Upheld by God's Righteous Hand!

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Imagine straying from your father, rebelling, becoming homeless and ending up in jail.  That is the story a new friend, Josh, shared with me two weekends ago.  You see, my friend made mistakes that were costly and left him alone and forsaken.  He was released from jail and returned home to his father who accepted him with open arms and some pretty strict restrictions.  He faced some tough challenges but soon found himself with the opportunity to come home to his Spiritual father.  He gave his life to Christ, surrendering to him and repented from his sins.  He began a new journey that would lead him to marriage, the mission fields of Africa and Ecuador and the blessing of a son.  

There is a lot more to Josh's story, but just the little I've shared speaks to God's amazing grace and ability to transform us from fearful and dismayed to strengthened and upheld.  God will uphold each and every one of us with his righteous hand, all we have to do is come home to him.  Just a little advice to go!

P.S. Josh will graduate from Cornell Law School next December and return to Arizona to practice law wherever God leads him.  Please keep him and his family in your prayers!

A2G: A Benefit Plan Like No Other!

Psalm 103
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

God offers us a benefit plan like no other, one that ensures eternity for all who sign up.  With so  many disheartened people suffering because of the daily challenges at work and home, there is a need for a new benefits plan, one that only God can offer.  Psalm 103 provides us with benefits unlike no others, we simply have to sign on the line that says, I believe!

Benefits:

• Forgiveness is available through sincere repentance and the practice of unconditional forgiveness.  You have to practice it to receive it.  

• Healing is provided for physical, emotional and spiritual ailments.  You need only to faithfully request it and believe.. 

• Redemption is promised, He will buy back of your issues, your pain, your sadness, and more; He will restore you to whom he intended you to be.  

• He Crowns us, beautifying us as we become a new creation worthy of all his promises with the old things passing on as we learn to let go!

• Satisfaction is guaranteed, like the eagle is renewed you are renewed to the status God intended for you filling you with a spirit of joy that never ends.  They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Fighting Discontentment, A Worthy Battle!

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks Himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels. Isaiah 61:10 

This is the day that The Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24

Pray for me!  Recently the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart about how often I neglect God's word, failing to live it each and every day.  It is easy to live in discontentment focused on all that is wrong; the challenges at work, at home, and in your spiritual walk.  Before you know it, the obstacles become so difficult that you find yourself sounding and acting as a defeated person.  Somehow the fact that you are surrounded by numerous blessings bypasses you and you reflect a spirit of discontentment believing that everything is wrong and subject to criticism.  

Thank God for the faithful servants he utilizes to speak to our lives and to help us battle the lies of the enemy.  In my case a friend patiently lsitened to my complaints and then asked the key question, "so tell me about what is going right"?  Right then and there God began to move my spirit reminding me of all the blessings he placed in my life.  Several days later I heard a message on the subject of discontentment and thought, there He goes again reminding me to stand up and rejoice.  Finally, yes I am a bit slow, I turned on the television and heard a message on defeating the spirit of discontentment and knew it was time to stop complaining and strart rejoicing.  Wow, what a difference when you can start the day by rejoicing and being glad for the gift of salvation, for the robes of righteousness, and the ornaments that he bestows upon us.  Yes, this is the day The Lord has made, I will be glad and rejoice in it!  Just a little advice to go! 

If You Feel Persecuted, You Are Not Alone!

Perhaps you are experiencing a level of criticism and attack from friends, family, or co-workers and are wondering, why me?  Jesus tells us in the book of John, Chapter 20, verse 15 that "if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also."  Yes, living for Jesus doesn't free you from persecution.  I won't walk you through the many biblical leaders persecuted for their faith in God or service to Christ.  Too many were persecuted and killed simply because they believed.

Saul once hunted believers down, judging them guilty and executing them on the spot; talk about persecution.  God transformed Saul the persecutor into Paul the promoter who would take the lead in spreading Christianity to many and in the end, he would suffer persecution up to his death.  Because of his leadership a number of churches were planted and numerous church leaders were developed helping to spread the gospel.  He would go on to author 14 of the 27 books of the new testament helping memorialize the story of Christ for all to read.  He was a Jew who converted to Christianity but used his Roman citizenship to overcome the obstacles and persecutions he faced as he lived a life of service to Christ.

Like Paul, we as believers are not exempt from persecution and for some that persecution can even result in death, yet they continue to preach the gospel come what may.  We must recognize, as difficult as it may seem, persecution as a reality of our faith remembering the attacks and the consequences do not go unnoticed by our heavenly Father.  He assures us in the end, that no weapon formed against us shall prosper and he will never leave us or forsake us.  In Christ, we can do all things and focusing on Him will help us overcome any attack of the enemy.  Feeling persecuted, simply call on Jesus and He will take it from there!  Keep on Keepin on! Just a little advice to go!

Live the Gift of Life!

Recently I participated in a basic yoga training class, a gift from a friend.  The first thing they taught was the importance of controlling how I breathe.  Sounded silly at first but little by little I began to practice controlling my breathing; taking deep steady slow breaths learning to relax my body, making it easier to focus my mind and thoughts.  I thought of Adam, the first man God created and how he breathed life into his body.  His lungs expanded and posture straightened as he began his first day of life, exploring all that surrounded him.  How awesome!

God spoke to my heart reminding me to take the time to slow down, breathe deeply, straighten up, relax and look around.  Like Adam, I began to notice the awesomeness of all that God has created the natural world that surrounds me.  Acknowledging the awesomeness of all that breathes and lives is important and requires that we stop, take a deep breath, relax, and open our eyes wide.  Value each moment of each day and celebrate the gift of life.  Love and care for those God has placed near to your heart, they are a gift to be valued and cared for.  Live!   Just a little advice to go!

Tired and Weary?

Psalm 69:3
I am exhausted from shouting for help; my throat is sore; my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. 

Have you ever felt the despair that David felt during his persecution.  Things can go wrong when you least expect them and without any wrongdoing on your part.  Finding yourself in the midst of a battle or a number of battles calling for Christ and waiting for an answer that doesn't seem to come can be discouraging.  It is during such difficulty that we can begin to experience sadness, anger, doubt, and so forth.  Looking up towards heaven becomes seemingly impossible so our eyes also become weary.   This is a reminder that our belief is founded in faith; we simply believe God to be present even when it doesn't seem he is there.  We believe because we know that in the end, God shows up and saves the day.  He rescues us from our sorrow and fills us with his joy.   Yes we can grow tired and weary, but Christ shows up and fills us with the power of his Spirit, renewing our strength so that we can continue to carry out his purpose in our lives.  Praise the Lord!  Just a little advice to go! 

Forgive Me!

1 John 1: 9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Recently, I sat at a meeting listening to a colleague express his sadness over the reality that he may have offended others.  He explained that it was never his intent to offend and asked for forgiveness.  Most in the room didn't see this coming and looked surprised but touched.  Someone offered to close the meeting with prayer and prayed for everyone in the room but most importantly for our colleague.

Amazing how the words "forgive me" can have such an impact on others and how releasing the burden of our mistakes, whether simple or significant, can help us.  God calls us to confess our sins to him seeking forgiveness from those we have offended.  He asks this because he understands that sincere repentance will not only lift our burdens, but will empower us with courage.  Taking that step, provides others with the opportunity to lift their burden by being granted the opportunity to forgive.   It isn't just about our sin, but helping others recover from the impact of that sin.  The next time you feel the conviction of having done wrong, remember to confess it to the Lord and to ask for forgiveness.  Just a little advice to go!