Tag: Loving our Living Hope!

How To Test the Practical Reality of Your ‘Real’ and ‘Practical’ Religion. They Will Know We are Christians by Our (__________) James 1:26-27

An anthropologist once visited a primitive village in Western Africa to study the customs of the very primitive people who lived there. When he returned to the U.S., he sent back a sun dial to those people to express his real thanks for their practical cooperation. The natives were delighted with their gift, and they were concerned that nothing happen to it, so they immediately built a thatched roof over it to protect it. In so doing, however, they made it of no practical value.

The foolishness of this is obvious to us all, but James says the foolishness is not always obvious to Christian people when they do the very same thing with their religion. They will take it home after church on Sunday, and they hang it in the closet with their Sunday clothes, and there it stays until the next week. It is as worthless as a sun dial under a roof. James warns us that if our Christianity is not practical, and we only hear and do not do, then we are deceiving ourselves.

James 1:26-27 Easy-to-Read Version

The True Way to Worship God

26 You might think you are a very religious person. But if your tongue is out of control, you are fooling yourself. Your careless talk makes your offerings to God worthless. 27 The worship that God wants is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help and keeping yourself free from the world’s evil influence. This is the kind of worship that God accepts as pure and good.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

A Christianity that is not real or practical is not a real, practical Christianity. If it does not control your conduct, and it does not change your character, and make you more sensitive to the will of God and the world’s need, then you better stop and ask some very serious questions about the practical reality of your religion.

In these last two verses of chapter 1 James has a lesson for us on how to test the reality of our religion. If your religion does not really change you, then you had better change the practical applications of your religion. James implies there are three questions that we must be able to answer with a definite “yes” if we are to be confident that our religion is not vain, but of real and practical value to God, to the real world, and to our real and practical selves living in the “real” world.

The first question that grows out of what James says is-

I. AM I PRUDENT IN MY SPEECH? Verse 26.

James is saying in a different way what Jesus said when He made the statement, “It is not what goes into a man but what comes out of him that defiles him.”

Jesus was referring to the tongue just as James is.

The Bible makes it quite clear that one of the greatest responsibilities which men have is the wise use of their tongue.

Jesus said, “By your words you shall be justified and by your words you shall be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37)

A real Christian is one who does not say, “I have freedom of speech, and so I can use my tongue as I please.” A real and practical Christian – He is one who will freely present his body a living sacrifice unto God, and that includes his tongue. He is one who is truthful with his tongue, and practical and wise with his words.

A man who can go to church on Sunday and then curse on Monday and tell a few dirty stories at the office or plant on Monday is only deceiving himself, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

If that is what comes out of his mouth, we know his heart is filled with the language of the world and not that of the Word of God.

James is saying that the man’s religion is vain, and it has no real value to anyone. He is a double minded man who will receive nothing from the Lord.

It is amazing how many people are deceived at this point. Out of the very same mouth comes both sweet and bitter. I have known men who could talk about their church work, and of how they help the church in so many ways, and then a few minutes later hear them using filthy language and do so with no respect for others in their presence.

He thinks he is very religious, but James would say because he cannot bridle his tongue, he fails the test of real religion. A foul and filthy tongue characterized the ancient world, the Christians who were won out from this type of society had a difficult time in keeping their tongues committed to the glory of Christ.

This same problem exists today, where foul language is even very common in the public schools, in modern so-called movies, as well as the workplace. It is easy for the Christian to get caught up in the common expressions of the world and thereby cease to be different from the world.

This can totally ruin your real and practical testimony and witness, make your religious commitment of no real or practical value.

The Apostle Paul was concerned about this problem also, and he wrote to the followers at Colossians and said in 3:8-10,

“But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: Anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on a new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

This brings us to the basic idea that James is getting at. It has to do with the use of our tongue in relationship to other Christians. When Paul says we are to put away anger, wrath, malice, and lie not to one another, he is saying what James means when he says we must bridle our tongue.

William Penn put it this way: “Men who fight about religion have no religion to fight about.”

We mentioned before that the Christians to whom James is writing were caught up in a great deal of real religious controversy. And real unbridled tongue could cause much damage. A tongue not under the control of reason and the Holy Spirit will race wildly across the field of a man’s character, kicking, bucking, and trampling it without pity, and the result will be a real victory for Satan.

Most all great men of God suffer much sorrow because of the severe criticism they receive from Christians. The speed with which Christians are ready to blast out at other Christians is the speed by which they make themselves useless to God, the world, themselves. All the good a person may do vanishes rapidly when the tongue is filled with malice and contempt for a brother or sister in Christ.

A critical and malicious tongue is a sign of self-righteousness. When a Christian becomes satisfied with his own attainment, he really tends to become critical of others. He feels if only others could be as wonderful as he is the church could get somewhere.

So, he builds a fence around his religion to protect it. He becomes narrow and bigoted, and he sets out to straighten the world according to his standard. The end result is that he does more harm than good, and his religion is as worthless as a sun dial covered over by a thatched hut without the sun and its real light.

He is trying to be a Christian without the spirit of Christ. There are many more areas where the unbridle tongue is a curse. It is clear what James is getting at, and we must be able to say that we are aware of the power of the tongue, and that we will strive to use its power according to the will of God.

If we cannot say that we had better, ask God really quick to forgive us and help us to gain the victory in this area, or our life will count for practically nothing in the kingdom of God. We may still be saved by faith in Christ, but it will be sad that all of our works will be consumed by fire, for they will not stand the test.

The second question is

II. AM I PRACTICAL IN MY SERVICE? v. 27

Before we can answer this question, we must understand what James means by religion. This is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Many have used it to deny the basic truths of Christianity itself.

They say that religion is really and practically about our real, and practical good works, and so we can start an orphan or widow’s home, or do social work for the needy and widows, and we will get to heaven according to the Bible.

But though this seems to be logically based on this verse, we know it contradicts the rest of the Bible, and the rest of the letter of James itself. Realize, there is no salvation apart from faith in Christ.

James knows that, and in Chapter 2 verse 1 he speaks of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Chapter 1:1, he is the servant, and all through the chapter he stresses prayer and the Word of God which is able to save souls. Why is all this left out when he tells us what pure religion is? We would expect him to include all these fundamental truths.

The problem is not with James, but with our context and with our language.

The practical words that James used really meant “The external service of God, and not one’s inner state before God.”

I believe James here is referring to the real and practical results of our faith in Christ, prayer, and fellowship with Christ. He is saying that if these things are real, we will be able to know it because it will show itself in our practical service. True religion is not seen in ritual observance but is deeply inside our real trust of our Savior Jesus and inside our own practical obedience to the Word of God.

What James is saying can be illustrated by really saying the same thing about a mother’s love. If I said, “Pure motherly love and undefiled before God is to wash and feed her child.” I would not mean by this that love is merely a matter of keeping a child clean and fed. I would mean that if the love of a mother is real it would show itself in a practical way in her care for her child’s basic need.

This is not the whole of love, but it is the practical result that proves the love is real. So, to really have a sympathetic concern for human need is not the whole of being a Christian, but it is the real and practical result that must be seen to know that the vital factor of faith in Christ is real.

In other words, being real and practical and good will show itself in doing good. As John said, if you can see a brother in real need and have no real compassion, how does the love of God dwell in you?

The world was filled with impractical religion then, and it always has been.

Christianity is the only pure and undefiled religion, for if God’s Word is obeyed and put into practice it will lead to the compassion of God, which, in turn, leads to vital service that makes a difference in this world of endless needs. People can come to a temple offer sacrifices, burn incense, bow and pray, and lay in “real and true” submission before God, or go through any number of practices of ritualistic religion, but if they do not go out and serve God in a real practical manner, all of this is vain and worthless.

Masses of people think they are religious because of their ritual before God, but they never show the compassion of God in the real world. Here, James says that if there is no real and practical service that grows out of one’s religion, it is not the Christian religion, but is instead a really cheap and impractical imitation.

The particular examples that James used to illustrate Christian service are the two that are used all through the Bible. In the ancient world the orphans and widows were the subjects of great injustice. There were no orphan homes, and no social security to help widows. They were often at the mercy of anyone who sought to do them harm or take their property by any means necessary.

Jesus sharply rebuked all the Pharisees who thought of themselves as the most religious of persons. He said, “Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a (real) pretense make long prayers.” (Matthew. 23:14). This was a long-time practice, and they were blind to how really inconsistent it was with the nature of God.

It is really amazing to me how often people in the Old Testament had to be commanded, reminded, not to oppress the widows and the fatherless. They were constant victims of an ungodly world.

One of the characteristics that God proclaims of Himself over and over is His concern for the orphans and widows.

In Deuteronomy. 10:17-18, “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow….”

Keep in mind that James was the brother of Jesus, and his mother Mary was a widow. Joseph died leaving her to raise her family as a single parent. James was using the most common examples of human need in the world of his day.

He does not limit Christian compassion to these examples, but he uses them to illustrate that a religion that does nothing to help the needs of those who are in need of help is not any religion but can be called Christian. Throughout history, real Christians have been shown the greatest source of compassion in history.

 If we keep our “real and practical” Christianity a matter of theology, feelings, and ideas, and never get “genuinely real and genuinely practical,” we are not real nor practical nor spiritual from God’s point of view.

We have looked at two test questions:

Are we prudent in our speech and are we practical in our service? If we can say yes to the first, but not to the second, our religion is not realistic enough to even minimally please God. And if we can say yes to both, but not to the third, we are still seriously and severely and catastrophically falling short of the glory of God,

and the third test is this-

III. AM I PURE IN MYSELF? v. 27.

To make our real religion practical we have to get out into the world to meet its needs, but James wants to make it clear we must be in the world but not of it. In other words, don’t become contaminated by the world as you seek to lift it. This means we need a constant reliance upon God.

The sacrifices of the Old Testament were to be without spot or blemish, and so in the New Testament we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable and without blemish unto God. The only way we can keep from being spotted by the world is by a careful walk and constant confession.

The Christian who is careless about the purity of his or her life has not quite understood the price that was paid to redeem him from the present evil world. There is a lack of realism in his and her religion, and it does not ring true.

The only one who can ever lift the world is the one who is above it. This does not mean to shut self-off from the world, but, like Christ, to be so busy doing good there is no time to get involved with the real world on its level of corruption.

As Phillips Brooks said, “The life of Christ was like an open stream that keeps the sea from flowing up into it by the eager force with which it flows down into the sea.” What a real masterpiece of what the practical Christian life should be-a real stream of practical activity flowing into the ocean of the world’s needs with none of the salinity of the world’s ocean waters getting near or into the stream.

True purity is gained by being “real” and genuinely positive, and not by doing nothing so as to avoid doing wrong. He who stays pure by doing nothing is evil, nonetheless, for he is a hearer and not a doer, and only deceives himself if he thinks he pleases God. God demands of us all a positive and practical purity.

We have asked three questions: Am I prudent in my speech? Am I practical in my service? Am I pure in myself? These questions test the reality of our religion. If we pass this test, it means we represent the only religion that is from above.

God does not and will not ever lower his standard to fit man. He promises His grace and power to help them grow to His standard if they hunger and thirst after His righteousness. We could never fully reach that standard. Christ was the only perfect Christian. Paul never attained it, but he kept pressing on.

All of us, without one exception, are, and will forever remain really imperfect and impractical Christians, but if our life is a constant striving to be able to say yes to the three questions we have looked at, we are real Christians, and we are practical Christians, and our religion is really, genuinely pleasing to our Lord.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Father, my Guide and Guardian, illuminate my mind so I can understand how you want me to live. Your word tells me that people of integrity who follow your instructions are joyful. You have said that those who obey your laws and search for you with all their hearts are blessed and happy. I want that joy! Holy Spirit, please guard me against allowing evil to influence what I believe and do. Help me walk only in your paths. May my real actions (Acts 3:1-10) consistently reflect what you have said is right and good. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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“Search Me, O’ God! Put Me upon thy Witness Stand! Go Ahead, God, Cross Examine my Life!” Psalms 139:23-24

Relationships take time. And as time passes, as growth takes place, as maturity enters in, we can decide whether we want to go to the next level with a person and eventually, “safely” come to that uniquely “safe” place, open up to them.

This doesn’t have to be a husband or wife thing. It applies to every relationship.

Hopefully, over a period of time, we will all have someone we can safely tell our deepest, most sensitive secrets to. Someone we know can keep our confidence.

Such friends like these seem to know when there is something wrong with us, even when others don’t. They have been our friends for so long they can sense our mood, they can sense our innermost thoughts without even talking to us.

With an acquaintance, it’s different. We might tell them a little about our life, but we usually keep them from knowing all of the good stuff going on within us. We establish “safe zones,” weave our safety nets, protect ourselves and them.

Ironically, we will sometimes try to weave our “safety nets” underneath Jesus.

The further irony becomes our lack of awareness, God does know us. We cannot pretend we are something we are not with him. He knows us — inside and out, through and through. Ironically such knowledge as that should liberate us to share a remarkable degree of intimacy with him, but most of us run away from such a close relationship with our Father. Do we really want such a connection?

We declare to ourselves that it is no longer “safe” to be either around God. Yet, IF our “sincerest” “safest” desire, is to indeed become more like him, the only way to be transformed is by “risking our personal safety,” inviting him in to unceremoniously cross-examine all our hearts, our motivations, our desires!

Are we really, actually, genuinely, ready to risk such an “unsafe” eventuality?

I am not so sure we are if we were to seriously examine what God is saying here.

Psalm 139:23-24The Message

23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Standing Toe to Toe with God … (Job Chapter 19) (Psalm 13 NRSV)

Standing Face to Face with God …. (Psalm 27:7-11 NRSV) (Jonah 1 – 2 NRSV)

“Investigate my life, O God,”

(What!?! Wait a Minute! Cringing and cowering)

“Find out EVERYTHING about me; “

(“Hold on, there … STOP!” Cringing, and cowering and gasping)

“Cross – Examine AND Test me,”

(“You mean put me on the witness stand? I was only joking around!”)

“Get a clear picture of what I am about”

(You mean me raising my right hand, making me swear an oath on a Bible?)

“See for yourself whether I have done anything ‘wrong’ ….”

(“I mean, you are actually taking me super-duper serious, right now, God?)

THEN and ONLY then, if there is anything left of me worthy enough,

(Me and my big mouth have always gotten me into a whole lot of serious trouble, but I would never, ever even remotely imagine anything like this!)

“Then Guide Me on the Road to Eternal life ….”

(“On second thought, maybe, just maybe it might all be worth it after all!”)

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray (“Yes! Lord! Absolutely? or Nope! No Way! No How! or …?”)

Take My Life, and Let It Be by Frances R. Havergal, 1836-1879

1. Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.

2. Take my voice, and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.

3. Take my will, and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.

See you all tomorrow – (I HOPE!?!) (MAYBE!?!)

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God? – Remember! One Passion! One Devotion! One Love! Exactly One God!

The world is all too often a hostile place for believers. Goliaths no longer try to hide themselves from public view or from public judgement. They stand tall in their perceived invulnerability; surround, abound around every street corner. Goliath says, “you cannot touch me! “You cannot beat me!” “You are nothing!” We are intimidated by the sheer force of their size, their strength, their words. We shake and we quake in our boots – too easily accept unconditional defeat!

God wants his spiritual children to know, however, that they are not alone. He lives in us with His Son, our Savior Jesus, through his Spirit. We can be assured, therefore, that no matter what evil design someone else may have, the Holy Spirit of God is greater, more powerful, and more glorious. The victory is ours because God’s presence in us is infinitely greater than any force we will ever face. We have our victory assured over all forces, powers, spirits, or opponents.

The Question remains to be answered – if we are to claim such an overwhelming victory through God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, if we are to claim it and own it and possess it as the greatest gift, treasure, there is, to fully live into everything God has set aside for those who believe and conquered, then whose eyes do we look through whose perspective do we make all our own?

Our perspective through our finite eyes and limited wisdom and understanding?

Defined by our shame? Our Guilt? Our brokenness? Our weaknesses? Mistakes? Someone else’s opinion thrust upon us by those rampaging, ranting Goliaths?

God’s perspective through God’s eyes, knowledge and wisdom? (Psalm 139)

1 John 4:4-6 Authorized (King James) Version

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore, speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Whether we like it or not, or realize, admit it or not, in our humanity, we are finite. We have a beginning; we have an end. It is the natural flow of our lives and is seen in everything from a good day’s work to a bedtime story for our kids. But when we brush up against eternity, we find that it has neither beginning, nor an ending. It always was, and it always will be. Such is the nature of love.

Scripture tells us in 1 John 4 that God is love. Therefore, since we know that God is eternal, we can reasonably assume that God’s love is also eternal. Love begins and love ends with God. But God is not stingy with this love. He longs to share Himself with every person on the face of the earth, and the tangible expression of that love is His Church, redeemed by the blood of His Son, our Savior, Jesus.

When you and I go to the source of love and find that we are indeed beloved by the God of the universe, it changes everything. Once our hearts are filled with His love and truth, we are given new eyes for others, and can’t help but want to share the priceless treasure we have found!

In his groundbreaking book, The Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, Henri Nouwen says this,

“When we claim and constantly reclaim the truth of being the chosen ones, we soon discover within ourselves a deep desire to reveal to others their own chosenness. Instead of making us feel that we are better, more precious or valuable than others, our awareness of being chosen opens our eyes to the chosenness of others. That is the great joy of being chosen: the discovery that others are chosen as well. In the house of God there are many mansions. There is a place for everyone – a unique, special place. Once we deeply trust that we ourselves are precious in God’s eyes, we are able to recognize the preciousness of others and their unique places in God’s heart.”

Whatever you and I are facing in life, or whatever is coming in your future, God has already given you the steadfast faith, the living hope and deepest love for it. It may not look like it now, and you may not feel like you have what it takes to overcome, but faith in God is never based on our circumstances or how we feel.

The enemy would like for you to believe that you don’t have a chance in life, that you’re a loser, too weak, too poor, too whatever. But God has a different perspective of you (Psalm 139). God sees you through the eyes of love. He sees not what you can be, but what He has invested in you, not what you or others may see from the egregiously limited perspective we have “worldly” learned.

Seeing yourself the way God sees you leads to a life of overwhelming victory. Living into that vision God has always had of us offers to us many challenges.

But it takes faith. You can’t just hear that God loves you and sees you as His child, you have to believe it. It takes faith to move forward and overcome the challenges of life. And faith does you no good if you don’t know how to release it, how to unleash it. You have to release your 100% faith in order for it to work.

We release faith through our words, actions and, of course, through prayer. It’s up to us to act.

1 John 4:4 is a scripture we quote a lot, and almost anytime I say this verse in a church or meeting, everybody claps and cheers. But how many people really do believe these words; “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world?”

The truth is, the One in you is greater and He loves you. So, stretch your faith today, stretch your hopes today and stretch your love today and see yourself the exact way God sees you. It doesn’t matter what the enemy wants you to see or how things might look. Our faith overcomes through the One who lives in us!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Father, my Guide, illuminate my mind so I can understand how you want me to live. Your word tells me that people of integrity who follow your instructions are joyful. You have said that those who obey your laws and search for you with all their hearts are blessed and happy. I want that joy! Holy Spirit, please guard me against allowing evil to influence what I believe and do. Help me walk only in your paths. May my actions consistently reflect what you have said is right and good. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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When Living Hope is all that Remains for us to Live our Lives by. Psalm 42:2

Psalm 42:1-4 New American Standard Bible

BOOK 2

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

For the music director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c]pants for You, God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and [d]appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 I remember these things and pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go over with the multitude and walk them to the house of God,
With a voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude celebrating a festival.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Moses had to quickly flee into the desert after being discovered to have killed an Egyptian. He had not nearly enough time to outfit and provision himself for the long journey to wherever it was going to take him. Moses was a strong man, and a strong leader, he was truly well versed in surviving desert environments when he has had that large number of others serving his needs and also providing for each and every last one of them before he needed to ask or command for them.

Now, it was all going to be different now that he was discovered to have killed the Egyptian. He needed to leave and leave quickly or risk his own arrest and his humiliation, and the humiliation of the very throne of Egypt and then his death. No time to plan for provisions – for water and for food and for transportation by some means other than great chariots pulled by all the very mightiest of horses. He would be on his own now. He would be traversing the vast wilderness, desert upon his own two feet. Not one could help him, else they’d risk their own lives.

On your own. Thrust by circumstances both seen and unforeseen, in unfamiliar territory. Not knowing where to turn or when to turn for help. Enveloped deep within a situation for which there seems to be no visible nor evident solutions. We walk alongside Moses in such times as this held captive by our thoughts and our actions we cannot take back or move forward from. Homelessness, poverty, a total lack of resources and lack of even basic day to day provision to survive.

We have our own inner resources – our wits, our life skills which our parents had given us as we grew up. We learned about surviving life as life was thrust at us at a pace, we allowed ourselves to believe was wholeheartedly manageable. I have been there and done that more times than I can count, and I believe myself to be a strong person as I am sure each of those who read these few words also believe themselves to be a strong person capable of surviving whatever comes.

That is … until when the irresistible force of our pride and vanity runs headlong into that immovable brick wall, we are unceremoniously stopped in our tracks. There are no more survival skills for us to fall back on – that well has dried up. We are in that penultimate place where we literally have nowhere else to turn. No direction of the compass can we travel where there is any resemblance of that which we can call a living hope for a living and prosperous hope for our future. There is not one single hair follicle from our head that is left unpulled. No food, water is apparent to us as we navigate this most unwanted barrenness.

That is, until we chance to look up from out of our vast misery to see that quiet scene as the Psalmist did those thousands of years ago. That tranquil scene of one lone deer prancing and walking up to that source of water we had not seen nor even considered taking notice of, but which had always been there before us. A deer, coming out of the wilderness, seemingly without a care in the world approaches the edges of a flowing stream, sets itself to the business of taking a long cool drink to slake its lingering thirst. Such a tranquil scene, courtesy of the Lord our God in that exact moment when we needed to see and learn from it.

A scene which suddenly, now totally distracts us from the worst of the worst we had assigned to our limited fields of vision. A deer quietly reaches its head down to the still and quiet waters flowing and running before it. Lo! Placed before us is a brand-new survival skill. “LOOK UP!” NOTICE ALL THE QUIET WHICH IS ALWAYS AND FOREVER THERE BEFORE US! If the one deer is drinking quietly, why aren’t we? It is not as if that deer does not have anything else to be leery of, such as predators lurking nearby, it is just that in that exact moment, it knows it needs to drink, it recognizes its thirst, it recognizes the water as its survival. It’s absolute need for survival in that moment, overwhelms all its worst fears.

Such a tranquil and inspiring and empowering scene, for me, leads me away to the few remaining quiet places which remain unidentified deep within my soul.

It places a great, and much needed pause in all my most sorrowful pleadings: “WHERE ARE YOU, GOD, WHEN I NEED YOU THE MOST? LIKE RIGHT NOW!”

It encourages me to look OUTWARD and therefore, move myself FORWARD.

• It challenges us look at the real “dry places in our life” being our prayer life.

• It urges us to look up into the reality of God’s creation and to worship.

• It directly and decisively confronts the dynamic vibrance of our sin life.

• It helps us to enter the battlefields of the whims of our flesh versus God.

• It breathes a new and EVER living hope into us when we are under attack.

• It opens our eyes to the greatness of God and the power of His salvation.

• It mightily, quietly, softens the “immeasurable” blows of disappointment.

• It molds and shapes our minds into the greater SHALOM and plan of God.

The intense heart-soul – spirit yearnings of the Psalmist for the Lord and his deep pleading enquiry to know the whereabouts of his God, resounds like the repetitive tolling of a thousand, thousand blasts of the great Shofar through the intensely personal and sorrowful pleadings of Korah, in his Psalm – before he finally reached God’s victory in his heart and a deep satisfaction within his soul.

The soul which mightily thirsts for the Lord and heavily and zealously pants for the presence of its living God and keep on and on thirsting and panting for Him is the one for whom the Lord Himself will provide His deep well of satisfaction, brimming to over-abundance, overflowing with the refreshing waters of His life – living water that revives, restores revitalizes and reinvigorates the man or woman whose deepest inner being cries out; “I thirsteth!’ for more of my Jesus.

The one who asks, and indeed, mightily, thirstily, pleads for more of Jesus and keeps on asking will surely receive. The one who seeks the Savior and keeps on seeking will find Him and the one that thirsts and pants and keep on thirsting and panting for more of Jesus – will have their mightiest of thirsts quenched!!!

2 Corinthians 4 New Revised Standard Version

Treasure in Clay Jars

4 Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth, we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. 11 For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

13 But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture— “I believed, and so I spoke”—we also believe, and so we speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence. 15 Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

When our wells seem to be at their driest, in all times and in and from all places, when we are in the very smallest or the very greatest of needs of revival, may we all in humility of heart, and the thirstiest of souls and gentleness of spirit thirst and all keep on thirsting for God, for the more deeply we sense our need of our Lord, Savior Jesus, the more passionately we’ll pursue the Living Waters of life.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us now seek the quiet, tranquil places from where even the deer will pray,

Heavenly Father, I thirst! therefore I pray that You would develop within me a deeper and more personal thirst for You with each passing day, for it is only as I drink deeply of You that my soul can be satisfied – only as I am refreshed by Your Living Waters of life… may I be used as a conduit through whom Your refreshment may be poured out to other thirsty souls, in Jesus’ name I pray, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! AMEN.

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With All of My Heart, With All of My Soul, With All of My Strength, I Will Either Fear Man or I Will Trust God!

The providence of God has brought to my spirit today this well-known Hymn

– Give to the Winds Thy Fears

Translator: John Wesley (1739); Author, Paul Gerhardt (1653)

1 Give to the winds thy fears,
hope and be undismayed;
God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears;
God shall lift up thy head.

2 Through waves and clouds and storms,
He gently clears the way;
wait thou His time, so shall this night
soon end in joyous day.

3 Still heavy is thy heart,
still sink thy spirits down?
Cast off the weight, let fear depart,
and ev’ry care be gone.

4 What though thou rulest not,
yet heav’n, and earth, and hell
proclaim, God sitteth on the throne,
and ruleth all things well.

5 Leave to His sov’reign sway
to choose and to command,
so shalt thou wond’ring own His way,
how wise, how strong His hand!

6 Far, far above thy thought
His counsel shall appear,
when fully He the work hath wrought,
that caused thy needless fear.

7 Thou seest our weakness, Lord,
our hearts are known to Thee;
O lift Thou up the sinking heart,
confirm the feeble knee.

8 Let us in life, in death,
Thy steadfast truth declare,
and publish with our latest breath
Thy love and guardian care.

Proverbs 29:25 Amplified Bible

25 
The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in and puts his confidence in the Lord will be exalted and safe.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

There are many pressures in our 21st century life that causes us to be fearful more than we are trusting, and all too often it is fear that causes man to seek to escape life’s problems through less than desirable means. If anxiety or worry causes a person to be controlled or to be restricted by their circumstances, or if they seek to, “any way possible” escape the cascade of consequences of life’s pressures by committing some sort of acts contrary to the laws of mankind and God, then that person sets a trap for themselves.

They become ensnared and embroiled in their own wrong responses, in their own limits of wisdom. However, the Word of God for the Children of God gives us a wonderful reassurance the one who implicitly trusts the LORD, with all of his heart and all of his soul and with all of his strength, is both safe and secure.

Many passages throughout the Word of God give a believer encouragement and “God” confidence and blessed reassurances, but they often come in the form of contrasts, sinners and the saved, death and life, darkness and light, carnal and spiritual, unbelief and trust. Here inside the book of Proverbs the little word but peppers its pages with many such glorious contrasts. One verse reads, “The fear of man brings a snare, BUT he who [1000%] trusts in the LORD will be exulted.”

This short verse has an undiscovered, unplumbed, depth, a richness of meaning and much to teach us because it first describes a problem, ‘the fear of man’, yet concludes with ‘the GRACE principle’ – “but the Lord…”

The inevitable outcome for the fear of man is a snare which entraps both the heart and soul and without warning results in disappointment, deep despair.

However, Proverbs 29:25 teaches the opposite of fear is faith, which ironically is sometimes called ‘the fear of the Lord’ which is the beginning of wisdom.

As the fear of man and dread of circumstances increases, so, conversely, faith in the Lord decreases. But as our faith stands firm on the promises of God, so fear is likewise and equally dispelled. When faith in God is practiced, fear is snuffed out like a candle and vaporizes like the morning mist. The result of trusting the Lord and reverencing His holy name brings with it wisdom, exaltation and joy.

There is a world of difference between the ungodly ‘fear of man’ and godly ‘fear of the Lord’. Reverence for the Lord brings with it wisdom and strength, hope and joy, humility and purpose while esteem for fallen man too often entraps the soul and is accompanied by a whole host of anxieties and worry. How important then, in these precarious of 21st century circumstance to take this warning in Proverbs to heart, “fear of man is a snare while trusting the LORD brings praise?”

Placing implicit, unquestioning trust in anyone other than the Lord, brings in its wake problems and pain, disappointments and despair. However, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and we have the assurance that the man who trusts in Him will be lifted up and certainly receive many blessings.

The fear of man over the fear of God often comes when we are trying far too hard to be a ‘people pleaser’ instead of honoring the Lord and pleasing Him.

The Bible clearly teaches that you and I cannot reverence God and man at the same time, and Paul addresses this issue in Galatians 1:6-10 when he asks, “Am I now seeking the favour of men, or of God? Am I striving to please men or the Lord?” And in Psalm 56, the writer shows that fear of man evaporates when we place our trust and confidence in the Lord. “In God I have put my trust,” he declares. “I shall not be afraid! What can man do to me?”

In every situation in which we find ourselves, in each life-problem we meet, we have irrefutable assurance in God’s Word that He is able and willing to deliver those that trust in the name of His only begotten Son – our Savior Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 5:8-11 New American Standard Bible

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 [a]So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your [b]brothers and sisters who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Please make no mistake here! Fear is an “up close in your face” sobering and dangerous emotion which entangles man in deep dark problems, and fear is also a favorite tool used by the enemy… who seeks to bring saved men down into his chaos, imbalance, ‘Slough of Despondency’ and entrap them in his ‘Pit of Despair’ which can over time, subtly, suddenly cause a believer to doubt the power and veracity of God’s Word and the Gospel truth of God’s Holy Scriptures.

Never forget somewhere in the Bible there is always a resounding, ‘BUT GOD…’

Purely as an illustration, suppose the Lord Jesus told you that “I am coming back very soon!” Do you think or believe He would then tell you to spend your time stockpiling provisions? Adding an addition to your home just for storage?

Hardly! I believe He would say “give all that you have to the homeless person who has nothing or go up and down the highways and by-ways and dark and darkened corridors and alleys and share the Gospel of His pending arrival. Give everything you have to those who do not have and declare the glory of what God has done for you, so they too may find someone to share the Good News also.

It is not my task or purpose to make people feel guilty or self-conscious. Every one of us knows they could be doing a better job of telling other people about our Savior. I am not talking about cornering people, backing them up against a wall and being “in your face” obnoxious. That only risks alienating someone.

I am here talking about starting everyday by praying this prayer: “Lord, today I am going to live solely for you. Today, if you would please just bring someone across my path who needs you, I will try hard to help them by pointing them unto you!”

Please, never allow any fear, as being conceived in your mind, to be birthed into a slice of terror which destroys the inner peace God gives to those who love Him. Rather, be too quick, be sober minded to dispel those thoughts which threaten to bring down your heart and soul, as soon as they come to mind, by setting your heart on the face of Jesus, taking those thoughts captive to Christ.

Our God of GRACE and peace in Whom we trust, has promised us all temporal, spiritual, and eternal mercies. Remember, it is fear of man that spawn’s death and dis-ease BUT the one who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ honors the Father in heaven and brings life and release. Grace! Grace! God’s Grace! is always #1!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Thank You, Father, for Your many beautiful promises of ‘contrast’. I begin now to understand more and more that there is nothing in life that should cause me to fear. Thank You that You have promised to be with me in every circumstance of life and have given me an assurance that Your GRACE is sufficient to counter every fear in my heart. Keep me looking UP to Jesus and trusting in His precious promises. I pray that on those occasions when doubts and fear arise within, that Your Spirit will prompt me to turn my thoughts away from the fear of man and onto trust in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! AMEN.

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As Much as it is Possible with Me, be Joyful in Hope, Patient in Affliction, Faithful in Prayer—Romans 12:12

Romans 12:10-13 GOD’S WORD Translation

10 Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other. 11 Don’t be lazy in showing your devotion. Use your energy to serve the Lord. 12 Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually. 13 Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. Be hospitable.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

As much as it is or is not possible for any one person, we read Paul’s directive to be joyful, patient and faithful in the midst of ever-mounting daily struggles.

Considering the differences between when Paul first wrote these words and these 21st century days, if there really are any significant differences except the passage of years and generations of people which have come and gone, and the obvious differences in socio-cultural, socio-economic, techno complexities, it must still be the same in the minds of the readers specific to each time frame.

They read the words and I have read the words myself over and over again, and it is clear to me as I believe it was to them: these words seem like a hard pill to try and swallow and remain faithful and devoted to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Every era has its own singularly unique complexities and challenges which we as followers and believers must raise up and meet – not in any image of “me, myself and I” but in the image of God. the Father, God the Son and Holy Spirit!

Be devoted to one another like a loving family.

Excel in showing respect for each other.

Do not be lazy in showing your devotion.

Use your energy to serve the Lord.

Be happy in your confidence.

Be patient in times of trouble – without regard to how big or small trouble is.

Pray continually.

Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. (Who does not need?)

Be hospitable.

Any one of these directives taken alone is daunting enough.

Any two or three or more taken together in whatever combination – WOW!

But there are NINE DIRECTIVES given by the Apostle Paul in these verses.

Doing all NINE DIRECTIVES in the image of God, the Father, Son and Spirit?

Who is not wondering what was on Paul’s mind when he wrote these words?

Is Paul out of his collective mind? Is he or is he not in firm contact with reality?

However, these charges come directly on the heels of instruction to serve the Lord continually out of a growing and maturing spiritual fervor and passion for God. When we are walking after the Spirit, living out of our relationship to Him then these things will naturally occur in our lives because each one of these is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-26). These fruits are His characteristics and traits, so each of these identified characteristics in our lives are a byproduct of our relationship to Savior Christ. As we devote ourselves to God, become more and more like him, we will 100% start resembling His character on a daily basis.

Let us just try to carefully examine the directives from verse 12.

12 Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually. 

We are to be joyful in hope.

When our hope is placed Jesus then being joyful in all things is easy because we know the hope to which we were called.

1 Peter says, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

As born-again believers, we know the hope that we have through Christ. Our future in heaven is secure in him by evidence of his resurrection. 

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Just the knowledge one day we will be reunited with Christ is reason enough to be continually joyful in all things. This inexpressible and glorious joy should be self-evident to everyone around us because of the 100% hope we have in Christ.

Secondly, we are to be patient in affliction. Being patient is a wonderful characteristic to have. It is a quality of suffering with fortitude while enduring wrongs and trials at the hands of the world.

James tells us that we are to “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

The King James Bible says it this way, “the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:3-4 KJV). 

The work of patience in our lives produces growth, maturity and completion in our faith. This is why we can be patient in affliction, because we know the result of the trial will not destroy us but rather help us grow and mature in the Lord.

Next we are to be faithful in prayer.

James teaches us “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

Through Christ Jesus we are completely righteous which means when we pray, it is powerful and effective. This is why Paul tells us to be continuously faithful in our continual devotion and discipline to prayer because we know that we are releasing God’s power on this earth when we pray. 

Jesus told the disciples “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). When we pray in accordance with God’s will then we can rest assured that the answer is yes to whatever we ask.

The Apostle Paul gave us an empowering and encouraging word in Romans 8 concerning this and praying in agreement to God’s will, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Since we are called to His purpose, we can pray in the knowledge that it is effective and will work out for our good.

Joy, patience and faithfulness are all fruit of the Spirit. We can operate in all of these things because they are characteristics of God and have been deposited into our born-again spirits. We can let them flow through us simply by living by His spirit and renewing our minds to the truth of His word. How may this word of God come to bless you and may your fruit look like His characteristics today?

Try giving the directives a new life within your 21st Century Times and Seasons!

Try giving these directives a new order within your 21st century complexities!

Recently I skimmed the verse backwards and it gave new life to the verse I already love.

FAITHFUL IN PRAYER

Prayer basically means to talk to God. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In all things we should seek God through prayer. We don’t need to be anxious, worried, or in doubt. He is always available to listen and give us peace.

Not only are we asked to pray but pray faithfully. Faithful by definition is to have a long-continued and steadfast devotion. So, we are to be devoted to prayer, and another translation tells us to be constant in prayer. Break the Cycle! Being in a constant conversation with God throughout your entire day. Through every last stumble we deliberately look to Him to guide us. That’s what He wants, and that’s what we need. A healthy relationship will always require communication.

PATIENT IN AFFLICTION

Patience is the ability to tolerate delay without getting angry or upset. I’ve heard a lot of people say, “don’t pray for patience, God will give it to you!” As in, you and I will sooner or later, end up in a situation that will require patience.

But the truth we all seem to take for granted is we will all have afflictions or something that causes us our unique pain and unique suffering in this life.

Whether it’s financial hardships, chronic pain, emotional struggles, or even various degrees and measures of oppression and persecution, we need Godly patience to help us along the way. When we face times like these, we can seek God through prayer and lean on Him to give us patience to endure our trials.

JOYFUL IN HOPE

We will spend eternity in the presence of the creator of the universe.

Our hope is in Jesus and eternal life spent with Him! This truth should be radiating from us!

John 14:1-14 GOD’S WORD Translation

Jesus Promises to Send the Holy Spirit

14 “Don’t be troubled. Believe in God and believe in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms. If that were not true, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again. Then I will bring you into my presence so that you will be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going. So how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me. 7 If you have known me, you will also know my Father. From now on you know him ⌞through me⌟ and have seen him ⌞in me⌟.”

8 Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will satisfy us.”

9 Jesus replied, “I have been with all of you for a long time. Don’t you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I’m telling you doesn’t come from me. The Father, who lives in me, does what he wants. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe me because of the things I do.

12 “I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do anything you ask ⌞the Father⌟ in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son. 14 If you ask me to do something, I will do it.

Whatever size and magnitude of trials come our way; we can always be joyful in the fact that we will have a future with Jesus. In the meantime, through faithful prayer and patience, we can continue to look at Him until that day has come.

In John 16:33 after Jesus tells the disciples the future troubles, they were going to face he says:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Through faithfulness in prayer, we receive patience to wait upon Jesus in whom we find our joy-filled, joyful everlasting, ever-living, genuine hope.

We are called to disciple and shepherd not just the ones who are easy, but also the hurting ones. The hurt might be self-inflicted, or due to an illness, personal, financial, or relational loss or a number of other reasons.  Regardless of the reason, Romans 12 is a beautiful road map I often refer to for walking with the hurting.

BE PRESENT: Let your love for others be genuine, not artificial or forced. Be the first one to greet them in the church lobby, make eye contact, smile at them make them feel valued and that they are important to you. Make the sincere effort to be present with them as they navigate their ups and downs of life.

Reconciliation, forgiving someone, coming back to church, making amends with those they hurt, or starting a conversation with God who they believe let the bad thing happen to them. These may be little baby steps to us, but it is a very necessary forward motion, and they need to hear you celebrate with them.

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ” Romans 12:9

“Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” – Romans 12:15

BE PATIENT: Don’t put off the hard conversations. This takes dedication, time, and intentionality. There is God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit’s part, there is our part, and their part. Don’t get too far ahead in your expectations and goal setting for them. Walk next to them, not ahead of them.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12

BE HUMBLE: “Let your mind be like Christ Jesus.” Ouch, that is a hard one. But Jesus showed us how to do that over and over. Living in harmony is hard work. We don’t get a free pass just because it is hard. Pride is the enemy of humility.

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” – Romans 12:10

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” – Romans 12:14

BE A GOOD LISTENER: A Sound, Growing and Mature Wisdom is knowing what to say and more importantly what not to say. Knowing when to say it and when not to say it. Listen with the exact intent to understand, not respond. The best moments occur when I’m counseling someone, and they just have that “awe ha” moment as they talk it out.  Be ever so prudent in your use and application of silence. Give God His space. I didn’t tell them the solution, the Holy Spirit did.

In any time, Paul’s directives are complex and challenging. If we are walking with someone who is hurting, who has hurt you or those you care about, give it to God. He can take the burden off your shoulders and do what only he can do. Love them well in their journey to freedom from the heartaches weighing them down. Love them just as God loves you! Celebrate them as God celebrates you!

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. — Romans 12:12

Most of us have endured devastating trials in our lives. We have been devastated by financial loss, heartbreak, loss of loved ones, and other troubled times. Many of these stories are reported on television on a daily basis. And yet, 100% truth, time after time, the resilience of those who are facing adversity shines through.

The main reason many of us do not buckle or stumble under the weight of our circumstances is because of the eternal hope that is alive, well, in our hearts.

Characteristically, just like faith, hope is strengthened by adversity. The harsh experience of having gone through something difficult toughens our resolve so that we believe we are going to be okay. In verse 12 of Romans 12, Paul tried to help us understand that going through difficult times was no excuse to abandon hope. We should strive to remain joyful in faith, hope as we wait in anticipation for God’s promises to be fulfilled, with the greatest promise being His Heaven.

When you experience difficulty, you always have a choice. One option is to hide yourself in a dark place away from the world, or you can face the adversity head on, knowing that, In God, the Father, Son and Spirit, you are, 100% not alone.

God is forever there. Just reach out to Him in prayer. The everlasting hope that He has placed in your heart will see you through. And the next time you endure a trial, through godly patience and perseverance, your hope will be stronger.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Holy God, make me a partaker of your Holy Spirit. Enlighten me, oh, God. May I taste this heavenly gift that you reserve for your righteous people. Cleanse me of any barriers in my heart and mind that may stop me from feeling your true presence in me. Flood any dark spots in my heart with your light. Help me to walk in your light and shine your beauty and grace on everyone I meet. Amen.

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Happy Valentine’s Day! The Love of God in the Light of Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is a special day for those in marriages where there is a mutually enriching relationship. It is a special for couples who are dating or engaged. It is a special day for dear friends. It is a day is for gifting with boxes of chocolate candy all wrapped with a red and white bow, flowers, loving cards, enjoyable times together, lunch dates and dinners all with the most romantic of flares.

But there are some people would like to ignore Valentine’s Day: recent widows and widowers, those living together who are estranged, separated or divorced, those struggling as single mothers or single fathers or anyone because of age, depression or infirmity who feels alone. How can those who are celebrating look at their celebration of shared love from another perspective? How can those who want the day to be invisible, live in their lives from another perspective?

The answer is contained in the pages of God’s Word to us. Whoever we are, we ought to try and remember we are first loved by Creator God at the moment of conception in our mother’s womb. This love remains a constant in our lives. The truth is: God’s love is our first valentine. So, whether we celebrate openly or simply desire the day to fall off the calendar, we can all celebrate God’s love on Valentine’s Day. We do this by reflecting on his word to each of us individually:

1 John 4:7-21 GOD’S WORD Translation

God’s Love Lives in His People

7 Dear friends, we must love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. 8 The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, because God is love. 9 God has shown us his love by sending his only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. 10 This love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 We know that we live in him, and he lives in us because he has given us his Spirit.

14 We have seen and testify to the fact that the Father sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God lives in those who declare that Jesus is the Son of God, and they live in God. 16 We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God’s love live in God, and God lives in them.

17 God’s love has reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the day of judgment. While we are in this world, we are exactly like him ⌞with regard to love⌟. 18 No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn’t have perfect love.

19 We love because God loved us first. 20 Whoever says, “I love God,” but hates another believer is a liar. People who don’t love other believers, whom they have seen, can’t love God, whom they have not seen. 21 Christ has given us this commandment: The person who loves God must also love other believers.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

We often think of Valentine’s Day as the day for couples to show their love to one another, but rarely do we use the day to remind us of God’s unmatched love for us, His children. For many single people, Valentine’s Day can be a bitter reminder of their singleness and desire for a relationship. Luckily, God doesn’t leave anyone, single or in a relationship, out of His unending love and grace.

In 1 John 4:8, the author says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

God is love itself. We wouldn’t have any conception of “love” at all if it weren’t for God, the definition of love.

God further defines love in the classic 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 passage that reads, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

God continuously describes love in this way, and then continually tells us that He IS love. This further emphasizes that God himself is all of these things.

God is continually and continuously patient and kind. He keeps no record of wrongs. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. God’s love is a perfect love that no one on earth could ever possibly emulate.

We frequently read this 1 John 4 and 1 Corinthians passage near Valentine’s Day or at weddings to remind us of what continuous and continual love should look like. We sin and tragically fall short, but God is the perfect demonstration of it.

John 3:16 says, “for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

In His continuous and continual love for us, He gave up His only son for us. He gave us eternal life because of His great and unmatched love for each of us.

The theologian C.S. Lewis once said, “He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.”

Ponder upon and today meditate upon this thought: God loves you so much. If you were the only one on earth, He 100% still would have sent His son for you.

Mark 12:28-34 GOD’S WORD Translation

Love God and Your Neighbor

28 One of the experts in Moses’ Teachings went to Jesus during the argument with the Sadducees. He saw how well Jesus answered them, so he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?”

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. 30 So love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

32 The expert in Moses’ Teachings said to Jesus, “Teacher, that was well said! You’ve told the truth that there is only one God and no other besides him! 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus heard how wisely the man answered, he told the man, “You’re not too far from God’s kingdom.”

After that, no one dared to ask him another question.

So, on this Valentine’s Day 2022, remember to set your sights not on earthy relationships, but on the God above who loves far more fully and abundantly than we could ever imagine. Strive in your life to continually, continuously learning everything there is to know from God’s Word about His love for you.

Translate that knowledge and experience into your everyday life with whoever it is you may meet. Celebrate and share the perfect love of God in Christ Jesus. Love others in the exact same way in which God, through Christ first loved you! Pray openly or secretly, with those you meet today, “may God’s love embrace you not just on this Valentine’s Day but in every single moment of every single day!”

There is no such a time that is ever a bad time to express your love for someone, and if it takes a formal holiday like Valentine’s Day, to help you to express your affection to the loved ones in your life, then I’m all for it and you should be too. For the occasion: don’t just send a card or note that says “I love you!” Include a personal message from God’s Words of Love and Life, of Faith and Hope about what it is that you love about that person, why you find time to cherish them.  

Please, Do not put off saying “I LOVE YOU.”

For God’s Sake, do not assume someone knows how you feel about them. Tell them. Tell them right now. The matter of one person’s soul hearing God’s love for them should never be taken for granted. God’s first love transforms utterly. Give God, Give Jesus, Give God’s Holy Spirit the opportunity to grow loves seed. We plant the seed of His abiding love with our love we first received from God. Love is always meant to be communicated. Love is always meant to be known.

Try and imagine all those moments when you did not speak or hear of 1st love. Did you love the feeling? Do you regret not even knowing of all the feelings? I encourage each and every one who eventually comes to read this devotional to pick up their Bibles, clean, wipe the dust off the covers – learn of “first love” all over again. Reacquaint and refresh your hearts and your souls with His Truth.

“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, you soul, mind and strength!”

FROM GOD TO YOU, THROUGH ME, HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINES’ DAY 2022!!!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

A Valentine’s Day Prayer

I said a Valentine prayer for You
and asked the Lord above
to fill your heart and bless your soul
with the precious gift of love.

I asked Him for sincere love
the kind that’s meant to stay
just like the generous love
You give to those You touch each day.

I prayed for love from family
and from every cherished friend
then I asked the Lord to give you
His love that knows no end.

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