At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. 2 Timothy 4:16

 The Apostle Paul stood before a Roman tribunal, facing a death sentence for his continual witness of Jesus Christ. Everyone abandoned him out of fear they too would be brought before the tribunal and face death. But, Paul, as lonely as he felt, he still continued to profess his faith and spread the good news of Jesus Christ, even while beaten and imprisoned.

 Maybe you have stood for something you truly believed in and all your friends and family abandoned you. Sometimes doing the right thing will cost you everything you treasure. But at the end of the day, you will be remembered for your determination to go against the grain and not waiver in your beliefs.

 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. 2 Timothy 4:17

 Although Paul was alone, He was able to experience the purest presence of the Lord in that horrible prison cell. God strengthened him and encouraged him to continue to witness so that all could hear the gospel truth.

 Your life might never be put on trial for your faith, but there will be times when your faith can be shared with the consequences of rejection and abandonment. Don’t let that discourage you from sharing your faith with others. God sees every aspect of your life and is willing and able to equip you to do the impossible (Philippians 4:13) when your actions bring honor to Him. No one will know the truth unless you are willing to share it with the boldness of Jesus Christ.

 1 Peter 5:8  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

As I heard the news about the school shooting in Nashville, all I could think about was the parents of the victims who spent the last moments of their lives with them that morning before dropping them off at school. I can't imagine the painful loss they are experiencing and will for the rest of their lives.  The question that runs through my mind is, will they have any room for forgiveness? 

This world in which we live has many enemies we might not even know. The shooter was an enemy not one parent knew, but she existed and had a plan to wreck lives, including hers.  

We do have an enemy that everyone knows, the Devil. Today's passage reminds us of his craftiness and works to wreck lives, including yours. Yesterday's tragic event is a painful reminder that bad things happen at the hands of evilness. It's so important to cover yourself, and your family, in prayer for God's protection. You know the enemy, you know he can cause pain.

 1 John 4:4  You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

But God. We have a God who is greater than the world's enemy. The victory has already been won. That's why it's so important to tap into His protective power. Although sometimes things don't work out as planned, you can always trust in what God is doing in your life, even when the enemy brings harm. God's grace will always be enough to make room to find forgiveness through His love for you so healing can begin. God bless. 

 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:15

 Forgiving someone whose hurt you can be one of the most difficult things you’ll do in life. And trust me, you’ll become a professional at forgiveness if you interact with others. Today’s verse comes straight from the words of Jesus Christ Himself, if you want God’s forgiveness, you must forgive those who sin against you. But it doesn’t stop at forgiveness.

 But I say to you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Luke 6:27

 Whatever that person did to hurt you, caused a wound to your heart. Unless that wound is closed up and healed, it will be open to infection of toxic thoughts, and isolation from your offender, which is a reminder of the hurt they caused. Blocking yourself from them in total isolation might seem good for your mental health, but it doesn’t truly reflect the love of Jesus Christ. You have to ask yourself, have you truly forgiven them?

 Our human flesh is fragile and the things Jesus calls us to do to reflect His love might seem impossible, but with the help of the Holy Spirit and time you can completely forgive, love and resume communication with your enemies. That wound will never heal unless you open the line of communication with those you’ve truly forgiven! God bless!  

 Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

 Dieting has become an obsession in this country, and no wonder given all the processed foods we consume, large portions served at restaurants and fatty ingredients used to flavor what we eat. Americans have become obese in record numbers. Those who chose to diet restrict certain foods and ingredients they know will work against them. One of those is sugar. Although sugar is a wonderful sweetener, it has been proven to do more damage to the human body and best to simply avoid it at all cost.  

 Just think for a moment if you put as much effort into avoiding sin as dieters do avoiding sugar? Almost to an obsession, you would soon see spiritual growth beyond anything you’ve ever experienced. Is it possible? YES! How can you sustain a spiritual diet that will grow your faith?

 Prayer, reading God’s word and having an accountability partner. Prayer opens the lines of communication with God as He plants inside you His desire to grow you spiritually. Communication with God is essential if you are to grow your faith. God’s word provides lifestyle boundaries that will keep your growth in check. Consider it a coaching guide to spiritual success. Having an accountability partner allows you to grow your faith with someone who has the same interest as you. They will be your spiritual cheerleader when you feel let down and will be the encouragement you need to keep growing.

 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Philippians 3:8

 The benefits of a spiritual diet will include shedding those things from your life that are spiritually debilitating and have no real eternal value. Your spiritual goal in life should be to conform to the image of Jesus Christ. Your spiritual diet plan will get you there with God’s help.

 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Johah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 1:17

 Ever drive around a barricade only to discover that barricade was there for a reason? As a result, you had to waste time by backtracking and finding a different route. Yes, I humbly admit this has happened to me a few times in life and it was a frustrating experience.

 Today’s passage comes from the story of Jonah, where God directed him to go to the city of Nineveh and speak to them about their wickedness. Jonah, was disobedient and ran from God’s directive, boarded a ship and found himself tossed into the sea and landed in the belly of a large fish for 3 days. He wasn’t going anywhere and God used this time to call out Jonah’s disobedience so he would have a change of heart.  

 Let’s bring this home. As a child of God, your body and your life is not your own. God paid a price for your soul and He demands respect, honor and your obedience (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, John 14:15 ). When you bypass God’s warning signs about sin, you eventually find yourself at a dead end and you have to backtrack, experiencing guilt, shame and sometimes pain by hurting those you love. Most of all, you miss out on God’s blessings during this time of undoing your wrong. Whose got time for that?

 As you journey through each day, just know God will instruct you at times, provide warning signs and even throw up red flags deep within your soul, telling you this is not the right way. Follow Him in strict obedience and your blessings will continue to flow uninterrupted and no wasted time backtracking in your relationship with God. Blessings.

 “Rain makes me feel less alone. All rain is, is a cloud- falling apart, and pouring its shattered pieces down on top of you. It makes me feel good to know I'm not the only thing that falls apart. It makes me feel better to know other things in nature can shatter." Lone Alaskan Gypsy. 

 After several days of beautiful weather, rain has returned to Georgia. Although I’ve enjoyed yesterday’s sun and warm weather, today’s rain was certainly welcoming. There is something about a rainy day, it’s like Mother Nature gives you an excuse to rest, do very little and just enjoy the sounds of nature falling from the sky.

 Today’s quote comes from a blogger who also finds comfort on rainy days. Here she associates the release of rain to life’s brokenness which compares to many of life’s heart breaking moments. As humans, we are not immune from life’s disappointing moments and the pain they cause can make you feel hopeless, alone and drain your energy to move forward another day. But, it doesn’t have to remain that way forever.

 God, pick up the pieces of my life. Put me back together again. I give you my praise. Jeremiah 17:14

 In God we have the assurance that life cannot steal your hope. In Christ, life will not leave you shattered and broken. God will comfort your heart and spirit in difficult times, and heal the heartache in your life. He is the Great Healer that will put your life back together again so you can resume life. Although the rainy days may come, use them to rest in the comfort of Jesus Christ and know that it will be well within your soul to praise Him for His goodness! God bless!

 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. John 14:6

 Now that I’m retired, I make time each morning to study God’s word for hours and research information relevant to the bible. One thing I’ve found is that the Muslim faith is rapidly growing across the globe, so I’ve spent some time trying to understand their beliefs. After some study, I find my heart broken for their misguided understanding of God’s word and His Son, Jesus Christ.

 According to the Quran (Muslim bible), Jesus was born of a virgin (Mary), but do not regard Him as the Son of God. They believe Jesus was a special prophet who performed miracles. According to their beliefs, Jesus did not die on a cross, but someone else was His substitute (who looked like Jesus), therefore He didn’t die on the cross, but was saved by God. And finally, they do not believe in the original sin, therefore no one is held accountable for their life, it is up to each person to live a life approved by God and will give an account to God (Allah) upon their death.

 My thoughts. God is a holy and righteous God. As humans, we are sinful people and don’t even come close to His righteousness. How could anyone possibly think they could live a life “good enough” to be accepted by God to enter into Heaven? Sadly, there are many people today who actually have that belief. Rejecting Jesus Christ’s atonement for sin will send you straight to Hell. Jesus Christ is the sacrificial lamb of God, atonement for mankind’s sins.

 If you have never accepted Jesus Christ into your life, or a Muslim by faith, I encourage you to pick up a copy of God’s word (Bible), and read the truth before it’s too late. Heaven or Hell is where you’ll spend eternity. Make sure you are on the right path. Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father! God bless!

 The blessing of the Lord makes one rich. And he adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

 Have you ever been presented with an awesome opportunity and questioned if it was from God? Many times, opportunities that appear to be good show up on the doorstep of life: relational, financial, employment, residential…the list is endless. These opportunities might appear good and seem like they’d be an easy fit into your life, but the real question needs to be answered, is this from God and within His will for your life. Answering that question can be difficult, but there are a few points to measure against the opportunity.

  1. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Colossians 3:15. Anything that comes from God will bring peace into your life. If peace doesn’t accompany the opportunity, then it’s probably not within His will. That uneasy feeling will be even more intense if you proceed further.

2.    For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. Psalm 138:2 God will never give you something that violates His statues. If the opportunity is clearly outside God’s standards, listed in the bible, then its disobedience to follow through. God doesn’t bless disobedience.

3.    Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4. As you seek after God’s wisdom, He will grow desires in your heart after His will for your life. If the appeal for this opportunity fades, then it was simply a brief distraction and God will honor you by turning from it.

4.    And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28. God has a plan for your life to grow your faith. Sometimes He will provide a definite answer of NO and it should be headed. No means God has something better in store for you, so put that opportunity on the shelf and keep searching after God’s plan to prosper you. His blessings through opportunities in life will bring much joy without sadness if you simply listen and trust His Spirit as He guides you every day!

 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

 I recall as a young child, I oftentimes would go to my mother when I needed something, sought advice or had to ask forgiveness for something I had done wrong. Like most mothers, they are sympathetic, compassionate and not quick to judge, vs. our fathers who tend to be more stern, direct and compassion isn’t always in their nature.

 What’s your view of God? Do you believe Him to be one who is quick to judge, short on patience and uses guilt to shame you? If this is what you believe, re-read today’s verse. God gives you an open invitation to come into His throne of grace. Not His throne of judgement or criticism, but grace. God’s character is made up of love, seasoned with grace and mercy. Sure, He doesn’t approve of disobedience, but at the same time He longs to bring you back into perfect fellowship with Him, because He knows what is best for your life.

 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new ever morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

 You have every opportunity to go to a family member, friend or counselor for help, advice and seeking forgiveness. But the one true source of help comes from God. Whatever you face, whatever you’ve done, whatever your needs, you can be assured God is willing and capable to provide, forgive and encourage you throughout your life. Let His grace and mercy, wrapped in His unconditional love guide you forevermore. God bless!

 When you are weary, feeling small, when tears are in your eyes I’ll dry them all, I’m on your side, Oh when times get rough and friends can’t be found, like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down, like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down. “Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel, January 1970

 A few days ago, I woke up with this song running through my mind. Although this song was written by a secular group, I believe through the lyrics of this song, Jesus was reminding me of His love and care for all of His creation. He is everywhere (Jeremiah 23:23-24), all the time and He is right there by your side, ready to carry you through difficult times.

 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. John 10:11

 Jesus laid down His life for you, so you can have an intimate relationship with Him. What troubled waters are in your life that you need Him to bridge over? Call out to Him today and He will provide the pathway forward. God loves you and is right there by your side ready to help. Take His hand and journey forward friend.

 

 

 1 Peter 2:12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. 

Have you ever noticed that people watch people. We are curious and always scanning our surroundings for anything or anyone to notice, especially those things that are anything but normal. Bad behavior always gets noticed, and these days even recorded on phones and shared through social media. 

Today's passage reminds us to keep our behavior excellent amongst our peers. Your actions, and words, most assuredly can and do affect others behaviors, and opinions of you. Toting the line sometimes can be challenging, especially in this world where most everything is socially acceptable, but if you remain faithful to righteous morals, your actions plant seeds of truth. And believe me, society needs a glimpse of what's right in the eyes of God. 

Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

As you journey through each day, continue in your quest to live an obedient life. Your life is a living testimony of the wondrous work of the Lord. You never know what seeds of truth you are planting by the audience in which you stand amongst every day. God bless. 

 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13:14

 I once knew a person who would sweep a floor then pile up the debris in the corner of the room and let it just sit there until they had a notion to scoop it up. Of course, for someone like myself, this drove my OCD nuts and I completed the task for them. I asked myself why would someone go to that much trouble to sweep the floor and not complete the task.

 Sadly for many Christians, they sin and ask God for forgiveness, but fail to follow through with the full task of “repentance”; turning from the sin, with intentions to never indulge in that same behavior again. Today’s passage provides sound wisdom in that process of repentance. “Make no provision for the flesh”! Applying this to yourself: something sparked your interest in a specific sin and unless you remove it completely from your life, you’ll always battle it and fall prey the temptation.

 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Galatians 5:15

 What sin temptation battles you on a constant basis? God has equipped you with the power to overcome sin through His Holy Spirit. Pray and seek after His strength to help you remove that temptation completely from your life so you can achieve victory over it. The enemy (Satan) attacks you in attempts to wreck your relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus has already won the victory, rely on Him to help you remove the thing that ignites the spark of temptation so you can complete the full task of repentance.

 Ephesians 5:15-16

[15]Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,

[16]making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

Time, it never stops and every minute that passes can't be redone. That's why it's so important to make each moment count. Today's verses remind us to be wise in our daily walk, making sound decisions. How can truth and wisdom be gained in this world saturated in information through social media and self help sources? 

Proverbs 2:6

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

The very words of God, written in the bible, provide consistent and sound wisdom. As societal traditions, beliefs and patterns of living change, God's measure of wisdom provides the strongest foundation on which you can use to help navigate each moment's choices you face. How do I know this? His word continues to be the most sold book in all of history. 

I encourage you to take some time to dive in and absorb His wisdom so you can make each moment count and experience God's blessings in your life. 

 Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

 How productive is your life? Maybe you have a job where your employer depends on you to perform, maybe you are a spouse and your partner depends on you to meet their needs, maybe you are single and living life on your own, are your needs met? All of these circumstances rely on you to produce, at your job, your marriage, your everyday life. Without your efforts, productivity will fall to zero.

 Today’s verse is a great reminder that as a child of God, you can depend upon Jesus Christ to supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19). He is the life sustaining vine that gives you the resources for a productive life in Christ. Your job is to abide in Him in every aspect of your life. As a result, your life should produce fruitful works that bring honor and glory to God. Unfortunately this is where Christians stop living a productive life in Christ. The feel inadequate to serve God and thus they sit idle in their faith and spiritual growth withers. When this happens, the vine of Christ stops growth in your part of this big world.

 God doesn’t ask you to do anything He wouldn’t do. He simply asks that you trust Him to provide what’s necessary to produce spiritual fruit in your life that will grow into the lives of others. Take a moment and reflect back over your life to see if you can recognize spiritual growth. If not, ask God to till your heart to prepare for Godly service and ready yourself to plant seeds of faithful service where He leads. He will take care of the rest (1 Corinthians 3:6). God bless!