your best to accommodate their every need and request, sometimes spoiling them with hugs, kisses, giving them treats and buying them gifts you know they’ll enjoy. I am richly blessed with 5 beautiful grandchildren and I absolutely love it when we can get together.

 In today’s verse, Jesus welcomed the children to come to Him, to receive His love and attention. He made a profound statement that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child will by no means enter it. If you have grandchildren, you understand His statement, and the enthusiasm a child has for you. Do you have that same enthusiasm for the Lord? Do you desire to please Jesus in your every day life and follow His example by how He lived during His brief 33 years on earth?

 At this stage in life (seasoned in age), you probably wain in your enthusiasm for the Lord. Life has somehow extinguished some of the joy you once experienced when you accepted Christ. You check the boxes of your relationship with Jesus, but there is something missing and you can’t put your finger on it. If that is you, you need some revival of the soul (which we all need). May I offer several scriptures to restore that joy, so your enthusiasm for the kingdom of God will be the centerpiece of your heart.

 Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18. I believe one of the reasons we lose that enthusiastic spirit is because we stop communicating with God through prayer and thanking Him for His blessings. If you stopped seeing your grandchildren, you’ll soon lose touch with their wants and needs. Same is true in your relationship with God.

 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11. Somewhere along the way, you probably lost connection with God in the busyness of life. Prayer, bible reading, and worshipping God are ways of experiencing His presence. These actions bring you closer to Him and you begin to see Him working in your life, and witness even the smallest of blessings.

 Take some time to ponder the enthusiasm of your grandchildren, then ask God to restore that kind of joy that’s been missing in your life. God will honor your request, and through it your heart will be enthusiastic about the relationship you have with your Savior, Jesus Christ. God bless!

 

 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. Luke 10:42

 We live in a world driven by priorities. Those priorities are either set by ourselves or others. They can be found in the workplace, in a church setting, a hobby, vacation, even in the home environment. Some priorities are taken seriously, others are left up to the person, knowing there are consequences for allowing them to go by the wayside in pursuit of something more meaningful.

 Today’s verse is part of a dialogue between Jesus and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), where Jesus visited Martha’s home. Martha stayed busy serving her special guests, while her sister, Mary, sat at the feet of Jesus to hear what HE had to say. Martha’s concern was she was left alone to serve, while her sister avoided doing the work alongside her. Jesus told her that Mary’s actions were in good faith and to leave her alone so she could connect with Jesus.

 It seems in today’s world of priorities; we live a life of busyness. Between home, work, and church, the pressure to do this, be on a committee, go here, serve in this manner…etc. After a while of pulling out your hair trying to figure out how it will all get done, you just want to regress and cut off everything from your life. Our church family can put pressure on you to do more, which might sound good, but all your work wont’ be done with the right attitude.

 As I’ve gotten older, I relate to Mary. I want to sit at the feet of Jesus Christ and learn from Him, know Him better, so I can live a life that reflects His character to those around me. Serving the Lord is important, but if you don’t know Him personally, your service will not be done in good faith. Once you get a full understanding of Jesus Christ and what He’s done for you, your attitude towards serving Him will come without reluctance. Your service will be with honor and joy in serving your Savior.

 Take some time to think about who you can relate to, Martha or Mary? Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her!

 

 

 Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. Hebrews 2:1

 It’s funny how we can sit in church or a classroom and learn about something important, then by the next day or week, we’ve completely forgotten the lesson. Our brains are like chalkboards, we can only hold so much information in our thoughts, until other things come along and push them out. I’m just as guilty. There have been times when I’ve left church and by the time I got home forgot the important facts of the sermon.

 I believe the author of today’s verse experienced the same problem we have today. It’s easy to forget biblical teachings. We spend so little time feeding our lives with God’s word at church, leaving ourselves vulnerable to information the world wants to feed us through social media, television, news outlets, and our entertainment choices. It’s funny how we can recall almost every aspect of a movie, but scripture somehow eludes us before it has time to actually stick in the soul.

 If you are a child of God, I strongly encourage you to keep up with a steady stream of daily reading God’s word. Download the bible on your phone, as you are probably reading this blog on your phone. In addition, there are so many spiritual devotionals out there, written for men, women, married couples, and people going through all sorts of battles. These spiritual nuggets feed the soul with hope, wisdom, encouragement, and remind us that God loves us, even with our human frailties. God’s word should be our daily “go to” for living life to its fullest. Without it, you’ll soon find your spiritual life adrift, susceptible to the world’s ways. God bless!

 

 

 Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5

 Last weekend we celebrated one of our granddaughter’s first birthday with a party that brought family and friends together. Later that evening, one of our family stated that our middle grandson said to him, “it’s good to see you sir”. What a polite young man, and he is always saying thank you, please, and all the other proper words. His parents have worked with him to respect others and it shows by his behavior.

 We could all learn from my almost four-year-old grandson. Today’s verse goes right along with his home training, respect your elders, submit to them, and be humble about yourself. It’s important to teach our children to behave in such a manner, as this essential trait will follow them all through their life, into adulthood. As an adult, do you still show respect for your elders? If there is someone older than you, then you should show them the respect they deserve.

 You mean I have to show respect to that grumpy old man, or that criticizing old lady? Yes. By doing so, you exhibit a character trait of Jesus Christ, and God sees your humbleness and will bless you. And the truth be told, there are probably younger eyes observing your humbleness and respect and hopefully they’ll follow suit. Even at 80 years of age, you will run across someone older, show them the respect, and love of Christ, through a spirit of humbleness and your reward will be great in your eternal Heavenly home! God bless!

 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6