Luke 15:20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 

Jesus told the parable of the “lost son”, a story where a son asked his father for his share of the inheritance and went to a place where he spent it on wild living. After the money ran out, he was hungry, homeless, and full of shame. He returned home, expecting the worst, but his father ran to him with grace and mercy. Lovingly, he embraced his son, and received him back into the family. 

There's a good reason Jesus shared this powerful story. He knows we struggle to keep ourselves separated from the world, and sometimes step away from the fold, only to find ourselves full of shame, regret, and expecting the worst. Maybe that's you! 

Friend, the love and forgiveness of Jesus goes further than any human could provide, given a similar situation. He is always ready and willing to wrap His arms around you and welcome you back to the family of God. 

This world may provide some pleasures you enjoy, but at some point all that will leave you empty. Come back to Christ, He's ready to dress you in His best robe and celebrate your return home. 

 He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. Colossians 1:17 NLT

 When I look back over time, I see the world we live in filling with business, pressure to perform, and a complexity of demands that truly no one can live up to. Between family, friends, work, spouse, home, projects, and any extra curricular activities, each demands your time and when something gets off balance, your world seems to spin out of control. I’ve been there on many occasions and wonder how I will get it all back in order.

 The bad news is, you won’t. When life spins out of control, no matter how much effort you put into resolving the issues, repairing damaged relationships, making up for something you sacrificed…..it is truly beyond your capability to make it get in sync with your life. So, how can you recover from the messes life brings you?

 Today’s verse reminds us that God is always in control. Even in our chaos, He holds the future of everything in His hands, including your fast paced life. When you rely on Him to help keep it together, He provides you resources (that you don’t possess on your own) to help you navigate those difficult moments that have you filled with anxiety, fear, and tears. He will interject little miracles, that when you begin to look in His direction, you’ll see His hand working to bring healing, order, and even spare moments to thank Him for what He did on your behalf. 

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

 This is my favorite part about this subject, God has a plan and purpose for this moment of chaos to draw you closer to Him, strengthen your faith and build confidence when the next crises surfaces. Trust me when I say, “God has you in His hands, He is in control of all things! You just need to get onboard with that knowledge and work with Him as you live out each day for His glory.

 O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. Psalm 89:8

 Any seasoned Christian can relate to today’s verse. I consider myself seasoned as well, knowing the things I’ve been through in life and by putting my trust in God’s care, He has helped me navigate some of life’s most difficult moments. He has ALWAYS remained faithful, even in times when I’ve been anything faithful to Him. As my Creator, He knows me intimately. From my weaknesses to my strengths, and everything in between, He works in my life to trust in His ways. I can say there has never been a moment when He has let me down or left me defenseless to life’s challenges.

 Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:5

 If you are young in your faith, or maybe have years under your belt as a “Christian”, yet still haven’t learned to fully trust God, I encourage you to test God by praying about those things that are out of your control or overwhelm your life, then faithfully watch Him work in and through you. Faith and trust doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time and many occurrences to become seasoned in your faith. But trust me, God is faithful in all things and you’ll see His faithfulness will engulf your life with many blessings. Trust Him today!  

 Colossians 2:8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 

Studies reveal there are between 4,000 to 10,000 religions in the world today. From the moment God created Adam and Eve, man has created religions that are far from the truth of God and His love for mankind. Religion vs relationship seems to always be in conflict with each other. God's desire to have a relationship with us is more important than the man-made rules that support the various religions of the day. 

I Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 

In a world of religious information, how do you know truth vs. Fiction? The verse above encourages you to test all things; use your Bible as a guide when seeking Godly truths. If something you've heard does not align with God's word, then it's false and should be avoided. Jesus said on many occasions that “false teachers” will come and deceive people, especially people who are not grounded in the Bible. History has shown us many people have died while following false teachers, including Jim Jones cult in which 900 people committed suicide at his direction in the late 1970s. 

I encourage you to study God's word; don't believe everything you hear until you cross reference it in the Bible. Even the most well meaning churches in this country can be far from God's truth..God loves you and a relationship with Him doesn't require rituals, just a committed life to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. 

 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

 Every morning, I turn on my computer, check the news, social media, bank account, and dive into my bible study. This morning, I reflected over the news and social media post I viewed and thought…what a waste of time. Over an hour was spent feeling the emotional highs and lows of the news…with a bit of anger mixed in, leaving me drained emotionally and spiritually for my time with God. Useless information that will only be forgotten within an hour and no way to get that time back. Can you relate?

 As God’s children, we are to separate ourselves from the world, which means we should be cautious as to what we allow into our minds. Social media can be good, but it also provides opportunities to spread hate, anger, and views that counter God’s standards for living the Christian life. The news media is more concerned with how to spark your interest than actually sharing the news of the day. Many news media have moved towards a talk show forum, which battles against their opponent, mostly political in nature. All of these things together can influence your decisions and feelings. Quite frankly, they are no good and serve no purpose in growing spiritually.

 I know, I know….a long post about what we should not watch. Just want to make the point that we need to always be on guard to what we fill our minds with on a daily basis….this goes for me too! You can start with God’s word and good books on growing your faith by such authors as Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. David Jeremiah, and others. When you fill your mind with spiritual things, you’ll be more inclined to live out the truth of God’s word in your daily life for others to see…and this world could use more of Jesus!

 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

 Mud riding is a popular thing in Georgia. People who own a four-wheel truck or off-road vehicle will do all they can to find a mudhole and ride through it. In my career as a park ranger, I’d occasionally come across someone taking part in this activity on public land (which is illegal) or be stuck in the mud. Besides a hefty fine, they also had an expensive towing fee to pay. What seemed like a lot of fun at the moment, ended up costing a lot of money, and sometimes damage to their vehicle.

 As humans, we are prone to sin, it’s in our fleshly nature to sin. Those sinful things appear pleasurable and our minds can become addicted to it so much so that it becomes part of our life. But there is a downside to sin, it causes division between us and God, it can destroy your reputation, it hurts yourself and others impacted by wrong actions and the biggest impact from sin is a heaviness of guilt, shame, and regret. God condemns sin and requires His followers to repent and turn from it.

 When I kept silent, my bones grew old, through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3

 When you live with unconfessed sin, you carry a burden that can only be released by seeking God’s forgiveness. When you do, the weight of sin is eased and your heart, mind, and soul find peace once again with God and that open line of blessings resumes. As today’s verse in James 4:10 says, humble yourselves in sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. At some point, you’ll realize those sinful pleasures aren’t worth it and following in obedience to Christ is a much smoother path. Obedience doesn’t restrict you from enjoying life, it simply provides you a life of joy, peace, and fulfills God’s best plan for you.

 Humble yourselves under the will of God and find a lasting joy that only He can provide! Blessings!

 And then I will declare to them, “I neve knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness”! Matthew 7:23

 The other day I was approached by a man in Walmart who called out my name and started talking to me. As I listened to him and looked him over, I had no clue who he was. After a brief time, he could tell I was wondering who this man was, and he recalled a time when he knew me at a local church. Still to this day I can say I never knew him.  

 Jesus said in Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” There are many people today who claim to know about Jesus Christ and speak of him on occasion, but are not known by Jesus Christ. On the day of their death, they will be greeted with the words, I never knew you. What an awful feeling that will be for those who are not recognized by Jesus.

 Today, there are many people who claim to be a Christian, but never do anything for Jesus Christ. They live their own lives on their terms, omitting biblical standards, and don’t resemble any Christlike characteristics. Don’t get me wrong, your works don’t get you into Heaven, faith in Jesus Christ and asking His forgiveness of sins is the only way to Heaven. But, the life of a child of God doesn’t end with that decision, it’s a lifetime commitment to Him. It’s praying to Jesus, it’s participating in worship, it’s sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost, it’s living a life of obedience and allowing the Holy Spirit of God to lead you daily through this earthly life.

 If you were to run into Jesus today, would He know you? Make yourself known by being His true friend by pursuing a relationship with Him on a daily basis. You can’t expect Jesus to know you if you are living like the devil, yet still call yourself a child of God. Jesus Christ wants to know you on a deep and personal level.  Open your heart to His presence and see what being a true friend of your Savior can do for your earthly life and into eternity! God bless!

 Proverbs 27:2 Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth— a stranger, not your own lips.

I can't think of very many people who don't like to be praised for the good things they've done in life. Some people are very humble and quietly thank the complimenter, while others toot their own horn about their accomplishments and don't act surprised when given praise by others. Although our president has accomplished much, he toots his horn far too often (in my opinion) and quite frankly it's a turn off to many people. 

Today's Proverb encourages people to receive praise from others, and not by your own mouth. Why?, because it can turn people's opinion about you in a negative manner, and they won't listen to anything you have to say. I've seen this happen in several people I've known and slowly their friends step back from them, sometimes even say negative things about them to others. 

If you are a Christian, God doesn't think highly of pride, He actually despises it amongst His children. If there's anyone who should receive praise it's your Heavenly Father. He provided a way for you to have a personal relationship to Him through Jesus Christ. Anything you accomplish in life is because He made a way for you to achieve it by giving you certain talents that should be used for His glory and praise. 

You might be the most successful person on this planet, but don't shortchange the One who made you who you are. Give God the praise and see Him reward you with blessings greater than and success achieved in your lifetime. 

 Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Have you ever thought about your past? Maybe you are young and 25 years is behind you, or maybe 50 years. Whatever the number, take a moment to reflect til you reach your current situation. How did you fare? Did your hopes and dreams come to a reality or has life not provided you the joy and happiness you desired? 

When I accepted Christ I was 12 years old. From that moment on, the Lord had a plan for my life. I honestly was clueless to my future, but I kept praying that God would guide me into His plan. Yeah, there were moments when I detoured off His narrow path and pursued other things, but with each misguided step, He brought me back to “The Plan” for my life. Sometimes He used painful lessons to teach me obedience, other times His gentle hand moved me back, front and center, through the voice of wise people who influenced my life. Through it all, God never lost His patience with me and always had a hedge of protection around me. 

If you are breathing and in the family of God, He still has a plan for your life. Maybe you've drifted off course; don't despair, He is always ready to bring you back to the center of His perfect plan for your life. Seek Him today for the best roadmap you'll ever need this side of Heaven. 

 Therefore, there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. John 10:19

 As a Christian, do you ever encounter family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances who are confused by your beliefs and how you live? You don’t go out bar hopping, you attend church on a regular basis, you volunteer in your community….the list is endless. People just don’t get why you do what you do.

 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:19

 When Jesus came into the picture, He confused the Jews. They lived by a strict set of God given rules (and some made up rules) that governed how they lived. Many prophecies were made about The Christ who would come, and the Jews could not see that Jesus Christ was the true Savior. He fulfilled the promise of God and gave them a new way to live, forgiven of sins and eternal security by faith in Jesus Christ. What a misfortunate thing for them to miss the true Messiah.

 I personally have family and friends who are confused about Christ and it’s frustrating for me that they can’t see past their own thoughts and beliefs. Maybe you have very similar people in your life. The best you can do is pray for them, continue to live your life in obedience to Christ and be the example for them to see what Christ offers. A child of God living in peace, loving others, sharing the gospel, and most importantly forgiving others even while being persecuted.

 May God bless your life for being different than the world around you. People need to see the way to the Father, and your life can help others find their way, keep living the Christian life! God bless!

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

 Food allergies can cause serious problems for certain people, that’s why on many food packages you’ll read something like this: “This product is made in the same facility that has eggs, milk, peanuts”. If you have an allergy to any of these, there is a potential they could cross contaminate with the food you plan to eat, and will make you very sick, maybe even cause death. One of the biggest food allergies today is gluten and many people I know become very sick if it’s in any of the food they eat.

 Wrongdoing, or sin, starts in the mind. A thought develops in the mind to do something wrong or against God’s standards. It seems to grow and when you think about it often; it’s like watering a plant, you are literally nourishing that thought, and eventually it turns to action. But it doesn’t stop there, from the action, it might easily become a habit, which in turn influences your character. Your character is who you are, it’s how you interact with the world, it’s how you behave, and it impacts the lives of those around you, and people form their opinions about you by how you live your life.

 If you struggle with evil thoughts, sinful thoughts, or battle addictions, let today’s verse be an encouragement for you to fill your mind with the good things of God. Satan will try his best to whisper those negative and sinful thoughts, but when you have a mind filled with biblical scripture, he stands no chance of influencing you to do wrong. Pray to God for help and protection and He will do it for you. God bless!

 Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

 Welcome to another day of life on planet earth. No matter what happened yesterday, today is a new day and hopefully you’ve put yesterday’s worries and troubles aside to face the new challenges that will come. How you prepare for each new day determines your response to things, situations, and news you’ll have to deal with.

 The author of today’s verse starts with a plea from God to clean up his heart and renew a steadfast spirit within. Steadfast isn’t a word we use much in today’s language, but it has a powerful meaning; determination and unwavering are two words that describe steadfast. Asking God to sustain you through the daily grind will ensure you can run today’s race with endurance and assurance you’ll cross the finish line in good standing. Left to your own strength and wisdom will lead you through a day of emotional highs and lows that will totally exhaust you by days end. Who wants to live that way?

 I encourage you each and every day, take about 15-20 minutes before the wheels really get spinning and spend time with God in prayer, recite today’s verse as you seek His strength and wisdom for the day’s challenges. Find a good devotional to accompany your prayer time so you’ll have a nugget of wisdom to keep your mind focused on what’s really important, your relationship with Jesus Christ and your impact on the world around you.

God bless!  

 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8

 Several years ago, I went out on a long motorcycle ride up through Alabama. There are plenty of beautiful country roads that make riding a motorcycle enjoyable. After many hours of riding, time had escaped me and I needed to get home rather quickly. I decided to part from the 2-lane road and get on the interstate to make up some time. My GPS kept telling me to turn off onto a 2-lane road, but I kept going. Eventually I ran into a very long line of cars, slowly creeping along the interstate due to a semi-truck accident 2 miles ahead. It was about 90 plus degrees and I was a sweating mess. If only I had followed my GPS, I would have gotten home sooner than my experience on the interstate.

 Do you ever wonder why God waits so long to answer your prayers or receive His blessings? We get it fixed in our minds how we expect things to go when we call upon God, and head in that direction, totally missing His still quiet voice telling us another path towards His answers, His blessings. The truth is, we are the reason for delayed answers, because we fail to follow Him closely.

 Prayer and focus on God is essential to keeping in step with His wisdom and guidance. He sees what’s up ahead and will redirect your steps to keep you from disaster. He promised to always provide us His best. Sometimes it takes a lot of faith in God to let Him direct your path, but essential if you want His very best for your life.

 Maybe you are on a pathway, seeking God’s wisdom. Are you staying prayed up, are you looking for signs that detour your current direction? Be ready and willing to do everything He says in the process of answering your request and you’ll soon recognize His promised delivery came at just the right moment. Follow Him in faith and He’ll get you there on time, every time! God bless!

 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for Judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:16-17

 Today’s verses provide encouragement for anyone who suffers as a Christian. You might be thinking that being a United States citizen shields you from suffering for your faith, as we have freedoms to worship and openly express our views. But truthfully, living a life of ease should make you question your faith. Is it genuine, are you living boldly for Christ, or are you hiding your “light” under a bushel, only exposing it when comfortable?

 In 1999, there was a tragic shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. As the shooters were killing people, they came upon a teenage girl who was calling out to God. One of the shooters asked if she believed in God, she responded “yes”. She had a choice to make, either hide her belief or suffer the consequences of being truthful. Under the threat of her life, she did not hold back her beliefs. That is true suffering and God was glorified in that moment.

 Although you might never have a gun held to your head with life threatened over your beliefs in God, you should not be ashamed to live out your Christian life for others to see. Yeah, you might have moments of ridicule, feel the pressure of keeping your job, maybe even shunned by others. That’s ok, because in the end, God will judge those who brought suffering into your life. God will also judge His children for the moments when they keep their faith hidden. Read the following verses and ask yourself, “am I being a true witness for God”?

 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33

 1 Corinthians 13:8 NLT Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 

You might not feel qualified to be a Christian. Maybe you are apprehensive about talking to others about Christ, you have fears that hold you back….there can be many things you want to do for Christ, but feel limited. 

I encourage you to keep the faith! In today's verse it says “love lasts forever”. I've heard it said, people will remember you by how you treated them. It doesn't matter how smart you are, capable of doing great things….none of that matters except your love for others. 

While on planet earth, Jesus instructed people to love others as yourself. Love has many redeeming features and can change a person's direction in life by simply being loved by you!  

Don't miss the greatest opportunity in the world by being a follower of Christ. Love others, just as He loved you, and you'll see the Christian life is more rewarding than anything else you'll experience this side of Heaven.