Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

 What’s your view of God? Many people have this thought that He punishes us when we do wrong. Many live in fear of God, thinking He will strike them down at any moment. Although this mindset might sound logical of a big and holy God, lets take a closer look.

 Today’s passage is a good reminder of what God did through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus took on the sins of mankind, every-single-sin, and made payment of those transgressions through His death on the cross. One day 3 He rose from the dead, defeating death and sealing it away forever. Something that must be understood: as a child of God, your sins have been punished through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1

 As God sees it, your punishment has been paid in full. Your debt has been paid, you are free to live for Christ and not to live in sin any longer. Yes, you might feel the effects of wrong choices in life, but God no longer punishes people, like He did prior to Jesus’ arrival on earth to save God’s creation. I know that might be a hard to understand, but if God were still punishing people, then there would have been no need for Jesus to sacrifice His life.

 God wants you to live a blessed life through the freedom Jesus offers. Don’t continue to live in fear, but live in the freedom of Christ.

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

 God is good! He created you in His image and has nothing but blessings to share with you. God’s plan is to save the world from the sin in their lives and He expects His children (you and me) to be that shining example so that others can see Jesus Christ living in and through us.

 “Love your neighbor as yourself” Mark 12:31

 Loving God with all your heart, mind and soul (Mark 12:30) is the greatest command, the second is to love your neighbor. Who is your neighbor? Everyone whom you associate with. From your next-door neighbor, to co-workers, family, even the person you are standing next to in line at the grocery store. Your life should be a reflection of Jesus and the number one way to do this is by living in peace with all people, your neighbors!

 As you enter the world today, either in person or through words on social media, check yourself to make sure you are living in peace with everyone, walking in holiness and most of all loving everyone. It’s a tall order given the variety of personalities that oftentimes conflict with yours. But with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Ask God to help you live within His perfect will and represent Him everyday so the world can see the love that Jesus offers His creation, through you! God bless!

 

 For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

 Coventry Direct has been airing a new commercial advertising they can turn your life insurance policy of $100,000 or more into cash. The commercial shows a retired couple sitting outside discussing the need for more money to live, and two guys underground talking about this couple living on a gold mine of cash, if only they knew about the offering Coventry makes.  

 As a child of God, you have access to an unlimited amount of power through God’s Holy Spirit living inside you! The same God who created this beautiful world and author of your life, is right there with you, ready to help you overcome your fears, accomplish things beyond your strength (Philippians 4:13), and provide wisdom for everyday life. Have you tapped into this mighty power, this goldmine of blessings? It is available to you 24/7, just waiting for you to take advantage of the opportunities He provides.

 What are your fears, your weaknesses, your ailments, your concern for the future? Open your heart to God’s offerings and you’ll soon find yourself on track with His perfect will to accomplish all He desires for you. His desire is for you to know Him intimately, through your weaknesses. Call out to Him today, His goldmine of help is waiting! God bless!

 

 

 

 John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

Have you ever felt rejected? Maybe it was after being in a long term relationship that went south and your partner left you, or even worse a family member put you out. Nothing is more painful than being rejected by the ones you love. 

Today's passage reassures God's children that Jesus will never reject them, even when they stray off the path of righteousness. No one is worthy of God's holy and pure love. We as humans are subject to the frailties of the flesh, nothing we do sustains His love. It's only by His unconditional love that you, His chosen one, are eternally saved. 

Deuteronomy 31: The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

As you go through life and experience the pain of rejection, just know your Heavenly Father will never reject you. He gave you His Holy Spirit as a promise to never leave you, nor forsake you. Find assurance of your place in His family as a child of God. You are forever His. God bless. 

 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. Proverbs 22:15

 Discipline is administered in many ways these days. From time out, taking away a child’s favorite toy, cancelling a special occasion and even spanking. Years ago, spanking was the primary form of discipline, but overtime society has somehow determined that does something negative to a child’s development and has been discarded in many homes, including schools. As a result, we see children constantly misbehaving, being disrespectful and sadly hear stories of kids using guns in school for revenge…let’s not forget about the fourth grader who brought a gun to school and shot his teacher.

 Maybe what we are doing, or not doing, isn't working.  

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

 Discipline is less about administering pain than it is about building character. Read that again. Yes, discipline hurts both the child and the parent administering it. We love our kids and it hurts deep inside when we see them cry as the result of our actions. But unless you are willing to do what is necessary to punish negative behavior, that child will continue down a path of disrespect and disregard for living right and could eventually have bigger issues as an adult.

 Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul. Proverbs 29:17  The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. Proverbs 29:15

 One of the hardest things in life is raising children. Unless you want to have peace in your life and satisfaction in seeing your child grow up to be a productive member of society, you must take an active role in building their character, especially during their developmental years. Pray over your child, asking God to watch over them and tender their heart to correction as you administer it (by whatever means you feel necessary) out of love and concern for their future. God bless!

 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

 Years of working around a lake as a park ranger, I had plenty of opportunities to see people catch fish. Either by net or fishing pole, they would cast it outward with hopes of receiving a reward for their effort. Letting go of that expensive lure or net to catch fish was risky because it could get hung up on the bottom or break off; yet without its release, no gain could be possible.  

 Today’s verse is a great reminder that we have a God who is willing to carry our burdens when they become too heavy. Sadly, we oftentimes wait too long, thinking we can tackle the issue by our own strength and efforts, only to find ourselves drained physically and emotionally. Just like the fisherman, you have to “let go” of your burdens, cast them upon the Lord and He will sustain you.

 What burdens are you still holding onto? Cast them like a fisherman’s net outward and let God bless you in return. He knows what you are going through and is very willing and capable of handing your troubles and returning back His best reward for your dependence upon Him. Cast your burdens today so you can catch a break and find peace in the moment of His love and presence. God bless!

 

 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. 1 Peter 3:12

 You know that look, that look of anger and disappointment on your parent’s face when you did something wrong as a youngster. If you are like me, you knew something painful was about to happen, such as a good spanking or feelings of guilt and shame from wrongdoings. Your immediate response is to flee the scene, so you can momentarily avoid the punishment that’s coming. Can you relate?

 The last thing God wants for His creation is for them to run in fear of Him. He created you (and mankind) out of compassion and love. He wants you to draw near to Him. But one thing is for certain, He does not tolerate sin, because it puts distance between you and Him. As a child of God, you have His Holy Spirit living inside you, and when you mess up, you should feel that sense of guilt, which is designed to draw you back into His graces. Thankfully He provides a special kind of grace and mercy no human could ever share with another. It covers every trespass: past, present and even future.

 You can be assured, God is watching over you and sees your every move, your every thought, and emotion. Choosing to please Him will result in God’s blessings for your life. Your prayers will be heard and He will respond appropriately. Walk in the way of the Lord and your life will be more fulfilling and blessed with the promises of God.

 

 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

 In an effort to lose weight and get my blood sugar back to normal levels, I have resumed walking again, almost every day. Fortunately, I have a great neighborhood to walk. One thing I notice as I walk by lawn after lawn, some lawns are well manicured, and while others are overgrown and riddled with weeds. The other day, I took special note of some beautiful flowers in one person’s yard and quickly realized, those were weeds. I thought to myself, even the weeds can be beautiful.

 Looking back, I can recall many times in my life when I went through some difficult moments, made some very bad decisions and experienced heart ache and financial loss. But on the other side of those occasions, I can tell you that God had a purpose through those unwelcomed experiences and they have made my faith in Jesus Christ even stronger. Just like those unwanted weeds in your yard that produce beautiful flowers, you can trust that God has a plan for each difficult encounter. Although you want to put out the fires of adversity, take time to trust what God is doing with the uncomfortable experiences and know that He has your best interest at heart.

 God loves you! The more you love Him, the more He will grow you through good times and bad. But He will never allow you to go through anything greater than His strength He so graciously provides. Trust Him today and every day, those weeds in your life will someday produce beautiful blessings! God bless!

 

 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you,

Drama. Some people love it and thrive in a drama rich environment. Me on the other hand, try to minimize it the best I can. Life is too short to be caught up in a tangled web of arguments, frustrations and stress. 

Today's verse provides simple instructions on how to keep the drama at a minimal level. Let's look at them. 

1.Maintaining a quiet life takes some effort. Many times you have to say "no" to invitations for events or gatherings that you know will be anything less than peaceful. Oftentimes you have to simply disengage from people who stir the pot, Lord knows I've cut many ties for that very reason. 2.Minding your own business shouldn't be too difficult because in today's world there is no shortage of struggles just to maintain your own household. 3.Work! When you work to support yourself, you stay busy and have little time for anyone else's affairs. 

Take pride in your life. You only have one shot at making it right. You don't need the added stress of someone's problems or take in negative gossip. God wants His children to do His work. How can you be more effective in living a simple, God honoring life?

 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

[11]so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

One of the most difficult things to do is forgive someone who has hurt you deeply. The scars of their sin against you run deep and oftentimes impact your life for days, weeks, months, even a lifetime. As long as there is unforgiveness, there will remain an open wound that will never heal, impacting other parts of your life. 

Unfortunately, Satan uses these events to keep you in bondage, hindering your walk with the Lord. Nothing grieves the heart of God when His children refuse to let go of their anger and forgive. Jesus paved a narrow pathway for His followers to mimic His grace and mercy, to forgive even the most vile person. All through scripture, we read where God turned around the most wicked people, through forgiveness, to serve Him, even unto death. 

Whose on your list that needs forgiveness? Ask God to help you find the grace, mercy and love needed to scratch through that name so healing can begin and restore your fellowship with your Heavenly Father. 

 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 

Happy Independence Day! Today we celebrate the freedom to live in a peaceful nation, many thanks to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in battles to defend our freedom and continue to do so today. Freedom provides peace; peace to worship freely, peace to speak freely, peace to live without inhumane treatment. Do your freedoms make you feel at peace?

 If you take a few minutes to watch the news, you will quickly understand there is anything but peace in this great nation. Crime is rampant, evil exist everywhere, continual disagreements over equality and free will to choose how to live. Jesus was pretty clear when He said “in the world you will have tribulation”. When you focus on the things of this world, you allow yourself to become emotionally connected to the chaos, the fear and the frustrations it offers. Is this the freedom of peace you want for yourself?

 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

 Jesus Christ offers a freedom like no other. A peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). There is freedom in knowing Jesus Christ. Empty all your burdens, all your concerns and fears into His mighty hands, so He can fill your heart with the peace that only comes through freedom in knowing Jesus! God bless!

 Colossians 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

When you accept Jesus Christ into your life, everything earthly should be considered dead to you. Those things you once trusted can no longer be your crutch or support system. When you continue to trust in earthly things (and people) you create idols that consume your energy and turn your focus away from God. This doesn't please Him and your blessings will be held back until you turn back to him. 

Example of this: God gives you a child to raise. When you try to carry the weight of every responsibility in rearing him/her and not entrust God, you put the child first and God second. A perfect example of a father who put God first was Abraham. Finally at age 100 God blessed him with a son, Isaac. We read in Genesis 22 that Abraham was faithful to God, to the point of potentially sacrificing his son in strict obedience to God. At the fruition of his obedience, God provided the sacrifice and both Abraham and Issac were blessed. 

What's standing in the way of your complete obedience to God. Be ready to sacrifice it to show your loyalty to the One who promises to always take care of you, even at the most dire moments in life. Let God have the glory by putting to death those things that hinder your worship to the Lord God.