Love, Like God Loves You (or At Lease Try To)

Good Morning, (T.G.I.F.) Thank God I'm Forgiven!! For some, it's maybe hard to imagine,...loving, and being loved, just because. But isn't that the nature of our relationship with God? He loves us, and it has nothing to do with us, or anything we've done. Isaiah depicts the intimate covenant of love we have with our Lord. God sees us as a beautiful, lovable bride to be esteemed and treasured. We see God as a loving bridegroom who is worthy of our love, honor, and praise.

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.—Song of Solomon 4:7 (NIV)
I don't believe I married Sheila because I expected her to fore fill or accomplish anything. Her status was simply that of a cherished partner. I can honestly say that I loved her,...not because of what she did, but rather who she was. I did not always make it, but I tried to love her, as God loves me.

Never forget that God loves us for who we are, not for what we can accomplish.

This is how He wants us to love,...just as He does.

---

As we grow, and mature in any relationship, loving service should always follow.

" Religious activity is not an indication as to whether or not anyone actually knows God."

An Ever Present God

Good Morning, My Friend! I believe that it's the difficult times that help us to grow in our understanding of God,....and of each other. During hard times, our eyes are opened to see that love is more than some sugar and candy-like feelings. Love, like happiness, comes from a deep, and abiding trust that should increase as we mature in our relationships,.....especially with God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus.

The joy of the LORD is your strength.—Nehemiah 8:10 (NRSV)

As we grow older and looked back on life, we can see that everyone has good times,...as well as times of grief, discouragement, and despondency. God is always there, through it all. All we can do is pray and give thanks daily that God would care for us, strengthen us, and continue to provide for the needs of our families.

Have faith,...and cling to the promise that God will never desert us.

---

" Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5, nrsv)

" Religious activity is not an indication as to whether or not anyone actually knows God."

Point Of Foccus

Good Morning, It's a Wonderful Worshipful Wednesday, And A Short Week,...Let's Make The Most Of It!! Stress or anxiety has been defined as uneasy thoughts and fears over the possibility of impending misfortune. For me, they are simply forgetting what God has done, and that He is always near.

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSV)

It is the will and desire of the evil one, that our focus be moved from God,...because it is only then can we be made to worry about, and fear things we can't even control anyway. There are people and things all around us, that can calm us by redirecting your attention to God,...if we'd just let them. Nothing does it so well as the Bible,....there is peace in the Word.

Remembering that God is present brings peace to our souls.

---

Lord, help us to trust You to calm our anxieties. Help us to feel Your peace, when thing get to be too much. Amen.

" Religious activity is not an indication as to whether or not anyone actually knows God."

Getting To God

Good Morning!! We become accustomed to God's Word, by regularly reading the Bible. We learn to recognize God's voice by spending more quite time, in His presence. These disciplines help us to become God aware,..able to see and hear God all around us daily.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to [God's] purpose.—Romans 8:28 (NRSV)

I never expected God to call or speak to me, and I didn't recognize God's call until well after I invited Him into my life. Looking back over the many events of my life, makes me realize that God takes care of our individual needs, even without our asking,...through others He provides His loving care. I know that the people and events in our lives work together to help make all of us aware of God's love for His creatures.

Even before we are ready to respond, God is reaching out to us.

---

 " When God takes an ordinary man who has yielded to Him,

...that person acts as leaven to affect his community, city and world."  

 (The Man God Uses, Henry & Tom Blackaby, p. 143)

" Religious activity is not an indication as to whether or not anyone actually knows God."

We Were Made To Worship

Good Morning!! Worship is a verb, an action word,....it’s not sitting and watching, it’s something we do. We participate. It's so much more than mere emotion. It's not a feeling, or a thought process,...but rather the active response of our heart, our life, and even our body to God! If we go to a worship service and watch everyone else worship, we haven’t worshiped,...we have become a religious consumer, rather than a spiritual communer. We’ve become a spectator rather than a true worshiper.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.—Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Perhaps you grew up in a church where you sang hymns and participated at some level. But, maybe, just maybe, you have never had a genuine experience of encountering the presence of God in true worship. If not, I challenge you, to take time every day, to tell God of your desire to be a genuine worshiper. He will honor your prayer request, because He has made us to worship Him! We were created, that we might know Him,...and make Him known.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, worshiping Him intimately and intensely should be the driving force in our life.

---

Father God, help us today, that we may know you more fully, and do what we were made for,...to worship You,...for all that You are, and do. Amen.
" What you believe about life ,will determine how you perceive life,
...and what you receive from it."

I Will Praise Him, Always

Good Morning!! According to the Scriptures, worship is the most important thing we’re called to do as believers in Christ. Yet, it's been said that; “Worship is the missing jewel of the church today.” And I believe that's so true, because so many believers miss the joy, of genuine worship. At times, we just sort of go through the same old routine,...almost on auto-pilot. But one of the greatest reasons why we should make the conscious worship of God a habit, is because worship fortifies our faith, and strengthens our soul.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.—Psalm 34:4-5 (NIV)

Remember what Psalm 22:3 tells us: God is “enthroned on the praises of Israel.” Wherever genuine praise is,...so is God! Today, in spite of what kind of storm you may be facing at home or work,...I challenge you to find one thing for which to praise the Lord. I am confident that taking our focus off of our troubles, and genuinely thanking God for what He has done in our life, will lift us up,...and brighten our outlook on life!

When your faith needs a boost, look up! Praise, worship, singing spiritual songs, and expressing adoration to God all strengthen your faith and draw you nearer to Him.

---

Father we will praise You,...no matter what, we will Praise You!! Amen." What you believe about life ,will determine how you perceive life,
...and what you receive from it."

Fear Not, You Were Raised To This

Good Morning!! Sometimes the light is eclipsed. At certain times, clouds can cover the believer's sun,...and we must walk in darkness and see no light. There are many who have rejoiced in the presence of God for a season; they have basked in the sunshine in the earlier stages of their Christian career; they have walked along the "green pastures" by the side of the "still waters", but suddenly they find the glorious sky is clouded; instead of the Land of Goshen they have to tread the sandy desert; in place of the sweet waters, they find troubled streams,...bitter to their taste, and they say, "Surely, if I were a child of God, this would not happen."

"...you are my refuge in the day of disaster."—Jeremiah 17:17 (NIV)

The best of God's saints must drink the wormwood,...the dearest of his children must bear the cross. No Christian has enjoyed perpetual prosperity. Perhaps the Lord allotted you at first a smooth and unclouded path, because you were weak and timid. He tempered the wind to the fleeced lamb, but now that you are stronger in the spiritual life,...you must enter upon the riper, and rougher experience of God's full grown children.

We need winds and tempests to exercise our faith, to tear off the false sense of self-dependence,...and to root us more firmly in Christ.

The real key is to remember that; He never gives us more than we can bare.

---

The hard times, and pains of life, reveals to us the value of our glorious hope,...and it's an opportunity to put our faith into action. Praise God.

" What you believe about life ,will determine how you perceive life,
...and what you receive from it."

Ask Only For What You Need Now

Good Morning!! Pray,...and as you do,  be aware that God has not abandoned you. Realize that even when we experience pain and uncertainty, it does not change God's love for us. God is still the same loving and caring God you've always known. As we struggled with physical frailties, we must learn to appreciate and understand all the more, how wonderful it is to recognize the need God in our life. You should realize that health and wellness are gifts from God; yet even without them, we are saved and redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ.

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.—Psalm 4: 8 (NIV)

When we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," (Mt. 6;11),...we're shutting tomorrow out. We can't live for a tomorrow that may never come,...but for today, the only we thing truly have. We shouldn't look for tomorrow's grace, or tomorrow's bread. Those who live in the present thrive best,...and get the most of our life. And those who pray best, pray for today's, not tomorrow's needs.  Our prayer for tomorrow and it's needs may be unnecessary because they may not exist at all.

"A simple, confiding faith, lived out day by day, will drive fear away.

A faith that casts its burdens on the Lord each hour of the day will drive away misgivings and deliver from doubt." (Prayer and Spiritual Warfare, E.M. Bounds, p. 19-20)

---

Because God wants us to follow Him by faith,...He often does not tell us everything, or show us the whole picture." (From Dream to Destiny, Robert Morris, p. 115)

" What you believe about life ,will determine how you perceive life,
...and what you receive from it."

Character Development

Good Morning!! Character is formed through resistance, and obstacles. So while building character through resistance and struggles can be one of the hardest things to face,...it can also be one of the best things we learn about, because it presents opportunities for us to gain and go forward. God put big dreams in the heart of Joseph. Even though Joseph was sent away by his brothers, sold into slavery, and propositioned by Potiphar's wife,...he had a place of responsibility. But his character was still intact, and he rejected the advances of Potiphar's wife.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.—Genesis 37: 5 (NIV)

Many times, when the wind blows against us, it blows us off course and we lose our sense of well-being in life. Joseph kept his eyes on the Lord, and his heart full of dreams that God gave him. You may be facing great challenges in your family, career, or relationships with others, but don’t lose the key items that will help you build character. Ask God to help you stay focused on His Will for your life, so you can move forward, build character, and never let the dreams He gave you to die out.

If you’re facing resistance and trying to build character, you need perspective, principles, persistence, and prayer.

---

There are three ways to avoid problems in your life,...say nothing,...do nothing,...be nothing.
Although, the day you decide to say, do or be something, is the day you will begin to meet opposition.

" What you believe about life ,will determine how you perceive life,
...and what you receive from it."

Know Your Limitations

Good Morning!! Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage from Egypt and through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. Along with God’s great blessing came the burden and responsibility of leading the people and solving their problems. According to the Bible, Moses counseled people by talking to them, hearing their problems, dealing with their difficulties, and responding to their questions from sunrise to sunset. Day after day, Moses got so busy with God’s work that he experienced stress and eventually told his wife to take their children and go stay with his father-in-law, Jethro.

If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."—Exodus 18: 23 (NIV)

But Jethro soon came back with his daughter and grandchildren and said, " Why are you trying to do all of this alone?...this is not good. Find several honest men who fear God to help you serve the people. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you." Although this story is centuries old, it is truly up-to-date. It sounds like my life, and yours,...doesn’t it? Robert J. McCain said: " The reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first."  Jethro gave Moses an idea as to how he could get more accomplished by putting first things first. Moses was fair and flexible. He established, maintained, and shared his priorities by investing them in others. As a result, he reduced his own stress and multiplied his service to others and the Lord.

In order to maximize your life, recognize that the responsibilities of your life will often conflict with the priorities of your life.

---

Lord, we want to get it right. Help us to stop trying to be superman, or superwoman. We only end up exhausted and stressed-out. Teach us how to fix our priorities according to Your Will, and purpose for our life,...that You maybe glorified. Amen.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"

Only The Begining

Good Morning, My Friends!! Shortly before 2am this morning, my wife Sheila Diane Prater, passed. She had a small group of praying, family and friend encamped around her. Her battle with Leukemia, left her weak and unable to fight off the series of infections that followed. I ask that you all pray for our family's strength, in the coming weeks,...especially the grandchildren, that have lived with us most of their lives.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.—Ecclesiastes 11: 5 (NIV)

As Christians, we have a perspective of death that is often strange. We see and feel the same absence of our loved ones, that the rest of the world does,...but we have a hope, that does not leave us empty for long. We hurt and cry, for the immediate lost, of what they meant to our day to day lives. Yet we rejoice, because for them, life's struggles are over,...they've graduated, no stress, no pain and no worries.

The plans we have for our lives, don't always work out the way we'd hope. If we don't fight it, we often discover that God had something so much better in mind.

---

Lord, we want to thank You for the lives we've touch,...but even more for the lives You've allowed to touch us. Amen.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"

Being One

Good Morning!! So many Christians and churches are divided today,...but that nothing new. Even the disciples of Jesus Christ, quarreled in the very presence of the Lord,...fighting for position and involving themselves in petty disturbances and foolish irritations. Throughout history, the church of Christ has divided over the most senseless preoccupations. No wonder there is so much confusion in the world among people who don’t know Jesus, when they see how we fight,...and what we fight over. Imagine someone who is seeking truth, browsing through denominations, churches, factions, and sects. It’s a wonder that anyone believes in Jesus at all, with all of this confusion.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent me."—John 17: 20-21 (NIV)

How would that person know what to believe? That is why unity is vital for the church of Jesus Christ if it’s going to glorify God, and raise up a generation for Him. Don’t get unity and uniformity confused. There’s a difference between the two. Over the years, some have suggested that we put aside our doctrinal distinction and delude our sacred beliefs for the sake of unity. In other words, let’s just put everyone in one big pot and make them act, look, and believe the same. But this is absolutely NOT what Jesus was praying for us in the above scripture. Jesus knew fully of the various denominations that would arise in the world, and the distinctiveness of His body that would be expressed. And yet He prayed, “Lord, let them be one.” Unity can never be man-made,...and it will always allow for diversity.

Just like when two people marry, and become a blending of personalities, strengths, and weaknesses,...so each member in the body of believers has differences that make him or her unique, and thereby strengthens the church.

---

Father God, don’t allow any divisive spirits, and petty, selfish attitudes to divide and dishonor the name of Christ, and His church. Teach us to embrace the differences and uniqueness of each believer created by You. Help us to learn how to come together, as the Body of Christ, to bring glory to Your Holy name, and make a difference in this generation. Amen.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"

A Christ Centered Life

Good Morning!! Did you know that you are a gifted child of God? When the Spirit of the Lord gave you a new birth into the Christ-centered life, He didn’t come in empty-handed. He came bearing birthday gifts,...spiritual gifts to be exercised in the body of Christ for the glory of God! I’m talking specifically about what God has given every Christian today for His glory,...not charisma, fanaticism, and excesses. Over the next week, I'll be talking to you about some of the gifts in the New Testament, that were given for a specific apostolic period of time in order to confirm and affirm the message of Christ. And those same gifts remain today for spiritual service and ministry.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.—Ephesians 5:17 (NIV)
Real spiritual service is always in conjunction with the Will of God. So what is the will of God? God has promised a wonderful, abundant, and victorious life for every Christian. The answer for this kind of life is not education, activity, emotionalism, or a list of dos and don'ts,...that provides some kind of instant spirituality. The secret to life is walking in, and being filled with the Spirit of God. As children of God, it is also our right and privilege, to experience this kind of life. If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit continually, then you are disobeying Christ,...because He commanded each of us to be full of His Spirit.

It is God’s will that every Christian be filled with the Spirit of God, not just the super saints, preachers, or missionaries.

---

Wherever we’re at in life right now, we are to be filled with the Spirit of God. So if you don’t know what it is to be a child of God,...then it is time to ask Jesus Christ forgive you of your sins, and become the Savior or your life. So ask God to fill you with His Spirit, so you can fulfill His Will for your life.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"

A Way Out Of The Darkness

Good Morning!! How can we, as Christians, truly understand the Bible? You may be thinking, "Isn’t it enough that I come to church, worship the Lord, and fellowship with other believers? But now, you’re telling me that I’m supposed to try and study, and understand my Bible? If you’ve ever been to the hospital and had an IV,...you get nourishment and medicine through the intravenous mechanism. And some people come to church like that, and get stuck for just a bit with Scripture,...get a little nourishment, and then try to live on that the rest of the week. It would be hard for someone to eat one piece of bread on Sunday, and live only on that for the rest of the week.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.—Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

It is vital that we work to understand our Bibles. The psalmist gives us many reasons, blessings, and benefits in Psalm 119: peace (v. 165), power to resist sin (v. 3, 11, 101, 165), joy (v. 16, 24, 35, 47, 77, 92, 174), the meaning of life (v. 99, 125, 130, 169), strength for living (v. 28), freedom (v. 45), hope (v. 114, 147), comfort in suffering and affliction (v. 50, 52), reverence for God (v. 120, 161), a thankful heart (v. 62), a worshipful heart (v. 164, 171, 175), and personal revival (v. 25, 37, 40, 88, 107). These are just a few of the benefits of the Word of God! For the burdens of life, go to the Word of God!

In a dark world, we don’t have to go staggering through the darkness and stumbling into the night. We can know light and truth through God’s Word.

---

O' Lord, In the battles of life, help us to find strength in Your Word! Because Your Word is the final arbiter of truth without any mixture of error. Thank You Father, for a source by which we can know You, grow close to You, and find absolute truth for life. Amen.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"

We Need To Choose Better

Good Morning!! As Christians, we have been freed from slavery to the old nature. No longer are we dominated by the past,...or controlled by the old way of living. We have been set free. Sin may be dormant in our lives, but it is no longer dominant. While sin may be a resident, it is never president. We don’t have to give in, or say yes to the demands and directions of the old life.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.—Romans 6:11 (NIV)

So, why do we still sin? Basically, we do it voluntarily. One man said the Christian sins because they have a deep, dignified, respectable love for sin. In other words, if a Christian sins, it is because he or she chooses to sin. So often, we do it with our eyes wide open, with our minds made up, and with choose to continue to live under the power of sin in our lives.

We’re should all be familiar with the war within,...because while we have a new nature in Jesus Christ and are dead to sin, Satan is not dead and there is still temptation.

---

Holy Spirit, help us to know that we are free. When the spiritual wars rage within us from day to day,...we ask that You strength us, and give us the wisdom to choose a sin-free, righteous lifestyle. Help us in our choosing to live free of the shackles of sin. Amen.

" God is not only able to heal our hurts,...but the hurts we've caused."