Jun

27

Got trust?

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In times of fear or uncertainty, it should be comforting to know that to know that God is closer than we think. If we are abiding in Christ, there is nothing to fear because we are held in the palm of his hand. We are as close as marrow is to bone.

The unfathomable depth of God’s love for humanity began in the Garden. With the first killing of an animal, God used the skin to clothe Adam and Eve. Why did God do that? Even outside the Garden, while the fellowship had been broken, his love remained. It continued so much that he eventually sent his son to redeem all of mankind from his own sin.

Unlike worldly love that ebbs and flows at its own discretion, God’s love is an unlimited source that wells up from his true nature.

Today, Christ sits at the right hand of God after making the ultimate sacrifice. Those who’ve put their trust in Him should no longer have any fears, worries, or doubts about the Lord’s love or his plans and provisions for our lives. Whether there’s famine, peril, nakedness, or sword, there’s nothing—at all—imaginable that can come between the Lord and His redeemed.

“No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from his hand, ’til he returns and calls me home, here in the power of Christ I stand” ~ In Christ Alone, by Getty and Townend.

Jun

21

Praise for our fathers

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What an awesome responsibility it is to bear the title of father. Being a dad is more than just having children. It’s a fulltime job. The position requires time, patience, discipline, and sacrifice. Above all, love.

It’s a tremendous undertaking to rear a child in the way to go. The task can be daunting, especially when a man does it in his own strength. Many times, a father will fail. We need to pray for them to seek their Father in heaven for the strength, wisdom, and courage to fulfill their earthly role.

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.

 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord ~ Ephesians 6:4

 Men, young and old, whether a father or surrogate dad, all have been given a generous 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.

Jun

14

The fruit of his goodness

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How can we measure the goodness of the Lord?

Is it even possible? With the rich abundance of all that he supplies, it would take a lifetime and then some to count the blessings God bestows. One that stands out in particular is the bountiful harvest of fruit and produce.

God’s fruit—that is, the fruit of his spirit—is even more special. His spirit is a delightful blend of love along with joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—all in one.

We don’t have to stress or strive to grow this fruit in our lives. Its genesis is from the Holy Spirit working inside each believer as we are continually sanctified. While steeped in Christ and abiding in his word, we receive wisdom above and beyond our own capabilities because the Lord is doing the increase in our lives. God’s work, combined with our yielded hearts, produces fruit that brings Him the glory.

We may not be able to grow a fruit tree on our own, but with the Lord by our side, our lives can become a cornucopia of fruitful abundance.

Jun

09

One in Christ

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With all of the focus on diversity, it’s interesting to note that God is not concerned with such things. He doesn’t notice race, color, or gender. These statistics don’t matter as the Lord’s focus is on the heart.

We have fellowship with him as our Father, and that makes us collectively all brothers and sisters in the Lord. We comprise the body of Christ. Some may feel like they’re just the big toe, but in a body, the toe has a huge function!

As Christians, we are called to love one another. Although we all have shortcomings, we’re to make every effort to love in spite of our predilections and peculiarities. We need to preserve the unity of the spirit at all costs. Why? Because we are united as one—in Christ.

Maintaining a bond of peace is not always easy, but the power of the Holy Spirit gives us the strength. May we always remember:

There is but one Lord, one faith, and one baptism ~ Ephesians 4:5

             Also, there is one hope that we all share. Truly, everything rests in Him.

May

31

Never forget

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This Memorial Day, we celebrate our war veteran serviceman and heroes, who sacrificed so much for our country. We salute them for their valiant efforts to ensure the safe keeping of our land and its liberty.

America, the land of the free, is a concept our founding fathers brought forth on this continent that all men should be free from tyranny. They acknowledged their Creator as God, thus paving the way for America to become a blessed nation of freedom.

Among the heroic souls who braved their lives to secure our liberty, there’s another who made the ultimate and distinguished sacrifice—our savior, Jesus Christ. The price he paid was the willing offer to give up his own life in obedience to the Father in an effort to bring new life and restoration to the believer.

Thank you, Lord, that we have liberty to worship you in this great land because of the sacrificial efforts of so many… the greatest being your Son.

“…and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17