Needs

Luke 12:31 NLT

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

Remember all the things on our Christmas list? The children probably had every good thing they saw on television commercials on their lists. Even parents have a long list of needs. Few received all they had on their list even though they may have prayed for them as well.

You see, our needs list usually contains our wants and not those things we really need. I believe our Father God wants us to be happy, but that does not mean He will give us all we think will make us happy. Our happiness from receiving things is usually short lived.

Think back about all those things you really needed to have last Christmas. Now try to remember the last time you actually used them. Perhaps you do not even remember where they are. So much for really needing them.

I believe that Father God supplies all we need to live here on this earth in these earthly vessels. He heals us. He delivers us. He guides us down the path of righteousness. As we accept where we are, He moves us up to a better place. He supplies all we need to do what He has for us to accomplish our purpose while here on earth.

Plans

Psalm 119:35-37 NLT
Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.

From the time we are young children we are programmed in this culture to ways of making money. Money is related to the source of happiness. We make it and then buy things to make us happy. How do we know this? The ads on television tell us. And the shows and movies we watch depict people with things being happy.

But after we get that new thing and many find them under their Christmas tree, we are happy for a while and then want something else. Often the desire to get it is so great that we go into debt to purchase it and are paying for it long after our interest in it has gone on to something else. And that debt does not add to our happiness, it adds to our unhappiness.

Instead of living off the plans those in marketing make for us to follow, we need to look to our Father God. He knows the beginning and the end. He knew us before we were born and will be with us as believers after we are long gone from this earthly life. He knows what makes us happy and it is not what we are being told on the television.

Help us Lord. Help us to seek your face and your plans for our lives. Give us a desire to know your Word and to listen for Your voice each day. We want to follow the path you have for us, not our own plans. We want to seek You and not lean to our own understanding or earthly desires. In Jesus name we pray.

Called to be Holy

2 Timothy 1:9 NLT
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time-to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.

I cannot count how many times I have heard believers speak about not deserving God to do things for them. They seem to think they have to earn His grace; earn answers to prayer, and even earn a healing. That is not how it works.

None of us have ever done what would be needed to deserve being saved. And if we had to deserve His grace to stay saved, none would be able to do that either. That is why no one could be saved under the law for it was impossible for anyone to fulfill it.

According to the dictionary, Grace is the unmerited favor of God toward mankind. It cannot be bought or earned by works. It is a free gift of our Father God to a needy mankind. And Paul is telling us here that it has been God's plan all along. He knew the plan and Jesus was integral to that plan. His birth, death and resurrection gives us freedom and everlasting life. We live forever with Him.

God has called us to be holy as He is holy. And holy does not mean going around doing good things all the time. Holy means to be set apart for sacred use. And that is what we are to be, ready to be used by Him as He needs us.

Harmony

Romans 15:5 NLT
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.

The enemy does all he can to cause us to live in disharmony with friends and relatives. Some families are so far apart on issues of this world. Some are so angry with other family members that they have forgotten the meaning or reason for forgiveness. He who overcame this world has forgiven us. Why can't we forgive?

Without forgiveness how can there be harmony? And forgiveness has nothing to do with how we feel. It has to do with a choice we must make to forgive others. Ours is not to judge others for their actions. No, it is ours to forgive them no matter what we believe they have done. Once we have done that we can move forward in harmony.

God is patient with us. Think of all he has seen us go through and yet He has forgiven us all of it. And Jesus died on the cross just for you and I.

So help us, Father. Help us to forgive and to give to others the patience and encouragement you give to us. Help us to live in harmony with all your children. In Jesus name.

Surrendering

2 Corinthians 13:11 NLT
Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

There are thousands of self help books out there making tons of money for their authors. And then the lectures series to talk about what they wrote about. You have probably been to at least one lecture in your lifetime.

Here we have the ending thoughts as Paul closes his second letter to the church in Corinth. If we would just take the time to read and meditate on the truths stuffed into this thousand plus year old manuscript with sixty six books. Everything we need for a happy and fruitful life is right there.

But most people, believers or not, run to the bookstore to grab the latest book by their favorite author on how to be the person they want to be. We spend so much time looking for ways to get around God and do it ourselves. We even justify doing it using logic like "God gave us the brain to figure it out for ourselves."

I do not think God gave us His Word so we could use the material to write books to tell us how to become the person we want to be. All we need to know are the truths found right in our Bible. But we have to read it and then read it again and again. It is a never ending book always alive with just what we need for our walk each day.

True success comes when we surrender ourselves to Him. It happens when we give our life and our worldly desires to Him. When we do that it is easy to be joyful, grow to maturity in Him, encourage others, and live in harmony and peace with other believers. Only then will the God of Love and Peace be with us.

Boasting

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 NLT
God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord."

It is hard to go for a ride and not see at least one of those bumper stickers that boast about their child. Things like "My child is an honor student", "My child is student of the month", "My child is...." and so on.

When we get a promotion, an award, bowl a perfect game, get a raise, win a raffle, hit a home run, or something else that honors us our family members may boast about it. And that is fine. But self boasting gets pretty old with our friends and family. Okay for them to boast about us. That makes us feel good, but boasting about our self comes off as arrogant pretty soon.

When we are following the guidance of Holy Spirit and do as God asks us the results may be pretty amazing. It may even seem to others that we did something that was great, something to be praised. They want to boast about us.

We must be careful with our response. We may have been the one to stretch forth our hands, the one to pray for them, the one Holy Spirit used to speak words of wisdom to. But, it was not us. It was the touch of Jesus and the words of Holy Spirit.

Even though we feel pretty good about what happened, we cannot take any credit for it. We stepped out as Holy Spirit directed us and let Him use us to fulfill the need. We must give all the credit to God. It is He that removes our burdens, heals all our diseases, and fills us with His peace. Thank you Jesus!

His Presence

John 16:33 NIV
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Peace seems to be associated with quiet. I remember my mother wanting to have some peace and quiet in the house. But I do not think she was referring to the kind of peace John is speaking about. That peace is in the knowing that with God everything is alright.

No matter what is going on around us in the world, if we are practicing His presence, we can be at peace. The turmoil still exists. We are just not there. We are with our Father in Heaven.

When we are busy solving all the problems of others, our friends, children, and perhaps even our spouse we are not practicing the presence of God. When we stay out of the lives of others and just pray for them, when we give our troubles to Him knowing we can depend on Him to take care of them, or when we communicate with our Father God all day long, that is where we find true peace.

Our cares, given fully to Him bring us into His presence by taking us out of the world's reality. In the spirit is where our peace resides. And that is where we need to be.

Practice being in His presence today, not once but all day long. The more we practice the easier it becomes to slide out of this flesh and into the spirit with Him.

God's Presence

Don't pray for the presence of God; practice it!

We Limit Us

God does not limit us. We do that...

Distracted

Galatians 5:7 NIV
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?

When we embark on a new path in our life it is typical that we run it by our friends, those we spend time with. These could be close family, the guys or gals we spend our free time with, and even those we work closely with forty hours or more each week.

Yet much of the advice we might receive will pull us away from that new venture for many reasons. Reasons like I already tried that and it did not work, what makes you think you can do that, only one out of a hundred can make that work... and the list goes on.

Some try to steer us away because they think we are making a mistake and do not want to see of hurt or disappointed. Others are afraid we will no longer be their friend. Some may even be jealous that we have found happiness in something other than our relationship with them.

It does not matter what others think. Only God matters. If He has directed us on a certain path and we know that we know it, then we must pursue it... no matter what others may think.

As well meaning as they may be, they are a distraction to us obtaining our full potential in life, our purpose in God. You see, the enemy will even use our friends to put up blockades or distractions without them ever realizing it.

Father God, show me the plan you have for me, the path I am to take and give me the wisdom and the courage to move forward in it and not allow the distractions to pull me off that path. In Jesus name, I pray.

Scripture Teaches

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

And the word all means both the new and the old. It teaches us right from wrong and can steer us in the right direction when making choices. The question I ask is this one. Does what I am about to do line up with God's word? If not, then it is not a path I want to follow.

The same is true with hearing a message on television, reading a book, or even sitting at the feet of a pastor at church. Is what I am hearing line up with God's word? And if not, I do not accept it as truth.

This does not mean the source is not godly. It does not mean they are not born again believers. They may be. Just consider that all we receive is filtered by our years of experience in the world and our walk in the spirit. So what they said may not have been meant the way our filter had us hear it.

Father God, open my ears to hear Your truth. May the filter of my mind be replaced with the mind of Christ so all that I hear is true and steers me on the path you have designated for me. In Jesus name!

His Plans

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
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.

We plan to take a trip and make all our arrangements. We decide whether to drive or fly. Considering the cost of gasoline we figure out if flying might be cheaper than driving. So we either get the car all checked out and ready for our trip or we make airline reservations early enough to get a good price.

Our life plans are similar. As we are growing up we are taught to plan for our future. What path do we want to take in life? What will our career be? Often our choices are aided by parents and teachers based on what they desire for us or what they believe we are naturally gifted to do. Then off we go to a college to mold us into the person needed to fill the role we have predetermined will be our life path.

All this time God sits and waits for us to come to Him. He waits for us to figure it out; figure out that He has plans for us that will propel us into the person He designed us to be.

But we have to come to know Him. We have to seek a relationship with Him. We have to believe. When we have taken that step in our life to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, Father God sends the Holy Spirit to live in us. Our Spirit man becomes born again and we allow His plans to supersede our previous plans. For His plans are plans for good and not for disaster, to give us a future and a hope.

Get Instruction

Proverbs 19:20-21 NLT
Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail.

We learn from others in this earthly life. Our parents teach us by how they live their life as we grow up. The school system gives us the tools we need to read, write, and do arithmetic and more. Now we want all children to attend a college or other higher level of worldly education; more instruction.

Everyone gives us advice and we usually do not have to ask for it. They give it anyway. And it is our choice to act on the advice or not.

Okay, that is worldly instruction. That has nothing to do with our spiritual needs. We may get religious instruction at the church our parents brought us to every week. And many never get even that. But religion is not about relationship with our Father God. It is more about the rules our religion has us follow to be a good person, to be who they say God wants us to be.

All this instruction allows us to create a path for our life. I remember that old adage that says "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." And from a worldly point of view this is true.

But we cannot avoid God. This Proverb is telling me that however well I make my own plans based on the instructions and advice I have been given, God wins. If He has another way for me to go, another purpose for me, I will eventually find it and fulfill it.

"Father God, open my eyes to the plan you have for my life. Enlighten me so my path is your chosen path. It is Your will I want to do. In Jesus name I pray."

Live Right

2 Thessalonians 3:6 NIV
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.

We know we are to go into the world and preach the Gospel message to all with ears to listen. Some will be saved. Otherwise we are to be careful about hanging around with unbelievers so we are not tempted to go back to the life we have be freed from.

However this verse is not talking about where we came from. No, it is talking about other believers right in our midst at church activities. Maybe even the ones sitting next to us on Sunday morning. Love them. Encourage them. Pray for them. But live your life as you have been taught.

Many who are in church with you talk the talk pretty well. They attend the functions. But, are they living it? Are they walking the walk?

So let's be aware of those we are around. Are they idle and disruptive? Is their life an example of a Holy Spirit filled, Christ centered life? If not, pray for them and find someone else to walk with.

Old and Healthy

Psalm 92:14 GW
Even when they are old, they still bear fruit. They are always healthy and fresh.

Other translation say "they will stay fresh and green" NIV, "they will remain vital and green" NLT, "they are ever full of sap and green" ESV, "they shall be fat and flourishing" KJV, and more.

It saddens me when I am with other Christian along in years, some even in their early sixties. They talk about their illnesses as though they own them. The older they are the more they feel that illness is part of this life.

I find nothing that tells me growing old means getting sick. I do see where the Bible talks about our gray hair as a mark of our years.

Proverbs 16:31 NLT
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life. ESV says " it is gained in a righteous life."

We have to start believing the Word of God and the promises He has made to us regarding our health. Yes, we do age and we do end up with thinning gray hair. But, nowhere do we find a promise of poor health.

3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

It is time to stand on the Word and not the words of man. Their words may tell us we have some affliction, but God's Word tells us we are healed by His stripes.

1 Peter 2:24 NLT
He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

We need to start confessing our health and not the illness others say we have to have because we are old! Thank you Jesus!

Not About You

Philippians 2:3-4 NLT
Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

In this fast paced world we now live in most are in a "It is all about me" attitude. What can I do to please me? And the media bombards us with new things to try and please us. Others are tolerated as long as they don't mess with "my" agenda.

This is not how God wants us to live. It is not about our own interests at all. It is about His plans for us for today and tomorrow. The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. Some seem to think it reads that we order our own steps and God comes with us wherever we want to go.

Well Holy Spirit is with every believer and does not leave when we go our own way. But I believe He is not too pleased with our rebellious paths taken to satisfy our own desires doing what pleases us. Not saying we are doing things displeasing to God. Just things that take us off the path He has planned for us.

If we stay on His path we grow at the rate planned for us. As we take side trips here and there our growth is limited and perhaps even placed on hold. I believe as we step into the places Holy Spirit guides us to we experience new things that may be out of our comfort zone. It is when we take a risk and walk out of that zone that we put faith to work. The result is growth in who we are in Christ and a much larger comfort zone.

Sealed

Ephesians 1:13 NIV 
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.

As we have seen in movies of times long ago, when a message or letter was sent to someone they would seal it with a glob of wax and then press their personal mark into the wax. This would secure the message so the recipient would know who it came from and that it had not been opened since its sealing.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are saved. Our faith is in our eternal life in heaven with our Father God. But how do we know without a doubt that we are saved? It is because of the promised Holy Spirit.

Father God sends the Holy Spirit to live in each believer as Jesus promised. Remember they all waited in the upper room for the Holy Spirit? And when He came they were all filled with the Spirit and began speaking in tongues; everyone outside the room was hearing what they were saying in their native tongue even though the believers did not speak their language!

This is not a talk on speaking in tongues. It is about the Holy Spirit and the guarantee of our inheritance as God's sons and daughters.

Yes, tongues is proof of having the Holy Spirit and therefore being saved. But the real test is the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. What has changed since we first believed. Are we that same person from our past or are we different? Has our language changed? Are we offended by others that still speak with a foul mouth? Are violent movies now objectionable? Does our Bible come alive as we read it? Do we find ourselves attracted to people of Faith now instead of our old friends? And the list goes on.

Thanks you Jesus for changing me. Thank you for the evidence in my life that the Holy Spirit lives in me. Thank you for my inheritance being guaranteed.

Flesh or Spirit

Galatians 6:8.NIV 
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

When I was a boy growing up in New England the world's ways and God's ways were pretty close. I mean that the moral code of society and what we learned from His Word lined up pretty well.

This is not so in today's world. Back then my world was the area near my home, my home state, and my country. Daily at school I pledged allegiance to the flag of my country and prayed to my God openly. We all did.

Now the world is all over and we are bombarded daily with news, mostly bad, about what is going on in the far corners of the earth that we only had mentioned in school the middle of the last century. Even our entertainment in movies and on television has brought the world to our living rooms.

People everywhere want things to change to their liking and lawmakers scramble to change the rules so everyone is happy. But of course that is not possible. When they please one group they offend another. Instead of applying God's rules they try to make what they think are better ones.

It is out thinking that has to change, not our laws. When we think about things out of the will of God, we are in the flesh and consequences occur. When we think about things that line up with the will of God, we are in the Spirit.

Father God, help me to stay walking in the Spirit. Help me to get out of my fleshly thinking. In Jesus name, I pray.

The Only Work

John 6:29 NLT
Jesus told them, "This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent."

And yet how often are we told there are works that must be done for God? Perhaps most are not for God, but to maintain the church building and programs. Maybe we get a little mixed up with what is for God and what is for man.

After all doesn't scripture tell us to have a church? But doesn't it also define church as a body of believers sharing and serving each other? I cannot find anything that tells me to build a mega building or even a small one. Didn't the early church meet in each other's homes?

When that is the venue then all the offerings can actually go to the work of the ministry of that church. Think about the work we could do if almost all of our offerings went to support the missions of the church instead of the building and staff.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying we should get rid of church as we know it today. I am saying all we have to do is believe in Jesus. It is that belief that gets us saved. It is that belief that allows the Father to send the Holy Spirit to guide us, to comfort us, to teach us. It is that belief that guarantees eternity with God.

So let's not get hung up on how much work we have to do. We should listen and hear God's voice and obey what He says. He does have work that needs to be done to bring all to a relationship with Him. Remember, His burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

The Work of the Lord

1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV 
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

When we think of labor it is easy to think of our employment here on earth. Many work a 9 to 5 job and consider it their labor done perhaps reluctantly to earn a paycheck. Some work for themselves perhaps doing manual labor like running a farm or taking care of other people's lawns, swimming pools, and the list goes on.

No matter what type of labor we are involved in, we work towards a goal and usually that is monetary so we can live and live the lifestyle we desire.

I started working very young delivering papers around my neighborhood every day. It taught me much in dealing with people and handling money. And the discipline of being there every day to get those papers delivered on time.

From there I worked in an ice cream parlor where we served people food and ice cream. From there I got right into hands on with money by working at a bank as a teller. That led to learning about computers back when few had them and I was launched in another career that still fascinates me today.

When my wife, Dianne was miraculously healed of Crohn's disease in 1991 everything changed. We accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, were baptised in the Holy Spirit, and God launched us on a labor of His love to lay hands on the sick and see them recover.

All too often our work daily at the job we have seems to be in vain. We do not always feel appreciated in what we do. But the work in this world is rewarded as we receive our paycheck. But our work in the Lord is rewarded in Heaven. That labor done as the Father leads us each day is never done in vain.

Boldly Go

Ephesians 3:12 NLT
Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence.

This takes me back to the sixties and the ending line of the introductory text of many Star Trek episodes, "To boldly go where no man has gone before". In the seventies the original episodes were aired every night and I remember watching them while eating dinner.

And here we are today gleaning truth after truth out of God's word daily. With the Holy Spirit to prompt us we boldly go into our Bible and He reveals new truth to us, or the same truth in a new way presented to take care of the issues we are facing.

It amazes me every time God does it. Words that were just words in a book to me many years ago before I became a believer, a born again Christian. Now those same meaningless words telling a historical story to many have become Words that change my life each time I read them.

And which version of His Word does that? I believe that the Holy Spirit knows which version I am reading and reveals what I need with that version. And I might be using a different version today than the one I used yesterday.

Some say the KJV is the only true translation. Others like the NKJV, the NIV, the NLT, the Amplified, or another of the many choices. Truth be told none of them are totally accurate as most were created from 1611 (KJV) onward. All from various original manuscripts written in Greek and Hebrew.

So what matters to me is not the translation but the revelation God through the Holy Spirit gives me when I read the one I picked up. Thank you Jesus for speaking to me in this way.

Honor Him

Romans 14:8 NLT
If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Often we may think of honor in terms of honoring an agreement. Like agreeing to something and then living up to that agreement or honoring the agreement. But in this case the word honor brings to mind many other words like to esteem, respect, admire, defer to, look up to, appreciate, value, cherish, adore, reverence, revere, venerate, worship, etc.

We should be doing all those things. We respect Him. We appreciate Him.We value Him. We reverence Him. We worship Him. And it does not stop with our life here on earth. No, we continue to honor Him in the next life with Him.

It is not enough to merely honor God with our words. He desires honor that comes from our hearts. His Word say that "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me". And It tells us that when we delight in the Lord, seek Him in everything we do, and make choices that reflect the place He has in our hearts, we bring Him the greatest honor.

I was just telling someone the other day that we work very hard to prolong our life here on earth even though we know the better place is the next step in our journey. And that is life forevermore with Jesus in Paradise. But no matter where we are, here on earth or beyond we belong to the Lord and continue to honor Him.

You Are A Door

Galatians 2:20 NIV
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I heard a song in the car the other day by Jason Gray, With Every Act of Love, that speaks to the fact that we are a door that God uses.

The chorus reads like this:
God put a million, million doors in the world
For his love to walk through
One of those doors is you

Father God sent Jesus to walk the earth and reach His people. Jesus spoke to many, touched many, and healed them all. Then He was crucified for all our sins and went to heaven to sit at the right hand of God. But it did not end there. No, as He promised He asked the Father to send Holy Spirit to live in each of us who believe, each who follow Jesus.

Holy Spirit guides us and comforts us. Paul refers to Him as Christ within. And as we walk forth in His love it is Christ's words and touch that reach out to others. We are a door and allow Him to use it; allow os to be His hands and His mouth so they all may be reached and healed.

Just Do it

James 1:22 NIV
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

When we were learning to drive a car it did not matter how many hours we spent in the drivers education classes. We had to get behind the wheel and actually do it. We had to drive the car for real on the road.

No matter how much we study God's word, no matter how much we think we know, it useless until we do something with it.

The Bible is our how to book for life as a Christian here on earth. Some believers spend hours studying it. They go to Bible studies, read commentaries describing what they read, and listen to sermons to know more. To increase the knowledge they have about God's word.

But increased knowledge does not grow us. We grow as we do. When we live to act upon what He tells us as we read His word, God allows us to grow in Him through experiencing Him in our day to day life here on earth.

“Father God, help me to step out and do what your word tells me to do. In Jesus name I pray.”.

Be Healed

James 5:16 NLT 
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

This is a hard one for most of us, I believe. It is easy to tell someone else what they have done to sin. But to tell others, especially the one we may have done or said something to, is hard. We have to get out of ourselves, out of our fleshy side, to do it.

When we tell another believer, one that we have a relationship with, the things that are weighing on our mind they are released and we can go on in our journey. Keeping these things to ourselves keeps us going over them again and again. Even when we stuff them in the far back corner of our mind, they come back to bother us; sometimes in our dreams.

As a born again believer in Jesus Christ, we are righteous in Him. So as we reach forth and confess one to another and pray for each other we are healed of our emotional issues and our physical ones.

We have the authority to lay hands on the sick and the power to command healing in each other. We need to start exercising this daily expecting wonderful results.

Just Believe

John 6:29 NLT  
Jesus told them, "This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent."

How easy they had it back then and did not even realize it. The people saw Jesus on a day to day basis and yet still did not believe He was who He said. And they even saw and believed in the miraculous healings everywhere He went.

And here we are today still hearing people saying things like "If I see it with my own eyes I will believe it."

Well we cannot see Jesus himself face to face until we enter Paradise to be with Him. And yet we can see Him in every born again believer. He is alive today and actively working through each of His followers; each of those who believe.

But how will others believe in Him who we believe if we don't get out into the sea of unbelievers and show them? We are His light to a lost world and His commandment to us is the same today as it was when He spoke it to His disciples. "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone."

Your Team

2 Corinthians 6:14 NLT 
Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?

Ever since we were children we learned to be on a team. I was on a baseball team before I was a teenager. As an older child this was important for me. It was different learning to work together. But we all had the same goals and a coach to teach us baseball and how to get along with each other. I was the shortest so the pitchers had a tough time getting the strike zone when I was at bat. So I walked a lot. That was a good thing because I was not very good at hitting. But I never was teased about by height or my inability to hit. Teammates just did not do that.

In Christ we have a team of believers we hang around with. We are all learning to walk the walk God wants us to walk, the path He has for us to follow. So we can encourage each other and warn each other in love when we seemingly start to stray.

But what about those unbelievers we still get together with. Can they be on our team? "How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness?" the scripture asks us. My friend is not wicked, we think. And yet my friend is not a believer. He is always thinking and walking in the flesh because he does not have the Holy Spirit within. He is in darkness no matter how good a person he seems to be.

So we must be careful. If our non-Christians friends have a greater influence on us than we do on them maybe it is time to take a vacation from being with them. Time to increase our relationship with Jesus so the next time we meet our friend the light of Jesus is so strong in us we can be an influence on them.

Problem Solving

Luke 6:41 NLT
And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?

The Bible tells us not to gossip and yet how often we find ourselves talking about someone elses problems. Not only talking, but even scheming to "help" them out of their mess. It sure is a lot easier to deal with other people's problems than take the time to work on our own.

And get a bunch of guys together and between them they can solve the worlds issues. They know what needs to be done to fix the financial problems of the country. They have it all figured out. And politics? They know just what needs to be done to straighten out the mess from the top down. Just ask them. They even know more about sports teams than the managers of each team. They should get a direct line to each manager so they can tell them who to play when.

They can "solve" all those issues and yet many have financial crises of their own, problems with their families, and repairs just waiting for someone to take care of them. Thus proving that it is easier to worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own.

So instead of solving all the problems of our friends and the world we should stop wasting the little time we have in idle chatter. Instead we should focus on our walk with Jesus. Holy Spirit will guide us along the path laid out for us to take. He will order our steps so we can take care of all our issues and are available to do whatever the Father has for us to do each day.

Great book to read

Conquering Your Flesh by Gregory Dickow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great book! Makes it very easy to understand what is of the flesh and what is of the spirit. We as Christians complicate the simple.

View all my reviews

The Good of Others

1 Corinthians 10:24 NLT
Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.

In this fast paced world we find ourselves in the advice given most often is to be concerned for number one, ourselves first and foremost. If I’m okay then you're okay. And many have adopted this as a way of life.

Many of us donate money to various charities and even to our church. Then we let them do the good with our money. And we think that takes care of it; that this is how to be concerned for others.

Perhaps it is just that we do not want to interupt our life to get down and dirty with others. We are involved with the lifestyle we have and that is providing a good living for us and giving us the means to give for the sake of others.

Wow, how easy it is to justify our actions.

I believe God wants us to put others first. He wants us committed to lending a helping hand and not giving money as a substitute. And even when it means giving up something we have or want to do.

“Father, help me see what others need and give me the ability to supply that need, first hand. Show me how to put others before my wants and desires. Help me to see through your eyes. In Jesus name, I pray.”

New Life

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

I just looked at some pictures of myself from thirty years ago. When I walk past a mirror it is like I was transported from that young man I still think of myself as to that old guy in the mirror. But that older version of me is the me I have become.

This scripture tells us that when we become born again we become a new person. That old guys still exists with all the same experiences in life, good and bad. And he still has the same human nature flaws. But a door has been created allowing us to move back and forth from that old man to the new.

The secret is to stay on the new side of the door. But circumstances of life seem to pull us back to the other side. It take a conscience effort to pull away from circumstances and reach out to our Lord; to become that new person Jesus' death on the cross made available to us.

"Father, thank you for the new life you have given me. Help me to walk as that new man. Help me to have the mind of Christ so others, when they look at me will see the face of Jesus. They will see His light shining through me. In Jesus name, I pray."

Live Wisely

Colossians 4:5 NLT 
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

How we live does affect those around us. And conversely, those we hang around with can have an effect on us as well. It is so easy to just stick with our close friends at church and do everything with them.

Although that might be good for us it tends to keep us from doing what God has for us to do in the world. And by avoiding situations where we are dealing with unbelievers we are avoiding trouble that we might need to go through to grow in our faith.

But we do not want to blend in so well with those outside of our circle of friends that we act and talk just like them. Often what they do does not line up with God's word. We must be careful to walk correctly and not get tripped up by the fun others appear to be having in the moment.

"Father God, while I am with others help me so my actions, my speech, and my response always line up with the Word of God. May my lifestyle rub off on them and not the other way around. Help me to live wisely. In Jesus name, I pray."

Because of His Grace

Titus 3:7-8 NLT
Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

As believers we have confidence in Jesus Christ. We believe what is written in God's word penned by man under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Our Bible was written over hundreds of years and yet it all fits together with the old prophecy coming true in the later years. And prophecy in the later years that is coming true in the present years with more to come forth in the future.

Romans 10:4 NIV
Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

He declared us righteous. We are washed in His blood shed for us on the cross. Our sins are washed clean--past, present, and future. We have been called and are chosen for a future with Him eternally.

We are not to keep this to ourselves, but are to teach others all we have learned and are learning as we get closer and closer to Jesus; as our relationship with Him gets stronger and stronger.

All His teachings are good for us and meant to benefit everyone, everyone who believes. Everyone who is saved and washed in His blood.

"Holy Spirit, teach me how to be good in all I do. Teach me to be the person I am called to be. In Jesus name I pray."

Finishing the Work

Acts 20:24 NLT
But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

When we think of work most of us think of doing something we have to do to support ourselves and our family. It is a forty hour obligation. If we are fortunate we are doing something we like to do. Even so, we cannot choose when we do it. We have to be there for the assigned number of hours or not keep the job.

Then when we look at being a Christian we think about the fact that we are saved by grace and not by works. And that is true. No matter how hard we work and how honest we are we cannot ever do anything to earn our salvation. It is a free gift to all who ask to receive it.

When we do ask Jesus into our heart to be our Lord and Savior, that is when the work begins. And that work is telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Who have you told recently? Have you been finishing the work assigned to you?

Freedom

Galatians 5:13 NLT
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

We are proud to live in the land of the free. This country was founded by settlers who came to be free from the bondage they were experiencing in their homeland. They came here to be able to worship God as they desired; as He was leading them.

Then as a nation we broke free from the country that claimed this land was theirs. We became the United States of America. Each July we celebrate that freedom. And on this Memorial Day we celebrate the men and women who have fought and are fighting for us to keep that freedom. But that is not the freedom this verse is all about.

We who have asked Jesus to be Lord of our life have been called to live in freedom because of what Jesus did for us when He was crucified on the cross. He died so we could be free. He died taking with Him all our sin--past, present, and future.

Jesus paid the price so we could be free of the guilt of sin. You see, we are human beings and as such continue to do wrong even though we want to only do right. We have an enemy that continues to tempt us to take the wrong path; to make the wrong choice.

We are no longer sinners. We were saved by grace. But we do sin as we live and learn along this transformation walk we are all on. As we become more Christ like the incidences of sin Holy Spirit has to convict us of lessens.

Our Lord stands in the gap between us and our Father God. Jesus forgives our sins as Holy Spirit convicts us and we confess them and the Father never sees them. No sin, no punishment.

However, this does not mean we have a license to sin. No, we are called to live a righteous life, but our human nature and  an enemy desirous of tripping us up make it impossible to not fall into sin as we live this life.

So we cannot do whatever we like. We are to follow the Holy Spirit's lead and live a Christ like life daily knowing that when we do make a wrong choice, Holy Spirit is there to correct us and Jesus is there to forgive us.

Each day is a series of choices. Lord, help us make them in line with your will and not our own.

Time for Slow

James 1:19 NIV  
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. 

Have you ever known someone who seemed to spend more time constructing a response then really listening to what you were saying? They are only interested in what they have to say or at least that is how you feel when you leave them.

Perhaps you are that way. I know I used to be guilty of that. While they were talking my mind was spinning through my response to what they were saying. I never really heard all they had to say.

And the angry part. It is so easy to be quick to listen and then be quick to be angry at what we heard. You see we hear based on our experiences in life. What they say might mean something entirely different from how we hear it. Becoming angry solves nothing.

Even worse today is the fact that most of our conversations are in code. What do I mean by that? We send and receives messages in text with abbreviated phrases like LOL, PTL, IJN, LMBO and the list goes on and on.

And responses are short and often not sweet. We can take offense and never even hear their voice or see their face! Not good.

"Lord help me to take the time to really listen. Help me to make my text and email messages clear so nobody gets the wrong interpretation of what I say. Help me to think before I respond and above all to not let any words or emails or text messages get me angry. Let all that I do and say be in love. In Jesus name, I pray."

Acceptance

Romans 15:7 NIV
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

It is so easy to look at how others are running their household and even raising their kids. We think if they are not doing it just like us they must be wrong. It is so easy to judge others instead of accepting them for who they are.

We are each different. As couples we become one with our spouse and create our own unique family unit. That unit moves and thinks alike, but not like other family units do. We can learn from other family units when what they do looks like it will work for ours. But we are not to judge what another unit does differently.

What others do in their family unit is for them and not necessarily for us. They do not have the right to tell us what to do nor do we have the right to tell them. And yet by being friends and associating with each other we can learn from what we see working in others.

Christ accepted each of us and none are worthy; none were walking as He walked when He accepted us. We are to do the same for others. We are to accept one another at whatever place in life they are. And that brings praise to God.

Planning

Proverb 16:9 (NIV)
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the lord establishes their steps.

Plan, plan, plan. We grow learning that the only way to success is to make a goal, make a plan, and then carry out the plan. It is all about our own understanding and working the plan, our plan.

And this works well to propel us forward in this world system we have grown up in. Some actually follow the steps and make it big. Most never get around to it; never get past wishful thinking. Then a few just seem to be successful no matter how much stuff gets in the way, plan or no plan.

Humans planning their course and executing that plan on their own has nothing to do with whether they are believers or not. Anyone can follow the steps. Anyone can reach their goal if they stick with it. Just think about the young children that train for the Olympics since they were a few years old and go on and years later come home with gold medals.

It is when we let the Lord establish our steps that we not only succeed, but we reach the goal He has for us. It is His plan for us that is of primary importance, not our plan. As believers the Holy Spirit speaks to us and helps us form the plans. And then He guides our steps daily to obtain the gold medal on our way to eternity with Him.

"Father God, show me the plan for the rest of my life. Reveal it to me. Holy Spirit, teach me, encourage me, and guide me each day. Order my steps. Let all that I do glorify You. In Jesus name I pray."

Signs and Wonders

Mark 16:17-18 NLT 
These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed. 

When I was praying and walking my dog, Tuffy the other morning I was still talking to God about Dianne passing away earlier this month. The result was this message:

It has been said that signs and wonders are for the unbeliever. Jesus healed many and many became believers and followed Him. He gave the disciples power and authority to go out and heal the sick. After Jesus was crucified and risen He sent the Holy Spirit to live in them. When that baptism happened they had that same power and authority; the power to do all Jesus did and more. We have that same power and authority do the miraculous while we walk the earth every day. In Jesus name He will touch the multitudes through our hands. And others will come to know Jesus and have a relationship with Him.

Does He heal believers, too? Matthew 12:15 NLT say that He healed all the sick among them. I have to believe that many were unbelievers and others had already believed. So, yes, we are to lay hands on all the sick and see them recover. We are to call forth that which is not and command in Jesus name for body parts to be healed and for satan to be bound and his demons to be gone. And yet there is a time when we all will pass away to be with Him forever.

Some will pass on to eternity without sickness; others will pass fighting through sickness. Only God knows the time and place. Only God knows the circumstances. It is not for us to question why. So we praise God when He heals through our hands and we thank Him even when the healing does not occur.

Saving is Simple

Romans 10:9-10 NLT 
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 

In order to get a diploma from school you have to go through a number of hoops. You have to attend classes for one. And of course you have to pass all the courses to earn the appropriate credits to get that diploma and graduate.

What does it take to be saved? Well for one we know that unless you are saved or born again you cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven. (John 3:3 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.")

Over the years man has concocted what is referred to as the "sinners prayer". And now many believe you have to say those words to become born again or to receive God's saving grace. Yet this verse in Romans breaks it down into simple terms:

1. Believe in your heart and you are made right with God
2. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you are saved

The first happens without any prompting from another. It is between us and God. The second is our outward confession in front of others that Jesus is our Lord and that seals the deal.

Our Thinking

Romans 12:2 NLT Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Most have learned to copy the behavior of others in their quest for success. We read all kinds of self help books with steps to becoming the success the writer had become. As we follow their paths mimicking their techniques we find they work well and we are on our way.

However, what we mimick may work for us but it does not change who we really are. It justs create a facade or a mask that others see. They never get to see the real us. We have copied the behavior and customs of others in this world.

When we are born again, the result of asking Jesus into our heart and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior, God begins a transformation process in us. We do not mimic other believers. We become the person God created us to be as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us.

Does this just happen all at once? No, it happens as we walk out our walk with Him. As we go and stumble along the path, He grows us. He begins to change the way we think and act so we can be in His will

Eternal Life

John 5:24 ESV
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

We make our plans for the future and yet only God knows the number of days we have on this earth. Our time does not run out when our 401k does. No, it runs out when He calls us home.

But does God call everyone home to heaven for eternity with Him. As this verse tells us, He gives eternal life to all who hear the words of Jesus and believes.

John 3:16 NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Yes, Father God sent Jesus as assurance of a life in eternity with Jesus. A passing without coming into judgment. Without His saving grace, without being born again we would be judged for all we have done in this life.

John 3:3 NIV
Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

Are you willing to take that kind of a chance on your eternity? Perhaps today is a good day to ask Jesus into your heart and to forgive your sins. Today is a good day to become born again.

Suffering

Philippians 1:29 NLT

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.

When we hear the word suffer we tend to think about going through some physical issue like the suffering we do when we are in bed sick, recovering from an accident or surgery, or suffering pain at the hands of someone else.

Yes these are examples of suffering. But we can also suffer by being shut out or ignored by others. In this case especially because of our faith in God. As we go and tell others what our relationship with Christ has done in our lives we are not always welcomed. Often we are confronted with nasty words and perhaps even physically attacked.

This is what happened to the twelve after Pentecost as they went out to preach the gospel message to the Jews. This is what happened to Paul as he went out and preached the gospel to the gentiles. Paul called it a thorn in his side.

This suffering for Christ as we preach the Word is what we consider carrying our cross. And without the cross there would be no crown.

"Father God, help me as I go forth and preach Your word to others near and far. Protect me from harm. Encourage me as I face rejection and help me to dust off my sandals and move on to the next prospect for Christ. In Jesus name, I pray." 

Fruit

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Some people seem happy all the time. At least that is what we see when we meet them. They have on a smile and seem to always be patient and kind towards us. Others are just the opposite! They appear as though it is a burden to them to speak with us. There just does not appear to be any evidence of joy in them at all.

Am I speaking about believers and unbelievers here? No. I do not know about you, but I see both examples in and outside of church on Sunday morning.

The fruit in our lives can be the result of effort on our part. This is a good thing, but is driven by our desire to make ourselves Christ like. Even unbelievers can come across this way and many do. Unseen is the state of our heart. Are we manufacturing the fruit or is it the result of what is truly in our heart?

When the Holy Spirit comes into us like He did on Pentecost for the believers in the upper room we become filled with His presence. He changes our heart and produces true fruit in our lives. No longer to we have to manufacture it for others to see.

"Father, continue to fill me with your Holy Spirit. Let my fruit be the result of the changes you have made in me and not something I manufacture for others to see. Change me into the image of you. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen."

The Word

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT 

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Translation, Interpretation, Paraphrase, Commentary, and Revelation.

The Word of God in written form is our Bible. Yet there are many versions of it and many views as to what it means to us today. It can be confusing to most of us. Even though the original was written in Hebrew (Old Testament), Aramaic and Greek (New Testament), we of English speak countries seem to think the version we have is the correct one. 

Many even argue that the King James Version is the only true Bible. Well there are many other versions. Some are translations from the original Hebrew and Greek like the NIV (New International Version) and NLT (New Living Translation) versions. Others are interpretations or paraphrases of one of the translations like the TLB (The Living Bible). And then there are many commentaries found as individual books or even as study notes in the different versions.

I believe God knows what we are reading. And He knows what we need to hear for the moment. As we read our favorite version either randomly or with some preset method God reveals to us what we need to have. As we read He puts thoughts in our mind that may not even seem to fit the scripture we are reading; He gives us those Ah Ha moments. He fills us with exactly what we need for that moment. He gives us new revelation.

As this scripture points out, all scripture is good to teach us right from wrong and how to live godly lives. It says ALL not SOME. It is not a menu to pick and choose from. As we read God's Word He teaches us and then it is up to us to apply it to our daily lives and become the person He designed us to be.

Copy and Paste

Romans 12:2 NLT 
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

In this age of communications we use computers in all forms. We have large desktop computers that many have replaced or supplemented with laptops. We have tablets and smart phones. Every one of them allows us to copy and paste files and pictures and even words from one location to another.

We are warned in this scripture to not copy the things of this world. Everything we associate with transforms us a little even unknowingly. We tend to think and act like those we hang around with. And it is hard to allow God to do in us the work He has planned when we are running with the ungodly.

As we allow ourselves to be aware of the things of the world that can bring us down the wrong path and seek God's face instead, He will transform us and make our thinking more and more like His. And that is what I want, to think like Jesus, to have the mind of Christ.

"Father God, I thank You for all You have done in my life. I thank You for the changes in me. I am not the same as I used to be. Please continue to transform me so I think and act like Your Son. Give me the mind of Christ. Help me to do the work You have called me to. Copy and Paste Your goodness into me. In Jesus name I pray."

Always Be Humble

Ephesians 4:2 NLT 
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.

So often in this world today we expect everyone to be on the same page. We expect them to think like us and act like us. And when they do not agree with our thinking, we think they are strange or that they have a problem.

As a result of this wrong thinking the country is divided by a large chasm with one kind of thinking on one side and the other kind on the other. And I am not just talking about politics. That problem is obvious. In all things we are lined up with thinking that has been programmed into us over the years by what we listen to, what we watch, and who we associate with. We are conditioned to think the way we think instead of truly thinking for ourselves.

Yet if we are believers and believe the Bible is filled with God's words for us we can easily figure out what we should do and who we should or should not line up our thinking with. And it is more than just that cute phrase from a few years ago--what would Jesus do?

If we would just do as this scripture in Ephesians tells us how different our world would be. The enemy works hard to prevent us from being humble and gentle and patient. Before we react to others we need to step back and think. Am I being patient making allowance for their faults? Am I seeing them through Jesus' eyes or my own? Do I walk out with an attitude with aggression toward others or do I walk in humility and gentleness?

Lord, help me to become who You designed me to be.

Works

Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. There is no amount of good works to get us to heaven. Jesus did it all for us when He died on the cross at Calvary. The best person out there by worldly standards has no edge on the worst sinner. Both have equal opportunity to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Both will get the same prize at the end of the race.

And what about the works we do after we have become a believer? Many will try to help us out by providing works for us to do. We may pick and choose what we like to do from a list of opportunities to serve others through our church.

Everyone seems to have an idea what will be best for us to do. Often we are so busy doing what we think God wants us to do we miss hearing His voice.

We are to listen for the Holy Spirit. He will lead us to the works that have been prepared in advance for us to do.

Help Them

Galatians 6:1 NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

I remember the story of the good samaritan where everyone no matter what level in society they were walked away from the man with the problem. Then the good samaritan came along and tended to his need.

We tend to stay away from those overcome by sin and wait for them to clean up their act. When they are ready to be with us, then we will pay attention to them. After all, we were just like them once and nobody came to help us. We had to figure it all out on our own, or so we think.

Notice this verse is not referring to everyone, just believers. That is those who are saved and walking, no matter how slowly, with Christ. No matter who we are or how many years we consider ourselves saved, we stray from the path the Holy Spirit is trying to guide us on. We get wrapped up in our todays forgetting where we came from and who we walk with.

So when that believer you know and have a relationship with is straying from the path, take them aside and humbly help them back onto the right path. And if that struggling person is you, allow others to speak into your life to help you back as well.

Temptations

1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT 
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

When we think of temptations don't we generally think of the big ones? Like the temptation to do something we know is really wrong. When one of our friends is doing something that just doesn't feel right to us and we do it anyway because they are doing it.

But what about the little ones like the temptation to strike back when someone wrongs you? The enemy would very much like to help us lapse into that revengeful mode of our past. But the Holy Spirit is there to help us stay on the right path, if only we listen.

Then there is that driver that cut you off or slowed so much you got the red light? Or the temptation to speed up to make it through the yellow. Time to ask the Holy Spirit to calm you. Time to realize there may be a reason for you not getting through at the last second. Perhaps something bad was awaiting you if had pushed it.

We are tempted in so many little ways each day and do not even realize it. Time to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them to us so we don't choose the wrong way and fall into sin.

His Approval

Psalms 90:17 NLT  
And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!

We grow up seeking approval from our parents and then our teachers in school. And we know to have gotten that approval we had to be doing things they approved of. Our actions had to line up with what they had taught us. And I am not just thinking about what they told us was right or wrong. No, their actions did more to educate us than their words.

When we work for someone we follow the instructions given to us to perform our job successfully. Our bosses approval of our actions allows us to keep our jobs and perhaps even move up the ladder in that company with a better position and a bigger paycheck. Their approval will make our efforts successful.

In the natural we probably understand all that. But in the spiritual we need to be seeking God's approval as well. Yet we do not see evidence in the natural of His approval or disapproval. So how do we know and does it really matter?

By staying in His word, our Bible we learn what His will is. We learn the should and should nots of living in this mortal state we find ourselves in. His will matters and it is up to us to develop a close relationship with God to know His will and gain His approval. And Yes, He will make our efforts successful!

Having Hope

Isaiah 40:31 NIV
Those who hope in the lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

I believe we are all born with a built in right and wrong meter. When we think about doing something that is not in line with God's will, the meter swings way to the left and we just know it is wrong. When we think about doing something that is in line with Him, it swings to the right and we have a peace about it.

With all the rules and regulations and laws we have, it is easy to become confused. The meter swings hard left and yet the latest laws tell us it is okay. So we do it anyway and after a while we don't sense the left swing of the meter. We are desensitized to the sin in our lives.

As we get discouraged as a result of all the sin we have allowed ourselves to get into we turn to this scripture and ask God to renew our strength and to let us walk in victory.

But this scripture is not a magic pill. We can't just turn our hope in the Lord on and off. We can't just live our lives in sin ignoring what we know to be right. We need to watch that meter and when it swings to the left we need to stop doing or thinking about doing whatever was about to lead us down the road to destruction.

Then we will soar on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, and walk and not be faint.

How to Live

Titus 2:12 NLT 
We are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.

Now that is no simple thing. First off the godless living and sinful pleasures part. What God considers sinful pleasures and what the world considers sinful are no where near close. Just look at living arrangements today. Acceptable practice today is to practice sex as a sport and to live together without marriage. Even to have children out of wedlock.

It is all about convenience rather than commitment. Guess is like having a Beta relationship.. Once the bugs are ironed out we can go for the all out install and then install patches along the way. If the patches don't work well enough we can always bail on the marriage and find someone else.

Wow. What is acceptable in the world today is far from acceptable by Father God.

Many think the criteria for being a Christian is attending a Christian church. It is not about where you go to church it is about believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. But how many unbelievers do just that and think everything is rosey?

Then there is the junk we allow our minds to be wrapped up with. We watch movies and TV shows the portray godless living and listen to vulgarity and watch violence so much it becomes normal behavior to us. The content is convincing us that sse out of wedlock is normal and homosexualty is just a norma a lifestyle.

There is not living on both sides of the street. If we really did live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God we would not watch those shows and would live life as the Bible teaches. We would not cross over to the other side no matter how much peer preasure we might feel.

Authority and Power

Mark 6:7 NLT 
And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits.

Jesus gave the disciples authority and power to go out two by two. Had they not gone would they have had the power?

If you want to have the power you have to do the work; you get it as a result of doing. You do not get it first and then walk out. Power comes in the walk. As we walk God directs us onto the right path. But without motion there can be no direction. You just stand still looking around.

Just as the law of physics says every action has a reaction, every time we step out to complete the Father's work here on earth another piece is added to our spiritual man. We don't feel it but can tell when the next assignment comes along. We are able to recognize it quicker and complete it with an added level of confidence.

As baptized born again believers we have been given the Holy Spirit and the authority and power to do whatever He tells us to do in Jesus name.

Brings to mind that old TV show Have Gun Will Travel. We have the Holy Spirit but as we travel the authority and power comes from above.