Category: Joy

Truth

With all that is going on all over the world, listening to others, watching tv, or receiving information from a myriad of sources, it is often difficult to determine what is “truth”.

It is very important to ask God for guidance of our every thought, words, and actions.

There’s a fork in the road.

If we choose the way of personally accepting Jesus (which is the decision to do everything through love, and as a result gives us a new heart-set), then we don’t ever have to go down the road of destruction that the other decision leads to.

Despite the clouds

Written by Blake Rackley)

(Forgive typos…Today has been long. Well, this year has been long.) So much is weighing heavy on the hearts of others. This week I listened to those who grieve the loss of identity, the loss of love, the loss of faith, and the loss of purpose. So many questions that have so few answers or at least answers that satisfy and calm their fears. They feel aimless and stuck. Maybe you feel similar. Maybe it is your job, the future, a relationship. You simply feel stuck by not knowing what decision is the “right” decision so you make no decision at all. Maybe you are nursing scars no one see. Maybe you are bleeding from wounds that do not bleed crimson and bandages do not help. The running theme of many who are experiencing this level of pain is that they do not want to burden another person with their “stuff”. Sadly, they suffer in silence and feel totally alone. Think for a moment. Have you ever seen a lone goose? A solitary, Canadian, turd dropping, Christmas goose flying all by their lonesome? My guess is that you haven’t. If you do, that is one lost goose. They are most always in a flock. They take turns with the burden of leading. They encourage by those obnoxious honks. They rest often. They have a destination, but it is often arrived at in the company of others. They will fly despite the clouds and gloom around them. They will fly at times in the rain, but they seek shelter together. They do not feel the need to do anything singularly. Why then do we believe we have to do anything by ourselves? We are called to bear one another’s burdens. So, I’m calling my brothers and sisters in Christ to help those around them. Sit with them. Eat with them. Shelter with them. Listen to their story. Encourage them with hope. But more than anything, fly with them through their clouds of depression, anxiety, abuse, loss, hopelessness, and failure. We all are more likely to fly on, fly farther, and fly with purpose when we have others behind us despite the dark clouds hanging over us. Quit saying, “If you need me, I’m always here.” They will almost never call you. If we want the world to know we love Jesus, we must intentionally bear the burdens of others by vulnerability and loving one another.

Faith

So much going on right now all over the world. It would be easy to be tempted to lose our faith. But that’s not going to be an option, is it?

I found this message on a facebook site and I was having one of those moments, primarily because I’m trying to spread the love of God around a lot of places today, and my computer is acting up…even while trying to post this. So I’m going to put a Ha Ha to Satan, and keep going.

The Creation of “YOU”

Promise #124:  
I gently formed you in your mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13 (WEB)
For you formed my inmost being.
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

The New International Version Bible says Psalm 139:13 this way… For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. The New Living Translation says… You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  No matter what translation you prefer, this is a gentle picture of God’s loving creation process.

You were not blasted into creation, but gently formed in your mother’s womb by a loving God who took the time to delicately knit all your inward parts together. May the revelation of your creation bring a sense of well being to your soul. You were not a mistake. God planned you before the foundation of the world and He determined the exact time of your birth.

One of the greatest tragedies in this world today is the feeling that our lives were a mistake. Some people were even told that by their parents. The truth is that no life was ever a mistake. Each person ever created, was created with intention by the One who is love itself.

God gently formed you in your mother’s womb and He is the One who brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6) There is absolutely no doubt about it!

Who is in you!

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4

Remember this verse as we go into the next year!

May God bless all of you, as we embrace Him and each other.

Love embraced

Praying for all

who embrace love in every aspect,

daily.

Praying that we all

come back to the basics

of seeking God first

and loving each other!

We are the World! Happy New Year!

Praying for blessings to all of you around the world. May we all come together to find what is best in each of us. Love surely is better than hate. Working together, standing together, loving together will make the difference. If you are upset about something, find your voice. Go on Twitter, Facebook, start a Website, care and share positive ideas and progressive thinking instead of crying in a corner. We can all light the place where we stand and that light will shine enough to change things.

Be blessed with much love, joy, and happiness!

Sharon & Erick

We are the world!

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And its time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can’t go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We are all a part of Gods great big family
And the truth, you know,
Love is all we need

We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Why I love Christmas

When Christ was born, so was our hope! This is why I love Christmas. The event invites us to believe the wildest of promises! He did away with every barrier, fence, sin, bent, debt, and grave. Anything that might keep us from him was demolished.

He only awaits our word to walk through the door. Invite him in. Escort him to the seat of honor, and pull out his chair. Clear the table; clear the calendar. Call the kids and neighbors. Christmas is here. Christ is here. One request from you, and God will do again what he did then. He’ll scatter the night with everlasting light. He’ll be born in you.

Let “Silent Night” be sung! Every heart can be a manger. Every day can be a Christmas.  The Christmas miracle—a yearlong celebration! ~Max Lucado

Worried Enough to Pray?

by Max Lucado
Last week’s blog struck a nerve. I wrote a piece entitled “Decency for President.” The premise was a simple one. Shouldn’t a presidential candidate who claims to be Christian talk like one? When a candidate waves a Bible in one speech and calls a reporter “bimbo” in the next, isn’t something awry? Specifically, when Donald Trump insists that he is a Christian (“a good Christian” to use his descriptor) and then blasts, belittles, and denigrates everyone from Barbara Bush to John McCain to Megyn Kelly, shouldn’t we speak up?

If the candidate is not a Christian, then I have no right to speak. But if the candidate does what Trump has done, wave a Bible and attempt to quote from it, then we, his fellow Christians need to call him to at least a modicum of Christian behavior, right?

Again, I struck a nerve. More than three million of you read the article in the first 36 hours! Thousands of you weighed in with your comments. They were fascinating to read. (Not all of them pleasant to read, mind you. The dozens of you who told me to stick to the pulpit and stop meddling in politics– I get it. By the way, I’d like to invite you to attend our services. My upcoming message is “Kindness”.) Detractors notwithstanding, your comments were heartfelt and passionate.

I detected a few themes.

You have a deep sense of love for our country. Patriotism oozed through your words. You cherish the uniqueness and wonder of the USA. You have varying opinions regarding leadership style, role of government, and political strategy. But when it comes to loving the country, you are unanimously off the charts.

You have an allergy to “convenient” Christians. You resist people who don the Christian title at convenient opportunities (i.e., presidential campaigns). You would prefer the candidate make no mention of faith rather than leave the appearance of a borrowed faith that will be returned to the lender after the election.

You are concerned, profoundly concerned, about the future of our country. The debt. Immorality. National security. The role of the Supreme Court. Immigration. Religious liberty. The list is as long as the worries are deep.

So where does this leave us? When a person treasures the country, but has trepidation about its future, what is the best course of action?

Elijah can weigh in on this question.

He lived during one of the darkest days in the history of Israel. The Northern Kingdom had 19 kings, each one of whom was evil. Hope had boarded the last train and optimism the final flight. The leaders were corrupt and the hearts of the people were cold. But comets are most visible against the black sky. And in the midst of the darkness, a fiery comet by the name of Elijah appeared.

The name Elijah means, “My God is Jehovah.” And he lived up to his name. He appeared in the throne room of evil King Ahab with a weather report. “‘As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word’” (1 Kings 17:1).

Elijah’s attack was calibrated. Baal was the fertility god of the pagans, the god to whom they looked for rain and fertile fields. Elijah called for a showdown: the true God of Israel against the false god of the pagans. How could Elijah be so confident of the impending drought? Because he had prayed.

Eight centuries later the prayers of Elijah were used as a model.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops” (James 5:16-18).

James was impressed that a prayer of such power came from a person so common. Elijah was “a human being” but his prayers were heard because he prayed earnestly. This was no casual prayer, comfortable prayer, but a radical prayer. “Do whatever it takes, Lord,” Elijah begged, “even if that means no water.”

What happened next is one of the greatest stories in the Bible. Elijah told the 450 prophets of Baal: You get a bull, I’ll get a bull. You build an altar, I’ll build an altar. You ask your god to send fire; I’ll ask my God to send fire. The God who answers by fire is the true God.

The prophets of Baal agreed and went first.

“At noon Elijah began to taunt them. ‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.’

“So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention” (1 Kings 18:27-29).

(Elijah would have flunked a course in diplomacy.) Though the prophets cut themselves and raved all afternoon, nothing happened. Finally Elijah asked for his turn.

“Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come here to me.’ They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, ‘Your name shall be Israel’” (1 Kings 18:30-31).

Elijah poured four jugs of water (remember, this was a time of drought) over the altar three times. Then Elijah prayed.

“LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.   Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again” (1 Kings 18:36-37).

Note how quickly and dramatically God answered.

“Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!’” (1 Kings 18:38-39).

“Pow!” the altar was ablaze. God delighted in and answered Elijah’s prayer. God delights in and answers our prayers as well.

Let’s start a fire, shall we?

If your responses to my blog are any indication, you are anxious. You love this country, yet you are troubled about the future. You wonder what the future holds and what we can do. Elijah’s story provides the answer. We can pray. We can offer earnest, passionate prayers.

It’s time to turn our concerns into a unified prayer. Let’s join our hearts and invite God to do again what he did then; demonstrate His power. Super Tuesday, March 1, is the perfect day for us to step into the presence of God.

Dear Lord,

You outrank any leader. You hold sway over every office. Greater is the occupant of Heaven’s throne than the occupant of the White House.

You have been good to this country. You have blessed us in spite of our sin and guarded us in spite of our rebellion.

We unite our hearts in one prayer. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done. Please, speak through the electoral process to reveal your leader.

This we pray in the name of Jesus,

Amen

© Max Lucado
February 29, 2016

God’s Agape Love

Paul reminded the church at Corinth the kind of love Christ offers to us– Agape love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.” Don’t we need the same prescription today? Don’t groups still fight with each other? Don’t we flirt with those we shouldn’t? Aren’t we sometimes quiet when we should speak?

Someday there will be a community where everyone behaves and no one complains. But it won’t be this side of heaven. So till then we reason, we confront, and we teach. But most of all we love. Such love isn’t easy. Not even for Jesus. Listen to his frustration in Mark 9:19: “You people have no faith. How long must I stay with you? How long must I put up with you? How long? Until it kills me!  Jesus bore all things, believed all things, hoped all things, and endured all things! Even the cross.

From A Love Worth Giving
A-Love-Worth-Giving

Loving Like God Loves

 

Need more patience? Is generosity an elusive virtue? Having trouble putting up with ungrateful relatives or cranky neighbors? God puts up with you when you act the same.

Luke 6:35 says, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” Can’t we love like this? Not without God’s help we can’t. Our relationships need more than a social gesture. Some of our friends need a flood of tears. Our children need to be covered in the oil of our love.

But if we haven’t received these things ourselves, how can we give them to others? Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that apart from God, “the heart is deceitful about all things.” We need help from an outside source. A transfusion. Would we love as God loves? Then we start by receiving God’s love!

~ Max Lucado

From A Love Worth Giving
A-Love-Worth-Giving

The Lost Art of Listening

Incourage.Me

by LISA-JO BAKER27
topics:

FriendshipListening

I was listening to a podcast recently by two of my favorite human beings — Emily P. Freeman of Chatting at the Sky and Myquillyn Smith of The Nesting Place (this podcast is called, Hope*Ologie and I recommend it as a sort of Vitamin D for the soul). Anyway, they were each taking a turn answering listener questions but soon discovered that while one was sharing their answer the other was inevitably not listening because they were too busy trying to think up their own answer.

It made me laugh.

It made them laugh.

Listening to friends laughing while you’re folding laundry is a great way to start a week.

But it got me thinking.

Because some days I think friendship feels like that — one person sharing and another person thinking about what they’re going to say. Instead of listening to what’s being said.

Some days a friend is trying to share and instead of laying down all the things we’re mentally fiddling around with and focusing our heads, hearts, eyes, and mouths at our friend, we’re actually preoccupied with a sort of mental gymnastics planning what WE want to say next.

Sometimes I imagine those conversations like this:

Friend: Gah, I’m so sad today. I feel stupid and dumb at my job, and there’s this weird nagging loneliness I can’t seem to shake.

Me: (internally thinking: Oh man, I know EXACTLY how that feels — this week has been the WORST. Just wait till I tell her about how I blew that deadline and how I’m sure my boss thinks I’m stupid and why won’t my kids go to bed on time anymore.)

Friend takes a breath: —-

Me: Oh man, I know EXACTLY how that feels — this week has been the WORST. Just wait till I tell you about how I blew that deadline and how I’m sure my boss thinks I’m stupid and why won’t my kids go to bed on time anymore.

Friend: (stranded and without a way to steer the conversation back to the encouragement they so desperately need just feels even lonelier instead).

The thing is, sometimes it’s not our turn to talk.

“Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.” {James 1: 19-21, MSG}

Sometimes, listening is the most powerful gift we can give a friend. Especially when they’re trying to share something that feels vulnerable to them or that feels vulnerable to us — for example, when they feel misunderstood and they’re trying to tell us about it.

Because sometimes our determination to speak before we’re properly done listening is an act of self-defense. We load our responses, our arguments, and our words up in front of us to block out what’s being said and lob our own point of view out into the conversation instead.

Nothing will shut down true communication faster.

But nothing will disarm a friend more than the grace you grant them when you listen with palms up and walls down — inviting their hurt or their joy, their exhaustion or their delight, their fear or their fun, into your own self so you can understand it from the inside out.

Nothing is more powerful than giving someone the gift of truly hearing them without tagging on your own conditions, explanations, or justifications.

Here are three easy ways to put this into practice:

1. Listen to the whole story before you start formulating a response.

2. Ask follow-up questions.

3. Repeat the key parts of what you heard, empathizing with them.

Question for you: What makes you feel truly heard? Let’s crowd-source some of the best ways we can revive the lost art of listening well. 

You are loved!

Just wanted you to know

on this day,

and every day,

You are loved.

Not only by your creator,

but by me.

Have a blessed Valentine’s Day,

knowing,

no matter what,

YOU ARE LOVED!

What if I fall?

“What if I fall?”

“Oh but my darling, what if you fly?”

– Erin Hanson

Sowing Seeds

Many parents aren’t proud of their family trees. The harvest was taken, but no seed was sown. Childhood memories bring more hurt than inspiration. If such is the case, put down the family scrapbook and pick up your Bible. John 3:6 reminds us, “Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from the Spirit.” Your parents have given you genes, but God gives you grace.

Didn’t have a good father?  Galatians 4:7 says God will be your father. Didn’t have a good role model?  Ephesians 5:1 says, “You are God’s child whom He loves, so try to be like Him.”

You cannot control the way your forefathers responded to God. But you can control the way you respond to Him. The past does not have to be your prison. Choose well and someday—generations from now—your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will thank God for the seeds you sowed!

From When God Whispers Your Name

~ Max Lucado

You’re not selfish . . .

You’re not selfish for deciding to cut someone off.

There comes a point when you got to stop

being unfair to yourself.

#Rehab Time

Letting Go

 

 

Serenity prayer 71114

(Photo of the Pacific Ocean along the Hwy 1 California Coast)

~ ~ ~

I’ve been having a rough time lately learning the lesson of “Letting Go”.

From time to time, I feel I already “know” this lesson.

But then I turn around and realize, “Letting Go” is a daily thing.

The subject of the “Letting Go” project changes,

but the lesson is always the same.

I have to let go to the right person —

and that is My Lord.

The latest lesson was to go to the Serenity Prayer

and repeat it until I let go of whatever is controlling my life.

I hope these words help someone

who is going through the same lesson.

~ Sharon

 

You’ll never be enough . . .

You’ll never be enough to somebody

who can’t recognize your worth.

You can’t make them see

what they choose to stay blind to.

#Rehab Time

Trent Shelton

And so I choose . . .

It’s quiet.

It’s early.

For the next 12 hours I’ll be exposed to the day’s demands.

It’s now that I must make a choice.

And so I choose—love.

I will love God and what God loves.

  • I choose joy.
  • I choose peace. I will live forgiven.
  • I choose patience—Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I’ll thank God for a moment to pray.
  • I choose kindness—for that’s how God has treated me.
  • I choose goodness.
  • I choose faithfulness.  Today I’ll keep my promises. My wife will not question my love.
  • I choose gentleness.  If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
  • I choose self-control.  I will be impassioned only by my faith and influenced only by God.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

When this day is done, I’ll place my head on my pillow and rest.

~ Max Lucado

Perfectly Lonely

Sometimes it takes being

perfectly lonely

Just so God can show you

what being

PERFECTLY LOVED

feels like.

~ Trent Shelton

Respect Yourself

Respect yourself enough to walk away from

ANYTHING

that keeps you from loving yourself.

~ Trent Shelton

Are you filled with Joy?

Are you filled with joy?

I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

John 15:11 NLT

Full Joy

In many ways, we live in bleak times. Millions feel disillusioned with life while millions more feel uncertain about the future — especially young people. Many of you in Generation X have been victims of a great social experiment in which parents who never grew up cast aside time-honored moral values and, in the phrase of the 1960s, did their own thing.

Nevertheless, there is someone to believe in, something to grasp, and someone to trust. You need to go to the next letter of the alphabet, to Y — as in “Why do I exist. Why was I created? And what am I living for?”

According to Jesus, you were created for joy. “These things I have spoken to you,” Jesus said, “that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

The things Jesus spoke of were His teachings about bearing fruit. We were created to bear fruit for God, which essentially means to become like Jesus: His mind becomes our mind, His purpose becomes our purpose. And there’s only one way to produce such luscious fruit, according to Jesus: “Abide in Me” (John 15:4). This is the secret of spiritual growth and the key to overflowing joy. Are you bearing spiritual fruit?

Adapted from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie (Tyndale House) p 246-48

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Jesus’ Burial

~ by Max Lucado

When Pilate learned that Jesus was dead, he asked the soldiers if they were certain. They were. Had they seen the Nazarene twitch, had they heard even one moan, they would have broken his legs to speed his end. But there was no need. The thrust of a spear removed all doubt. The Romans knew their job. And their job was finished. They pried loose the nails, lowered his body, and gave it to Joseph and Nicodemus.

Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus the Pharisee. They sat in seats of power and bore positions of influence. Men of means and men of clout. But they would’ve traded it all for one breath out of the body of Jesus. He had answered the prayer of their hearts, the prayer for the Messiah. As much as the soldiers wanted him dead, even more these men wanted him alive.

As they sponged the blood from his beard, don’t you know they listened for his breath? As they wrapped the cloth around his hands, don’t you know they hoped for a pulse? Don’t you know they searched for life?

But they didn’t find it.

So they do with him what they were expected to do with a dead man. They wrap his body in clean linen and place it in a tomb. Joseph’s tomb. Roman guards are stationed to guard the corpse. And a Roman seal is set on the rock of the tomb. For three days, no one gets close to the grave.

But then, Sunday arrives. And with Sunday comes light—a light within the tomb. A bright light? A soft light? Flashing? Hovering? We don’t know. But there was a light. For he is the light. And with the light came life. Just as the darkness was banished, now the decay is reversed. Heaven blows and Jesus breathes. His chest expands. Waxy lips open. Wooden fingers lift. Heart valves swish and hinged joints bend.

From When Christ ComesAnd, as we envision the moment, we stand in awe.

We stand in awe not just because of what we see, but because of what we know… We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us” (Rom. 6:5–9 MSG).

From From When Christ Comes: The Beginning of the Very Best
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado

The Love of Jesus

The Love of Jesus

There’s no love more precious,
more costly, more kingly.
There’s no love that’s greater-
that’s more wonderful, more wild,
more passionate, more powerful-
than the love of Jesus.

Believe, receive, and rejoice forever in the greatest love the world has ever known!

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38, 39 NASB

(From: Dayspring.com)

Grace: unencumbered by guilt, shame, fear

By Jon Walker

Jesus answered,

“If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink,

and I would give you fresh, living water.”

John 4:10 (MSG)

Grace allows people to make choices and trusts them to make the best choice.

Grace is free and flowing.

It is unencumbered by guilt or shame or fear because grace says, “I know all about you, and I still love you with a godly acceptance.”

We see this in John 4, when Jesus meets the woman at the well.

When she offers to give him a drink, he says,

“If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh living water”.

Note that Jesus talks about how gracious God can be.

Yet, if we’re honest, we often behave as if God is stingy with his grace.

We fear his punishment, acting as if he’s like a high school vice principal walking the halls,

taking down names.

Who did what and who’s to blame?

But God already knows who did what and who’s to blame,

and he loves us anyway.

His aim to redeem us, not to keep us on the hook for our sins.

So why do we live as if we’re still on the hook.

And why do we tend to keep others on the hook by using weapons of the flesh—

like the sarcastic comment or the angry stare—

designed to get people to straighten up and live right.

In contrast, when the woman at the well goes back to her village, she says,

“Come see a man . . . who knows me inside and out” (John 4:29 MSG).

Jesus knows all about her,

and yet he communicates with her in such a fashion

that she leaves feeling loved and accepted.

That’s grace.

Believing in Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow FoundationTim Tebow with Jacob Rainey, one of the many people dealing with health problems Tebow hosted at Broncos games this season.

(My Note: I know there is a lot of hoopla going on surrounding Tim Tebow, but I think, as Christians, we really need to support all other Christian brothers and sisters in their stand for our Lord and Savior. Tim is reaching millions of people that none of us can. It is a gift that he uses to glorify His Lord. Let’s support Tim through our prayers.)

By Rick Reilly

ESPN.com

 

I’ve come to believe in Tim Tebow, but not for what he does on a football field, which is still three parts Dr. Jekyll and two parts Mr. Hyde.

No, I’ve come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.

Who among us is this selfless?

Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster’s), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts.

Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.

Remember last week, when the world was pulling its hair out in the hour after Tebow had stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard OT touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in the playoffs? And Twitter was exploding with 9,420 tweets about Tebow per second? When an ESPN poll was naming him the most popular athlete in America?

Tebow was spending that hour talking to 16-year-old Bailey Knaub about her 73 surgeries so far and what TV shows she likes.

MORE FROM TIM TEBOW

For Tim Tebow’s take on being named America’s most popular athlete, click here.

“Here he’d just played the game of his life,” recalls Bailey’s mother, Kathy, of Loveland, Colo., “and the first thing he does after his press conference is come find Bailey and ask, ‘Did you get anything to eat?’ He acted like what he’d just done wasn’t anything, like it was all about Bailey.”

More than that, Tebow kept corralling people into the room for Bailey to meet. Hey, Demaryius, come in here a minute. Hey, Mr. Elway. Hey, Coach Fox.

Even though sometimes-fatal Wegener’s granulomatosis has left Bailey with only one lung, the attention took her breath away.

“It was the best day of my life,” she emailed. “It was a bright star among very gloomy and difficult days. Tim Tebow gave me the greatest gift I could ever imagine. He gave me the strength for the future. I know now that I can face any obstacle placed in front of me. Tim taught me to never give up because at the end of the day, today might seem bleak but it can’t rain forever and tomorrow is a new day, with new promises.”

I read that email to Tebow, and he was honestly floored.

“Why me? Why should I inspire her?” he said. “I just don’t feel, I don’t know, adequate. Really, hearing her story inspires me.”

It’s not just NFL defenses that get Tebowed. It’s high school girls who don’t know whether they’ll ever go to a prom. It’s adults who can hardly stand. It’s kids who will die soon.

For the game at Buffalo, it was Charlottesville, Va., blue-chip high school QB Jacob Rainey, who lost his leg after a freak tackle in a scrimmage. Tebow threw three interceptions in that Buffalo game and the Broncos were crushed 40-14.

“He walked in and took a big sigh and said, ‘Well, that didn’t go as planned,'” Rainey remembers. “Where I’m from, people wonder how sincere and genuine he is. But I think he’s the most genuine person I’ve ever met.”

There’s not an ounce of artifice or phoniness or Hollywood in this kid Tebow, and I’ve looked everywhere for it.

Take 9-year-old Zac Taylor, a child who lives in constant pain. Immediately after Tebow shocked the Chicago Bears with a 13-10 comeback win, Tebow spent an hour with Zac and his family. At one point, Zac, who has 10 doctors, asked Tebow whether he has a secret prayer for hospital visits. Tebow whispered it in his ear. And because Tebow still needed to be checked out by the Broncos’ team doctor, he took Zac in with him, but only after they had whispered it together.

And it’s not always kids. Tom Driscoll, a 55-year-old who is dying of brain cancer at a hospice in Denver, was Tebow’s guest for the Cincinnati game. “The doctors took some of my brain,” Driscoll says, “so my short-term memory is kind of shot. But that day I’ll never forget. Tim is such a good man.”

This whole thing makes no football sense, of course. Most NFL players hardly talk to teammates before a game, much less visit with the sick and dying.

Isn’t that a huge distraction?

Tim Tebow with Zac

Stephanie Taylor Not everything Tim Tebow does on one knee is controversial. Ask Zac Taylor.

“Just the opposite,” Tebow says. “It’s by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn’t really matter. I mean, I’ll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it’s to invest in people’s lives, to make a difference.”

So that’s it. I’ve given up giving up on him. I’m a 100 percent believer. Not in his arm. Not in his skills. I believe in his heart, his there-will-definitely-be-a-pony-under-the-tree optimism, the way his love pours into people, right up to their eyeballs, until they believe they can master the hopeless comeback, too.

Remember the QB who lost his leg, Jacob Rainey? He got his prosthetic leg a few weeks ago, and he wants to play high school football next season. Yes, tackle football. He’d be the first to do that on an above-the-knee amputation.

Hmmm. Wonder where he got that crazy idea?

“Tim told me to keep fighting, no matter what,” Rainey says. “I am.”

Verse of the Day – November 30

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with
thanksgiving.
    — Psalm 69:30
       http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Psalm+69:30

THOUGHT:
   When was the last time you sang praises to God outside a church
or devotional service? Why not open up the Psalms and find several
verses that reflect your own praise and thanks to God and give them
a tune — your own tune! God doesn’t care if your spiritual gift is
music or not; he’s just listening for your heart to be full of joy
as you share your praise and thanksgiving with him.

PRAYER:
   O gracious Father, giver of every good and perfect gift, forgive
me for relegating my thanksgiving and praise to special days and
special places. I praise you for creating your human children with
the capacity to celebrate goodness, to rejoice in your creation,
and to have the capacity for praise and thanksgiving. Thank you for
making our world so full of reasons to offer thanks to you, our
Abba Father and Creator. As you continually fill me with your
Spirit, may my heart overflow with songs of praise and words of
thanksgiving. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111130

Verse of the Day – November 28 – Do everything without complaining or arguing

VERSE:
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may
become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a
crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in
the universe.
— Philippians 2:14-15
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Philippians+2:14-15

THOUGHT:
“Don’t complain or argue!” We don’t normally associate these
things with purity and blamelessness. Paul was extraordinarily
close to the Philippians and knew them well. He knew their
weaknesses and shortcomings. He also knew the destructive power
that complaining and arguing have on the life of an otherwise
vibrant community of Christians. Let’s heed his warning today, as
we see church after church taken under by the negative and cynical
spirit that pervades modern culture.

PRAYER:
Forgive me and cleanse me, O God, from my argumentative spirit.
Please empower me with your Spirit to use my speech only to bless
and to build up, never to tear down or discourage. In Jesus’ name I
pray. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111128

Daily Promise – November 28 – The eternal glory that is in store for you far surpasses your present troubles

2 Corinthians 4:17 KJV

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Promise #332: The eternal glory that is in store for you far surpasses your present troubles.  
I find it interesting that Paul refers to his own struggles a ‘light affliction’. This is a man who was stoned, shipwrecked and beaten nearly to death on a number of occasions. Yet he had the ability to see his sufferings through an eternal perspective. Because God gave him the ability to see with the eyes of faith, he could endure the hardships of life knowing what was yet to come.

In the light of eternity, our lives will be a moment, a twinkling of an eye, so to speak. In James 4:4, our lives are described this way… Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. NIV

No matter what you are struggling with today, be encouraged that the glory of God that will be revealed in you far outweighs your present circumstances. May our God and Father give you His peace so that you can take heart in this promise today as you continue to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.

Photo by Steve Taylor

AuthorBarry Adams |

Daily Promise – November 11 – Go to that place in our Father’s heart where we have free access to enter as His beloved little ones

Hebrews 4:16 KJV

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.

Promise #315: Come boldly to My throne when you need to find mercy and grace.

You and I have an invitation from our God and Father to come boldly before His throne of grace today. In the book of Revelation, we read a little bit about what God’s throne room is like in chapter 4… Angels crying holy, holy holy, flashes of lightning, 24 elders bowing down, a sea of glass, and so much more! It is a holy place where angels fear to tread, but a place in our Father’s heart where we have free access to enter as His beloved little ones.

You can come into His presence right now if you like. His royal doors are always open to you, anytime, day or night. God wants each one of us to come to Him boldly, not timidly. He loves it when we climb up on His lap just as a little child would jump into his dad’s arms. He is always there for us ready to provide the mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

There is no way that we can fathom the privilege that God has extended to us by inviting us to His throne of grace. It is an honor that could have only been purchased by the highest price possible…the shed blood of the Lamb of God. Thank you Jesus for making the way for us to become part of your family so that we could come boldly before our Father’s throne of grace 24/7! ~ Barry Adams

God will conquer death (What is real?)

(My note: What a perfectly timed message that ministers to my heart, and hopefully yours, especially as we celebrate the life of our beloved friend, Lori.)

What is real?

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT

Redemptive Reality

“Roberto Benigni, who wrote, directed, and starred in Life is Beautiful, is a comic genius who has been called the Italian Charlie Chaplin. But the subject of his 1997 film, the Holocaust, is anything but funny.

Benigni’s character, a sad-sack waiter named Guido, courts the affections of a local schoolteacher and through various hilarious adventures wins her heart. They marry and have a son.

Then things take a dark turn: Father and son, who are Jewish, are sent to a concentration camp. To shield his son from the horrors they’re going through, Guido concocts a wild story, telling the boy that the whole experience is really just an elaborate game.

How did Benigni dare to use humor in a film about a great moral evil? He did it by expressing the Christian idea that there’s more to life than what we see. In the scene in which the father is being led away to be killed, he spots his son and makes a funny face. The message is that there is something that triumphs over even death, some transcendent reality that, even in this ultimate moment of gravity, enables Guido to make his son laugh.

Most of our cultural leaders operate from a purely naturalistic perspective, but Scripture teaches that there are eternal things. Life is Beautiful is not the gospel story, but it does point to the gospel because it’s about how God’s redemptive reality trumps the very worst this world has to offer.”

adapted from How Now Shall We Live? Devotional by Charles Colson (Tyndale) pp 581-82

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Overflowing

“My cup overflows with blessings.”

Psalm 23:5 NLT

Is an overflowing cup full?

Absolutely.

The wine reaches the rim and then tumbles over the edge.

The goblet is not large enough to contain the quantity.

According to David, our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings that God wants to give.

He pours and pours until they literally flow over the edge and down on the table.

The last thing we need to worry about is not having enough.

Our cup overflows with blessings.

~ Max Lucado

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Daily Promise – September 7 – You will have everlasting joy

Isaiah 61:7
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion:
therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

Promise #250: I will give you a double portion of your inheritance in exchange for your shame. 

In the Hebrew tradition, the eldest son of the family would receive a double portion of the family’s inheritance. So if I understand it correctly, if there were 5 heirs, the inheritance would be divided 6 ways and the eldest son would get 2/6, or double the inheritance that his brothers and/or sisters received.

Isaiah 61 is a prophetic declaration of freedom pointing to the day when Jesus would come to the world and be the fulfillment of all the promises made in this amazing chapter of the Bible. You can read more about this in Luke 4:14-20 if you like. Isaiah declares that the coming Messiah will bring freedom to the captives, comfort for the grieving and beauty for ashes. He always declares that we will exchange our shame for a double portion of our inheritance!

Since the double portion belongs to the eldest son, we know that this promise is referring to us sharing in the inheritance of our elder brother, Jesus Christ. No longer do we need to carry the stigma of shame! God has made us heirs of inheritance and joint heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:15-17). May the reality of all that is proclaimed in Isaiah 61 become a tangible benefit in your life today. Instead of shame, you will receive a DOUBLE PORTION of your inheritance!
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 23 – Joy comes in the morning

Psalm 30:5 KJV

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:
weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.


Promise #235: Your sadness may last for a night but joy will come in the morning.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, it says that there is a season for all things. There is a time to weep and there is a time to rejoice. There are times of intense hardship and there are times of rest and peace. Today’s promise from Psalm 30:5 is really speaking to those who are struggling right now. When I read this passage of Scripture, in my heart, I hear God saying “Dont’ give up! Keep on going! Joy is coming soon!”

In the midst of any trials you may face today, be encouraged in knowing that they are only temporary. Joy is coming, so don’t lose heart! It is in these dark times that we learn just how close God is to us. A good friend of mine once said that the Gardener (Father God) is never closer to the branch than when He is pruning it (John 15:1-2).

My prayer for each one of us today is that even in the midst of our trials and tribulations, we will feel close to our Papa and His promise that our sadness will be gone before we know it.  May each one of us will cling to the hope that joy is indeed coming in the morning!
Photo by Glen Bylsma

Daily Promises – August 19 – God will make us fruitful in our old age

Psalm 92:13-14 KJV

13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;


Promise #231: I will make you fruitful in your old age. 

I want to finish my life well. In Hebrews 12:1-2, we are called to throw off all the things that hinder us and the sin that so easily entangles us to run our race. I am not sure how many days I have left on this side of heaven, but I want each one of them to mean something from an eternal perspective. If possible, I want to increase in the anointing, I want to increase in effectiveness, I want to increase in fruitfulness as I get older.

Today’s promise says that fruitfulness will abound in old age for those who are sons and daughters to the Father. If you have every visited a seniors’ home, that is not always the case. Unfortunately for some people, as they get older, they experience more disappointment and disillusionment about the very meaning of life. Regret and bitterness can grow into a very bitter root.

But this is not so for those who are called by God to live a fruitful life! Let’s all claim this promise for ourselves and our loved ones today! Father, we thank you that our fruitfulness will bring glory to you, not only today, but for the rest of our lives. May fruit abound in me today! In Jesus’ name I pray.
Photo by Barry Adams

Footprints in the Sand

One night a man had a dream.

He dreamed he was  walking along the beach with the Lord.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.

For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand ;

one belonging to him and the other to the Lord. 

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,

he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of his life

there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened

at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.

This really bothered him and questioned the Lord about it. 

”Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,

you’d walk with me all the way.

However, I noticed that during the most troublesome times

of my life there was only one set of footprints.

I don’t understand why when I needed you most

you would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “my precious, precious child,

I love you and I would never leave you

during your times of trial and suffering,

when you see only one set of footprints

it was then that I carried you.”

“Footprints in the Sand”

~ Ella H. Scharring-Hausen on June 6, 1922


Verse of the Day – August 12 – We are God’s Handiwork

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

Handiwork? What does that mean?

To me, it means that God,

through Christ Jesus,

took special care, time, thought,

to create me.

To fashion me out of the most precious materials

To mold me into a unique shape

To make sure He put me in just the right environment

so that I would grow according to His plan.

He sat, pondering, to give me a special kind of

heart to be receptive to the needs of others

To give me His kind of love, agape, so that

I would have an empathetic touch

and voice to minister to those I meet.

To give me the perfect mate so that I would know

that His love for me would have arms

to hold me,

joy to share with me,

patience to lift me up when I am down,

Unconditional human, yet Godly, love

that would shelter me

through all the storms of life.

To give me a vision for souls

in their lost state

and love to give everyone I meet,

and to help

lead them to His light.

Yes, He thought of all I would need

to go through life here on earth

and He gave me all the tools

to handle the journey

Some didn’t look like they were meant

for me,

but as I am drawn to minister to others

each day,

I realize that being, in the world’s eyes,

flawed,

would be my greatest gift

from my Creator

so that I could feel what they feel,

hurt as they hurt,

walk where they walk,

and know that through my reaching

out,

I have allowed God to use my arms

to wrap

His arms around His children.

a semblance of how

He would wrap His arms around them

if He were here in the flesh.

I am humbled to be

His Handiwork.

~ Sharon Rule

Through Faith

A person is made right with God through faith.

Romans 3:28

Dare you stand before God and ask him to save you because of your suffering or your sacrifice or your tears or your study? . . .

Nor did Paul. It took him decades to discover what he wrote in only one sentence.

“A person is made right with God through faith.” Not through good works, suffering, or study. All those may be the result of salvation but they are not the cause of it.

~ Max Lucado

Washed Away

The blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin.

I John 1:7

The cleansing is not a promise for the future but a reality in the present. Let a speck of dust fall on the soul of a saint, and it is washed away. Let a spot of filth land on the heart of God’s child, and it is wiped away . . .

Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, “I can clean that if you want.”

~ Max Lucado

Daily Promises – August 11 – God is our shield and our protector

Psalm 3:3 KJV

3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me;
my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.


Promise #223: I am your shield, your glory and the lifter of your head. The Hebrew word for shield in this promise is a substance so thick that it is likened unto the scaly hide of a crocodile. God is our shield and our protector. Nothing can get through His defences. Our God and Father is also our glory, which is a Hebrew word ‘kabowd’, which means a weighty honor that He places on us simply because we belong to Him.

I love the NLT Bible translation for this verse…  ‘3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.’  God protects us, He bestows His own glory on us, and He lifts up our head when we are discouraged. When I think of the last part of this promise, I picture a child standing face to face with his father, with his head held down in discouragement. The father not wanting his child to be discouraged, gently puts his finger on the little boy’s chin and raises his head until their eyes meet.When we get discouraged, our God and Father is the lifter of our head. As the NLT Bible says, He is ‘the one who holds my head high’. If you are disappointed today, may you feel the loving touch of your Father raising your head so that your eyes meet His loving glance.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 8 – Jesus will cleanse us from all sin

1 John 1:7 KJV
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Promise #220: If you walk in the light, the blood of My Son Jesus will cleanse you from all sin.

Jesus is called the Light of the World. In Him is no darkness, only brilliant, glorious light. The good news of the gospel is that when we receive the free gift of God, which is the life of His own Son, we are completely cleansed from all unrighteousness and forgiven from all our sin. We have become children of the light because we are now joined completely into the holy life of Jesus. Romans 8:1 says because of this exchange, there is therefore now no condemnation for us.

Our adversary the devil is called the accuser of the brethren. His aim is to continually bring accusations against us that would somehow cause us to feel ashamed and run and hide from God. When you hear these accusing voices, declare the finished work of the blood of Jesus over your life for it is the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood that keeps us walking in the light!

We have no need to hide in shame from God. Jesus Christ has secured our place in His Father’s heart and His blood has covered our past sins, our present sins and our future sins. You can rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ. When He cried it is finished! on the cross, He meant it. Does this mean that we can go on living  a sinful life? God forbid! However, we can rest assured that if we walk in the light as Jesus is in the light, His blood cleanses us from ALL sin.
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 7 – We can BOLDLY approach God

Ephesians 3:12 KJV
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Promise #219: Through faith in Christ, you can boldly approach Me with confidence.

The NIV Bible says Ephesians 3:12 in this way… ‘In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.’ What a glorious promise! Through our new life in Jesus Christ, we have complete and unrestricted access to our heavenly Father. Though angels bow down in reverence to Almighty God, we can call Him our Abba. Though He holds the earth in the palm of His hand, He calls us His little ones.

Praise God for giving us an amazing salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! In the great exchange that happened at the cross, Jesus exchanged His life for our life. We no longer live apart from Christ (Galatians 2:20), so being in Christ, we have full access to our Father just like Jesus does. As a matter of fact, in Colossians 3, Paul says that we actually are hid with Christ in God, seated in the heavens!

As a father, I would be disappointed if I felt that my children were afraid to come into my presence. They are my children after all! They are welcome any time, night or day! If we as dads are intended to be a shadow of the perfect Father (Matthew 5:48), how much more does He desire that we come boldly into His throne room with freedom and confidence?

May each one of us be encouraged today to come into our Papa’s presence with a new boldness. Not because of anything that we have done, but because our big brother, Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, has made the way for us to approach God with a confident expectation that He will receive us and put us on His lap, day or night.

~ Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 6 – God has numbered each hair on our head

By Barry Adams

Matthew 10:30 KJV
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

 Promise #218: I have even numbered each hair on your head.

The entire context of this promise can be found in Matthew 10:29-31
29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. NIV Bible

In Matthew 10, Jesus is commissioning His disciples to go out into the world to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. Heal the sick, cast out devils and freely give what you freely receive. In the midst of His charge to go, Jesus does talk about the reality that they will encounter opposition to this message. There will even be those who will want to kill them for what they represent. But all the while, Jesus is encouraging them not to be afraid.

He goes on to tell them that though sparrows are insignificant in the eyes of men, Father God always keeps a watchful eye on them. Jesus encourages His disciples that they are worth more than many sparrows, so if God watches over the birds, He will watch over them! The source of much of worry and anxiety is fear. Fear is rooted in a feeling that we are on our own and we have to try and manage life by ourselves.

Jesus encourages us to not fear, but be reminded that we are not on our own, that we have a heavenly Father who loves us and is in control of our lives. He even has taken the time to number each one of the hairs on our heads! What detail! What involvement in our lives! We have nothing to fear when the God of the universe is for us and so intimately involved in our lives.

Knowing the Father’s love for us will not necessarily shield us from heartache, pain and suffering because Jesus did tell us that in the world we will have trouble. However, in the midst of all our struggles, He does promise to cast out all fear from our hearts! May each one of us go deeper into our Father’s love today, knowing that our worth to Him is far more than many sparrows and that He has taken the time to number each one of the hairs on our head.

Verse of the Day – August 6 – He brings the wind out of His treasuries

15 He has made the earth by His power;
He has established the world by His wisdom,
And stretched out the heaven by His understanding.
16 When He utters His voice—
There is a multitude of waters in the heavens:

“ He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightnings for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”

Jeremiah 51:15-16

Note: I love this description of our God.

Daily Promises – August 5 – God has cared for us from the moment we were born

Psalm 71:6 KJV

6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.


Promise #217: I have cared for you from the moment you were born.
In this Psalm David makes that declaration that it was actually God that took him out of his mother’s womb. The Message Bible, this verse says ‘I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth, the day you took me from the cradle;’.  The NIV Bible says ‘From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.’

What an amazing promise! Our God and Father was there on the day you were born! Many people carry around the feeling that their parents didn’t plan their birth, so they feel like they were an accident. This Bible promise says the exact opposite! Not one person who has ever been born has been a mistake! God planned each birth and was in the delivery room to welcome all of us into the world.

If you struggle to feel that you belong in this world, I pray that this promise will go deep into your heart. God knit you together in your mother’s womb and He has cared for you from the moment you were born until today.

And He will never stop caring for you because you are the apple of His eye!
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 3 – Trust in God’s Faithfulness

Psalm 33:4 KJV
4 For the word of the LORD is right;
and all his works are done in truth.

Promise #215: You can trust in My faithfulness because My Word is true.

If I would make a promise to my children and they would question the integrity of what I promised, that would hurt me deeply. As a father, it is my hope that my children would have confidence in my character and my word. If they doubted what I said, then I would feel that they question the very core of who I am. I believe that the foundation of any relationship is trust. If there is no trust, then the relationship is on shaking ground.

In today’s promise, the Psalmist is singing praises to God and makes the declaration that the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. The NLT Bibles says Psalm 33:4 this way… For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does.

If we struggle to believe that God’s word is true and we cannot trust Him completely, then we are in effect doubting God’s very character. Every time we question God’s Word or His goodness, we are agreeing with the Father of Lies and the continual accusations he brings against God. Just as this would hurt an earthly father, I believe that it deeply grieves the Father of Lights.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith, it is impossible to please God. I believe that our God and Father loves it when His kids simply believe every word He says… Just like a little child believes everything their mom or dad has to say to them.

My prayer today is that Holy Spirit would make us aware of the unbelieving thoughts that come into our mind and we would break any power of agreement with them, for the Word of the LORD is right and we can trust everything that He does!

Daily Promises – August 2 – The Kings belong to God

(My Note: The last few weeks have been nerve-wracking, at best. Those of us who depend on Social Security, the military, and any others who were threatened that we might not get our checks tomorrow or later this month, or anyone who may feel any other repercussion of this situation, were tested as to how strong our faith is.

Knowing that God is the King of all the earth, knowing that He allows all of the things to happen around us, and that He will carry us through it is where our only sure Hope lies.

The world truly is shaking around us.   But we know He will carry us through this crisis.

We know He wants no harm to come to us.

He promises that all will work out for our good.

Holding onto Him during this time of potential financial crisis is our real comfort.

We all should feel that we are truly blessed to know, as well as feel, His constant presence.)

Psalm 47:7-9 KJV
7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. 8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

Promise #214: I rule the earth and all the kings belong to Me.God is the King of all the earth. Jesus is proclaimed as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. There is no disputing the absolute and complete power of the living God. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. While our adversary the devil, has limited power for a short season as the prince of the power of the air, the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it!When everything around us seems to be shaken… Wars, economies, governments, etc., have no fear! God is seated in the heavens and He rules the earth. May we rise up and worship Him today for His goodness and His mercy and His majesty!Hollywood often projects the battle of good versus evil as two equal, opposing forces clashing for victory. The truth is that our God is all powerful and ever present. He is so huge, that the universe cannot contain Him. We are not locked in a battle between good and evil that has an uncertain outcome. We win! Jesus has already declared the victory through His death and resurrection!

While we know that in this world we will have trouble, may each one of us be encouraged today in knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and that our heavenly Dad is the God and Father over all creation (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Daily Promises – August 1 – No excuse for not knowing God is real

(Note: As you are aware, I don’t add a lot of notes. The messages I find are generally so self-sufficient, adding to them is not required. However, because of what just happened to me, I wanted to share with you.

I usually read through a complete message, and then decide how to title it. This time, I looked at the picture, immediately thought of Romans 1:20, and made up the title before reading the message.

If there ever was a confirmation that God was in a title, this shows it.

I love it when He let’s me know I’m on the right track in my thinking.

It thrills me.

Our goal is to always been on the same page with Him.

Isn’t God cute?

It’s the little things, huh?)

Psalm 19:1 KJV
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Promise #213: The heavens declare My glory and reveal My handiwork.In Romans 1:20 in the NLT Bible it says…
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (NLT)Nature is continually revealing the character and nature of God. Every tree, every stream, every animal on the face of the planet bears witness to the glory and majesty of the Triune God. There is simply no excuse. Nature proves not only that God exists, but that He is kind and gracious to all that He has made.I love this photo of the northern lights in Canada. What an amazing display of the glory of God! Today’s promise simply states that the heavens declare His glory and the skies show off His handiwork. My prayer for all of us today is that there will be a heightened awareness to the eternal power of God that is clearly displayed in the world around us. The next time you look at a sunrise or sunset, or billowing clouds, or a clear starry night, may the love of God overwhelm you and may you see His glory revealed through all that He has created.
Photo by Carl Dyck