New Blog Post: "In Touch Magazine – Charles Stanley - “Our Constant Friend”

2 Timothy 4:16-18 NLT The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And He rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attach and will bring me safely into His kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen

Many of us have experienced times of abandonment by others just when we needed them most. It could have been a spouse withdrawing emotionally, a co-worker who ignored you, or a close friend who was too busy to help. The life of the apostle Paul teaches us how to avoid discouragement in such situations.

Remember that the Lord is with us always. When we trust Jesus as our Saviour, we enter into a relationship with Him, and His Spirit comes to live in us. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus remains with us at all times, regardless of the circumstances. He is our Friend – one who will never leave us. And His is the most important friendship we have. Reading our Bible will help us to remember this.

Draw on God’s strength. Through the Holy Spirit, we have access to divine power every minute of the day. When we let go of control and depend on the Lord, we will be able to draw on His strength. Then, if family or friends cause hurt, His presence will provide comfort and help us to forgive them.

Look expectantly for deliverance. Paul testified that the Lord had rescued him and would continue to deliver him from every evil situation. The apostle knew he could always trust God.

Paul face many painful situations without the support of friends. Toward the end of his life, those who cared about him were widely scattered. Yet his attitude remained hopeful because Christ was his constant Friend. Do you know the Saviour? Allow His presence to walk with you throughout your day, and experience the joy His friendship brings.

New Blog Post: “Thanksgiving to the Father”

Prayer

I always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when I pray for you, since I heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing – as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it our beloved fellow servant. He is faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

And so, from the day I heard, I have not ceased to pray for you, asking God that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you each be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins through the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

New Blog Post: "Trusting God Day by Day – 365 Daily Devotional - Joyce Meyer"

“Making Right Choices Makes Life So Much Better”

Luke 13:24 Strive to enter by the narrow door (force yourselves through it), for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

Like most of us, you are probably tempted to take all the easy paths, but God’s path is rarely easy. The Bible describes those other paths – the ones that lead to destruction – as “broad” because not a lot of effort is required to remain on them. We are encouraged by God to take the narrow path, the more difficult one, which is also the one that leads to life.

We have to make a strong effort to push through the negativity in the world, but if we will do our part, God will always do His. Not everyone is willing to make the effort. They are addicted to ease and simply flow with their feelings. Jesus died for us so we could have the wonderful, abundant life that is filled with peace, joy, power, success, and every good thing. He was willing to go to the cross and pay for our sins though physically, mentally, and emotionally it was very difficult. We, too, must be willing to do what is right, and our reward will surely come. God’s grace will always enable us to do the right thing if we are willing to do so.

Study the Word of God regularly, and then when trouble comes, you will already have your spiritual tank full of fuel that will enable you to make right choices. Don’t be the kind of person who prays or has time for God only when you feel like it or have a disaster. Seek God because you know you cannot navigate safely in this world without Him.

You and I can let our minds drift aimlessly day after day, and we can be controlled by our emotions, or we can strive to gird up our minds, choose our thoughts carefully, and manage our emotions. God has set before us life and death, good and evil, and has given us the responsibility of making the choice (see Deuteronomy 30:19). Choose life!

Trust in Him: What choice are you currently facing? What path will you choose? Remember, the right choice won’t always be easy, but you can trust God, Who gives you strength and rewards you, to help you do it.

 

New Blog Post: “We Have an Inheritance”

Prayer

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed you in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose you in Him before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved. In Him you have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory. Because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all saints, I do not cease to pray and give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward you who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Amen