Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

When you choose to pursue something, there is something or someone there that you believe will benefit you, such as a new job with benefits, a relationship that comes with a person who loves you, or maybe the purchase of a large home to accommodate your family. Things entice your decisions in life. 

Today's passage is a good reminder for God's children to always live by a standard of good conduct: love others, forgive when offended and live in peace with everyone. These are just a few of the countless good qualities that the Christian should follow. By doing so, you will ignite a desire for those living in darkness to come to the light. 

There is no peace, no love, no forgiveness in the darkness. Your light is the only hope they have to see their way out. Live for Christ in every moment and see the world around you change for the good. Blessings friend. 

 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26:28

 Being a home owner, I’ve become more knowledgeable about concrete. It serves as the foundation for my home, and provides a nice smooth driveway and front porch. But one common thing with concrete, no matter how hard it may be, somewhere there will form a crack over time.

 When you look at your life, do you see areas where there is hardness? Maybe a secret sin that no one is aware of, maybe there are wrong doings in your past that have remained hidden from others over the years, or maybe you are simply selfish to continue in a sinful pleasure. All of these and more need the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. But deep down the guilt you feel or your stubbornness is hard as concrete and you feel that the blood of Christ couldn’t reach what’s held in secret.

 I’ve got good news friend! Just like concrete, there are cracks in that hardness and if you are willing to surrender your offenses, Jesus is more than willing to forgive and heal that which holds you back from the purest relationship with Him. His blood covers every single sin of mankind, including yours. All throughout the bible, God turned around the lives of some of the most vile and evil people who eventually went on to serve Him and authored books in the bible.

 Nothing you’ve done or have hidden is exempt from His forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. Surrender your heart to Him today and be washed clean so you can live for Him. God bless!

 Ecclesiastes 11:4 He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.

As an adult, you'll be faced with many decisions. When to marry, when to buy a house, when to start a family, even when to find a church home. These and many other decisions can leave you feeling overwhelmed and full of anxiety. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven. 

There is a specific time for everything according to God's will for your life. Seeking His will through prayer and reading the Bible will help you determine the right time to start that new chapter, whatever it is. But don't ever let doubt and others' opinions steer you away from what God provides through His Holy Spirit. He will let you know when the time is right. 

What opportunities are available to you today? Seek after God's approval and move out when He gives the green light. Nothing changes until you make it happen. God bless. 

 Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Earlier this summer my Sunday school teacher asked me if I would be available to teach the next week's Sunday school lesson. I had already committed to helping at our church youth camp that week and felt like I wouldn't have enough time to prepare a lesson, so I declined. Ever since then this feeling of guilt continues to follow me as I missed an opportunity to serve God. 

Today's verse is a great reminder that with God, we can do the impossible. Although we might believe our human strength is limited, God has no limits to His blessings when we trust Him to help us accomplish His will through our life. 

What's holding you back from completely serving God? If He puts the task in front of you, He will supply the resources to see it through. A good way to start this week is to worship Him in church and let the word of God speak to your heart through the preaching and singing. God has big plans for your life, trust Him with every opportunity that comes your way. God bless. 

 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat, that it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. James 1:9-11

 Do you ever find yourself seeking after more: more money, more belongings, even more time? We all want to live a comfortable life, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that desire. But when life becomes full of all you wish, there is no room left for God to bless you. When you are short on something, you have a longing for it and trusting God to fill that need gives Him the opportunity to bless you.

 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

 This wonderful verse can sometimes be misinterpreted. Notice, He shall supply all your “need”. There is a difference between need and wants. God will bless you with the necessities of life. He knows that blessing you with something that will harm you (like too much money, too many belongings, even more time) will become an idol in your life, taking away your dependence upon Him. That’s NOT where God wants His children.

 God wants you to be dependent upon Him. When you are, you draw closer to Him and can take a front row seat to observe His blessings when they come your way. Trust that God will always supply your needs. That extra money, stuff, and time might be more hazardous than not having it at all, so thank God for what He’s placed in your life so you can make room for His presence. God bless!

 

 John 16:13. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

The past few days I was blessed to spend time with my grandson, who's 1 and a few months. Since he can walk/run, he moves all over the house. As I followed him, I would steer him away from things that could hurt him, telling him no at times, and watch him continue onto the next thing that sparked his interest. Then I had a thought….

As a child of God, you are blessed to have God's Holy Spirit reside in you. As you go through each day, exploring new things and living life, The Spirit quietly whispers a voice of caution when headed towards sin or something/someone who can bring harm into your life. Can you hear Him? Are you even listening? 

Jesus Christ paid your debt of sin on Calvary's cross, and blessed you with all the benefits of His wisdom, power, and strength through His Spirit. God gives you "free will" to choose who you'll follow, Jesus or the Devil. There is no middle ground with God, you are either on His side or living for the Devil. 

The choice is yours. If you truly want to live a God honoring life, listen and heed the Spirit's promptings. When you follow in obedience, you can leave the consequences to God to take care of you and most of all receive His blessings in your life. He cares for your well-being; listen, heed, and follow Him. 

 Matthew 12:25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.

Have you ever had a beef with someone? Maybe it was a dispute with your neighbor, that coworker beat you out of a promotion, a family member stands to inherit something you've wanted, or maybe a persistent issue with your spouse. As time goes on, things can heat up, resentment and bitterness take root and eventually all conversation ceases between you two. Is this happening in your life today? 

It's understandable to disagree with someone else, everyone these days seem to have different opinions, but that should not be reason to divide the bond you have with others, especially if they are a child of God, just like you. We are on display for the world to see Christ living in us. We are supposed to be a unified body of believers, and when two have an ongoing beef, it divides the house of God. Sadly, many churches have split, and even closed their doors over ridiculous issues. 

Matthew 5:23-24

[23]Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

[24]leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

Jesus makes it clear that we are to resolve our differences before coming to the alter. Today is Friday, what better time than to make amends with your brother or sister in Christ, Sunday is just a few days away. Go, and make peace. God bless. 

 Ezekiel 5:11 So as I live,' declares the Lord God, 'surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare.

Looking back through the old testament you find God's patience ran out when His people took their eyes off Him and pursued things that greatly displeased Him. What's really a head scratcher is time and time again God provided for their needs in great ways, so obvious, it had to be a God thing. Yet their loyalty seemed to wain over time. 

Ezekiel 5:12 One third of you will die by plague or be consumed by famine among you, one third will fall by the sword around you, and one third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.

If you add up ⅓+⅓+⅓ that equals 100 percent. And from the options in verse 12, things didn't look good. Thankfully today God doesn't wipe out His people for their disobedience, but He can. Just about 100 percent of the time disobedience today has its consequences, and sometimes leads to death. 

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

[2]All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God:

God wants to bless you, and His blessings are in abundance. If you are a child of God and truly love Him, why not do right, live right, give him your heart and He will set you on high. Blessings. 

 Jesus said to her, “Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you well.” Matthew 9:22

 When praying for someone to get well, do you pray for the doctors that they will have wisdom, or do you go directly to the source, God, asking Him to heal that person of their illness? Truthfully, in my opinion, there is no wrong answer here. God gifted those doctors with the wisdom and ability to help people get well, so praying for them to have wisdom is an excellent decision. But what is really necessary to motivate God to heal the person you pray for?

 Today’s passage comes from a brief story about a woman who bled for 12 years. Not one doctor could heal her. She heard about this Jesus and His healing power and thought to herself if only she could touch His garment, she’d be healed (Matthew 9:20-22). With all the courage she had, she pushed her way through the crowds in His direction, briefly touched His garment, and immediately was healed. Jesus felt the power leave His body and sought the person who touched Him. Her faith in the power of Jesus Christ healed her.

 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive it, if you have faith. Mathew 21:22

 Faith is the foundation of your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Without faith, you have nothing. By faith, you can ask God, and believe He will come through, and it will be done for you. How much faith do you have when asking God for His healing touch? If your requests are going nowhere, maybe you need to ask God to grow your faith to better trust in Him. Doubting what God can do will cancel your request. Let your heart, mind, and soul ask in faith and it will be done! God bless!

 

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

 This morning God led me to these two powerful verses which I want to share my thoughts in today’s blog. My heart is heavy for the person who needs this today.

 Life can bring many things into question. Why am I suffering with this ailment? Why did my loved one have to die so soon? How did I let my finances get into this big of a mess? Where will I live? Why did this relationship fail that I loved so much? These and many other circumstances can quickly turn to questioning God’s goodness and why He allowed such tragedy to befall you. And for good reason. Many unfortunate things can happen in life. But for the child of God, He cares for His own and has a plan.

 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

 Whether you realize it or not, God has a plan for your life and sometimes His plans and ways don’t always fall in line with how you think life should go. The tools and circumstances He allow in your life are there to shape and mold your character more in line with Jesus Christ. Although His ways can be painful at times, they are NOT used to destroy you, but to grow your faith and trust in Him when everything (and everyone) around you directs you to question God or lose all hope.

 Someone out there today is in this very spot and want answers from God and seeking an immediate response. It’s ok to ask God why, but do so with a trusting heart, knowing that He has you in this desperate moment and will bring about something better than you could expect. You might not see it this side of Heaven, but His way will one day be completely revealed and the understanding of His purpose. Until then, put your complete faith and trust in Him and He shall direct your path! God bless!

 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19

 A few weeks ago we had some friends over for supper. Not that we have a messy house being it’s just me and my wife here, but we spent a considerable amount of time cleaning and organizing the house over the course of a few days. Once complete, I thought to myself we need to have company over more often. How do you prepare when you are expecting company?

 As a child of God, it’s good to be reminded that you house the Holy Spirit of God. Just like your house with expected company, you should make every effort to keep your life free of sin and choices that grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Acceptance of Jesus Christ is to surrender your entire life to Him, as He paid in full your free ticket to eternal life.

 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31

 I encourage you to do a “walk through” of your life and see what areas need to be cleaned up. Ephesians 4:31 list just a few things that grieve the Holy Spirit. There are more found in God’s word. It’s important to study up on what is good and what dirties your spiritual residence for God. Afterall, He has your name written in the book of life, His adopted child of God. Make it a perfect place for Him to reside and He will richly bless your life!

 …with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men. Ephesians 6:7

 Looking back over my career, there were days when I just didn’t want to go to work. My thoughts and interest were in other places and while there, it was a struggle to be productive and do my job as expected. I’m sure you can relate.

 Today’s short verse gives some great advice for the work you do. Do it not for the benefit of men, but of the Lord. Although you might not think of it as a blessing, employment is income and income means you have the resources to live in shelter, buy food, and meet the needs of yourself and/or family. It might not be the best paying job, but it’s what God has blessed you with at the moment, so your attitude of thanks should motivate you to do your best, no matter the circumstances.

 Taking this to a deeper level, you can apply this to everything you do in life. From being a parent, spouse, volunteer, neighbor, even being a productive member of society. God has placed you right where He needs you to be that “light” in this dark world. Your circumstances might not be that great, but your Christian influence can brighten almost any dark corner of your world.

 As you step outside the comforts of your home, use this verse to motivate yourself to do your best, not for the benefit of others, but to the Lord. When you incorporate God in every aspect of your life, He blesses you in small and big ways. Give God the glory in everything you do today! God bless!

 

 2 Corinthians 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Do you struggle with feelings of guilt over past sins? Some things you've done in the past continually remind you of just how wicked you've been. 

Satan oftentimes uses this guilt to hinder the will of God in your life. God has given you specific talents to be used to advance the kingdom's work. Through your obedience, those outside the faith have a glimpse of the joy and freedom that salvation offers, living through you. If Satan can make you feel unworthy of serving God, your flame slowly fades, eventually cooling the fire within your soul. 

Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Take a moment to read Romans 8:1 and ponder on it. Jesus Christ carried your guilt to the cross through His shed blood. As a child of God you are washed clean of every single sin: past, present, and future. Nothing can remove your name from the book of life. 

When those ugly memories come back to haunt you, just remember where the guilt resides, on an old wooden cross, sealed forever. You are redeemed! Go in the freedom of Jesus and serve Him daily, repent when you fail, and never let guilt hold you back from the blessings God has for you. 

 Psalms 17:10 They have closed their unfeeling heart, With their mouth they speak proudly.

Have you ever experienced a person with a cold heart? Maybe a coworker, a neighbor, maybe even someone in your own house. A narcissist comes to mind when I think of someone with an "unfeeling" heart. I personally have brushed against someone like this and it can be very frustrating and painful as they continually put you down and seek to belittle you. How does one respond to a callous person? 

Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 

One thing that helped me over the years was to pray for this person and seek after the heart of Jesus. Lol, I won't lie, praying for that person was difficult and sometimes my thoughts wanted God to remove them from my life. But something I realized through much prayer and open heart, that God allowed their existence in my life for a purpose. Looking back now I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that I would never have survived emotionally without my prayer time. God gave me the strength and courage to sustain the repeated attacks with a tender response from me, that only God could have orchestrated. I just hope that somewhere along the way this person's heart softened just enough to see the pride that polluted his mind. 

A cold hearted person with no feelings can only be broken by the love of Jesus Christ, shown through your example. Keep praying and trusting that God is doing a work in your situation as you sustain a Christ centered spirit. God bless. 

 Psalms 16:11. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

In life there are two options you'll have to choose from, right or wrong. Wrong choices sometimes are deliberate due to ones selfish desires to please oneself, regardless of the consequences. Sadly, many people take this path, that eventually leads to much turmoil or self destruction. Satan has a way of making wrong look right or justifiable. Is this the path you are currently taking? 

Today's verse is a good reminder that when you follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, God will bless you. With righteousness, there is no fear of being found out, marked as guilty, and most of all free from the sting of sin. God's blessings come in many shapes and sizes, and as you choose to do the right things in life, those blessings will become more obvious, motivating you to continue down the righteous path. 

Your decisions today will have an impact on tomorrow and into eternity. Why not choose right and experience the blessings and sweet presence of Jesus in your life? God bless. 

 Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

 The other day I typed out some grocery items on my phone and set it down. While I sat there the glow of the phone finally dimmed and eventually went into sleep mode. I could see the light dim as time passed. Eventually it locked itself and I had to unlock it to add more items to my list.

 Today’s verse is a great reminder that as Christians we always need to let our light shine to those outside the faith so they can see Jesus living in and through us. What dims our light is inactivity. Just like that cell phone when it sits idle the light dims, so does our light of faith when we disengage from doing the work of the Lord.

 What keeps that light shining? Church attendance is one thing that regenerates the light within through the music, worship and biblical wisdom received through teaching from the pulpit. That one hour can brighten the light within, but it won’t be enough for the week ahead. That’s where daily prayer, bible study and living out God’s word through acts of kindness, forgiving others, and putting Godly desires in your heart will keep the light from diming.

 Today is Sunday. Why not give that activate that light by stepping inside the house of God for a recharge in advance of the week ahead? Your light will brighten and God’s blessings will keep you motivated for kingdom work! God bless!

 

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

 Have you ever planted a garden? Maybe it was simply a few pots with either some vegetables or fruits. If you are like me, you check it often to see if it produced anything. All the time, money and effort you’ve put into growing, you hope something positive results from your labor.

 As a child of God, He took care of the planting of His Holy Spirit inside you! As a result, He expects the fruits of the spirit to grow in your life. Do you recognize any of these traits that are truly fruitful? If you are like me, there are a few that I struggle with and sometimes feel like my life just doesn’t have the right environment for it to grow something good.

 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:12

 Thankfully God’s Holy Spirit can help you in those areas of life that aren’t fruitful. You have to be willing to submit to His will and His way of pruning things from your life that hinder spiritual fruits. Yes, it may be painful and you have to surrender things and people that are toxic to growth, but its necessary if you are to become all He has planned and willed for you life.

 Are you willing to surrender to His pruning? Blessings will result when you totally surrender to the Master Gardner, and soon you’ll be producing spiritual fruit that yields many crowns here on earth and in Heaven. Become fruitful for God and be blessed.   

 2 Corinthians 12:7. Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-to keep me from exalting myself!

For the past 2 months I struggled with a severe sinus infection. Something in the air, allergies to animals or a combination of both kept me feeling rough. I started to get down and questioned if I would ever get better. Well, after two rounds of antibiotics and rest I knocked it out. Now I developed some issues as a result of my sinuses that has me on more meds, that hopefully will put me back into better health. 

I will say that my sickness hasn't been all negative. My prayer life has improved greatly and a closeness with God that has helped me develop a deeper prayer life. Now when I walk two miles everyday I dedicate the entire time in prayer, praying for others and praising God for His blessings. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Today's passage comes to mind when I think about this down time. Paul begged God to remove a "thorn in the flesh". But God said power is perfected in weakness. Maybe you are experiencing a heavy burden that drains you physically and emotionally, maybe even hinders your faith in God. Just know God has permitted this down time to do something at your weakest moment. Look to Him for strength and what He can do in you while He has your undivided attention. God bless. 

 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.  Philippians 3:8

 As I entered adulthood, I received guidance on how to prioritize things I want and things I need. This has been a good standard to use when deciding if I should purchase something. A “want” is something I desire, a “need” is something truly necessary for my day to day living…like groceries. As a child of God, there should be one more consideration, the will of God for your life.

 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2.

 Life has many opportunities to pursue such as hobbies, aquire nice things and build a strong reserve of money through a career or financial investments. In America, the sky is the limit to what you can achieve and accumulate over your lifetime. The Apostle Paul clearly understood true sacrifice with regards to the things of this world vs. having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not one of the opportunities in Paul’s life were more important than his relationship with Jesus. And because of this standard, he lived his life within the perfect will of God. And we benefit from his sacrifice as we use his God inspired writings as a guide for our daily lives.

 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

 God doesn’t mind if you have a mansion, He just doesn’t want it to come between you and your relationship with Him. God will make it clear of the things and people in your life that hinder that relationship, it’s up to you to decide between wants, needs and His perfect will. When you learn to use God’s standard of faith, you will find His blessings far better and long lasting than anything this world can give you! Blessings.