Real Love

Good Morning!! Love is to be a deeply rooted way of life among us, not fickle or unreliable, not depending on how we feel or on the circumstances of our day. This love covers a multitude of sins. It knows when to look the other way. It’s said that love is blind. But those who say that are thinking of infatuation. Real love does not look on the other with naive eyes or blinders. It sees the flaws, but it sees more in the other than what the cold observer sees.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.—1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

This doesn't mean that we must remain in an abusive situation, or not demand justice. Rather, it means that we must not let the evil we experience, take root in our hearts, so that it colors and determines our response. When you forgive your tormentors, and do not hate in response, you not only preserve your own soul, but you also inject into that darkness a light, and kindness,...which is a thing of precious beauty.

To live the life of heaven is to live a life of love.

Holy Spirit, help our love forgive, as readily as our Heavely Father's love forgives us. Amen.

"When you take your concerns to God, He will not turn you away."

The Perfect Example

Good Morning!! As followers of Jesus we are called to continue to do good,....while we suffer. even if unjustly. In tough times, it can be extremely tempting to either return evil for evil, lashing out and hating,...or to sink into passivity, fueling a slow burn and growing bitterness. But we as Christians are called, instead, to continue to do good, not because it’s strategically wise, but because it is in step with the ways of God’s heart,...as disclosed in the cross of Christ.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.—1 Peter 2:21 (NIV)

This doesn't mean that we must remain in an abusive situation, or not demand justice. Rather, it means that we must not let the evil we experience, take root in our hearts, so that it colors and determines our response. When you forgive your tormentors, and do not hate in response, you not only preserve your own soul, but you also inject into that darkness a light, and kindness,...which is a thing of precious beauty.

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. v23

Dear God, may our hearts be so filled with Your love, that there is no room left for hate, fear or pain. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

"When you take your concerns to God, He will not turn you away."

The Example Of True Compassion

Good Morning!! Compassion was one of the great qualities of Jesus’ life and ministry. He always sympathized with people in need. Compassion is literally “to suffer with another,” and it describes the sorrow that is produced by the distress or misfortune of others. The frequent references in Scripture to the compassion of Christ, reminds us how He truly fulfilled the Messianic prophecies.

Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted.—Isaiah 53:4 (NIV)

Out of compassion the hungry multitude is fed; out of compassion the sick and suffering are healed; and out of compassion men burdened and imprisoned by sin are set free, as Jesus goes to an awful death,...that we might have eternal life. This is the compassion of Christ.

Our Lord’s compassion involved more than an emotional reaction,
...it always included action to minister to the needs of man.

Lord, give us a compassionate heart and the opportunity to help. Amen.

"When you take your concerns to God, He will not turn you away."

If We Faint Not

Good Morning!! Most of us don't really need to be reminded that we live in a time of great crises,...there are problems everywhere. Not only are there problems in the world, but there are also problems in our lives. Despair, fatigue, and doubt confront us daily. How we react to these difficulties is very important. We are expected to handle them, as Christ would. So ask yourself; As a Christian do I overcome the world, or does the world overcome me? Am I a victor, or a victim in life?

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world,...our faith.—1John 5:4 (NIV)

As Christians we're to be victors over all these conflicts. We are in Christ, and He is within us. Death is just the gateway to great glory,...we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Living in the consciousness of Christ’s presence we can overcome the world, and all it has to throw at us.

Don't become so involved and burdened in the cares of this life that you forget your faith, and your hope.

Sweet Spirit of God, don't let us forget the promises of God. The mere fact that Jesus is the Son of God should comfort the heart. We need to be reminded that victory is ours. We have been brought to a new life in Christ,...and that life shall overcome all foes,...even Satan. Amen.

"When you take your concerns to God, He will not turn you away."

He's Waiting

Good Morning!! Giving your life to God,...some churches have a very specific ritual, or formula for doing this. Some are so stead fast, you would almost expect them to have diagrams and flow charts. But it all boils down to this: the truly determined person, who would never submit to anyone, realizes that God’s love has drawn him or her to yield. There is resistance, sometimes postponements, relief and assurance that God can be trusted, and finally received as "Lord of our life."

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.—John 1:12,13 (NIV)

In it's simplest form; we believe that Jesus died for us,...and we then offer up our loyalty, love, and life to Him. It’s the very best decision you'll every make. You feel as though the world is on your shoulders, and you have to do everything on your own,...but there is One to carry it with, and for you,...you have only to ask.

Receiving Christ is the gateway to understanding all that God wants to teach us,
...and experiencing all that he has to give us.

Holy Spirit of God, help all who are hurting, or searching, for the Way. Move them today, that they might lighten their load, come to the Father. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

"When you take your concerns to God, He will not turn you away."

If He Does, Or If He Doesn't, Trust Him

Good Morning!! There are times when we pray for things, or persons, and our prayers are answered just as we prayed them. Then, there are times when we pray and our prayers seem to go unheard, with no answer at all. God may be forcing us to wait,...as He tests and grows our faith. Most times we can handle it,...if our minds can make sense of it. We pray, God leads and we start to get it. We can even see what is coming as God reveals things to us. As our faith is being increased,...we finally start begin to gaining some spiritual strength, and understanding. So that when out of the blue, something happens that changes our course so drastically, that we feel the air has been knocked out of us,...and we find ourselves in a place of desolation or despair,...our first thought is to trust God, anyway.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."—Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

Today's verses are ones that I learned early on from my Christian Grandm. I heard them quoted often,...and I have spoken them many times,...both to others, or to myself. I'm not always sure if they are comforting words, or if they are confronting words. Intellectually, I know that God's thoughts and ways are not like mine. Of course my ways are not like God's, God is God,...and me, not so much. When things aren't going my way, and I begin to question why God does or doesn't move one way or another,...I find that these verses put me in check. It's not about me,...It's God's Will,...not ours.

God is God,...sometimes He answers us, and sometimes He doesn't. Trust Him anyway.

O' Lord, we know that You love us more than we can ever comprehend, and everything You do is in our best interest,..even when we can't see it, or understand it. Your desire is for us to trust You totally, and completely. Forgive us for the times we've allowed ourselves to feel as though You had abandoned us, or maybe just forgotten about our needs. We ask that You help us to understand more of Your ways. And that You open our minds to comprehend the scriptures. We trust that Your higher ways will always be what is best. Amen.

"We can sleep in peace when we remember that God is always awake."

Dead To Sin, Free To Live

Good Morning!! Even though we as Christians, are dead to sin, sin's strong appeal can still cause us to struggle with feeling that we are more alive to sin, than we are to Christ. But Romans 6:1-11 teaches us that what is true of the Lord Jesus Christ, is true of us,...in terms of our relationship to sin and death. God the Father allowed His Son to "be sin" in order that all the sins of the world,...past, present and future, would fall on Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) When Jesus died on the cross, our sins were on Him. But when He rose from the grave, there was no sin on Him. When He ascended to the Father, there was no sin on Him. And today, as He sits at the Father's right hand, there is no sin on Him. Since we are seated in the heavenlies in Christ, we too have died to sin.

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

Today's verse, summarizes what we are to believe about our relationship to sin,...because of our position in Christ. It doesn't really matter whether we feel dead to sin or not; we are to consider it so,...because it is so. People wrongly wonder, "What experience must I have in order for this to be true?" The only necessary experience is that of Christ on the cross, which has already happened. When we choose to believe what is true about ourselves and sin, and walk forward on that basis, our right relationship with sin, will work out in our experiences.

Christ already died to sin,...and because we are in Him, we have died to sin too.

Thus says the Lord;
""Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.""

(Isaiah 1:18 NIV)


"We can sleep in peace when we remember that God is always awake."