QUOTE by Billy Graham

"Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ & seek to follow him every day. Don't be swayed by the false values & goals of this world, but put Christ & his will first in everything you do."

OUR INFINITE GOD

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – Ephesians 3:20 New Living Translation

     Man is incapable of grasping the depth by which God loves him. He also cannot comprehend all that God is capable of. Somehow saying the Lord is capable of anything and everything seems inadequate. Since he created everything in existence I can’t imagine anything he wouldn’t be able to do. It becomes a simple matter of trust. Do you trust the Lord to orchestrate that which needs to take place in your life? If not, why not? Has he ever failed you?
     Our inability to accept God’s leadership in our life is our fault, not God’s. His Word is rich with examples of his fulfilled promises, as people trusted him to move on their behalf. There is nothing too difficult for the Lord to accomplish. Nothing he wouldn’t do for his children. All it requires is faith and an unwavering trust in his ability and willingness to move in our situation. He knows what we are in need of. God asks us to lay our burdens down before him and trust him to provide a way to move past it. At times we must go thru it, other times around it and still other times it is removed entirely. It is up to God’s discretion. He knows what we need as far as spiritual growth. If a test is in order to teach us a valuable spiritual lesson, then a test we shall face. The Lord is just and fair in what he does. He will take us places we need to go for our eventual benefit. We may not see it or understand, but we are not asked to. For a person to see doesn’t require faith and to understand doesn’t require trust. God is to be our focal point. God is to receive all glory, honor and praise, regardless of our life situation. As long as we never lose sight of that we will be fine. 

FINDING CONTENTMENT

“I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life.” – Psalm 119:93 New Living Translation

     The 119^th Psalm is the longest Psalm in the Bible.  In it you will find many nuggets of truth to carry you thru each day. Its author is not David; however, some suggest that it was Ezra the priest. The general tenor of the writing is one of obedience to the laws of God as a means of finding true happiness in this life. Verse 2 declares, “Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their heart.” As followers of Christ we are to always seek the face of God and search the deep riches of his word for truth. If we commit to knowing and living the word of God, we will receive wonderful blessings that shall feed our souls.

     It would be appropriate to point out that while the Law or Ten Commandments are no longer required to live by as our standard since Christ came. That being said, we also cannot willingly disobey them either. The whole idea is that once redeemed we will automatically live out God’s Law because of the change that has occurred in our lives. Our conscience, once seared over, has been awakened by the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

     If we follow the directives of the Lord we will find true and lasting peace and happiness in this life. Perhaps happiness isn’t the word to use. Contentment seems more appropriate. We will be satisfied that no matter what circumstances may befall us we know God is with us and will lead us out of it. When the world is at it’s worst I stop and wonder how anyone can survive without the Lord in their life. They haven’t taken complete stock of their lives, choosing instead to live in the here and now. Living for the moment may get you from point A to point B and for some that is good enough, but what about after that? Until the next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

Isaiah 26:3 NIV

"You will keep in perfect peace those 

whose minds are steadfast, 

because they trust in you." 

OUR FUTURE IN CHRIST

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

     Knowing all that we know about God and His promises, why would we ever doubt him? It has to be that believing in something/someone we cannot see or touch defies all we’ve been taught. Let’s simplify things: you either believe it or you don’t. It’s a faith thing!
     So why is it that we make it so difficult for ourselves even when we have chosen to believe it? God has told us right here that he has thoughts of peace toward us and not thoughts of evil. While our lives may not be perfect, think of what it would be like if we didn’t believe in God. Peace is something God promises to those who ask for it, a future with him that gives us hope. A person must have hope. We must have a light at the end of the tunnel. We must know that everything will be all right at some point.

   We tend to lose hope when our focus moves off God and onto our circumstances. What are you placing your faith and trust in? God’s Word is full of promises and words of hope. Ask God’s Holy Spirit to bring back to your remembrance key verses you’ve read as a source of hope and peace in any given situation. In spite of what you might think of yourself, God is not you and does not see you as you do yourself. He sees you thru eyes of mercy and grace to give you a future and a hope. And you have to know that any future that involves the Lord is going to be a pleasant and fruitful one. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

GOD’S NARROW ROAD

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” - Matthew 7:13-14 New International Version

    I liken the narrow way to heaven as a one lane road going in one direction. I’m not aware of any verses in scripture that speak of it being a two-way road with people coming and going, while I am certain that if someone had it in their mind to pull a U-Turn, I don’t believe God would stop them. I see it more as a single lane road heading in one direction with a shoulder for rest and exit ramps providing many opportunities to pull off on a tangent, at times far from God’s chosen path. Free will allows for that.
     The roadway to hell is paved with the lives of those who strove to please themselves and accumulate and achieve as much as they possibly could. They became wealthy and perhaps even influential, but in the end were left an empty shell with no substance. There is a reason Christ came and it was not to provide those who believe in Him with riches and power and influence. It was not to aid us in our climb up the ladder of business and financial success. These things cannot buy you ANYTHING that is lasting and certainly nothing that is eternal. People strive and strain for what turn out to be all the wrong things, never thinking to seek God or his will.

     What is most important to you? What have you made your top priority? If it isn’t the Lord, then you are wasting valuable time that can never be recovered. The narrow road may be long, winding and difficult at times, but in the end you will never be dissatisfied with where you end up. Trust God to fulfill His promises from scripture and have faith that you will always be provided for with just exactly what you need, when you need it. And then thank him for his incredible patience, grace and mercy toward us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

GOD IS

“Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, beginning to end, you are God.” – Psalm 90:2 New Living Translation

     God was, is and ever shall be. He was before time began. He existed prior to creation. Even though I wasn’t there at the beginning of time; even though I am not God, nor do I pretend to be; I believe what the Word of God says about the Creator of the Universe. It is easier to disbelieve such things than to believe it, this is true. So many of us want things right in front of us to see and inspect and then pass judgment on. In that type of scenario we are the ones in control. It doesn’t work that way. God is … He simply IS.

     I don’t understand that … He wasn’t created Himself. He just exists. But don’t get hung up on that statement. You either accept it as something not seen as if it could be seen or you don’t. Simply understand that God always was and always will be. According to scripture there never was a time when He didn’t exist. If you think about that long enough you will go insane, because it’s completely illogical. It makes no sense to our limited understanding. Yet that alone doesn’t make it false. There are many things in this life that we can’t prove. I can’t prove anything from history. We have pictures; with more recent history we have video clips. But we were not there and even if we were what we saw and experienced would be subject our own interpretation. 

     So what do we do with this Biblical statement? Just like anything else in the Bible, we must take it by faith that God is who he says he is and has always been in existence. Because the why and the wherefore of it just isn’t that important. If you could prove without a shadow of a doubt that God did exist, what would it change? Would God become more powerful? Would He be any different than He already is? No, he would not. So believe it or don’t believe it, but know this, the Bible clearly states that God has always existed and will always exist and that should comfort us.

     In a world where abandonment is a rampant problem, it should bring us hope and solace. Be of good cheer, for no matter what difficulties life hands you, God is and will always be there and is more than willing and capable of sustaining you if you choose to rely on Him. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

GENEROUSITY SHOWS TRUST

“Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.”- Psalm 112:5 New Living Translation

     Some people misunderstand the Biblical view of money, believing scripture says, “money is the root of all evil”, thus encouraging people to live as paupers. That’s not what scripture says. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” The love of money shows a lack of trust in God who gives and takes away as he so wills. If we dedicate our lives to Christ in all aspects of living then he shall bless us with every blessing with regards to our well being.

     Let it be said that there is nothing at all wrong with being wealthy as a Christian. It is more important how you achieved your wealth and what you do with it. If it is accumulated thru ill-gotten means then that would be a sin and displeasing to God. If, however, God has chosen to bless you with wealth, that is another story entirely. Giving generously should be a trademark of believers, in that you are exhibiting your trust that God will meet your need as you help in meeting another’s need. It is to be done with a pure heart with no ungodly motivation.

     If you conduct your personal business fairly and lend out as the Spirit of God leads you, you shall never fail. Even when the appearance of failure may rear it’s ugly head, it is a toothless lion, so to speak, in that it can do you no lasting harm. Our hope is in Christ and our faith is in his promises to provide for us. To that end we shall be at peace for the Lord wishes us to succeed even as our soul prospers. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

STORE HIS WORD IN YOUR HEART

“Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Listen to his instructions and store them in your heart.” – Job 22:21-22 New Living Translation

     Submitting is yielding or surrendering to a greater authority, in this case Almighty God. Things will go well for you, but that isn’t to say things will be perfect. Temptations will still exist and trials will still come, but by submitting to God’s greater power you will have the ability to withstand such things and come out the other end of them with stronger faith as a result.

     We are told to listen to God’s instructions. This can only be accomplished by spending time in his word. You won’t gain any insights by osmosis, you must determine to dig deep into his treasure trove of promises and feed your spirit man. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all truth as found in scripture. You must carve out a portion of time, no matter how small, so that you can fellowship with your Creator.

     Walking with God provides peace in your spirit. He does not desire that we struggle each day. If something is wrong, it is universally wrong and not just wrong in certain circumstances. If something is right, then the same is true. Scripture teaches us that in God “there is no shadow of turning”. He is perfect. He doesn’t change His mind. His instructions are pure, holy and true at all times and applicable in all situations. Our Lord provides everything we need to be content in this life. We need to simply fall back on our faith and trust in Him to see us through any and all obstacles as we seek to serve Him.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

BEWARE OF A PRIDEFUL SPIRIT

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”- Romans 12:3 New International Version

EGO defined: a. an exaggerated sense of self-importance; conceit;

b. appropriate pride in oneself; self-esteem.
     It’s interesting to me that the word ‘ego’ has two very contrasting definitions. A person can have a healthy ego or an overblown one. A healthy ego is a good thing to have. Look at the ‘b’ definition; an “appropriate” pride in oneself. Okay, the appropriate is open to translation here. It’s like saying, “act normal” … all right, define “normal” for me. Everyone has his or her own definition of the word ‘appropriate’. An appropriate ego lines up with God’s word.
     We have many non-believers who have very healthy egos. They ‘do not think of themselves as more important than they ought’ at all. We have many Christians who think they are God’s gift to creation and we should be grateful to be in their acquaintance. They are unaware of their condition and cannot be told anything about their pride and arrogance. It’s a rather high place to fall from when their arrogance is revealed.

     Think about your own situation. Look at yourself. Check your heart. Do you have a prideful spirit? Do you think of yourself as better than anyone else? Be honest with yourself. If you do or even think you might, ask God to purge it from you so that you may be pleasing in His sight. Being pleasing in the sight of the world will get you nothing eternal and only shallow, meaningless accolades this side of heaven. Be what God wants you to be and not what you think you ought to be. God’s motives are pure and flawless. Are yours? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!