Never fear…..this simple statement seems like an impossibility to some. We’re living in challenging times. In some instances it seems like the spirit of common sense and decency left to room long ago. But never fear….God is still on the Throne. If we read the back of the book we know that no matter how bad things may look, the Kingdom of God will rule and reign in the end. Let God’s Word be the last Word in your life, in this country and in the world.
Joy fills my heart. If you’re a born again child of God it fills yours continually too. All the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23 reside within us to empower us. It’s our responsibility to mine the precious gifts that God has given us to not only affect our own lives and situations but also to affect the lives and situations of those around us. Greater is He that resides within you than He that is in the world (1 John 4:4). And He comes with gifts.
Pursue peace and hold onto it with everything you have. Peace can be illusive. Whenever you secure peace in one area of your life, something else in another area will break out and you’ll find yourself chasing down peace in another area. Living a life of total peace means that we will need to keep our track shoes at the ready at all times. The pursuit of peace in our lives will keep us on the move constantly. However, the rewards of a peaceful life are worth the workout.
Our safe haven in a world of turmoil is our Father, God. That goes without saying, but so few see Him as the safe haven when in the midst of a storm in life. Study the Gospels and you’ll find that Jesus was never stressed out. He was never in a hurry. He commanded the circumstances of life around Him. In Luke 10:19, right before He left He said, “My peace I give unto you“. We as His children have the ability to navigate the storms of life the same as Jesus did. The key is our continued reliance on and confidence in the Word of God in the midst of every challenge of life.
Rest is a gift. Rest is peace. It’s hope. Rest is divorcing oneself from stress. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest“. God our Father is willing to make an exchange with us. He’s willing to take that which causes us to labor and that which is heavy and give to us His rest. Who wouldn’t be interested in taking Him up on this offer. And perched right in the middle of the rest He’s giving us is the faith which moves the hand of God, for there can be no rest without faith in the giver of said rest.
Divine protection is a part of our salvation package. Psalm 34:7 says, ” The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them“. It’s comforting to know that our heavenly Father has provided protection for us as we walk through this life. The Lord God has virtually brought fear, which is the enemies principle weapon against us, to it’s knees, and has placed all the tools we need for success in this life at our feet! Read Psalm 27:1-3
Pleasing the Lord should be the goal of every Christian. But pleasing the Lord carries with it a side effect that many don’t talk about. Proverbs 16:7 says, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him“. Living a life that is pleasing to the Lord is like holding up a shield, negating the attacks of our enemies. Not only that but it puts on display one of the primary character trails of our heavenly Father….peace. If you want to make peace with your enemies, strive to be pleasing to the Lord.
Why does it matter so much what people think of us? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that honest question? If we have been affirmed by the creator of the Universe, why do the opinions of others matter so much to us? Finding our identity in Christ means that we have been “approved” by someone whose opinion far outweighs any earthy entity. God loves us. And when you think about it, is there really anything or anyone else we need?
Quitting is not an option for the born again believer who finds his or her strength in the Word of God. Sure life may be tough. Sure we may feel disoriented. But quitting, especially when the creator of heaven and earth is our Father should, never be an option. Question: When did God quit and give up on you? Personally, I was a great sinner. I had perfected some sins. I even recruited others to sin along with me. But for all those years, God was faithful. He never gave up on me. You might have a similar story. Let’s give Him honor by never giving up on Him or what He has spoken to us. His Word is truth. If He has spoken it, He will bring it to pass in your life.
God the Father is literally our Father. And what Father doesn’t respond when he hears his child in distress? We are Children of God. The degree of His love for us won’t be fully known or understood until we’re seated in His lap in heaven. But as we stretch our imaginations here on earth, we must trust by faith that we’re the apple of His eye. Trust that He is with us. Trust that He will deliver us, no matter what we’re going through. He is our Father and we are His children.
Social media Christians live lives that are very difficult for real-world Christians to relate to. They’re always smiling. They are world travelers. They drive nice cars and live in great homes. They have amazing children and marriages and they are always on top of the world. You can find them posting like crazy on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like about they’re amazing lives. The confession of sins, according to James 5:16 will never happen in the life of a social media Christian. To do this would crack the facade that they live behind. And the saddest thing is that they don’t even know that they’re Christianity is phony.
Faith comes naturally. Walking by faith is a part of the nature of man. We were designed by God to live by faith. The problem is that we’re more accustomed applying the principles of faith to things in the natural world than to things in the spiritual world. There are a myriad of things we do on a daily basis that are faith related. We listen to and trust the news, our leaders, our employers, the labels on our favorite snacks, the fast food counterperson, and the medication we consume. This list could literally go on forever. We would be faith giants if we would take God at His Word and act on it to the same degree that we trust the products and people we interact with on a daily basis.
Be it unto me according to thy Word are words of surrender. They are words that say, “Not my will, but yours be done“. Faith in God and in His Word is born out of submission. Submission to a higher power, a better plan, and a loving Father. Mary had no ideal what was happening to her. An event of this magnitude had never occurred before. Yet, in the face of embarrassment. In the face of ridicule, and in the face of ostracism she submitted herself and uttered the words, “Be it unto me according to thy Word” in Luke 1:38. I pray we submit ourselves, and incorporate those very words into our lives on a daily bases.
Truth will stand the test of time. It’s the bedrock of life. Truth is unshakeable. We live in a world where voices are clamoring extremely loud to be heard. Yet truth doesn’t need to compete for airtime. Truth can calmly wait in the background, knowing that it will remain forever. Truth, if stood on long enough, will outlast any lie. God’s Word is truth. No matter how bad things may look in the world, trust in the truth of God’s Word. His Word will have the last Word in your life, in this country and in this world.
Child-like trust is what God requires of His children. God doesn’t need us to be God. However, we need Him to be who He created us to be. God doesn’t have to earn our trust. Our trust in Him is due to Him on day one. Our relationship with Him grows, flourishes and is enriched as we get closer to Him. However, our trust in Him should be full-blown from day one. As parents don’t have to earn the trust of their newborn baby, our creator shouldn’t have to earn the trust of His children.
Disciples indeed were followers at some point. Many people in the Body of Christ desire to lead. I believe this desire to be strong leaders is God inspired. However, those who desire to lead must first do time in the trenches. A lot of this “trench time” is done as a follower. Jesus is the ultimate leader. In John 8:31-32 Jesus said “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. A key element to leadership is experience and experience can only come by spending time following a leader. Disciples indeed (true followers), know the truth, and that truth has made them free. Those who choose to follow you need to see the freedom that only Christ can give working in you.
Salvation is a gift that can only be obtained by and through the grace of God. The scriptures says “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation can’t be bought. It’s can’t be worked for. It can’t be stolen. The only way to obtain salvation is to reach out and receive it. If you haven’t received the gift of God that has been laid up for you from eternity past, you can do so right now. Click HERE.
Circumstances of life are a mute point. They are a non-issue. They don’t cancel out or nullify what God’s Word has to say about a situation. My passion about life and the things God created me to be should not be hindered or hampered by the circumstances of life. When the things I battle against in life loom larger than the passion I have for becoming who God created me to be, the doors to depression, anxiety, and hopelessness fly open.
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God…” (Hebrews 11:3). Understanding a certain issue can sometimes come down to simply trusting in the fact that we don’t understand. Understanding is nice to have, but not necessary in other to live a victorious life here on earth. We don’t fully understand 99% of the tools we use on a daily basis, yet we don’t allow our lack of understanding stand in the way of us benefiting from them. Don’t allow your need to understand everything to stand in the way of receiving the blessing of God over your life.
We overcome. That’s what we do. That is, if you’re born of God. “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). Notice this scripture is not conditional in it’s import. It didn’t stop to assess the size of the obstacle before it declares that we overcome. Overcoming is who we are. It’s what we do. It’s in our DNA. The world kicks ass and takes names. The church should be known for overcoming obstacles and collecting testimonies. Step up higher on the obstacles in your life. Overcome them, and become a testimony collector.