Are Your Prayers Heard?

Do you ever wonder if your prayers are being accepted? Are they short or long enough? Are they too flowery? Are they humble enough? I think King David might have wondered that as well. In Psalm 19:14 he said “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” The truth is, prayer is a conversation with God and he wants to hear from us. It’s part of our relationship with Him! He is listening no matter what we want to say. Have you spoken to Him today? God bless you.

Discipline Equals Love

Did you ever hear this from your mother or father: “this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you?” Discipline is given out of loveā€¦. God hates sin and we are all sinners, so sometimes he must discipline us, BUT, in the midst of God’s punishments he shows mercy and love. Even when we are bearing the consequences of sin He is walking with us. Titus 3:4-5 says “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of rightousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Don’t forget to thank Him today for his endless love – He loves us even when we have failed him. God bless you today!

Overwhelmed!?

Have you ever stared at the night sky and been amazed at the beauty of the universe our God has created or seen a glorious sunset and felt like getting on your knees and giving thanks to the one who painted it for you? Have you ever prayed for healing for a friend or loved one and seen a miracle happen in spite of the odds and given glory to Him? or how about coming to tears when sitting alone reading His word? All of these things inspire emotion! Nehemiah 8:9d says “For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.” Experiencing all that the Lord has given can be overwhelming and should bring us to our knees in thanksgiving and a desire to know Him more. God bless you!

New Beginnings

Happy New Year! This day marks a new beginning of time. It marks new hopes, dreams, plans (resolutions?), and promises. But the reality is that not everything turns out as we planned or hoped for. The only thing, and the best thing that we can hope for, is that after we discuss those plans with God and if it is His will, He will honor them and bless us. We may have failed in our plans for the last year, but God is always there to pick us up so we can begin again. Revelation 21:5a says “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” May He make this “new” year a good one for you, full of hope and blessings as you spend time with Him. God Bless You in 2022!

The Gift

As we open our presents on Christmas morning, I wonder if we have received the “Gift.” I am talking about the gift of Jesus Christ as our Savior. Many people haven’t received this gift. The gift is only mentioned three times in the bible. In Isaiah 7:14 we are told of this gift – “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This gift was so important that it was repeated again in Matthew 1:23. Many of us re-gift our presents; this year I encourage you to share your gift with someone who hasn’t received it. Merry Christmas —-and Happy Birthday Jesus.

Peace at Christmas

Most of us have heard the expression “No Jesus, no peace, Know Jesus, know peace. Sadly, for our lost loved ones and a lost world living in sin, it is hard to understand the peace that we as Christians feel. John 14:27a says “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” During this Christmas season, let’s share the peace of the gospel of Jesus. Amen? God bless you!

Take a Christmas Break!

It’s almost Christmas and most of us are caught up in the seasonal activities.  We rush around setting up  our outside decorations and searching for the perfect tree. We might get exhausted running from store to store searching for the perfect present or tired from dealing with the crowds and holiday traffic.  We might even be too tired to spend some time with God. So, why not stop and spend a couple of minutes of restful time with our Lord. Stop and listen for his voice, pause and thank him for his blessings.  Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” Do that and experience rest in the midst of the hustle and bustle. God bless you!

Spanning the Gulf

There are a great many gulfs we are aware of: the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Suez, the Gulf of California; the word gulf is meant to describe a large distance between two places. There is another gulf we should always be aware of: the gulf between ourselves and God. Just like the gulf between two sides of a mountain we need a bridge to get us to the other side, and for us, that bridge is the love Jesus Christ has for man. 1 Timothy 2:5 says “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” I hope each of us is using that bridge to get closer to God each day. God bless you!

Who’s In There With You?

It’s morning, and you go alone into your prayer closet, but are you really alone? Things go in with you; things like uncertainty, fear, grief, or maybe joy, peace or excitement. Sometimes, because of the things in there with us, we just don’t know what to say or how to start. Thankfully, in that closet with us is the spirit of Christ. Romans 8:26 says “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” I’m glad I’m not alone in my prayer closet, how about you? God bless!

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear

Have you ever heard the expression “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is,” or  “Beware of a wolf in sheep’s clothing”? As Christians we need to be constantly aware of these phrases. We are living in a time in which we are blasted by false prophets, both on television, radio, and print. We are warned about this in Matthew 7:15 where we are told “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing,  but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” I pray that we are all on guard and are prepared to speak the truth. God bless you all!