Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other. So that man can find out nothing that will come after him. Ecclesiastes 7:13-14

 

When someone approaches you and says, “I have some good news and some bad news”, which do you prefer to hear first? I’ll take the bad news first in hopes that the good news crosses out the negative of the bad. If you really think about it, most news we receive has both the good and bad.

 

In today’s blog I’d like for you to consider taking a different view of the “bad news”, so it softens its blow on your heart, mind, and soul. Today’s verse lets us know that anything that comes our way is sifted through the hands of God. There isn’t anything, good or bad, that comes your way that He doesn’t know about and allows. And taking it one step further, HE has a plan how to make you a better person through even the bad news.

 

As a child of God, you have to realize, this world is NOT your home. Everything you experience in this life prepares you for the next life, eternal life. For me personally, I’ve seen God’s hand work in and through some of my darkest days to help me gain trust in Him to deliver me from the adversity I faced. Wisdom, patience, love, a new direction, and a stronger commitment to Him, are just a few things gained from those tough days. I’m sure you’ve experienced the same and now see how it benefitted you in your time of adversity.

 

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

Paul had a “thorn in the flesh”, which bothered him greatly as he ministered to thousands of people. God saw fit to allow it to remain, so Paul could rely on God’s strength, and not by his own strength. Maybe you have a thorn in your flesh of sorts. Surrender your will to Him, asking for His will to be done, so you can refine your life to better reflect His. All that really matters in this life, is your next life and how you learn and grow spiritually.

 

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

 My wife and I, along with some family, have been at Orange Beach for a few days. I'm reminded of why so many people love coming here, and for many reasons. The relaxing sound of waves, restoration of the soul, discovery of something special along the shoreline, the gorgeous creation of every day's sunrises and sunsets or just a place to get away and rest. 

Tomorrow we will be leaving this place of paradise and getting back to the daily grind at home. It would be nice to take a piece of this vacation with us, but it will have to come in the form of memories and photographs. 

John 4:13-14 NKJV

[13] Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,  [14] but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Today's verse comes from the story of the woman at the well. There, Jesus met a woman who had many relationships, trying to find love, yet she leaves one for another, and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. Jesus offered her something more, something lasting, that is eternal life. A secure and wonderful relationship with the Creator of the universe, and with a purpose for her existence. 

Still today, Jesus offers this same friendship invitation to you. Maybe you've been searching for something more, something fulfilling, something you can treasure in your heart, or simply some inner peace in this chaotic world. Come to Jesus Christ today. He offers all of that and more. I can tell you His offerings are like standing on the most beautiful beach times 1,000. 

Hebrews 13:5 Let  your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

Nothing this world offers can match His peace, His love, and His acceptance. And best of all, He will never leave you with just a memory. Call out to Him today. God bless. 

 For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back? Isaiah 14:27

 When I was in my late teens and early 20s I had no clue what I would do for a career. From the time of my high school graduation in 1984 to my college graduation in 1991, I attended 3 different colleges, changed my major many times, experienced some life changing events, and held many jobs. During those years, God was working in my life to fulfill His plan for my future career. Many times, I’ve looked back and could see how God closed doors to keep me moving in the right direction. There were days I fought His plan, but in the end, it provided a fruitful career and now a blessed retirement.

 Maybe you are still trying to figure out God’s plan for your life, even as a grown adult. You’ve got various options to choose, but uncertain which direction to follow. Seek God’s wisdom through prayer, continually, and ask several friends or family to devote daily prayer on your behalf. I’m almost 100% certain that the prayers of my family (especially my grandmother) motivated God to not give up on me, even when my intentions were to go in the opposite direction.

 Let today’s verse in Isaiah 14:27 be an encouragement to you, knowing that no matter how much you struggle with God’s plan, He will see you through it. As I said above, He often uses closed doors to keep you on track. Sometimes you’d think those doors were meant to be opened because of your skills, knowledge, and abilities. But God’s motivation is to use you for something greater, which in the end will yield blessings you could never had dreamed up for your life. Trust God’s plan for your life, it comes with His promise of something better!

 For My thoughts are not your thoughts; nor are you ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than your earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

 Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV

[9] In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. [10] Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. [13] And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers out there, doing their part to raise up the next generation. It's a huge task and success sometimes seems fleeting. But, no matter your failures, your status as a “father” never changes. And the truth is, no matter how you fill this role, your children will still love you. 

There is another Father we often forget about in this special day, our God the Father. From the moment He created man, His role has never changed. Unconditional love radiates from His Spirit onto all of us, and that love never ceases or changes, regardless of our actions. What a perfect example He gives us as earthly fathers. 

Today, I encourage you to take a few minutes to thank the God of all creation for His love, wisdom, and perfect example of the Father He desires for us men to be. God bless. 

 “Never be afraid to site awhile and think”. Lorraine Hansberry, American playwright (1930-1965).

 The quote above was posted in my Farmer’s Almanac. My first thought when I read it was, “where in my busy day do I have time to just sit and think”. In today’s world, we are bombarded with information overload. Between social media, countless emails, texts, radio, videos, television, and let’s not forget our phone (which can access all of these things), the minutes of our days are filled, leaving very little time to process what we’ve exposed ourselves to. Statistics state that 60-70% of the world’s population uses social media, 5-10% exhibit clinical symptoms of social media addiction, while 40-45% of teens say social media negatively affects their sleep, productivity, and mental health. I think you could also say the 40-45%, or more, is the same for adults too. I know a person who was dealing with depression and the first thing the doctor told them was to get off social media.

 If you don’t think Satan has his hands in all this technology, you are being blinded by the justification of advancement in technology, with AI (artificial intelligence) coming our way. LOL, think about it for a minute. We are being pushed into a society where computer intelligence will run our lives. Maybe we should say ruin our lives, because we won’t have to do any thinking. Yeah, I know I sound like “negative Nancy”, but the truth is we are letting technology think for ourselves, leaving us vulnerable to worldly views, which are opposite of God’s morals and standards.

 So, what are we to think about? Philippians 4:8-9 offers a wonderful suggestion. Click the scripture for its content. These are great virtues to ponder and with some thought, you will find positives in your life to counter the negative thoughts and emotions you’ve probably experienced from what you’ve been exposed to through the sources in the first paragraph. Spending time thinking about the good things life has to offer will give you a better outlook on life and in the process you’ll soon discover a pushback from a lot of the negative data and you’ll find entertainment in your thoughts.

 Let me share one more thought with you since you are in the thinking mode…. 2 Corinthians 10:5b says: bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. If pattern your thoughts after Christ and how He would think, then your life will be more in line with the obedience life He is ready to bless. Spend some time today in thought, spiritual thought, and devote more thinking time each day to the Lord.

 As I watch all five of my grandchildren grow up, I see special traits in them, passed down from their parents. The facial expressions, how they walk and talk…you can tell whose mom and dad in their lives.

 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

 There’s another resemblance we all have as humans. Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created us in His image, both male and female. We possess a brain for Godly wisdom, arms and legs to do His work, eyes to see His beautiful creation, and body parts made to create new life (“be fruitful and multiply” Genesis 1:28). And because of God’s love for us, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to show us His character traits and to make payment for our sins, so we could receive His grace and mercy. Are living the kind of life that resembles God’s character?

 God gives us “free will” to chose how we want to live. We either live for Him or ourselves. Living for Him can be difficult in this secular world, with morales and values that are nowhere near the perfection God intended for His creation. We live in a fallen world, and sadly there are so many people living for themselves, confused about their sexuality, choosing the toxic things of this world to fill a void, and making poor choices that haunt them for the rest of their earthly lives Galatians 5:19-21.

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is now law. Galatians 5:22-23.

 God has brought you into this world, not to be a part of it, but to be a part of Him in how you live your life. Maybe there are areas of your life that need to be changed, so you can better fit His mold of the traits listed in Galatians 5:22-23. With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, you can live for Him, live like Him, and be a godly influence to those in your circle of influence.  God bless!

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

 Over the past year my wife and I have been fortunate to help one of our kids by watching our granddaughter while both parents’ work. While here, we have a children’s television program on, which she loves and has learned so much in just one year. One of the most precious parts of this program is the love they express in each episode. We’ve noticed that our granddaughter has grown to embrace us with a hug, pat on the shoulder, confirming her love for us. What a beautiful trait for a child, to express love to others.

 Today’s proverb gives great advice to make time to train your child into a better person, and from that early learning they will carry it with them into adulthood. Studies of childhood development reveal that from birth to age 5, 85% of that child’s brain has developed and has shaped them for their future actions, feelings, how they feel about themselves, and the way they look at the world around them. Basically, they are like a dry sponge and the environment in which they live is like water, as they soak it up, it develops their brain network for life. Is your environment pure, or toxic?

 While we are on the subject of childhood brain development, lets talk about kids in their adolescent years. An alarming statistic for Gen Z age group (kids born between 1997 – 2012) states 74% of boys and 64% of girls say pornography is a problem for them. Somewhere along the way, either through seeing porn online, in the home, or at school, this dirty seed has been implanted in their mind and it will affect their view of the opposite sex, how they view relationships and even make them question their own sexuality. We are seeing today so many accounts of teachers having sexual relationships with their students. I believe pornography is one of the biggest problems for adults who were exposed to it in their younger years.

 Parents. We must do our part to protect our children from the toxic things of the world. It all starts in the home. It all starts with you. You can never shelter your child enough, you can never be too investigative in your child’s business, and never feel bad for being called “old fashioned”. We must do our part to bring our children up in a safe environment, otherwise the demoralization of society will destroy our children, along with their future families and the next generation. God help us! Let Proverbs 22:6 be the focal point of everything you do while raising your children. God bless!

 There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. Luke 15:11-12

You read or hear about it in the news, church going people, or Christians, get caught up in immoral behavior; financial scandals, sexual abuse, adultery, just to name a few. For those who don’t attend church they question is being a “Christian” is really worth it; why go to church, and entertain becoming a Christian if all they do is live like the devil?

Today’s verse comes from a parable that Jesus told regarding the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32. A man had two sons and they had everything they needed for life, a home, a job, and a father who loved them dearly and took care of their every needs. One day the younger son wanted his inheritance. Reluctantly, the father gave his son the money he asked for and the son left home and spent it all on wild living.

Why would a son leave everything good in his life for something that drained him financially? Why would a Christian leave everything he has to pursue something that would drain him spiritually?

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9

I believe Jesus was trying to tell us that when you take your eyes off Him, you see the lure of the world and its momentary pleasures. No doubt, there are people who sit in church every Sunday, claiming to be Christians, who live under the blanket of God’s forgiveness, yet the lust of their eyes and their heart is still connected to the ways of the world. Not making excuses, but the Devil targets God’s children so they will carry the burden of guilt and make church going people look fake, leaving those who don’t have any part of church to ignore any thought of being a part of the Christian life.

If that is you, let me encourage you to stop listening to the bad news of the Christian life and share the good news of Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of the parable, the son is broke, and comes back to the father’s house, where he is greeted by his father with open arms. He admitted his wrongdoing and the father forgave him, welcoming him back into the family. Jesus Christ came to show us how to live, but also gave His life as payment for the sins of mankind. His love for mankind yields a forgiveness like no other. In return a child of God has the future expectation of Heaven.

No one is perfect, especially Christians. But when one of God’s children returns to Him spiritually broken, God restores them into His wonderful family. And He wants you to be a part of His family as well. Won’t you give God a moment of your time to really check out some of the most genuine people you’ll meet inside the walls of your local church. You’ll be blessed!

 

 Isaiah 6:2-3 NKJV

[2] Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. [3] And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

When you see someone dressed nicely, it's complimentary to tell them you are impressed by their appearance. I often tell my wife how nice she looks when all dressed up, even at times when she's without makeup and in her pajamas. It's because of my love for her, no matter what she's wearing, she's beautiful to me. 

In Heaven there are seraphims (or Angels), who are constantly praising God and recognizing His holiness. As humans it might be difficult to understand how worshipping God 24/7 can happen, but I believe once in the presence of God, we all will recognize His beauty, His holiness, and His love for each of us. 

Until that time, I think we all need to feed our minds with scriptures that reflect His character so we can be prepared to worship Him, alongside the Angels who reside by His side throughout eternity. As you come to know Him more, give Him the praise and recognition He rightly deserves. God is good, all the time! What more reason do you need to give Him praise? 

 Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Ephesians 1:4

 Just imagine for a moment that you were chosen to receive a lifetime of money where you’d never have to work or ever be in need of anything. What would you do with all that money? For the average person, it would be spent on big purchases, maybe a new home, a new vehicle, and an assortment of toys that will occupy your newly found “free time”. This actually happens to people who win the lottery, and they go wild on spending. Statistics say that 33% of those winners will declare bankruptcy within 3-5 years. It boils down to how you chose to live. If you live for the moment, you’ll find yourself in that 33%, but if you chose to spend wisely and invest, you’ll be secure for a lifetime.

 If you are a child of God, you too are blessed with something even greater than an abundance of money; your eternal future in Heaven. But, you have a choice of how you live here on earth as it will be revealed on the day of judgment. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 says: each one’s work will become clear for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which has been built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved yet so as through the fire.

 Take time today, maybe even this week to evaluate your life. Are you investing in your eternal future, or pleasures of the world? If you are truly a child of God, your spiritual compass will always align with the will of God as you live for His purpose in bringing you into this world. Saved is saved, but how you use that blessing will result in eternal rewards or nothing but a smoke covered soul. Invest your security in eternal rewards.

 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

 When life goes sideways, who do you call upon for help? Maybe a friend, co-worker, family member, or maybe a professional counselor. Any one of these might be a great resource for help, but how quickly do they respond when help is needed? We all live busy lives and the response time can be hours, day’s, maybe even weeks. Let me share with you someone who is always available at a moment’s notice.

 Psalm 46:1 clearly states that God is our refuge and strength. Those two things are usually critical in times of need. But the last part of this verse tells just how available God is, “a very PRESENT help in trouble”. He’s always present, always available to give you strength when you are weak, shelter in times of complete chaos, and provides wisdom when your situation has more questions than answers. I can tell you after 60 years of life He’s always been there to guide me through some of life’s most difficult moments, and He can do the same for you when you seek Him out in your time of need.

 When trouble comes your way, don’t delay your call upon the Lord to help you. His response is immediate and always the right answer for your situation. Trust me (and trust God), He will see you through every situation you when give Him the reigns. God bless!