 John 17:20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word.” ~CSB
Can you imagine making a huge birthday dinner for someone? Sweating in the kitchen for a couple of days, making all kinds of food with love in your heart. Food for many on behalf of a celebration for the one person. And later find out that your efforts have gone unappreciated. Or maybe let’s say we spend a lot of money on someone. Whether it be a small gift, a trip, new car or maybe even a house, and later find out that our financial efforts were unappreciated. How would we feel about showing and giving so much of ourselves to others and they do not appreciate what we have done on their behalf? Yes, as Christians we live to give and not expect anything in return. But there is something to learn in the appreciation of what has been done on our behalf. Like what Jesus did for us on the cross. You see, even though Jesus knew man’s history, He stayed focused on His Father’s plan for man’s future. Jesus did not think about, in our lives, how many times we would turn our backs on God’s word. How, in our darkest moments, we would learn to depend on making it under our own power, not God and His power. Thank God the Son went to the cross anyway in spite of our actions. You see, before He did, He said a prayer for us because He knew the world would try and teach us to grow apart from Gods’ ways. He prayed for the strength we would need to endure the trials of this world. So that after our endurance, we would be able to stand in a place of impossibility and watch God open the doors we can not open. A place of impossibility where God can heal in us what the doctors said could not be healed. And a place where God can lay his hands on a family that has been at war with each other for years, and feel the comfort of His peace. A peace that will heal that family so that they may love each other as God intended them to love. Let us show God our appreciation in what He has done for us. Because in the verse above, Jesus prayed that we will be able to tell those who suffer around us, what God has done in our lives. So that our message of miracle and hope will pass on to others that need Him in their lives. Our message will be a seed to others that will grow God’s power and a harvest of new disciples will be born. Jesus has already given us the power we need to endure in this world through His prayer. May God allow His peace to nurture that power in us as we journey in Jesus name. Amen
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 Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” ~CSB
As Christians we want to have good hearts. Living in this world we want to have good intentions in all situations that may come our way. But this world pulls at our flesh, aggravating the wounds of hurt, anger, and lustful desires, we fight so hard daily to keep under control. Understand that we cannot fight these feelings under our own power. This is why we must pray to God and ask for His help. We share with Him that we want His will for our lives. We must ask Him for the strength to endure the process of the struggle we have with our flesh and its desires. We ask God to search our hearts for any concerns we have within us that are not of Him. Share with the Father that we seek His peace to make the right decisions in these situations with a calm mind. Pray for and embrace the testing of God’s work in us. It takes practice in humility to get rid of irritation. It takes practice in patience to strengthen endurance. It takes practice in forgiving to appreciate being forgiven. When we ask God for His power in strength, wisdom, and endurance, we do this in thanksgiving for His grace, mercy and love as he grants us His peace. And we will be better Christians as God leads us, “...in the everlasting way.” May God bless and keep you under His protection as you walk in Jesus’ name. Amen  Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
Let’s say that there is a group of us that all support a particular football team. Now this team is not a strong team yet. They are a young team, but are strong at heart. Ready to do battle on the football field with any team. It is the day of the game and the particular census says that our team will be beaten pretty badly. In other words they do not stand a chance and should not be on the same field with the team they are playing. But amazingly, as the game progresses, our young weaker team holds its own. Our team's defense stops the other teams run and pass game. Our offense overpowers their defensive line and secondary backs. At the end of this ‘race’, our team comes out victorious! Now, our witness testimony about the game may vary in the little details about the game alongside other testimonies. But our main testimony about our team’s victory will be the same. This is how we must celebrate God’s victory in our lives. Our details in our particular stories may vary, but our praise to God will be the same! Look at how we fought the same defenses. People may have counted us out. The doctors may have said we won’t get better. Society may say bad things about our children, but God has the last word in all our lives! Just like our team surprised everyone with their endurance and determination and saw victory. In our prayers and supplication, (Philippians 4:6-7), we will do the same. So let us take off our disagreements, the ones the world has taught us to have against each other. Let us shed our doubts and stress about what we can or cannot do. Instead let us embrace what God has done for us in our lives. Come together and testify in agreement about how good God is in our lives, so that we may receive and embrace the future victories that are coming our way! Those victories God has prepared for us! May God allow His peace to give you focus and guidance as you journey in Jesus’ name. Amen  Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
The one thing on my 'to-do' list is to take some dancing lessons. Even before my accident I could not dance. It’s just something I never learned or was good at. I would like to take lessons because my wife likes to dance. Many times we go out and I’ll either try to move with her or just sit it out and watch her dance and have fun. Now, we compliment each other on a lot of other things. One of those is when we work together at speaking engagements. In our marriage ministry we both speak together to couples and when we do we are in sync with each other. We do well because we do not interrupt or step on each other's words. Our timing when speaking together is precise, and the engagement flows smoothly. This is how I would like to be able to dance with her as well. When we dance, whether I’m following her lead or she’s following mine, I would like for us to be able to dance together without me stepping on her toes. As Christians when we learn to be obedient in God’s Word and, “...crucify the flesh with its passions and desires…”, (verse 24). This is where we begin our dance with the Spirit. As we grow in God’s Word through the scriptures, we must allow the Spirit to lead this dance always. We must be careful not to step on the ‘toes’ of the Spirit, meaning we must train ourselves to be in sync with the Spirit’s direction. We must listen to the rhythm of the 'Fruits Of The Spirit' and always move according to their guidance. May God help us in wisdom and strength while we keep in step with the Spirit, as it leads us in our journey in Jesus’ name. Amen  Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.” ~CSB
If we find ourselves feeling that we’ve come to a place where we have done all we can do. We feel that life may be passing us by. Maybe the world is ‘kicking’ us so hard, that in our exhaustion we have nothing left to keep going. Or maybe social media shows us the success of others; their jobs, their marriages and maybe their larger-than-life parenting skills; that it makes our lives look like ‘failure’ in these categories. Or just maybe we feel worthless. Well I’m here to tell you to stop listening to the whispers of the devil. Yes, we will have struggles in this world, Jesus told us that in John 16:33. But always understand that God will forever be in control. So much so that He already had our existence and the journey within it, all mapped out. Today, be grateful for being alive because now we have another chance to seek God’s direction in the path He has laid out for us. You see, the devil’s whispers about ‘not being worthy’ are loud because we very well may be on a path away from God. But once we take God’s hand, and allow Him to lead us in the right direction through His Word, the devil’s voice will become ‘muffled’ and God’s way will become clearer! Social media will fall far from priority in our lives and what God has around you will shoot straight to the number one spot! Life will ‘become’ us instead of passing us by. We will become aware of every cloud in the sky. God’s breath in a cool breeze will be felt as it passes over our skin. And our loved ones will see their hope for their lives in us as we allow God to shine brightly within us! Trust God in His written plan for our lives because we are all here, as His children, for a reason and His glorious purpose! May God bless and keep you under the umbrella of His love, protection, healing and guidance as you journey in Jesus name. Amen |
Authors Billy & YolandaThis is the place where we share our heart through God's Word in faith that will inspire and empower you to live in peace. Archives
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