What I Like About Jesus

It doesn't take too long for a baby christian to understand that they are loved by God. He surrounds them with His presence and reassures them through His Word and with the Holy Spirit, who makes His presence known in their hearts by the changes in their behavior and the transformation that evolves in their lives over time.

He is always encouraging them, and He is delighted when they try new things, when they continue to pray and worship Him, when they take the time to be alone with Him, when they open their hearts to Him. He loves to call them His friends, and deep friendship requires time, effort and compassion. When you have a good friendship, that friendship is tested by trials and tribulations; you know who your true friends are, they are the ones that dont abandon you at the first sign of trouble, and they give you support when you need it the most. You will never abandon a friend like that, and you will always believe in them.

He cares for all His children, and with time, He will give them deep access into His thoughts and feelings; you know the ones that seem to have a deep relationship with the Lord, they are the ones who seek His fellowship every day of their lives. They can pray to God and be reassured that they will get an answer, and whatever that answer is, they will follow Him to that solution whatever form that it takes. When you depend on His resources instead of your own, you will find peace and joy in your heart, and you will see amazing miracles and the perfert solution for your circumstances.

Leave all your issues and burdens at His feet, for He knows what is best for you. Jesus Christ will always be your anchor and your guiding star if you let Him live in your heart. Make the decision today to let Him have first place in your heart and when you live for His purposes, you will find your true destiny. Keep you heart open to accept Him and let His light shine within you!

The Process Of Sanctification

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Hebrews 5:11-14

Many modern-day inventions are designed to help us accomplish tasks more quickly. The microwave, for example, shortens cooking time drastically, while washing machines and computers speed up other chores. New technology has the added effect of increasing life’s already fast pace as well as our desire for instant solutions.

Not every process, however, lends itself to acceleration. Consider our growth in Christ, which is known as sanctification. Being a Christian is neither an event nor a quick fix. Rather, it is a journey. There are things for us to learn along the way, and while we may unwisely choose a longer path than necessary, there really are no shortcuts.

Sadly, some people grow little after salvation. They are not encouraged in their faith or discipled well. Others fail to pursue maturity through prayer, meditation on Scripture, and fellowship. God is not pleased when His children opt for complacency. That’s why His Word tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).

Consider how spiritual development benefits believers. By learning God’s ways, we can walk in obedience and live contented, purposeful lives for His glory. We also gain the ability to discern truth from distortion.

Do you notice any change in your life and character since the day you were saved? Are you able to detect spiritual growth over the last year? Your heavenly Father wants to mature you. So make a continuous effort to cooperate with Him by reading Scripture, praying, fellowshipping, and repenting of all known sin in your life.The

Intouch Ministries Devotions

God's "Great Expectations"

by Toni Babcock

Does God judge us because he thinks less of who we are when we fall short of who we ought to be? No, you can leave that kind of condemnation to the devil. God only points out sin in our lives because he expects more of us - and that is a matter of faith. So the next time you fail to please God in some area of life, don't listen to the condemnation of the devil, or wallow in the depths of your despair. Strive by faith to become the kind of person God expects you to be, because of who you are in Jesus.

How to go about it? Well, make certain you have submitted to God in the first place. Jesus calls us to "Repent and believe the gospel," (Mark 1:15 KJV). This is a call to a new life, and a new power. It is more than "turning over a new leaf" and resolving to do better. (We are famously impotent when it comes to keeping our intentions.) It is more than simply acquiescing to please God - or someone else. (How many times have we done that?)

No, to repent and believe the gospel is to experience a fundamental change of mind and heart through the direct influence of God and His Word; it is to believe Christ died and rose again to save us from the penalty and power of sin. Herein we allow God to do the saving, not us, as He channels His grace through Christ, who comes to dwell in the heart by faith. This change of heart and mind is demonstrated by a change of will, and an open heart to receive Him.

God has great expectations for us because of His Son Jesus Christ. Do we?

Toni Babcock is author of The Stone Writer, Christian Fiction for Young Readers and Teens

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

King Of Kings

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Revelation 19:11-16

In today’s passage from Revelation 19, we see Jesus exalted as the King of Kings. He is shown returning to earth to rescue His people, judge the wicked, and set up His kingdom. As heaven opens, Christ rides out on a white horse in power and great glory. This appearance is nothing like His quiet arrival in Bethlehem as a helpless baby. This time, “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7), as He comes to bring inescapable judgment.

The exalted King is not coming alone. The armies of heaven—who are clothed in the fine linen of the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7-8)—are following Him on white horses. If you are a Christian, you will be in this army of saints and angels. This describes the fulfillment of the promise that says believers are going to rule and reign with Him (Revelation 5:10).

One day, Jesus will literally reign on this earth as King. But even before that time, He comes to rule in the heart of every believer. Sometimes Christians try to keep Him exclusively in the role of Savior, but salvation is just the beginning of all the blessings the Lord has in store for us. Only in submission and obedience to Christ’s authority will we be transformed into His image and live a life worthy of His rewards (Revelation 22:12).

In all practicality, who is the king of your life? Who is it that guides your decisions and directs your path? The Creator has a plan and purpose for your life, which can be discovered only by living under the authority of Jesus Christ. May His kingdom come and His will be done—on earth and in your heart.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

How To Be Righteous In God's Eyes

We came from the valleys and the low places, we traveled long distances, carrying only our fears and our griefs and our heart's deepest desires, to see Him, the One who could heal us, to lay ourselves and our burdens at the thone of His Grace, where mercy, love, and peace abound.

We had no assurances within our hearts that He would accept us, only the words of past pilgrims who had come this way before us; they said that there is peace, wonderful peace in Zion; we have nothing left to lose, for we have tried every solution, concept, and remedy known to man. We heard the Lamb Of God has everything that we need to be healed, to be whole.

At last, we come to the mountaintop, to Zion and we kneel before Him, and what does He ask of us? Nothing that we expected, we would have done mighty deeds, or given all of our money to the poor. We would have worked in His temple for thousands of years as a lowly janitor, sweeping away the dirt and the tears from before His Presence, but He asked nothing from us, expect that we believe in Him, that we accept His gift of love and sacrifice, that we accept Him as Our Lord and Savior.

There we were, at His feet, broken and confused, depressed and lonely, helpless and needy like newborn babies; as we acccepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we became renewed in our hearts and minds, with new found peace, smiles on our faces, with unspeakable joy. It was that simple, I thought, truly the worse is over? How can that be?

The One who saved me looked at me, with love and compassion and said, "Yes, my child, the worse is over, you will live with me forever and ever in my presence, and no one will be able to take you from me. I will protect you and guide you, I will fight your battles; keep your focus on me and not on your problems, and you will have victory in Me".

I was overcome with delight, and I knew I could never repay Him for what He had done. I could not understand why He would love me, a sinner, so much; He never condemned me, He just lifted His hands toward me and gave me a hug, and then I knew I would never leave from His side ever again.

Then He looked upon us and smiled, and said, "Now is the time for peace and for celebration, for you, our children, were lost and now are found, you were blinded by your selfish pride, but now you can see the truth with a heart of love and compassion. Because of this, I now declare you citizens of the Kingdom of God, and you are righteous in our eyes." He said this as we stood before the Throne of God, as Father God looked down upon us with pleasure and approval, and the Holy Spirit whispered love and affection into our hearsts.

Our God Of Comfort

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

God’s care for us extends even to the details of our lives. He knows when His children hurt, and He longs to offer comfort (Isa. 49:13).

The Lord’s compassion is personal, continuous, and always available. We receive His comfort through the Holy Spirit, who lives within us. There is no situation or time when He is inaccessible to the believer—we can be consoled and reassured at any moment, day or night.

Consider how the compassion of God was demonstrated through Jesus’ life. He interacted even with the “untouchables”—people whose bodies were infected with a contagious disease (Luke 17:11-14). And no sickness of ours will prevent Him from caring for us.

When Jesus saw people with medical conditions, in compassion He not only healed them physically but also gave an even greater comfort—new life through the forgiveness of sins. And while our infirmities may remain, the Lord lovingly strengthens us to persevere (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

As for the messes we get into, notice how Peter’s betrayal of Christ was met with forgiveness and reinstatement (John 21:15-17), and Thomas’s doubts were answered by Jesus Himself (John 20:27). Our mistakes won’t stop Him from loving us. Even to His enemies, Jesus left the way open for repentance.

God’s comfort and care are adequate for anything we face, whether it’s poor health, insufficient finances, or family trouble. Then, once we’ve experienced His consolation, we’re to become bearers of comfort to others (2 Corinthians 1:4). Remember, people everywhere are in great need of His compassion.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

What You Will Need To Come Home

My favorite superhero show, the flash, just had its season finale last night, and I must admit, I was somewhat disappointed by its conclusion, yet it also taught me some real life lessons that we all need to adhere to our lives. All through this 3rd season, it has been a struggle for our hero, the flash. You see, he was given 'by accident' incredible speed powers, and he chose to use those powers for good. It was a bumpy ride for barry allen, as he tried to learn how to become a hero, to be selfless and giving, even to the point of death, while also trying to maintain some type of a 'normal' life, trying to find peace and love in a very chaotic world. Does this premise sound familiar to you? Have you been trying to live peacefully in a chaotic world without God in your life?

Anyway, He succeeded in becoming a hero, despite the many times he had to deal with pain, loss, and betrayal. He learned to hold on to the people around him that loved and cared for him, but as the saying goes, he was only human just like the rest of us, and he made many mistakes. This season, he tried to fix all of his problems by doing a reset of time; he tried to have the perfect life on earth without all of the pain and suffering he endured that set him upon the path to becoming a superhero. He found out fairly quickly that trying to have the 'perfect' life in an imperfect world was not the solution he needed after all. You see, all the trials and tribulations may not have given him a 'perfect' life, but it did help him to become the best version of himself that he could possibly be.

In our own lives, this is the real truth: we are living so that we may come to the realization of the love and providence of the One who created us, Jesus Christ. He wants us to come to Him to be cleansed, saved, and restored from our sins, so that we may live with Him forever, in the presence of God, in peace, security, and happiness forever and ever. We must have the revelation within our hearts that we need the One who created us, and that true happiness comes from Him; this life is the way we find out how to come back home to Him.

What would you do if you had the powers of a God? Do you believe that you could do any better than the mythical characters that we conceive in our own minds, the heroes that the world looks up to? This season of the flash was about redeeming the hero, barry allen, from his own tragic mistakes, and the solution was not an easy one. He had to face up to his mistake and try to find a way to fix it while maintaining the relationships that he built into his life with his family and friends; he had to come to grips with the sad truth of his selfishness, that his decisions not only affected his life, but also the lives of everyone in his circle. It is never easy to live with your own mistakes, but it seems almost impossible to deal with the concept of destroying other people's lives in the process; that is why we need the Lord and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Without the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we tend to gloss over the true consequences of our actions, that is why it is so hard for many people to see that their lives apart from God is fruitless. Many people live in a state of perpetual denial that gives them the freedom to live as they see fit; it is only when too many problems or issues arise as a result of those selfish decisions that the delusion begins to disappear. They start to realise they need a solution to the problem, but from their perspective, there is no real answer to what ails them because they have been unwilling to acknowledge that they are weak and that they need God's help.

Without God's love and providence, you will never heal, and your heart will never be restored. In the flash, we learn that barry's mistake caused a part of him to go deep into the dark side, and his solution to correct this mistake made everything else a lot worse. At the end of the season, he finally realizes that he needs to face the consequences of his actions and allow himself to be taken into the speed force, the very source of his power to fix what he has broken, and to restore a better life, better health, and happiness to himself and to his loved ones who stuck by him all this time, even when he made such poor choices in his arc to becoming a hero.

My friends, the Lord knows everything about us, he knows our weaknesses and our strengths, and He looks at us and still loves us with all of His heart. He is waiting for you to come to the realization that you cannot live this life peacefully and victoriously without Him. Once you begin your journey to true happiness and fullfillment, you will come to realise that all our your problems, your tribulations were destined to bring you to the point of surrender at His feet, to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Just when you thought you couldn't live another minute of life without His love and restoration, you found Him, and you realised the solution was always there just waiting for you to take it within your heart; you were humbled by the enormous weight of living this life without His love, power, and authority.

When you became of believer in Jesus Christ, you were granted power and authority to live peacefully and victoriously in this world. Yes, my brothers and sisters in Christ, we have been granted 'super powers', and we are all 'super friends' in Christ! His Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts, to guide us, transform us, and give us the power to live in this world with peace, joy, and hope, courageously living our lives in a world that fears and hates Jesus Christ and the overwhelming power of His Word, for when unbelievers are touched by His word, they can no longer live in that delusional state of rebellion in their hearts that keeps them running from the face and the presence of the Lord.

That power is necessary to transform our hearts and minds, and to give selflessly and patiently to the world, to proclaim His word and His love to the people all around us. Without this power we would perish, for the evil one, satan and his demons, would quickly wipe us from the face of the planet with a hatred that is so deep that is it truly incomprehensible to conceive. That is why 'the prince of the air' tries so hard to break us and to destroy our hearts and minds, and he works through unbelievers because he has a firm grip on their hearts and minds; he is the one that gives them the strong delusions that they believe in and they are truly unaware that these ideas are not their own. That is why we need to deal with them through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we need to love them with the love of the Lord; without His power and authority flowing through us, we would be crushed by the issues of our lives.

If you feel crushed by life, I am here to tell you the truth about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the solution for your problems, for what ails you, and you will never find a better solution anywhere else. You thought you had everything that you needed, and you thought what you had was the best life that anyone could ever possibly live, and there lies your true problem; your best solution is flawed, dangerous, and confusing to your heart and mind. It is the reason why you can't seem to get out the rut that you are in. You have been self medicating yourself with all types of things (food, drugs, alcohol, money, sex, 'power', etc...) but nothing is working for you anymore, and these things will never bring you the peace that you have been searching for and true happiness; since you have nothing else to lose, why don't you try the best and only solution for your troubles, Jesus Christ. Ask Him to come into your heart right now!

Our Bridge To God

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

John 14:1-6

The last verse in today’s passage makes a powerful and unequivocal statement. Jesus clearly says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

People have taken exception to that statement for 2,000 years. Some say the Lord didn’t mean for it to be taken literally. Others categorically reject His authority to make the claim at all. However, as believers in the lordship of Jesus Christ, we must take what He says as truth. So let’s think for a moment about the word picture in that verse.

When Jesus calls Himself “the way,” many people imagine a one-way street. They take this to mean that there are lots of roads, but He is the only one that leads to the Father. That’s a good image, but I think we can do even better.

I like to think of Jesus not as a road but as a bridge—our bridge to God. Consider the apostle Paul’s warning in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (emphasis added). The picture here is of a great chasm between us and God, and we cannot make it across. Unable to bridge the gap, we fall.

So, what is the only way across a chasm? A bridge, of course. And that’s what Jesus is for us. He stands in the gap, providing safe passage across the void and into the loving arms of the Father.

Meditate on this mental image. When we imagine ourselves helpless and lost—with heaven just out of reach, beyond a great divide—we can begin to appreciate the true power of the cross.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

It's Not A Regimen, It's A Relationship

God desires to live in your heart, to experience everything that you do, to comfort your heart when you go through pain and suffering, to inspire you to great feats of love and compassion. He wants you to be just like Him, and the only way that can happen is if you can experience who He is on a level that is realistic and impressive. You must learn to see your connection with Him as a relationship, and not as a daily 'regimen' or exercise.

It can happen very easily; when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, there was a feeling of His presence in your heart, you felt a profound change in your heart and mind, your behavior may have changed, you may have been physically or emotionally healed, and you were filled with a sense of love and gratitude. Over time these feelings could change, as your christian lifestyle becomes a daily routine; you go to church every sunday, hear a sermon, go home and relax and get yourself ready for work for the next day. If you are more conscientious than many christians, you participate in church ministries every week, and you tithe. All of these things are good things to do, but they can put you into a mindset that hampers your spiritual development. After everything that you do as a christian, do you know if God approves of what you are doing with your life?

Prayer is so essential to every christian's life, but many christians are not aware that prayer is not just about talking to God when they need something, or asking for help when they are in tough situations; God wants to be a crucial part of our daily lives, and He wants us to fellowship with Him. Taking time to praise Him for all He has done for us, and to show our gratitude by spending time during the day to read the bible, and listen to worship music, and sing songs of thanksgiving and praise; my God yearns for your praise and for your love. He is love, and so it is natural that He would appreciate our efforts to show how much we love Him. He is a tender and sweet God, a faithful, compassionate friend who will give you everything that you need to survive in this world if you make Him a priority in your life.

He wants to you know who He is, and you can't really know who He is if the only time you actually interact with Him during the week is only on Sunday. Every christian needs the Lord in their lives every day. My sweet Jesus paid a high price to save us, not just because He wanted to prevent us from dying in our sins and going to hell as our eternal punishment, but because He wants us to be with Him always, as His children and His family, to commune with Him, with our Father God, and with The Holy Spirit, in the unity of love, peace, and joy forever and ever. It is the greatest gift God has ever given to man and the greatest choice we will ever make; that thought should prompt us all to come into His presence every day with awe for this wonderful gift He has given us, and fill our hearts with thanksgiving and praise. We serve a wonderful God!

I often try to be mindful to spend that time with Him everyday, and sometimes I get anxious if I am not able to do so in the time I planned for because life happens and you don't always get to do things you planned to do in a given day, but the Lord reminds me that I don't have to feel like I have let Him down, He just wants me to be willing to be with Him sometime during the day, whether it be in the morning before I start my day, or in evening after the day is done, or at lunch reading the bible.....whenever you have the time, He will be there, and He is always ready to commune with you, because He always enjoys His time with you. I make sure that I speak with Him every day, even if my schedule doesn't allow me to do everything I wanted to do with Him; a few minutes in your prayer closet or your space in your home you set aside for Him may be all that you can do, but believe me it will make a difference in your life and it pleases the Lord!

Stay Where I Have Put You

Are You In A Place That Is Somewhat Hard To Bear And Is Uncomfortable? Know That The Lord Is There With You, Bearing Everything With You, If He Lives Within Your Heart:

(God Says) "Yes child, I know where you are right now, I see you, I see what is going on in your life. I have allowed it to happen so that you may grow as my disciple, that you may be known as a follower of Me. Stay Where I Have Put you, so that when I give you the victory, you will come out with a great testimony to My power, My authority and My strength, and I will get all of the Glory!"

You May Want To Say To The Lord, "This Is Too Much For Me, I Can't Do This Anymore Lord! When Will You Deliver Me?"

(God Says) "You are right to say that you cannot do this, you are not going to get through this without Me! Let go, my child, give this burden to me, ask me to deliver you, and you will be delivered at just the right time. Rest in Me, and be comforted by My Word and by My Spirit, let My love transform your heart and renew your mind; now be at peace, for I have given you the victory!"

You May Not Believe That There Is A God In Heaven, After All, With All Of The Bad Things Going On In The World, How Could There Be A God?

(God Says) "Unbeliever, where have you looked for me, have you sought me with all of your heart? Everyday, the world turns, and the sun rises in the east, and sets in the west, the birds sing, the grass grows, it rains and snows all over the earth; at night the stars twinkle in the sky. Let me ask you a question: Has anything that you have seen while you've been alive ever filled your heart with wonder or respect? Have you been awed by the cycle of life? I have done all of this for you. Can you do the same for Me? I have given you life, and I want to give you so much more."

I desire you to be with me, in everlasting peace, love, and joy. I will allow you to go your own way, if these things seem inferior to your own reasoning, I will allow you to rebel and do the things that will destroy you, and which also destroys the people and the environment in which you live, but I must warn you that I will not allow this rebellion to go on forever - one day you will be held accountable for every evil act you commit and every careless word that you have spoken. Why should you be destroyed by your sins and weaknesses, forever separated from me into the pit of darkness and despair? Seek me now while I yet may be found and accept My Son, Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior. I promise you, you will never regret it!"

If You Are In That Hard Place Right Now, You May Feel Like You Are The Only One Going Through - After All, The Unbelievers Are Not Going Through All Of This. You May Want To Ask The Lord, "Lord When Will The Unrighteous See The Consequences Of Their Actions?"

(God Says) "Be patient, My child; You will see many people in this world who seem to have it all - money, influence, and power, they look so attractive to those who desire these things, but they do not know what I know. I know their hearts, and I know what they truly desire and want to have, yet they are unable to find; with all of their money and possessions, they have no peace in their heart, and they will not come to me to be delivered from their problems and be healed from their pain, but you my child will always be with me, and everything that I have I will give to you! You will see My Son come back to rule and reign on this earth, and you will be with me. worshiping in my presence in peace, love and joy forever and ever!"

"Focus on me, do not worry about what others seem to have; if they never come to my Son, Jesus Christ, to be healed and to be saved from their sins, they will lose everything that they have worked so hard to achieve, and their ultimate fate will be a sad and tragic one. You will see the day, my child when those who believe that they can exist without me will come to my throne with nothing but their sins and their regrets; only then will they realize that they have no way to settle the debt that they have acquired against me. Oh , what a terrible, fateful day that will be for those who choose to believe that they are the master of their own fates!"

"Be at peace my child, and know that everytime you see 'perfection' as defined by the world's standards, you are looking into the mirror of deception, and when you see rich and famous people living their lives oblivious to My Word and My standards, you are really seeing 'dead men walking'; judgment has been passed upon them already. I will not judge them, their own words and actions will be judge against them! Please be careful to love other people and yourself and pray for those who do not believe so that they may be delivered from a fate worse than death!"

We all need to be reminded of His love for us every day, for we deal with all types of issues and circumstances, and we could allow these things to discourage us, and lose hope. But if we continue to seek God with all of our hearts and souls, we will be delivered from our fears, hopelessness, and anxieties. He will comfort us and strengthen us while we wait for the victory that is sure to come.

Thank You Lord For The Victory! Be At Peace My Brothers And Sisters In Christ, For He Cares For You!

Building A Firm Foundation

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Lamentations 3:21-23

We have been examining the nature of faith. But on what must we build a strong faith in the Lord? Let’s look at seven aspects of the foundation:

1. God is. Faith must be built around the simple confession that the Lord is—that He is real and that He exists and is indeed God.

2. God is love. Not only is God real, but He’s also intimately concerned with your life and wants to engage in a relationship with you.

3. God is just. You never have to wonder whether or not the Lord will treat you fairly. His justice is absolutely perfect—even when He hands out His loving discipline.

4. God is all-knowing. He knows your heart, your pain, and your questions. You cannot shock or surprise Him.

5. God is everywhere. You never have to wonder where He is; in truth, you cannot escape Him. Wherever you are, He is right by your side.

6. God is all-powerful. There is nothing greater than God. No matter how enormous the challenges and heartaches in your life seem to be, you can overcome them in His power.

7. God is faithful. That is, He is utterly and completely dependable. Because of this truth, God’s children know that they can always count on Him for the others. No matter how far you stray, He remains at your side. Regardless of what you have done, He will always welcome you home.

Use the above list as a prayer guide, recognizing each one of these characteristics of God and offering your faith as a sacrifice today.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

My Life In Christ

Love Uplifts, Energizes, And Restores

We live in a selfish, "its all about me" oriented society, where the goal is to be the best, and get the most money, power, and possessions, because the belief is that these things will make you happy, but there is a great amount of evidence that being 'on top of the world' does not bring happiness, just new stressors and problems. God has been trying to tell the world where true happiness lies, in human relationships, in love, in loving Him!

Love can do things that money, and houses, and 'toys' cannot do; it is uplifting to your heart and mind. We all want to be loved because being an object of someone else's affections makes you feel valuable and cherished. It brings life and hope into your heart, and you feel energized and powerful; you don't have to take power from someone else. Love is healing and it restores what was once taken from you; your wounds are treated and transformed from heartbreak to happiness, from fear and suffering, to peace and joy. We cannot live victorious lives without love, peace, and hope.

....Peace, Peace, All Around Me, Yet None Within My Heart.....

We can delude ourselves into believing that we are happy and well adjusted, especially when everything in our lives seems good, but the truth becomes apparent when we go through trials and tribulations. We find out that the house of cards we were living in was fragile and easily destroyed. Power and money are only effective in giving us temporary pleasures; when real tragedy comes knocking at our door, we find out very quickly how much control we actually had in our lives.

God knows who we are and what we really need; we need Him. He is the one that give us peace in the midst of a storm, He gives us the ability to fight our way through the issues of our lives by acknowledging He is the one that can help us and solve all of our problems. By putting Him first in our lives, we enable the Lord to transform our weaknesses into our strengths, to make our failures into victories, to calm our fears with peace and joy. There are people who go through their lives everyday in suffering and pain and do not realize that God is watching them, that He is present with every broken heart, every feeling of loneliness and abandonment, every pain and injustice that they go through.

He is there and He wants to help them, He wishes to heal them, but they are unaware of His presence, they seek their answers elsewhere in fake theologies, idols, or self help regimens, and they have rejected Him in their hearts; they are doomed to go through life seeking peace and restoration everywhere except at the Throne of Grace; peace is everywhere all around them, and they are oblivious to its existence!

We Have The Gifts Of God, Which Is Power, Love, & Control

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become new creatures, citizens of the Kingdom Of Light; we become lovers of God and His standards of living. We offer ourselves up to Christ, who died for our sins on the cross, who thought so much of us that he was willing to take our punishment that we earned honestly and truthfully for our fallen human nature, weaknesses, and for our foolish mistakes. No one is exempt from this punishment unless they have decided to take the Lord's gift of salvation.

Once we make that decision, we are free to live our lives in Him; no longer burdened by our past sins, we can leave guilt behind and begin to build a better and brighter future for ourselves and the people in our lives. we now live in hope, in a world where hope is almost gone. He gives us the power to live in peace with ourselves, our families, and with our neighbors, and love is foremost in our hearts and minds. We can control our weaknesses by giving them to the Lord, who gives us the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and our minds. This is the true source of power and happiness!

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to do so now. Seek Him now while is able to be found, and give your heart and mind to Him. Ask Him to come into your heart and you will be amazed at what He will do!

Advancing Through Adversity

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Psalm 56:3-4

There is a slogan that has worked its way into popular usage over the past few years: the stalwart cry, “No Fear!” Generally, this phrase is attached to some daring athletic attempt. But can the expression also find a deeper meaning related to our Christian life?

Clearly, it is impossible to live in this world without ever facing uncertainty, doubt, confusion, and even honest fear. Scripture does not dismiss these concerns. Instead, the Word is truthful about the adversity that we all face. The right response to these hardships is to admit our fears to the Lord and trust that He will work the situation out for His own glory and our good. (See Psalm 56:11.)

Too many people try to excuse God from responsibility when they come up against an apparently immovable obstacle. What we often fail to realize is that God may desire to use that hardship to shape us into the person He wants us to be.

You see, adversity is an opportunity for God to purify our faith. Because God alone is sovereign in the universe, He desires to be sovereign in our individual lives as well. If we place our faith in anything other than God, He is swift to remove those obstructions that hinder our walk with Him.

If you are going through adversity, pray for the discernment to ask yourself, Is this something that God may be allowing to occur in my life in order to bring me closer to Him? If so, trust Him to reorder your life so He may remain Lord of your faith.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

Hope

by Katy Curry

Hope, it is an interesting word; one that can be used as a noun or a verb. Hope has kept a people going when it seemed all was lost. Hope has allowed man or woman to laugh at impending death and face it without fear.

Miriam Webster defines hope as to want something to happen or be true and think that it could happen or be true. That kind of definition makes it sound like believing in Santa Claus. But, if that were the case why does it have such a remarkable effect on us? We need to explore this concept further.

Paulo Coelho stated: "When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too." So here is another concept of hope, it encompasses the concept of love and what loves inspires people to do.

It is true that for love of another, for love of a land, for love of a people, or an idea people strive and hope. Is that not why in the late eighteenth century hundreds of men and women fought and died so that this country, the United States of America, could gain its independence. It was that belief, that hope in a future free of the dictates of the King of England that made these people face the overwhelming odds they did and win. So perhaps love has something to do with hope.

Let's look at another viewpoint of hope. In the Bible, the writer of Hebrews in the New Testament states that faith is "the assurance of things hope for " (Hebrews 11:1). Hope, therefore, is the object upon which we direct our focus and energies.

As a Christian, hope is my trust in God's promises. It is a conviction that God can take this life that I have used so poorly and turn it around to accomplish something wonderful; something that will advance His will and His Kingdom. It is the trust that not only will I be in heaven because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, but that those members of my family will come to accept Christ as their savior as well. In this is evidenced a natural trilogy of faith, love. and hope. Each one needs the other to exist in its whole.

Such was Jesus's message. It was and is given in love and invites each of us to take His words as truth and accept them in faith so that they can provide us with hope in our own future.

To accept Jesus as your personal savior truly gives you the beginning of hope. My faith and hope in Jesus's saving grace has born fruit. My husband has returned to Jesus. his faith deeper than ever. Hope? You can find true hope in the name of Jesus Christ.

Katy Curry kafrak.com

Kathy is a retired teacher in SW Florida who enjoys writing about politics, faith in Jesus Christ, and other topics as they seem timely. www.kafrak.com

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

The Ghost Army

by Alan Allegra

Folks who read these devotionals are either old enough to remember World War II or are familiar with the many stories and heroes of the war. Everyone has heard of Generals Patton and Eisenhower, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Enola Gay, and Rosie the Riveter.

But have you heard of the Twenty-Third Headquarters Special Troops? No? Don't be surprised -- up until about 20 years ago, almost no one had heard of the Ghost Army of World War II.

With a force of 1,100 brilliant, creative men, the Ghost Army's mission was to defraud, disappoint, dupe, deceive, and decoy the enemy. They did so by using inflatable artillery, tanks, airplanes, and transports; the most extensive sound effects library available; phony uniforms and markings; drawings; and signs. They impersonated entire platoons in person and on radio. They looked and sounded so real, they fooled not only the enemy, but our military as well! One reason they were so successful was because the Germans didn't think the Americans were smart enough to fool them. Their mission -- and very existence -- was so top secret, only a few military and government officials in their direct line knew about them.

It was the enemy who nicknamed them the Ghost Army, because they appeared so real, but then seemed to disappear.

The religious world has its own Ghost Army that is just as effective. Many churches have their own detachment of a spiritual Ghost Army. John warns us about them in 2 John 7: "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist."

These deceivers can even be church leaders who pretend to wear stripes they don't deserve. Jesus sounds the alarm: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15). "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray" (Matthew 24:4-5). Of their disciples, he says, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (Mark 7:6).

The Ghost Army would have been ineffective if the Germans had caught on. Satan can be rendered ineffective when believers catch on to his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). Under cover of church communion, worthy works, pious platitudes, and even manifest miracles, Ghost Army recruits look and sound real, but are merely inflatable Christians.

In the middle of a pointed discourse about the days in which we dwell, Paul points out those who seem more spiritual than they really are (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Ghost Army recruits do not have the Holy Spirit in them, and inwardly are not Christ's (Romans 8:9).

Although the 23rd gave the impression of wielding the might of many tanks and artillery pieces, in reality, they only had small machine guns; they could be easily overwhelmed.

Duplicitous false disciples, too, have little defense against Satan, the "roaring lion" (1 Peter 5:8). Without the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), a person cannot stand secure. The devil is one enemy that is not easily fooled.

Amazingly, when the real battles began, the Ghost Army disappeared; that was their job. One mark of a pretend believer is desertion when things get tough (Luke 8:13; 1 John 2:19).

If you are not sure you are part of the Lord's Army, it's time to enlist! Read the book of 1 John to see whose side you're on.

The Ghost Army of World War II saved thousands of lives; the spiritual Ghost Army destroys millions of souls. The only honorable discharge from the spiritual Ghost Army is, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).

Alan is a freelance devotional writer for Lifestyles Over 50 and the Allentown, PA, Morning Call. He is also the Peer-less Reviewer (General Editor) for Bridgeway Homeschool Academy in Catasauqua, PA, a Christian homeschool academy. Passionate about reviving theology and church methodology.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

How To Be God Conscious

My Dear Lord, When I Look Back Upon My Life, I Realize That You Were Always With Me, So Many Times I Could Have Given Up, Was Going To Give Up, Lying In My Bed Wondering If Anybody Would Ever Love Me, Would Anyone Ever See Me In My Distress. I Wasn't Sure That Anyone Would Love Me Just As I Was, And Then You Made Me Aware That You Were There!

How Can You Become God Conscious? By Seeking Him With All Of Your Heart. Did you know He has always been there with you, through all of your struggles and your pain? He saw you, and He saw everything that you did, and He still loved you. He was moved with compassion for you because He knew you couldn't have known the true consequences of your actions; you were lost and confused, hurt and abused, rejected and lonely, looking at life with a jaundiced eye, not believing in anyone else or in yourself.

You learned the lessons of life with the knowledge that the world provided, and their knowledge led you to this place of fear and condemnation. Yes, the Lord saw all that you did, and He still loves you. He wants to help you, but first, you must believe that He exists and that He is willing to love you and to heal you. He wants to help you because you are His child, and He is waiting for you to come to Him to be redeemed and to be restored.

There is A New light on the horizon of your life, and His name is Jesus Christ. He came to give you the best that He has to offer, which is peace, love, joy, happiness and restoration. His love will heal you, His Spirit will guide you into holiness and righteousness, and your inheritance is in Him. Be guided by the tender sweet voice knocking on the door of your heart right now. He will never leave you or forsake you, for you are precious in His sight.

Am I really valuable to you? "Yes, you are very valuable to me, my child". Can I be forgiven for my past mistakes? "Yes, allow me to forgive you as you confess your sins to me, let me cleanse your heart from all unrighteousness". Lord, how can you be found? "Ask me to come into your heart right now, give your heart to me, and you shall be saved!"

Give all of your heart to Him, praise Him with all your might, tell your family and friends how much He has done for you, then show the love of God to the whole world!

PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!!

Spiritual Gifts And The Anointing

1 Corinthians chapter 12 4-6

...There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work....

Definition of Anointing: Ordinary definition - Anointing the body or head with oil as confirmation of a holy office or position. Spiritual definition - Spiritual anointing with the Holy Ghost is conferred also upon Christians by God. ( 2 Corinthians 1:21 ) " Anointing "expresses the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit upon Christians who are priests and kings unto God.

What is the difference between gifts of the spirit and being anointed? How do you know if you have a gift or an anointing? There are times when you will need to know the difference between spiritual gifts and the anointing; it is helpful in determining who are the legitimate spiritual leaders in the body of Christ and who are the pretenders.

We all have gifts and talents that were given to us by God; some were given when we were born, such as being able to sing or to paint, write poetry, or being a powerful orator and speaker. Some have natural athletic talents, or mental talents, and these are gifts that God gives to everyone, and are with us until we leave this world, but there are other gifts that are given when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

1 Corinthians chapter 12 8-11

...To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines...

Spiritual Gifts are given by and distributed through the Holy Spirit, and you will know that it is a spiritual gift if it is something that you were never able to do before you were saved, and it is usually a gift that is given to help other people and not yourself. You will know because you will find that it manifests itself when necessary, in situations that require the power and authority of God.

The anointing is also a spiritual function bestowed upon believers by the Holy Spirit. It is a confirmation of the power and authority given to a person by God. It is usually accompanied by a powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit, people who have experienced it feel the stirrings of the Holy Spirit with their spirit, and it is not easily defined because not everyone has the same experience. So, how would we know if a believer, especially a leader in the church has an anointing? Usually the person themselves may mention that they have an anointing, or someone else in the church may mention that 'pastor green' has the anointing, or 'brother mike' moved with the anointing at bible study last night, but how do we really know if they have this anointing?

First of all, if you are a christian you will have the Holy Spirit in your heart; the Holy Spirit always confirms its presence and power in these types of situations. If a person comes to you and gives you a prophetic word, if it is genuine, you will feel confirmation in your own spirit, and your heart will be filled with peace. If you are confused by what the person said, or if you feel conflict in your heart about the word spoken over you, you need to take the issue to God and pray about it, and ask Him to confirm it for you; this is how you will know if the conflict is because you are not willing the accept the words spoken over you or if it is a false prophecy.

Secondly, if you are unsure about a person who says they have an anointing, that may be the Holy Spirit prompting you to investigate this person further. The bible says that you will know a true believer by the fruits that they produce in their lives; this person may be a powerful preacher and a leader in the Body Of Christ, but who are they when they step down from the pulpit? Do they live by God's standards, does their life practices echo the power and the love of the Holy Spirit? We have to understand that there are many pretenders in the church Of God, and they can put on a mighty good show on sunday morning, but God knows their hearts, and He knows who truly believes in Him and in His word.

We all have to be careful when following the christian leadership in our churches and denominations, for we are all responsible for what we do in this life and for what we believe in. There are too many believers who are being swept away with powerful speeches and rhetoric, but who are not seeing the whole picture of the ministry in which they follow; there is a reason why there will be many pastors, preachers, and priests in hell, in the very worst parts of hell because they led their followers right into hell with them. They did not preach the word of God for God's sake, or for our sakes, they preached it for themselves; many of them did not have a true calling from the Lord to become pastors or preachers, and many of them were not preaching the Word Of God.

Matthew Chapter 7 21-23

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

You see, Jesus warned his disciples that there would be pretenders in His church, who would seem holy and righteous on the outside, who would preach the word of God powerfully, and they will have a following of believers who will hang on their every word, yet these church leaders are pretenders, because they have never had a true relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. They know how to live the life of a christian, and their ministries will seem to be very effective, but it is up to us as believers in The Body Of Christ to be open to the promptings and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who knows what is real and what isn't real. If you have reservations about a ministry or a church leader, don't ignore those doubts, it could be the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. In any case, we should always pray to God for guidance when we are looking for a church ministry to follow and belong to.

The gifts of the spirit are for the restoration and edification of the Body of Christ, and the anointing is for the confirmation of the power and authority given to a person by God; that is how we know it is God's power working through them and not the power of the enemy. The anointing will keep a person aware and in touch with the Holy Sprit and with God, and they will be able to live a holy and righteous life. You will see them living by God's standards, and it will not seem to be like a burden to them. They will move with God's power and love, and every miraculous action or word they speak they will publicly acknowledge comes from God and not from themselves.

It isn't easy these days to be a christian; we have opposition from the outside world and from the enemy, satan, and we also have real issues within the body of Christ that need to be addressed. You need to know that the leaders in your church are true believers who have been called by God to those leadership positions and that they believe in the word of God, that they live the word of God out in their own lives. If you suddenly see that your church leaders are not living by God's standards, or if allegations or serious charges are made against your pastor and there seems to be proof of wrongdoing, you need to pray for your church leaders, and seek God's guidance; He may tell you it is time to leave that church. It is not a question of whether you want to go because of the chaos that these types of situations bring, the Lord may want you to leave for your own safety, so that you may preserve your life, your soul and your salvation.

Spiritual gifts are a blessing to the people of God, and an anointing confirms the gifts of the Holy spirit on one person. The Gifts of the spirit may change other people's circumstances, they may receive healing, or a word of hope or affirmation; the anointing safeguards the person who is using these spiritual gifts, so that their character and integrity lines up with the power and manifestation of those spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts draws people to those who have them because they may have a need that the gift can resolve, while the anointing draws people to the Lord so that they may be saved by His word. Gifts of the spirit may highlight a problem or an issue in a person's life, but the anointing has the power to break the yoke of bondage on that person's life so that they can be healed. That is why it is so necessary to discern who are the true believers in the Christian leadership in your church and who are not; their character and their integrity will show you who they really are.

This is what we know, that if something doesn't seem right, it usually isn't right. We need to heed the calling and promptings of the Holy Spirit when evaluating someone else's christian ministry. If you see a full blown ministry that suddenly is going through a crisis, and there are allegations of fraud, theft, sexual sins and adultery, weak and watered down sermons of the word of God, even outright lies from the pulpit, these are sure signs that the leader of this ministry is having issues with their moral character and integrity, and we should always pray for their deliverance, but we need to be willing to obey the voice of the Lord when He tells you that you need to get your spiritual food from somewhere else.

Remember that God sees what these leaders are doing in their public and in their private lives, so if you see a minister suddenly losing their position in the church, of if their ministry seems to disappear completely, you can be sure that God is moving in those situations to safeguard His children and His church.

When a child of God moves in spiritual gifts, he also receives an anointing to help Him with those gifts, and these gifts are not just for pastors and preachers, it is for everyone in the church. If you see a person who seems to have spiritual gifts, yet they are not living by God's standards, they are probably not allowing themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, or they may be pretenders, whose power does not derive from the Lord; satan and his demons can masquerade as agents of light, and give people abilities that seem holy and righteous, but only God knows who is real and who is fake, and that is why we should always pray and seek His counsel about these issues. If you are connected to the Holy Spirit, He will give you enough clues within your own spirit to know the difference.

Abide In The Shadow Of The Almighty

Psalm 91 vs 1-2
"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”



Does Anybody Love The Name?
Does Anybody Love The Name?
Does Anybody Love The Name?
Does Anybody Love The Name?

Oh, Jesus,
That Is The Name,
OOOOHHH.....Jesus......
I Love That Name!


"Rest In Me, That Is Why I Came! Trust In My Word, And You Will Have Peace, The Peace To Live Your Life, With Joy And Everlasting Love In Your Heart".

"Be At Peace, My Little Ones, For I Have Given You A Kingdom, The Kingdom Of Light & Love; The Power To Tread On Serpents And Scorpions, And Those Who Abide In Me Will Never Be Forsaken Or Disappointed."

"Remember To Abide In Me When You Are Tempted To Fear, When You Feel Lost Or Lonely, When The Struggles Of Life Become Too Much For You To Bear, Remember I am Always Here For You."

"You Must Learn To Tap The Well, Life Everlasting,The Spring of Living Water, My Holy Spirit; He Shall Guide You Past Dark Waters And Through The Valley Of The Shadow of Death. Be Encouraged, My Little Ones, And Call Upon My Name; Learn To Love The Name Of Jesus!"

Yes! Thank You Jesus, I Love The Name..., The Name Of Jesus!

People Need Jesus

by Susan Ferguson

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27 KJV)

Road rage is not too common here in my home state of Mississippi. But recently, on my way to a doctor’s appointment, I experienced it. It happened on a busy road during morning rush hour when a car started tailgating me. I looked in the rear view mirror and was stunned to see the driver yelling and making wild hand gestures. He swerved into the passing lane, but a vehicle was in front of him, so he could not pass me. He began taunting me by honking the horn and veering into my lane. We drove side-by-side for what seemed like forever.

I thanked God when he finally passed me. I arrived at the doctor’s office frazzled, and while sitting in the waiting room, I thought about the incident. What was the man’s problem? I sat there speechless and started praying silently. God gave me peace and a new perspective. He opened up my spiritual eyes, and I saw a man who had no peace in his life, a man who needed Jesus.

People need Jesus. It is hard to avoid stress in today’s world, but we have the promise of God’s peace. Praying throughout the day, even in a doctor’s office, can quiet the mind and reduce stress. Are you overwhelmed and stressed out today? No matter where you are, you can pause and pray in your heart for His help and peace.

Heavenly Father, thank You that in this hectic world, we have peace through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

www.withgoddaily.org

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Great Attainable Favor!

...You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit..... Job 10:12

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

What is favor? It is love untarnished, unbroken, and free. It is giving from the heart generously without expecting anything else in return. It is the Lord giving you everything that you need, and some things that you never thought you would ever have. God gives freely and liberally to anyone who will call on His Name, to the one who would allow Him to care for them, and happy to be called His own.

His gifts are for the edification of our souls, for spiritual growth and maturity, words of wisdom to live by, the tools to make a difference in the lives of other people, and the power to live according to His standards. He gives faith, hope, love, the spirit of charity, compassion and understanding; He gives us the desire to be better than we have ever imagined we could be. We decide to live for Him, and He gives us a purpose for our lives that will glorify His Name. We are weak, sinful, and broken, but God can make us into strong, righteous, beautiful vessels of peace and love.

What is favor to me? The ability to love others when I often wanted to do something else, to show me the necessity to get along with my family, coworkers, neighbors and strangers, even when they may rebuke me, ignore me, or disregard my thoughts and opinions. I learned to love them with God's love, and He loves me like I am the object of His affections, and it is amazing to me that He loves all of His children in the same way. Because of His love, I know that I am not alone, that He loves me just the way I am; He formed me in my mother's womb, and He gave me all the talents, needs and desires that I have. I have learned that it is okay to be me and that God doesn't make any mistakes; I am who I am because of His love for me.

Favor is when you are in a bad situation and suddenly you are delivered miraculously, when you are given power, authority, wealth that you would never have had without His intervention, the ability to express yourself in a world determined to forget your existence, because you believed in Him and were willing to follow in His footsteps. He needs us to believe in Jesus Christ and to have faith in His ability to deliver us, for we are His ambassadors in this world. We are the best way to show the world how much He loves us all when We shine with His love, when we give generously from our hearts, when we worship in His presence, when we forgive other people for hurting and abusing us. There is no better way to show that God exists when we do the impossible with our hearts!

Give generously with your heart to another person and you are showing the world what God's favor is and what it is like to be the object of His favor. The world needs to know how much The Lord loves them, and that He is willing to forgive them and draw close to them if only they would realize that they really need Him in their lives and that He can cure them of the disease of sin, to heal their hearts and minds. Only by the revelation of God's love and favor can anyone come to the point of repentance. Is it easy to show the Favor Of God to other people?

NO, in fact it is impossible to show that type of love without having God's love in our hearts. That is why we must come to Him first and repent and be forgiven; we must allow His Holy Spirit to do the work in our hearts so that we are transformed into the Children of Love and Light. Seek Him First with all of your heart, and be led by His Spirit, and then you will experience His favor and be transformed by His love. Once you experience God's Favor, then you will be able to show His Favor to the world!

Thank You Jesus, For Your Love, Your Eternal Life, And For Your Great Attainable Favor!

The Character Of Gossip

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Romans 1:28-31

God hates gossip. He wants our speech to be pleasing to Him—and He certainly does not consider idle talk or mean-spirited words pleasant (Col. 3:8). Sadly, gossip is practiced so freely that even some believers participate and try to justify their chatter. But hearsay has no place in a Christian’s life.

Romans 1 contains one of the Bible’s lists of sins. The book’s author—the apostle Paul—is reminding believers that God has revealed Himself to all mankind. Those who reject Him and chase after idols are turned over to their evil worship and the immoral practices that go with serving self (Romans 1:24-25). Gossip appears in the middle of the list; God despises it because malicious talk destroys lives whether the stories are true or false. The person who is targeted by the rumor often loses the respect of those who listen to it. Hurt feelings may not be the only negative effect; a job or relationship could be lost as well.

Those spreading tales also face destructive consequences. People who refuse to control the tongue reveal evil motives or, at the very least, a lack of discipline. As a result, believers and unbelievers alike will often avoid such untrustworthy individuals. For a Christian who spreads rumors, there’s potential for even worse damage. Not only can the credibility of one’s witness be compromised, but fellowship with the Lord might also be harmed—animosity toward another person and intimacy with God can’t coexist in the same heart.

Gossip achieves no good in anyone’s life, which is why the Lord warns against it. Instead, our words should build up, comfort, and encourage others.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

Our Reason For Hope

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

1 John 4:7-10

Without a sense of purpose, there is no hope. But the Lord created each person for a reason: to love God and be loved by Him. He pursues us and does everything in His infinite power to reveal Himself. The Lord wants each person to understand who He is and respond in worship and devotion.

God’s love is personal. Christianity stands out among world religions because God desires a personal relationship with every man, woman, and child. His care isn’t limited to just one group; He loves every individual and desires regular, intimate conversation with each one.

God’s love is unconditional. It’s who He is (1 John 4:8) rather than simply something He does. Nothing about your character or behavior can make Him love you less or more. Nor are His care and concern limited, because He is infinite and eternal.

God’s love is available to everyone. It is inexhaustible and reaches across every boundary or hindrance man can set up in an attempt to keep God at a distance. The Lord does not have favorites, but He does have intimates. These are His followers who spend time with Him, talking and listening, walking in obedience, and desiring to know and love Him with their whole heart. He wants all of us to choose this kind of relationship with Him.

The Father didn’t just say He loves you; He proved it by giving His Son as a sacrifice for sin. Those who haven’t trusted in the Savior can go through life oblivious to the blessing of His unconditional care. But what a waste it would be to live as though unloved when God’s infinite, eternal love is offered to you.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

My Faith In Jesus

We love the sound of your name, O Lord; it is the sound of peace and joy. We magnify your name in all the earth, the pleasure of being in your presence is greater than anything else we could do or imagine; peace is given to those who care about your works, who study your word, who pray and worship at your altar; we give praise to you, not just because you have saved us and claimed us for yourself, but because of who you are!

You are love in its purest form, selfless, kind, considerate and caring; you were willing to give all of yourself to provide comfort for your little ones. We are the children that you conceived in your heart, before the foundation of the world, and we give you much joy when we praise your name!

"Let me comfort you", says the Lord, "Let me strengthen your heart; don't be afraid to come to me with your problems, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem to you, because I am interested in helping you and healing you." Nothing is too small or too big in the eyes of our God!

Hallelujah! He is worthy to be praised, and He is willing to listen to my little song, the one I sing in my heart when I am filled with the joy of knowing Him: why does such a small thing delight Him? It is because He knows I sing my song out of love for Him, and He is willing to respond to my gesture of love with His own song that He sings to my heart. Why would anyone ever want to deny that He exists, why would anyone want to walk away from this peaceful joy? They do not know you, they are not willing to try, they believe that there is something better than you!

Give Praise To Our God Saints, Give Praise To Him With All Of Your Heart, Mind, and Soul - Remember To Worship In His Presence, And Be Prepared To Receive His Grace, His Love, And His Favor!

Are You 'Good' or Righteous?

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke Chapter 18 vs 18-25

When I consider how I was brought up, all of the sunday school lessons. all of the things that my mother told me I needed to do and must do, when I remember my grandfather what He used to say to me all the times when I visited his house, and everything that my family expected of me, I can safely say that I tried to live up to the role of being a 'good' girl. I knew what was expected of me, and I did those things to the best of my ability. So, what is it like to be 'good'? What does 'good' look like in a typical family home?

We are told to be 'good' by our parents when we go off to play in the park, or visit at someone's home, or when your mother drops you off for your very first day of school; you are expected to act a certain way, and talk a certain way, and do certain things; it shows that you were listening to your mom, and there is no greater since of pride to a mother when she can say for certain that you are a 'good' child when you behave. Good behavior is expected from all of us, and we do so because that is how we are able to get along with other people as we go about our daily lives, but does 'good' behavior truly equate with goodness? Does being a good person immediately qualify anyone as being 'righteous'?

Is there a difference between being good and being righteous? What does it mean to be righteous? Being good means that you live by certain moral principals, that you adhere to certain laws and methods of living; you decide not to steal or murder someone, you try not to lie or to gossip, you are polite and try to be helpful in every situation or circumstance. If anyone were to examine your life, you would be considered a law abiding citizen. You were brought up to be this way, there are things that you learned to do from your childhood. There is nothing wrong with being 'good', but being good does not mean you are righteous, at least not defined by God's standards.

Before Jesus Christ came into the world and sacrificed himself for our sins, there was literally no way that any human being could come into the Lord's presence, because God will not tolerate sin or evil in His presence. I did not matter how 'good' the person was, and truth to be told, there were not many people in the past that could be considered 'good' or righteous:

... The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord...

Genesis chapter 6 5-8

We need to understand How God feels about being good and righteous; He wants us to be good and live righteous lives, but our standards of good living is not enough to be considered righteous in His eyes. He is looking for people that will live good lives and will believe in Him and in His son, Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, so that they will be saved and become citizens of the kingdom of God. When we believe in Jesus Christ and repent of our sins, we become a new creation in God's eyes and we become righteous. He knows that we cannot be righteous apart from Him. Our fallen human nature prevents us from doing the right things all of the time. Being a person with 'good' behavior does not give us the right to believe we are 'perfect' or 'righteous' and we have no right to look down upon other people struggling to live 'good' lives; no one is 'good' in God's eyes apart from Him.

When we look at the people in Old testament, we see that most of the people in the world decided to live far apart from the God who created them, and they did the wicked and evil things that they conceived in their hearts. Sadly, only a few people in every generation right up to the flood were interested in following and believing in God, and God took care of them, protected and provided for them. They tried to live good lives as best as they could, and God considered them righteous because they choose to live their lives for Him.

After the flood, God gave moses the 10 commandments and the law to show His people Israel what it meant to live 'good' lives, so that they would live their lives separate from the other people around them, who worshiped other 'gods' that were really evil spirits posing as 'gods'. He wanted them to live holy and righteous lives unto Him, but they still had to sacrifice animals upon a holy altar dedicated to God, because there had to be blood shed to cover their sins; living by the law and the 10 commandments made them 'good', but could not make them truly righteous; they still could not come into God's presence for their thoughts and their hearts were not clean.

God's solution for a fallen and dying human race was Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice upon the cross at calvary. Without the shedding of His blood, pure,innocent, and holy, on our behalf, we would never be saved, we could never come into God's presence and worship Him, we would forever be lost into darkness and despair. He is our hope and our treasure, our love and everlasting peace. I cannot stress enough that dying on that cross was a great and awesome gesture of love on His part for all of us, and we need to consider how much He loves us on a daily basis and then begin to praise His Name!

Being a good person is a good thing, and living a good life is beneficial to you and to everyone else in your life, but being good is not enough to be saved from the eternal consequences of sin. We are all trained to do 'good' things, but our hearts and minds are still filled with weaknesses and sinful thoughts that are constantly tempting us to do bad things, and even though we may never give in to every temptation; that does not mean that you or I never give in to any temptation! I know my weaknesses and you know yours, and God knows every thought or deed we have ever had or done, so there is no fooling Him ever. You may be able to fool everyone else, but fooling everyone else will not matter on the day when the Lord will require you to answer for your life and for all of your thoughts, deeds, and actions.

I wish I could say that I did not have any thoughts of anger, jealousy, greed, lust, resentment, or pride, and maybe I could have fooled you into believing that I am a perfect christian 'holyroller', but I would never have fooled the Lord! So, I am telling you that pretending with the Lord will not work; be honest and open with Him, let Him come into your heart so that He can transform you into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. That is the work of the Holy Spirit, the comforter and the transformer, who will guide you into peace, joy, and love if you let Him. If you are not moved with regret by the foolish or selfish decisions that you made in the past, or by the unclean thoughts and emotions in your heart, then I would suggest seeking the Lord in prayer and repentance, and ask Him to come into your heart and change you, for He is the only one who can!

You will feel lighter than air, your burdens will be lifted off your conscience, as you let go of being 'perfect' and 'good', and live your life through Him. His love and His power will set you free. We don't need to be 'perfect' because we will never be perfect in this life, we are to love each other, and care about others and give of ourselves; we have no right to judge anyone else, or to pretend that we are better than everyone else, for the Lord will not tolerate a critical and prideful heart. We should not try to lift ourselves up as 'great' and 'good' people; you may get praise from others, but the Lord already knows who you are, and He will not be impressed. Just lean on Him and His goodness, and you will shine with His integrity and His love! If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then in the eyes of God you are righteous, and His goodness is now your own.

Praise Be To God And His Son, Jesus Christ, Whose Death & Resurrection Has Made Me Righteous And Whole!

Choosing Love Over Rights

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Matthew 5:38-48

We talk a lot about rights these days. Yet the attention given to human entitlements hasn’t brought about corporate or personal freedom. Instead, most people are prisoners of jealousy (You have greater rights than I do!), greed (I deserve more!), or bitterness (My rights have been violated!).

In lieu of focusing on what is due them, Christians should follow Christ’s command to love enemies and forgive persecutors (Matt. 5:44). Believers lay down their rights so they can take up the cause of a holy kingdom. That doesn’t mean we let people trample on us. Rather, we offer a proper response according to biblical principles. In short, we should be more concerned about showing God’s love to those who wrong us than insisting on privileges we assume are rightfully ours.

Perhaps you’re thinking that I don’t know how you’ve been mistreated. Indeed I don’t. But I do know how Jesus reacted to terrible abuse. He was betrayed by His friends, persecuted by His people, condemned by His peers, and crucified for our sins. Yet He said, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).

Before assuming that Jesus’ capacity for forgiveness and love is out of reach for mere human beings, remember: His Spirit dwells in believers. We can choose to give away our rights and let God’s love work through us.

Luke 6:29 says to turn the other cheek and give up more than is asked because expressing love outweighs exerting our rights. You can’t lose when you show others the boundless care of the Lord. You gain His blessing, and what’s more, someone could be saved because of your example.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

The God Chronicles - Part 7 We Are The Winners In Christ

We Are The Winners In Christ; He Is Our Source And Our Hope. We Have No Other Hope But Through Him, The Treasure Of Our Hearts. All Men And Women, Young And Old, Will Stand Before Him And Praise His Name! All Of His Enemies Will Kneel Before Him Trembling And In Fear; His Eyes Will Pierce Them To Their Inner Souls, And They Will Know Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt That His Judgement Against Them Is Righteous And Fair. Our God Is A God Of Love, But He Will Seek Justice For His Little Ones, His Children So That Every Moment We Have Suffered And Every Tear That We Have Cried Will Be Avenged!

Take Care, Children Of God To Love Him and Trust Him, And He Will Take Care Of You! We Are Winners In Christ, Not Because We Are Special Or Perfect, But Because We Believe In His Son, Jesus Christ, And He Is Pleased To Give Us Eternal Life, To Call Us His Own, To Give Us Citizenship In The Kingdom Of Grace & Love. Cherish The Moments That You Have Alone With Him, Those Moments That Bring Joy To Your Heart, And Be Amazed At The Thought That Every Joyous Moment That You Spend With Him Right Now Will Not Compare To The Moments We Will Spend With Him When His Kingdom Has Fully Come Into Our World! - Glory Be To His Name Forever And Ever!

Are You Sad and Heartbroken Right Now? Let the Holy Spirit Comfort You. Are You Struggling To Survive? Pray For Guidance and Trust Him To Deliver You From Your Circumstances. Are You Afraid Of What's Coming In The Future? Are You Filled With Anxiety With Everything That Is Happening In Your Life Right Now? Start Worshiping In Your Prayer Closet, Your War Room; Praise Yourself Into His Presence, Be Filled With His Love And Allow The Holy Spirit To Put Peace Into Your Heart. He Has A Plan For Your Life; He Thought Of You A Long Time Ago Before The Foundation Of The World Was Laid, So He Is Not Surprised By What You Are Going Through. Just Praise Him With All Of Your Heart & Soul, Give Him First Place In Your Heart, And Watch Him Change The Situation Around Into Your Favor! Yes, Say It In Your Heart, I Have The Favor Of God!

No Evil Spirit, Nor Bad Circumstances, No Sickness Or Disease Will Be Able To Stand In His Presence, In His Power & Authority For Very Long; Just Trust Him To Deliver You, Even While You Are Going Through. The Key Is To Never Give Up. You Can Rest Assured That The Devil Will Never Give Up Trying To Destroy You! So, Don't Give Up On God, Don't Believe The Lies That The Devil Has Been Whispering To Your Heart, Don't Give Up Praying For Yourselves and For Your Family; You Are His Child, And He Will Never Give Up On You!

Praise Him, Praise Him My Brothers And Sisters In Christ, Just Remember Do Not Stop Praising His Name! Don't You Know How Much Your Words Of Praise Mean To Him! Every time You Take The Time To Read His Word, And Sing Songs To Him From Your Heart, Praise & Worship Him With Your Mouth, Tell Him That You Love Him, These Simple Gestures Of Love Mean So Much To Him! He Wants To Fellowship with You, We Are In A Relationship With Jesus Christ, So Bride Of Christ, Take The Time To Be With Him, Your Groom & Husband, Jesus Christ, For Your Relationship With Him Is The Most Important One You Will Ever Have!

We Are The Winners In Christ - We Have Everything That We Need In Him - He Will Never Leave Us Or Forsake Us - Be Guided By The Holy Spirit - Pray For Yourself And For Others - Give Honor And Praise To Him Forever and Ever - Be Comforted By His Love - If No One Else Will Love You, Know That He Will Always Love You!

WE ARE THE WINNERS IN CHRIST! HALLELUJAH!

Finding Light In A Dark Place

by Gina Duncan

How do you put into words what is far beyond what any word could ever express? How do you look at those with broken hearts and try to help them make sense out of what seems to make no sense? How do you look into a world so broken and say it is because it is broken, but in the same turn we see what God left us that moves to the glimpse of what once was. God left us reminders of hope in the destruction of this creation.

The birth of a child, the tragic death of a loved one.
The beginning of a life together, but someone always has to leave first.
The beauty of a flower, the destruction of fire.
Tears of joy, tears of sorrow.
The gift of forgiveness, the weight of those searching for it.

This fleshly life here can feel overwhelming, as quickly as we experience joy, in a moment it can be swept away. So, how do you say to the broken hearted that there is joy in sorrow, that God can bring triumph and beauty to tragedy? That God saw the seasons of suffering and sorrow in your heart, long before you ever knew of it. That God knew then and now how you would respond to his call in trial and tribulation. How do you encourage acceptance, embracement and forgiveness for what is near to impossible for your heart to swallow?

In such seasons of life, there is always the wonder of why. Why is a thought with a thousand endless answers and would they ever seem to make sense? It is when one moves from asking why, to asking how that acceptance, embracement and forgiveness can begin to make sense of what seems senseless. Being stuck in the mindset of why, is to remain lost. However, when asking how, one begins to build a place where the Holy Spirit can dwell. How, with the Holy Spirit brings one to hope.

The pain, hurt and heart ache, draw us closer to God, to understand the love that God intends for us to know. The pain is a gift, to remind you of the power and movement of love, which was created by God. The memories and the scars left behind on our hearts is now only a reflection of what we overcame with our God who loves us. The memories remind us of how much we are loved by our Father and of the transformed person we have become in his light.

The Holy Spirit, whom Christ left for us, brings our souls to life and sets us on fire for God. The Holy Spirit acts as our guide in understanding the seasons in our life. The Holy Spirit convicts us to repent when we feel the pang of guilt, and in the same turn the Holy Spirit gives us grace and the reminder of forgiveness in repentance.

Such seasons of brokenness often lead us to search for purpose in our being. We often seek answers to why we must endure such anguish in this life. The standard answer given by many followers of Christ is: you are here to bring glory to the father. However, such answer does not seem logical to the person whose heart is tearing them apart from within. This answer is like saying; you are going to live in a desolate dark place. In that place you will face struggles that will seek to destroy you. You will be put in this desolate dark place to find God in the clearing. God left you this map (the bible), but, it is a bit tricky to understand at times. In addition to it being difficult to understand at times, you may further be challenged because it is dark where you are. Lastly, there are going to be tears in this place of destruction. But, take comfort in the few things that will bring comfort there, to serve as a teaser for what waits for you if you survive. In conclusion, this is like saying, you will find God at the end of all this chaos after enduring this treacherous game of self- inflicted pain.

However, what would be better for the follower of Christ to say is this: you will live in a in a dark wilderness. The life in this wilderness will have some hardships, the thorns there will cut deep, companions that come beside you will be lost, additionally, and companions will come beside you to help. God has left you this tool (the bible), come together to understand this guide, to lead you together in the right direction. Should one of you fall to weakness along the way, carry each other. When one of you is lost along the journey and it seems unbearable, find strength together to push forward to the break of the tree lines. Keep those that were taken before the journey ends for you near to your heart, for their part in your travels is always with you. When you look back, recognize how together you overcame a dark wilderness that sought to consume you. Cherish and value the strength and support God knew was within you when he made you to find each other and him. The journey at times will have been exhausting, but, your strength will be re-gathered in the support of each other and in the love of our Father, who is waiting in the light. The scars gained will serve as a reminder of healing and in them wisdom will be gained. That is glory to God.

Glory to God loves each on another; it is in loving yourself as God loves you even when it seems impossible. Glory to God is never giving up; it is pushing on to the end. Glory to God is love, when love seems lost. God's purpose for us comes in many forms of that love. We are not all meant to be the hunter in the wilderness, or the teacher, or the navigator, or the warrior, or the healer. We are meant to bring all that together in each other to complete the greater purpose, which is God's light. In our journey there, God gives us hope. Hope in each other, hope in the beautiful remnants of what waits for us, hope in him. There is even hope in our pain and sorrow, which is the reminder of the love we are graced with. How much more that love must be in God's place of light in heaven? If love takes your breath away now, come to know that with God and the Holy Spirit.

Our time in the dark wilderness is to have opportunity to overcome what we ourselves made dark, so that we may come to carry each other through the dark, to find God who loves us infinitely. Our purpose is to bring glory to God in love. To know what it means to bring glory to God in love, we must take the journey to understand what love truly is. Love is not asking why, love is asking how. How do we carry those who are heavy through the darkness of the wilderness, when can't carry themselves? How do get back up when we stumble in the dark? How do we bear the wounds suffered in the dark? How do we forgive what seems unforgivable? How do we lift ourselves when it seems we can't take another step? We find the will to overcome all these things and more, because God is with us, giving us hope, loving us, and leading us out of the dark. Bringing glory to God is not a job, it is not a chore, and it is in the simplicity and great complexity of love.

Jesus walked to his death, he carried us all that day through a dark place, he gave us hope, and he gave us peace in that hope. Jesus did not ask why.

Author: Gina Duncan, August 20, 2014.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

A Call To Godly Living

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Romans 12:1

The apostle Paul lived in an age when sensuality, the pursuit of pleasure, and rebellion against the Lord were prevalent. In response, he wrote letters urging Christians not to follow in the ways of the world. Like those early believers, we are to pursue godliness by...

Presenting our bodies to God. Our total being—mind, will, physical body, personality, and emotions—are to be turned over to our heavenly Father (James 4:7). Submitting ourselves to the Lord requires both a definite decision to give Him control and a daily commitment to remain under His authority. By surrendering to Him, we position ourselves for godly living.

Becoming living sacrifices. The Christian life is built around the concept of sacrifice. Jesus left the perfection of heaven to dwell among a sinful people so He might reconcile us to God. He offered up His life for our sake—to make payment for our sins (1 John 3:16) and to bring us into His family. And as believers, we are to follow His example. Paul called it a living sacrifice, because it is ongoing and repeated daily.

Life is full of options. Many decisions involve a choice between following God’s way or our own. Maturing Christians will increasingly sacrifice their own desires and embrace His will.

A life of godliness is characterized by a heart and mind bent toward the things of God. Although we will live imperfectly, our aim should be to obey His will and please Him. Let’s commit to becoming more like Jesus, the one who willingly gave Himself as a sacrifice for us.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

The God Chronicles - Part 6 God Can Handle It

What can man do better than God? Why do we feel that we can handle all of our issues by ourselves, even though we know that everything around us is falling apart? Why is pride such a huge resource for those who ignore or reject the concept of God, who believe that they are 'perfect' the way that they are? It is a good thing to have confidence in yourself and to believe that you can make a difference in the world just by doing little and big acts of kindness and consideration, but believing that you are the best thing the world has ever seen and that you can do no wrong, that type of thinking leads to deep deception and destruction.



What we think about ourselves is a process that began in childhood; many of the beliefs that we have about ourselves and the people in our environment is set then, and it is usually set for the rest of our lives. It is very hard for people to change their minds, unless something from the outside of their environment changes it for them. You always hear of people going through situations and circumstances that make a profound difference in the way that they see the world. You never hear of someone changing their minds and hearts just on a whim. Most people do not wake up in the morning and suddenly decide to become axe murderers; if you have someone in your community who is suddenly exposed as a criminal or a socialpath, you can believe that they started walking down that dysfuctional road a long time ago before you met them.

God has all the answers that you are looking for, and He can handle any issue that you bring to Him; you must believe that He is willing to do so on your behalf, and you must have faith in His abilities to solve all of your problems. The first step is to acknowledge that you have issues that need to be solved. Your own assessment of your heart cannot be trusted unless you have grown spiritually, walking with the Lord on a daily basis, reading the word of God, and never ceasing in prayer. This christian walk is a daily exercise, and just like doing some type of daily excercise everyday tones your body, practicing the christian walk everyday by worshiping in His presence strengthens you spiritually, transforms your heart and mind, and brings peace and joy into your home.

We cannot change our hearts or our sinful thinking on our own; that is way so many addicts are alcoholics find it so difficult to stay sober, why people with critical hearts always find more pleasure in putting other people down instead of saying good and positive things about the people in their environment, and why fear and doubt persist in people's heart no matter how good their circumstances are in their lives. Our fallen human nature is susceptible to all types of weaknesses,and we need to address these issues before true and lasting change can occur. As christians, we need to acknowledge our need and confess our issues to the Lord and ask for His power and His guidance in our lives. It is His ability to change our circumstances that will make us into better human beings and great and humble christian disciples who can be used by God for His purposes and His glory.

I remember the one time that my mother had to discipline me for a bad thing that I was doing as a child. She had put a piggybank under her bed, and I had found a way to take out the pennies. I would go to the store and buy candy. At first, I would only do it every once in a while, but after a while I began stealing the pennies every day, because I love candy and it was fun to go to the store everyday and get what I wanted. Of course, my mother found out because I was taking a lot of pennies from the piggybank, and she spanked me and I never did it again. You see, for many people sinful acts start out that way. It is usually a one time deal, but when nothing significantly bad happens in their lives at first, when there seems to be no real consequence as a result of their actions, they repeat the process until it becomes a habit and an addiction. When that occurs the only way that they can change their behavior is to react appropiately to the consequences of their bad behavior, and there are always consequences as a result of our bad choices.

Just trust the Lord to guide you and complete you in a way that you will never be able to complete in yourself. He will live inside of you and guide you if you are willing to be led by His Holy Spirit. That is what happens when you decide to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and you pledge to live for Him and to believe in God's standards for your life. He will never leave you or forsake you, and He will change your heart and mind, so that love, kindess and compassion are foremost in your heart, so that you can love other people with the love of God; His great love is deposited into all of the hearts of His people and His children. Don't ever be afraid to show acts of love to everyone, even if you never receive acts of kindness and love in return; His love is so powerful and complete that it will blot out any thoughts of pain or rejection if you let Him cleanse your heart with His Spirit and with His compassionate love for you.

You are loved, Child of God, and He will give you endless joy and peace if you let Him rule in your heart. Dont be afraid to give of yourself and be led by His Gentle Spirit.Give glory to God in everything that you do. Never sacrifice the goodness in your heart to be somebody that you are not. Bring joy and peace into your home by honoring Him always in everything that you do, and the atmosphere in your home will quickly change and others wlll be drawn to it. Just love them and see what a difference it will make in your life and in the lives of the other people in your circle of life!

If you want Jesus Christ to come into your life please repeat this prayer:

Prayer of Salvation

Lord,

I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).

I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)

I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).

I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).

If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!

May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN