"A Loving Father"

At times, God must discipline us to help us. This is similar to a loving parent's disciplining his child. The discipline is not very enjoyable to the child, but it is essential to teach him right from wrong. The Bible says that, "no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11). When you feel God's hand of correction, accept it as proof of His love. Realize that God is urging you to follow His paths instead of stubbornly going on your own way. (Psalm 94:12,13-"Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.) So, I leave you with one thought. Our Father in Heaven loves and cherishes you so much that He would correct us from destruction from ourselves.

"Faithful To Faithless Back To Faithful"

When we have endured so much that we seem to have no faith left. We may be faithless at times, but Jesus is faithful to His Promise to be with us "to the very end of age". Refusing Christ's help will break our communication with God, but He will never turn His back on us, even though we may turn our backs on Him. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-3-"So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them.")

We all know quite well that we are destined for trials, and troubles that could waver our faith a bit. Some think troubles are always caused by sin or a lack of faith. Trials may be a part of God's plan for believers. Experiencing problems and persecutions can actually build character, (James 1:2-4-"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.") perseverance, (Roman 5:3-5-"Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.") and sensitivity  toward others who also facing trouble (2 Corinthians 1:3-7-"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.") 

Problems are unavoidable for God's people. Your troubles may be a sign of effective Christian living. And I would like to add to this. I have gone through some pretty deep valley's the last year alone. This one right now is probably the hard one I've ever had to go through. However, big, or deep the trials are, I know God has my back and I can always talk to Him and He will listen. I may not hear anything back immediately, but I know My Father God is listening. We are all pilgrims on this journey to fulfill our duties for our Lord Jesus Christ.  But I do mess up. And that is why I lean and trust on the Grace and Mercy God shows us everyday. So, be encouraged, if you are messing up, that's okay. God will open up His arms to you and love on you if you repent of your sins, and move on. God has wiped your slate clean because of what Jesus did on the cross. It's not a works thing, it's a faith thing. Now, that is good news!

"Persevere"

Proverbs 24:10-"If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength." Times of trouble can be useful. They can show who you really are, what kind of character you have developed. In addition, they can help you grow stronger. When Jeremiah questioned God because of the trouble he faced God asked "how he ever expected to face big challenges if the little one's tired him out?" (Jeremiah 12:5-"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?) Don't complain about your problems. The trouble you face today is training you to be stronger for the more difficult situations you will face in the future.

Just because you don't feel or see anything happening, doesn't mean God isn't working. He always works behind the scenes first. God will never let you down! (Hebrews 13:5-6-"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you;  never will I forsake you.”So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?”) God is saying, "Everything will work out! I'm in control." I know what the medical report says, I know what the financial situation looks like. I see your dreams. Just trust me!" So, I encourage you to do the same today.

"Don't turn in or out, but Up!"

"David's firm faith in God contrasted sharply with his enemies' loud lying and boasting. When confronted with verbal attacks, the best defense is simply to be quiet and Praise God, realizing that our confidence is in His Love and faithfulness (Psalm 57:10-"For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.") In times of great suffering, don't turn inward to self-pity (blame yourself) or outward to revenge (blame someone else), but turn Upward to God!

God cares in the midst of our deepest sorrow, (Psalm 55:22-"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."). Jesus reminded us further of how much God understands it-He knows even the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30-"And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.") Often, we waver between faith and fear. When we feel so discouraged we are sure no one understands, remember that God knows every problem and sees every tear.

In Psalm 57:4 it says, "I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts-men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords."(At times we may be surrounded by people who gossip about us or criticize us. Verbal cruelty can damage us as badly as physical abuse. Rather than answering with hateful words, we like David, can talk to God about the problem.)

So, I leave you with one thought, the next time we have a problem, try turning upward to God first. I'm sure He won't let you down.

"Trials Aren't Easy"

"It's hard enough to deal with the trial at hand, on top of feeling the guilt of "did I do something to bring this on"? Sometimes, we do, sometimes we don't. However, we are told to stand in the midst of adversity whether we created it or not (Ephesians 6:13-"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.") But, we must remember, trials are a strengthening for us from God. He wants the "best" for us. He sees things we don't see. Only God knows what is around the corner. He knows the outcome of our trial if we faint not (Isaiah 57:10-".You wearied yourself by such going about ,but you would not say, ‘It is hope-less.’You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint.") And if I know God...It's always going to be GREAT! Sometimes, we must take a few steps back to move forward." And as we surrender ourselves to Him, We will see Him work everything out for our good and His purpose (Romans 8:28-"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.")

"Who Created Who?"

 I'm probably going to step on some toes (especially mine) with my new post. But, I believe that it is important for us to stop and reflect about it for a minute.When we dictate to God what He should do in our lives, and how He should do it, are we really giving God free reign in our lives?  I urge you to take a minute, ask yourself one question "Who Created Who"? Telling God what we want Him to do in our lives, instead of allowing to Him to do what's best for us. He created us, we didn't create Him. This thought process to me seems so foreign, and my opinion is that's why so many don't trust God.   The reasons for not trusting Him could be that God didn't do or respond the way we thought He ought to. And, that is not how our Creator works. God has always wanted what is best for us. But, we must first learn to trust Him. Lot's of times it is not what we thought. Put it this way, we are dictating a letter from God, He isn't dictating one from us. He is our  Creator, We are not His creator. We are His Creation (Ephesians 2:10-"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.") We are God's workmanship (work of art, masterpiece). Our salvation is something only God can do. It is His powerful, creative work in us. If God considers us His works of art, we dare not treat ourselves or others with disrespect or as an inferior work.

A lot of times, if we were honest with ourselves. We could all say that we sometimes have a habit of only calling on God or getting close to Him when we get ourselves into a situation we can't get out of.  Again, I believe this thinking is backward. God is the One who created the Universe. If you look up Acts 7:49, it says, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool, What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?"  We must remember when Jesus says we can ask anything, it must be done in His (Jesus) name-that is, according to God's character and will. God will not grant request contrary to His nature and will, and we cannot use His name as a magic formula to fulfill our selfish desires. If we are sincerely following God and seeking to do His will, then our requests will be in line with what He wants, and He will grant them.

In Colossians 3:10, it says "and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."  Every Christian is in a continuing education program. The more we know Christ and His work, the more we are being changed to be like Him. Because the process is lifelong, we must never stop learning and obeying. There is no justification for drifting along, but there is an incentive to find the rich treasures of growing in Him. It takes practice, ongoing review, patience, and concentration to keep in line with His Will.

God created the world, and He has faithfully ordered it and kept it since the creation (1 Peter 4:19-"So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."). Because, we know that God is faithful, we can count on Him to fulfill His Promises to us. If God can oversee the forces of nature, surely He can see us through the trials we face. So, God is big enough to take care of every area in our life, I mean EVERY area! All we must do is surrender, first our lives to Him, then the areas we struggle in. He is faithful to help carry us through these areas. I promise He will, I've seen it time and time again.

So, I leave you with one thought. If your life is in shambles and you've tried everything in your own power to fix things and nothing happened, but instead actually getting worse. I suggest try God! He is a God that can be trusted. Remember, He created you!

"Don't Give Up!"

Today is not a normal day. It is an exceptional day! Today (Good Friday) marks the day that we as Christ-followers have been given a New start to come as Jesus was nailed to the cross, barren, broken, and stripped from everything to the world. But, in reality, it was the start of God's plan for redeeming the world. Through the Blood of Jesus being shed on the Cross.

 You see, until this time, a complicated system of sacrifices had atoned for sins. Sin separates people from God, and only through the sacrifice of an animal, a substitute, could people be forgiven and become clean before God. But people sin continually, so frequent sacrifices were required. Jesus, however, became the final and ultimate sacrifice for sin. The word finished is the same as "paid in full". That is so awesome! Jesus came to finish God's work of salvation (John 4:34-“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."), to pay the penalty for our sins. With His death, the complex sacrificial system ended because Jesus took all sin upon Himself. This now allows us to freely approach God because of what Jesus did for us ( Hebrews 4:16-"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."). Those who believe in Jesus' death and resurrection can live eternally with God and escape the penalty that comes from sin.

I know that we all face trials in life. Some seem to have more trials than others. But remember this, "every trial has a time limit".  Jesus went through the ultimate trial...death! By Jesus dying, "He gave up His life, so we could keep ours". That is a profound thought. So, I leave you with one thought: Don't give up, He promises to never give up on you!