Jul

14

His goodness and mercy

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 How can we measure the goodness of the Lord? His magnificent works are above and beyond amazing. Can mere words do them justice? Is there a measuring rod or scale big enough? With the rich abundance of all he supplies, it would take an eternity to count the blessings God bestows.

Every time the earth rotates around the sun, there is a new dawn and new opportunities to praise and worship Him, our maker. We are all blessed by what our Creator lends us for life on this planet every day. He brings the sunlight, provides our food for harvesting, and His word tells us that the rain, too, falls on the just as well as the unjust.

Take a look at the natural beauty of the sky, a flower, or a butterfly, and marvel at the handiwork of our Lord. If he can be concerned for such things, how much more for you?

As God has given us life more abundantly, we need to make it a priority to share the good news with others!

Jul

08

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord

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The first official Independence Day took place in a little synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus took the book of Isaiah and read:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him” ~ Luke 4:18-19.

 God’s first covenant with the nation Israel was through the Law where he promised the people prosperity and healing of their land if they would obey. Today, the New Covenant we have is through the sacrifice of Jesus and is a promise to all of God’s faithful children. Our promise is not necessarily the prosperity of wealth, although it could be, but more so the fulfilment of being prospered spiritually through the Holy Spirit.

In America, as we annually celebrate Independence Day in July, we are reminded of the blessings we’ve been given. We are a great nation of freedom and liberty; it’s true, there is none better. But always remember that one is only truly free through the blood of Jesus, who took the fall for us on the battlefield of that cruel Roman cross.

May your true independence come today through the healing balm of the one true God, Jesus Christ. By the stripes of his blood-stained back while on the cross, we are healed.

Jul

01

A time for everything…

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Through God’s grace, we are given an allotment of time on earth. Regarding the lives of Adam and Eve, rather than cutting off life at their first sin, God graciously extended his hand to take care of them even outside of the Garden where they’d been banished. Despite their rejection of his simple command to not eat of the fruit, God continued to care for them by giving them time to live.

Generations later, God is still in the life-giving business. Since coming to know Him personally, we now understand the days, weeks, months, and years he’s allotted are given to us for His purposes. Our time is lent to prioritize and utilize constructively, remembering always the days are fleeting, and what’s not done to glorify him is time we’ve wasted. (Yes, even washing the dishes can be done to the glory of God!)

While we know our days are numbered here on earth, in the time given to each of us, may we always say as with the Psalmist, “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” ~ Psalm 118:24.

Jun

24

His guiding light

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Our God is awesome to say the least. He determines the position of the moon and stars…our hearts beat at his command… he knows the number of hairs on our heads…he’s in our every breath. He’s everywhere!

Those who doubt the existence of God may do so for one of many reasons. Feeing abandoned? Too much pain, tragedy, or suffering? How can a loving God allow such travesty that is in the news 24-7?

All valid concerns, yes, but the source of the trouble does not belong to God, and the unbelieving may not be aware that God has already touched their lives—every day. In countless ways, he’s healed, protected, and preserved them.

This world will never be perfect or completely satisfy. We know there can be no complete fulfillment here. But Christ came to touch our lives with his presence…to bind our wounds and make us completely whole and satisfied—in Him. For this world is not all there is; it’s only the beginning.

How beautiful to be loved by the one true God, and it’s all possible through the saving grace of Jesus.

Jun

16

A father’s love

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Being a father is more than just having children. The job requires time, patience, discipline, and sacrifice. Above all, love.

It’s a tremendous task to rear a child in the way to go. It can be daunting, especially when a man does it in his own strength. Though a father tries, he may fail at times.

There is no official instruction guide for fatherhood, though the instruction book for life—the Bible—has everything one needs to accomplish the job. And what better example to follow than that of our heavenly Father who, by His grace, has given us more than we deserve. That is, not to spoil us, but to show us the riches of His glory.

 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him ~ Proverbs 23:24

As a father, men–young and old–have been given a special task and privilege. With the Lord as the role model and His word as the guide, they have all that’s needed to achieve the responsibility of being a great father. Today, we celebrate our dear fathers whether grand, surrogate, adoptive, or biological, you are special and appreciated.