Words or Actions

I John 3:16-18: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (NIV)

 

2013 is preparing to pass fully into the history books of our past and 2014 lies on the horizon of our future. How did 2013 pass so swiftly and how did I spend all of the time that God permitted me to have is a question that is present in my heart this morning? Was I profitable servant in the Kingdom of God? Did I spend my life wisely? Was I foolish with the resources (both natural as well as spiritual) that God provided for me to use? Did I share the Good News of the Gospel with others around me? Did I love my neighbor as I should have loved them? Did my love for God grow stronger or did my love for God grow more distant and less passionate? Did I love my wife and family with commitment and faithful concern?

 

I could continue writing questions such as these for the remainder of the day and never fully address all of them. But I only have a few more hours to answer the "Did I" questions. The calendar is about to change and the questions will no longer be "Did I"; the questions will change to "Will I." Will I allow the Spirit and the Word to make the proper adjustments in my life so that I will live pleasing to the Heavenly Father? The "Did I" questions will be limited to the historical archives of my past. The past is behind me and I can only control the decisions and actions of the future. I must focus on those future opportunities and allow the Spirit to teach me the error of my ways. I do not know what the future will hold but I do know that I can trust God to lead me if I will take full advantage of His shepherding in my life. He will lead if I will follow.

 

I am asking God that 2014 will be a year in which my actions will match my words. An old quote says that "Words are cheap." God is looking for people of action and not just people who know the right words to say. I truly believe that God is calling us to be people of right and Biblical actions in 2014. These proper actions will glorify the Father and allow the world to recognize that we are truly "living out" the mandate of a true relationship with God. We do not get to hit the rewind button on 2013 but we do have the opportunity to move forward into a deeper walk with Christ as we prepare to enter 2014. Do not live in the land of "Did I" but move into the promise land of "I will."

Post-Christmas Review

Many of you are probably involved in the follow-up activities of Christmas. Some of these activities require your willing participation while others demand that you participate. These activities may include trips to the mall to exchange some gifts; you may need to clean and re-arrange the house after the guests have left; you may find yourself re-positioning the left overs in the refrigerator especially the dessert dishes and last but not least moving all of the garbage to the curb so that it can be picked up and taken to the incinerator to be destroyed. These are just a few of the events that normally follow a celebration with our friends and family. It seems that we wait such a long time for this season to arrive and it passes so quickly.

 

The anticipation of the arrival of Christmas gives us somewhat a snapshot of our life. The Bible compares our life to a vapor that appears and then vanishes away. We are here on earth for our assigned time and it is during that time, whether it is brief or long that we make our preparation for our eternal home. I do not want this post to be viewed in a negative manner but I do want us to remember that we have a purpose to accomplish on this earth. And God through His marvelous presence will provide us the Grace that we need to accomplish that purpose. Many of us work very hard at making this temporary life as comfortable as we can. We want to provide the best that we can for our family and we want to make sure that each of them have the tools of life to succeed. BUT do we expend that same energy, commitment, dedication and lifestyle adjustments to see our spiritual goals and purpose accomplished? Do we view the eternal as important to our life as we view the temporary? Should we not even view the eternal more important than the temporary?

 

I encourage you to look back at this year and appreciate all that you accomplished in your life. I also invite you to look ahead as we approach 2014 and ask God these questions. "What can I do to strengthen my relationship with You? What areas of my life need adjustment? What commitments do I need to make in 2014 that will forever change my eternal view of life? How can I  more effectively serve in 2014 so that I can overcome the spirit of selfishness that has so gripped our society?"

 

Let each of us prepare our hearts to follow the leading of the Spirit into our eternal destiny!!! 

Purpose of Christmas

Matthew 18:11-14, "¹¹ For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. ¹² “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? ¹³ And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴ Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." (NKJV)

 

The celebration of Christmas is packed full of various traditions that have been established by families and friends over a period of time. Traditions such as the trimming of the tree, the type of meal that is prepared, the time of the meal, and even the menu of the meal. We also have established the traditions of the giving and sharing of gifts with one another. There are some people who even choose to establish a price range on the amount of money that can be spent on any gift. Even small children establish their own set of traditions such as do I leave cookies and milk for Santa Claus and carrots for the reindeer and what should I leave the elves that assist Santa? Some people have even established the tradition of not choosing to celebrate any "cultural" celebration of Christmas.  Each of us have probably our own way of "doing" Christmas and this post is not about taking sides on which tradition is right and which tradition is wrong. This post is being written to remind us of the purpose of Christmas.

 

We must remember that there is a great difference between tradition and purpose. Traditions are established in the minds of people and those traditions can and very do change from generation to generation. The celebration of Christmas must be more than just the celebration of our traditions or the traditions that have been established by others. The celebration of Christmas is the beginning point of understanding the purpose and plan of God for fallen and sinful humanity. I sincerely doubt that any of the previous traditions that I wrote about earlier were celebrated on the day of the "first Christmas." The celebration of the first Christmas was about the birth of the Jesus, the Savior who would free mankind from their sins. Verse 11 of our scripture passage establishes the purpose of the entry of Christ into this world on that day in Bethlehem. Let us be reminded of that purpose, "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." We can not afford to allow the purpose of Christ to be crowded out by any traditions or celebrations that have been developed in the minds of mankind. We must remain committed to the message of the Gospel that declares that Christ "came to save that which was lost." That statement is a reminder that we have a message to declare and a message to celebrate. Rejoice in the fact that the purpose of Christ continues to be revealed in our lifetime!!

Thinking about Christ

Luke 2:8-20, "That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” ¹⁵ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷ After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, ¹⁹ but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. ²⁰ The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. (NLT)

 

Under normal circumstances I do not use this lengthy of scripture passage because I have read all of the statistical information concerning our short attention span. But we are not living in "normal" times! Give me a moment to climb up on my soap box and vent. I am constantly amazed at our ability to have our attention span so captured by a movie, a sporting event, conversation with friends and many other "social" events yet we can become bored so quickly when it comes to the Word of God and the things of God. Is it possible that we need to examine our "process of thinking" about the things concerning the Kingdom of God? Verse 19 of this passage has captured my attention over the past few weeks. Let me remind you of the content of the statement made concerning the process of Mary's thinking; "but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often." Isn't that an amazing and thought provoking look into the heart of Mary? I fully understand that we only know what is taking place in the heart of someone through the words that they speak and the actions that they take. We do not have the ability to discern nor fully comprehend all of the activity of someone's heart and this post is not written to create that desire on our part. These words are being written to challenge each of us to take a close look at our "process of thinking" concerning the things of God.

 

Mary had heard the declarations of the shepherds regarding the information that the angels had shared with them yet she wanted to think on them for herself. Is it possible that she realized that she could not be content just knowing what the shepherds knew? She had the ability to think and reason and she would use those abilities to meditate on the things of God pertaining to the life and purpose of Christ. It appears that she involved herself in this "process of thinking" on numerous occasions throughout the earthly life of Christ. Is it possible that we have grown content just to know what other people know about Christ and have never taken the time to think and learn for ourselves? Yes by all means we need ministers, teachers and scholars to unfold and open the truth to us so that we can learn the principles of God. But this in and of itself will never take the place of our individual thinking, meditation, and inward desire to know and understand Christ for ourself. Let this Christmas season be a time in which you hit the "spiritual refresh" button of your heart. Take some time and "think" about Christ and what He desires to reveal in your life. Don't settle for just knowing what others know about Christ; desire to know Him for yourself.

"Little" Christmas

I heard a line from an old song this morning while I was driving to the office. These words drew my attention; "Have yourself a merry little Christmas." Then my thoughts zeroed in on the word "little." Truthfully there is nothing "little" about Christmas either from a secular (economic) point of view or from a Biblical point of view. But I began to ponder this question; "Have we allowed the story of Christmas to shrink from a great story to a small story?" Have we lost the passionate side of evangelistic fervor because the Christmas story has become an "old" story that we have learned to recite rather than receive and embrace? The prophetic fulfillment of the Incarnation of the Son of God in a human body remains a powerful story of redemption and rescue. I truly believe that the Holy Spirit is calling the "church" to reconnect with the true Christmas story and once again let it make a difference in our lives and in our attitude toward humanity.

The Christmas story was a "big" story to Mary who was given the awesome privilege and responsibility to serve as the earthly mother for Jesus on this earth. The Christmas story was a "big" story to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus who seriously considered divorcing Mary upon learning of the miraculous story that she shared with him. The concerns that Joseph felt in his heart were so real that God sent an Angel to answer these concerns for Joseph. The Christmas story was a "big" story for the Shepherds who left their flock to come and worship the baby Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem. The Christmas story was a "big" story for the Wise Men who traveled a great distance to offer their gifts Jesus. Truly the Christmas story was a "big" story for all of humanity. The Savior of the world was born in that lowly stable that night and that Savior would offer His life in our place on a cruel cross on Golgotha. The Christmas story was a "big" story" to Jesus, the Son of God. He willfully chose to leave the splendor of glory to come and live as a human being upon this sinful planet called Earth. 

Let me pose another question to you; "Is the Christmas story a big story to us or have we allowed the influence of the culture to shrink the story to where it is simply another holiday on the calendar?" I pray that God will open our eyes so that we can see the greatness of God and the greatness of the story concerning the entrance of  Christ into this world. Would you take a moment today and ask God to renew and revive your heart toward the great and powerful story that has been entrusted to us to share with a world full of hurting people? People are looking for answers to the "ills" of their lives and we know that the true answer is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. 

Don't forget to share the "big" story this year!!!

Christmas? Really?

A few of the Radio stations in our area began playing "Christmas music" several weeks ago, even before Thanksgiving. Our wonderful grandchildren assisted us and led us into making that discovery. As a matter of fact they make sure that the radio dial is turned to the various stations so they can listen to the "Christmas music." I might add that I do think that the music starts too early at least from my point of view but I am sure that my view is one view of many varying opinions. As a matter of fact, I am listening to some "Christmas music" as I type these words. That fact may prove that I am not a "scrooge" after all.

 

On several occasions I have heard various artists share their rendition of the song "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." Those words have grabbed my attention to this morning. What does Christmas look like to you and to me? Is it the green trees with white or multi-colored lights? Is it the Salvation Army Bell Ringers outside the doors of your favorite store? Is it the crowds of people in the mall looking for that bargain for that special someone in their life? Is it a young child with pencil in hand looking through the latest sales advertisements and marking what he/she wants for Christmas? Is it Mom and Dad stretching the budget to make sure that they can purchase the latest toy, newest designer clothes, or the latest electronic gadget that has been produced and rolled out just in time for this shopping season? Is it an empty chair at this year's family celebration? Is it the missing smile of a friend or loved one who is celebrating in Heaven while we fight the crush of traffic in the mall or shopping center and worry about paying the bills from this Christmas celebration? Is it the Pastor/Preacher talking about the manger and the baby Jesus who is tucked neatly inside the swaddling clothes? Is it the choir singing songs that they only sing once a year? As you can tell this could develop into an unending list of "what does Christmas look like?"

 

The easiest answer to this question could be that Christmas should look like a group of family and friends sharing with each other about the great love that God has for the whole world of which each of us are an important part. This same group of individuals would also share about the daily blessings that God places in our lives. I can not answer for anyone but myself and I realize that I need to re-examine what I want Christmas to look like. What Christmas does look like may not necessarily be what Christmas truly should look like. I began this post by thinking that I would tell you what I thought Christmas should look like but the more I write the more I realize that is not my responsibility today. The shepherds saw the original Christmas from a different perspective than the Magi saw the birth and development of Christ. Each of us may see Christmas from a different point of view because we may need a fresh, unique and personal revelation of Christ at this point in our life.

 

Take a moment and ask God "What do you want me to see this year at Christmas?" I believe that the Spirit will open your eyes and your heart to a fresh view of the "old story" and you can realize that the joy and peace of Christmas still exists and that God is still very real to each of us!!

Making Room for Jesus

Luke 2:7, "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (KJV)

 

I feel led to share this reminder with you today although each of us know the truth of this statement but it becomes something that we may choose to ignore because of the pressure of society. We have to make a concerted and concentrated effort to keep Jesus the center of our activities. This is especially true in a society which has taken many events even including those of a "spiritual" nature and turned them into a commercial event. Christmas has become a time on our calendar that is full of social events which include parties, meals, shopping, traveling, grumbling about lines at the checkout line, the shortage of "sale" items and the complaints about the grumpy clerks who have to wait on all of us impatient people. Let me make it clear that there are many people who serve with grace, kindness and thoughtfulness in many of the stores in which we shop. Now we can even ignore the "Christmas" spirit by cyber shopping in which we never have to leave the comfort and safety of our home. WOW, we have got it so easy in 2013 but why is the lack of celebration, love, kindness and camaraderie absent from so many people's life?

 

Is it possible that we have lost the main reason for that special night when Christ was born? Have we lost the birth of the Savior in all of the glitz, glamour and garb of a modern day Christmas in which society barely takes any time to recognize and remember the "babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger?" Let me make it clear that I am not necessarily against any of the events of celebrations that families and even churches celebrate. I will participate in many of them and I will enjoy my time of family, fellowship, food and friends. BUT I must sound a warning bell when we allow busyness to replace our time of reflection, and remembrance of the birth of the Savior of the world. We can not afford for Him to be crowded out of our lives by other events that may not make an eternal impact on our lives.

 

Let us seek to remain balanced in our approach to Christmas and make sure that Christ has a prominent and important role not only in our celebrations but also in our lives!!!

Remain Strong

I Timothy 6:11-12, "But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses." (NLT)

 

Our physical body will face certain challenges as we travel down the road of life. Some of these physical struggles such as age, disease, injuries, etc. will serve as agents to slow us down to where we are limited in some areas of our physical stamina. I believe that the Spirit placed this passage of scripture in my heart during prayer this morning. Each of us have either faced challenges or we are presently facing obstacles that challenges us to turn loose of our faith. The first four words of verse 12 kept resonating in my mind as I prayed this morning. I must be willing and I must be committed to "fight the good fight..." I believe that the enemy will use challenges, tests, trials, temptations, etc. to wear down my spiritual life just as I mentioned some things that will happen to wear down our physical strength. It is during those moments that we must heed to the instruction that Paul goes on to share in verse 12. The Spirit through Paul reminds us and encourages us to "Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you..."

 

That statement leads me to believe that the true desire of satan is to cause each of us to "turn loose" of our hope in Christ. I encourage you this morning to be committed to perseverance regardless of the challenge or situation. We must remember that God has called us to enjoy His provision of eternal life not only when we arrive in heaven but we already possess the strength of that eternal life at this very present moment. The circumstances and realities of life does not change the eternal fact that God is at work in our hearts at this very moment. I believe that I can hear the people of God rejoicing over the fact that God will not leave nor forsake us as we walk the path of life. The road of life can become winding and often times dangerous but the Chief Shepherd is always present to direct our steps and He is present to guide us down the path of life.

 

I will leave you with the words of verse 12; "Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses."

Human Understanding...

Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." (KJV)

 

On a "normal" Sunday morning at this time I am preparing to leave for church but due to freezing rain and sleet we chose to dismiss our service today. We chose to err on the side of safety and caution yet it does feel strange to be setting in front of my computer at this time on a Sunday morning and typing these words. I am sitting here because I truly believe that I was awakened by the Lord at 4:00 AM and He begin to reveal some thoughts/teachings or understanding in my spirit. The Spirit began to unfold in my heart some knowledge that I believe I need to share with you through this blog. I plan on emailing a link to this blog to our local church attendees because I feel that strong about the content. This will be my Sunday morning sermon minus the inflection of my voice but it will still contain my passion to know God in a deeper and fuller manner.

 

The second part of Proverbs 3: 5 is what the Spirit brought to my attention earlier this morning; "...and lean not unto thine own understanding." (KJV) This is where the teaching of the Spirit began for me and it is where I would like to begin sharing with you. We made the decision early last evening to dismiss our service today based on the human knowledge of the weather forecasters. BUT their level of knowledge and understating had already changed by bedtime last night. They had downgraded the strength and impact of the storm and it appeared that it would not be as bad as they once had declared. I was somewhat frustrated and even disappointed in their statement although in the long term this new forecast will prove more beneficial to our area of the country. We were already recovering from an ice and snow storm on Friday. I should have been rejoicing but I realized that we had made our decision for Sunday based on what we heard on Saturday and the information that we heard had already been adjusted from the time that we first had received it. I trust that you can understand the flow of my concerns/thoughts in the previous statement. I quickly began to be reminded of the fact that our human understanding is very limited and can change quickly as more information becomes available. I already knew that fact to be true but this storm and the decision to cancel our Sunday service would be a tool that God would use to teach me to wait on Him and trust in Him regardless of the circumstances that may be taking place in my life or in the lives of my family and friends. God is always in charge even when our human understanding is limited or even challenged.

 

This morning the Spirit began to take me to some situations in which God intervened and worked contrary to human understanding and in some cases God even confounded human understanding. John 6 reveals the story of the multitude who needed to be fed. Read how Simon Peter describes the supplies that he has found in the crowd; “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" This comment is based on his human understanding of the situation. But notice the action of Jesus once He becomes involved in the situation. Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹ And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹² So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” The ability and power of God overcame the need that was present among the people. John 11 shares with us the story of Lazarus. Lazarus has become ill and the family sends for Jesus. Jesus arrives after Lazarus has died. As a matter of fact he has been dead for four (4) days upon the arrival of Jesus. Jesus issues this request after some discussion with the family of Lazarus; “Where have you laid him?” Jesus issues this command at the conclusion of a discussion with the family of Lazarus; "Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” The resurrection power and authority of Christ overcame the power of illness and death. This was also proven once again at the Resurrection of Christ after His crucifixion.

 

Mark 9 shares with us a story of a parent with an ill child. Read the words of the father as he speaks with Jesus; “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 

¹⁸ And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” I truly believe that the disciples wanted to assist this child as well as the father of the child but their ability was limited. But we must remember that the ability of God is never limited regardless of the circumstances that we are facing. Jesus engages this parent in a discussion and shares these principles of faith; "Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” You can read the full story in Mark 9 but the end result of this story is that the child is delivered from the oppression of this illness and difficulty.

 

Here is what I feel that I need to leave with you today. Never, ever, give up regardless of the circumstances that you are facing. Never, ever stop believing regardless of the circumstances that you are facing. Never, ever forget that God's power is greater than human understanding.

 

 

 



Hope is Found in the Word of God

There are times that my spirit and soul are overwhelmed as I reflect on all of the "needs" that are present all around me and the ministry call which God has placed in my life. I am sure that I am not much different than any other Pastor or Ministry Leader that I know. My phone rings with people sharing the needs in their lives. I receive text messages, emails, FB messages, letters in the mail and I become involved in personal conversations where people share about the struggles that they are facing. These words are not being written with the intention to grumble or complain; rather they are being written to remind us that there are people all around us who are facing some serious challenges or struggles and they are depending on someone to pray and intercede for them. It is during these moments and moments like these that we look to the Word of God for hope, comfort and encouragement. We also need to realize that these situations happen on a daily basis and not just at this time of the year (Winter & Christmas). I am sure that each of us know of someone who is dealing with something that is bigger than their ability to "fix, repair, or change it." What do we say to those people? We can say to them that the Word of God provides a resource that is far greater than any library in America. The Word of God will speak truth and hope into our moments of concern and despair. I want to share a favorite Psalm that is speaking to my heart this week.

 

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

⁸ Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.  (NIV)

 

Be blessed and strengthened as you meditate on the promises of God!

 

 



Weekend Reflections

I trust that each of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving weekend celebration. I was reminded during prayer that even as some people are celebrating there are other people who are facing tragedies, difficulties and other major challenges. I personally know of individuals who are facing health issues, employment issues, martial issues as well as a host of other concerns. We prayed with several individuals at church yesterday who are dealing with their own set of circumstances. Yet in the midst of all these situations we can find comfort and strength in the power, authority, and soverngity of God. I was reminded of those promises as we sang "How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God" in our worship service on Sunday. I want to encourage someone today to focus on the "greatness of God" as you look into the face of your circumstances. 

I read an interesting question that Rick Warren posed in one of his devotions. He talked about the time of fellowship, food, family, friends, football, and etc. that we participated in over this past few days. Now, we all understand that there is nothing wrong with those activities per se; yet as believers we need to look beyond the surface and recognize the goodness of God. Pastor Warren challenged me to think about my activities over the past few days. I spent a lot of time on the previous activities that were mentioned but this question was posed by Pastor Warren, "How much time did I spend offering thanksgiving to God?" We probably should eliminate the brief prayer that was offered prior to the meal (s) that we shared with our family and friends. Did I (we) take the time to offer a time of sincere praise and thanksgiving to God separate  from all of the hustle and bustle of the "holiday" events? I am not sharing these thoughts to be critical of anyone of us but I do think that these thoughts are worthy to be considered. There is a song that we sing from time to time in church and one of the lines of that song says, "When I think of His Goodness and what He has done for me, when I think of His Goodness and how He set me free, it makes me want to shout..." 

I encourage each of us to take some time and "think, meditate, review, reflect, and remember" the Goodness of God that has been revealed in our lives. Your response to God may depend on the depth of your recognition and appreciation of the involvement of God in your life!!!

Thanksgiving

1 Thessalonians 5:18,"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (NKJV)

 

Note: My ten year old granddaughter is serving as my editor for this post. She is also "freely" offering her advice and opinion as she looks over my shoulder during this process. I may need to ask her to return to the kitchen and assist her Nonnie in preparing dinner for our family. LOL

 

Today is "Thanksgiving Day", which is somewhat a paradox for a Christian. Shouldn't every day be a day of Thanksgiving for those of us who recognize Christ as our Savior? In reality each day should be a day of Thanksgiving for every human being that walks the face of this earth. The Psalmist David reminded us that every one that has breath should offer our praise to God (Psalm 150).

 

Each of us have been blessed in so many ways but there are times that those blessings are forgotten as we move through the daily challenges of "living." I reminded the New River congregation a few weeks ago that many believers seem to be waiting on something "big" to take place in our lives and then we will offer our thanks to God. But is that the right approach or right decision to make? Only you can answer that question for yourself but my answer is no. I believe that is the wrong approach to take in my attitude of gratitude toward God.

 

I have made my decision based on this following information. As I am waiting for the "big" blessing to arrive I am missing the "load of daily benefits" that God is providing. It is during this time of waiting that I fail to thank God for my family; my friends; my place of employment; the breath that I breathe moment by moment; the food on my table; the home (notice that I did not say house) in which I live; the ability to walk, talk, think, and interact with others; etc. And I have not even attempted to start my "spiritual list" of blessings. Don't be guilty of waiting on the "big" blessing; stop and take a moment to remind yourself of all of the daily benefits that God sends to you each day of your life.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY!!!

Am I Thankful?

I Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (NLT)

 

This passage is not only exciting to read but it is also challenging to read. I had to ask myself this question, "Am I thankful?" when I read this passage a few minutes ago. I realized that the circumstances of life can bring a very real challenge to each of us. Will you take time with me to notice that "Never stop praying" is nestled between "Always be joyful" and "Be thankful in all circumstances..."? Isn't that very interesting? Is God teaching us that prayer is the key to our being joyful and thankful regardless of the circumstances that may be taking place in our lives?

 

Prayer leads us to focus on His presence and not just focus on our circumstances! Now I realize that type of action is not always easy to put into practice for anyone of us but it is always the right action to take. Prayer leads us to remember those times in the Bible as well as those times in our lives in which God has intervened and taken control of the situation. I heard several testimonies on this past Sunday night from different individuals who confirmed my previous statement. I heard of "divine interventions" in which God stepped into the moment and made a complete change in the environment of the situation.

 

I am convinced this morning that "praying without ceasing" is the link to living a life that is full of joy and thanksgiving. We must pray and never stop praying regardless of the attacks and strategies of the enemy. This morning God is teaching me (us) that prayer will be the key to our moving forward down the road of life. Life will have its share of bumps, bruises, injuries, heartaches, disappointments, frustrations, etc. but these moments also afford God an opportunity to minister to us and to those who are walking with us on the road of life.

 

Let this Thanksgiving Day serve as a reminder to pray and continue to pray.

Thankful, Part 4

Colossians 2:6-8, "And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.  ⁷ Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. ⁸ Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. (NLT)

Is it possible that God will overwhelm us with His blessings and we will underwhelm Him with our praise and thanksgiving? That question came into my heart as I was reading this passage in Colossians. The Apostle Paul was sharing principles of our growth process as a Christian and He revealed that this process of growth would contribute to our attitude of thanksgiving. The NLT says that our thankfulness would "overflow." Overflowing thankfulness is an interesting spiritual concept to say the least. We certainly would accept the blessings of God overflowing into our lives but does our thankfulness overflow through our expressions of praise and thanksgiving? This post is not meant to sound critical, harsh or even judgmental but this passage in Colossians does demand serious introspection on our (my) part as a believer. 

What would happen if I took as serious approach to praise and thanksgiving as I do to intercession and bringing my requests to God? What if I learned to express thanksgiving as easily as I have learned to ask God for my "needs" to be supplied? I consider myself an intercessor for others as well as for the needs that I face. But does God consider me a true worshipper who brings to Him a heart that is full and overflowing with thankfulness? Am I a person who is "heavily involved in asking" God for my needs to be met and "lightly involved in praising" God for all that He has done in my life and in the lives of my family? 

I pray that this passage from the writings of Paul will challenge all of us to examine our attitude of thankfulness and commit to becoming a person with a heart of genuine and sincere thankfulness. 

Thankful, Part 3

Psalm 103:1-5, "Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.

^2 3 4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things.   My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (NLT)

I read an article several years ago and I believe that the author was John Maxwell. The article challenged the readers to live with an "attitude of gratitude." I must confess that there have been days in which I have fallen short of that goal/challenge. Life does have a way to replace our praise with concern about the issues/challenges that we are facing. I have found myself distracted by the events of life in such a way that I began to forget the history that I had developed with God. I took on a disease that I could call "spiritual amnesia." In my distress I was guilty of forgetting rather than remembering. We can remember events that took place in our lives many years ago whether these events were good or bad. But it is amazing how quickly our praise and thanksgiving can disappear when troubles or trials make an appearance in our lives. NOTE: I wrote that sentence from experience as well as the observation of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today's passage from the book of Psalms remind us of the need to never forget. But "not forgetting" should not be the end of our story but the beginning of our story. We not only resist the temptation to forget but we take the pro-active response of praising and thanking God for His daily provisions in our lives. I am sure that each of us can begin to remember an abundance of "things" that God has done in our lives when we take the time to have an accurate reflection on our journey down the road of life. The enemy of our soul wants us to have a distorted view of life which would only include those difficult and trying moments. But an accurate review allows us to remember those times in which God brought victory and deliverance into the midst of our situations. I believe that I just heard someone say, "Thank you Jesus for all that You have done for me!!!"

Take a moment and meditate on these words that Pastor Sy Smith felt led to share today. "Our day is not complete until we have worshipped Jesus Christ as God and Savior. Hess wrote, "From your heart give God your praise For his blessings all your days; Lift your voice to God above -- God of mercy, God of love." 

Let the people of God shout AMEN!

Thankful, Part 2

Philippians 4:4-7, "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁵ Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. ⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

 

It is very easy to become so captured and captivated by all of the events of daily living that we fail to recognize and remember all of the blessings that God has provided for us. I can speak these words from experience as well as observation. Life has a way of grabbing our attention and reminding us of our frailties and weaknesses. But that understanding also opens the door for us to sense the presence of the strength of God which is always greater than our weaknesses. Several times over the past few days I have been reminded that "nothing ever takes God by surprise or catches Him off guard." God is intimately aware of all that is taking place in us as well as against us. Each of us must remember to not allow those "life moments" to move us away from God but allow those moments to move us closer to God.

 

We must remember to be willing to offer thanks to God for all of His blessings and not just those blessings that we mark as "big and important." Each of us will have some of those "big and important" moments but we will also have those daily moments in which we see the revelation of the presence and provision of God. It is during those moments that we do not need to fail to offer our praise and thanksgiving to God. Paul reminds us that thanksgiving opens the door for us to experience the depths of the peace of God which will exceed our ability to understand what is taking place in our heart. These are the moments in which God brings calmness in the midst of our storms. Does anyone else sense the strength and power of this revealed and declared promise of God found in Philippians 4? Let us walk with a heart of thanksgiving and gratitude to God!!!

 

This morning I read some words of a testimony from a sister in the Lord whose name is Sharon Traficanto. She is sharing what God placed in her heart during a recent worship service in their local church. I would like to share a few of her thoughts with you. "During this time I started  thinking about Thanksgiving and I found myself making a mental list and here is part of it. Lord, I know there has been a lot of sickness in my family this year, thank you for being my divine healer. Lord, I know there have been times of sadness and heartache in our family this year, thank you for reminding me that I have the joy of the Lord and no one can take that away. Lord, I know there have been difficult decisions to make this year, thank you for the direction you always give because I know it is the only way that leads to what you want for my life."

 

We can always choose to remember the blessings of God regardless of what circumstances we may have faced or maybe facing at this moment in our life. Take some time today and reflect on the blessings of God and offer Him a word of thanksgiving!

Thankful

I wanted to share a very familiar scripture passage with you today. I believe that God inspired my heart to reflect on these words even though I may think that I know what is contained in this beautiful Psalm of Praise that David shared with us. Meditation and reflection have become a lost art in this day of quick moving tidbits of information. Is it possible that we have become "spiritual skimmers" of the Bible? We glance briefly at its content and quickly move on to our next point of interest failing to fully reflect on the truth that is contained in that particular passage. I ask that you park your heart for a few moments in this passage in Psalm 150 and then reflect on the questions that I present at the conclusion of the passage.

 

Psalm 150:1-6, "Praise the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

² Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

³ Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
⁴ Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
⁵ Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!"

                                (NKJV)

 

Do I find it easier to praise or offer complaints and rumblings of grumbling?

 

How long has it been since I offered sincere praise to God for the eternal life that He has provided for each of us through Jesus Christ?

 

Do I think of the blessings that He has provided or do I choose to live in the land of "What ifs or what could have been?"

 

Do I still recognize the fact that God loves me with His unconditional love? And do I thank Him for that love or do I just take it for granted?

 

How long has it been since I shouted Hallelujah or Praise the Lord for your "mercy endures forever?" 

The Word of God, Part 2

Ephesians 6:10-18, "A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." (NLT)

 

I must confess that I have been involved in sermon preparation earlier this morning and I am strengthened and encouraged as I read the promises that are revealed in the Word of God. I sense the same urgency as I did as a father when our sons drove away from the house as a solo driver for the first time. I can remember give them my "checklist" of things to notice but most of all I told them to pay attention to other drivers and what was taking place around them. Their successful journey would depend on them being able to react correctly if something went wrong! The Church must open our eyes and react in the correct manner to things that are presently going wrong around us. The moral compass of our nation is very distorted and in many cases the compass is pointing away from the Bible to a path that is driven by humanistic ideologies. What can we do in this day and time? We will do what our previous generations have done; we will look to the Word of God for guidance and direction. Will you join with me in the pursuit of truth and righteousness in our individual lives as well as corporate lives? I still believe that the Word of God is the ANSWER for the ills of our society!

 

My heart was stirred as I read this prayer of Chuck Swindoll. I want to share another portion of it with you.

 

"Father, we pray that You will cause us to glean from Your Word truth to live by, knowing that it represents truth to die for. Ours is a troubled era. The battle for men's and women's souls and for our youth's minds is raging. And rather than simply throwing a fit and screaming at the top of our voices, we bring our requests to You. We ask that Your truth may equip us with sufficient ammunition to do battle in a world that's lost its way and is guided by an enemy who is deceptive and effective, who knows exactly where he's going. We pray that we will grasp the value of doctrine as it establishes us for whatever comes our way—those surprises, those unexpected events, those things we will call tragedies, and those joys and delights that are before us.

Anchor us, our Father, to the bedrock of truth and remind us that Your Son, Jesus Christ, is the same yesterday and today and forever. It's all His story. Our Father, our eyes are upon Jesus. It is in His merciful, matchless name we pray. Amen."



The Word of God

Psalm 119:159-160, "Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness. ¹⁶⁰ The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever." (NKJV)

 

Over the past few weeks I have felt led, encouraged, convicted, directed and challenged to preach about the power and authority of the Word of God. I truly believe that satan desires for this generation  of believers to be spiritually illiterate when it comes to the knowledge and understanding of the promises of God. We can not afford to base our faith on our emotions or feelings. Feelings and emotions are fickle and they can change very easily and quickly as the winds of daily living blow across our lives. BUT the Word of God endures from generation to generation and it's truth is revealed from generation to generation. In what are you placing your hope and confidence today? We are very acquainted with the latest technological pieces of equipment that comes on the market for sale. We understand how to operate our phones, computers, tablets, ipods, game systems, etc. BUT struggle locating certain books of the Bible when a scripture passage is mentioned! Does anyone notice any thing wrong with this picture that I just described? We must be reminded of our need to hide the Word in our heart so that we might not sin against God. The Word of God will provide the strength to believe when everything else is telling us to doubt God.

 

I want to share a portion of a prayer that Chuck Swindoll felt led to share with his readers. Could we take a moment and let the truth of these words penetrate our hearts and draw us closer to God?

 

"Thank You, Father, for breathing out Your Word through men so many centuries ago. Thank You for preserving the message that You revealed through the miracle of inspiration, Father. Thank You for Your Word—the inerrant, authoritative, infallible Word of God. We live in a day in which others' words have replaced your eternal Word, at least in the public's mind. In this difficult era, it is hard to hear again Your Word. We pray that the scales will be lifted from our eyes and that which has blocked our hearing will be removed so we might see and hear and be comforted and encouraged by Your revealed Word. May the truth that appears in Your Word make its journey through our minds and probe deep within our hearts, so that our minds are transformed and as a result, our actions."

 

Why Should I Praise God?

November is a month in which we celebrate a Holiday that we call Thanksgiving. Surely it is not necessary for people to designate a "holiday" to participate in that activity. But it does appear that all of us need a nudge, push, reminder and encouragement to remember that we should be thankful every day for all of the benefits that God has provided for us. Those benefits may vary from day to day yet they are real and tangible on a daily basis. The challenges of life will try and "squeeze" the praise out of our hearts and remove the words from our lips. But praise and adoration begins to rise up in our hearts as we reflect on the greatness of God and before you know it we are once again singing the praises of God. During prayer this morning I was reminded that "God is truly the Provider of all that I need to make it through this world successfully." I just need to recognize His Power and His Presence.

 

I desire for the first few verses of Psalm 103 to remind us of some reasons why we should praise God.

 

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
² Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    may I never forget the good things he does for me.
³ He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
⁴ He redeems me from death
    and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
⁵ He fills my life with good things.
    My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (NLT)

 

Be encouraged as you offer your personal praise and thanksgiving to God!!!

Never Alone

Hebrews 13:5, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you." (NKJV)

During various posts over the past few weeks I have shared some encouraging words that the Spirit placed in my wife's heart during a time of prayer and meditation. It is a blessing to realize that God is always aware of our conditions, situations, circumstances and events that are taking place in our lives at any given moment. The Bible teaches that He is even aware of our thoughts (both good and bad) and the intents of our heart. I don't know about you but I am still amazed at the awesome presence and power of God. I am also amazed that He is truly interested in me and my journey through life. Those thoughts alone should cause us to lift our voices in praise and adoration to our Great & Mighty King! Is anyone prepared to shout Hallelujah to the Lamb of God who came to this earth on a mission of rescue and redemption?

All of us battle loneliness from time to time. You can even feel lonely in the midst of a crowd (I have been there, done that and even have a T-shirt to prove it). All of us have faced those moments in which we feel forsaken, left out, overlooked, and even ignored by our family, peers and even close friends. But we can rest assured that we are never alone and that God never looses sight of our location. The Spirit placed the following words in Ann's heart and I want to share them with you today. "There will be times in which you will feel alone. You feel this way because that I am invisible to you. You can not see me at those moments of loneliness and despair but realize that my promises are still true. I encourage you to ask me to open your eyes that you might see Me at work in your situation." The Spirit reminded Ann of the encounter that Elisha had with an army that was bent on his destruction. The servant of Elisha was gripped with fear when he saw the city surrounded with horses and chariots. But Elisha calmed the servant and offered this prayer to God. 2 Kings 6:16-17, "¹⁶ And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. ¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." (KJV) 

Do you need your "eyes" opened today? Open your heart to God and remember that His promises are TRUE to all generations. 

The Call to Serve

Matthew 23:11-12, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (NKJV)

The Lord placed this passage of scripture upon my heart as I prepared a Eulogy for a special lady a few days ago. I am sure you are thinking the same thing that I did when I sensed this verse being placed in my heart. I thought, "What are people going to think? What does this have to do with the celebration of a person's life? Don't you think that you can find something more appropriate for an occasion such as this?" On and on those questions kept running through my mind but then I realized that life is not just about receiving a certain number of days to walk on the face of this Earth. The true essence and fulfillment of life is about sharing and serving. It is about giving our lives to a greater cause that just our self and our selfish desires.

 

Mom's and Dad's can identify with this premise when they remember those days when they were awakened and did not feel very well but they arose, got up out of bed and went to work because the "cause" was greater than their personal desire. Soldiers have joined the military in the midst of very difficult and challenging wars and conflicts because they felt that the "cause" was greater than their personal safety. Missionaries have left their comfortable homes and loving family and friends because the "cause of the Gospel" was greater than their desire to please self. I could continue to list these scenarios but hopefully you can grasp the importance of the "cause" and the blessing of serving.

 

Serving God and serving others is a very positive action that we take rather than a negative action. Selfishness and a self-serving attitude has taken a toil on the atmosphere of servanthood. We have allowed the attitudes of the culture to make inroads into the family of God. God is still calling for men, women, boys and girls who are willing to "deny themselves" and serve one another. Be encouraged and blessed when you are given an opportunity to serve. Be encouraged and blessed when God trusts you enough that He asks you to serve in some capacity whether great or small (Usually greatness or smallness is defined by us and not by God). Spiritual greatness is defined and described through our desire to serve. During prayer I was reminded of this challenge from the Spirit; "My service should not be predicated on my observance of other people. I should desire to serve regardless of whether someone else serves or they choose not to serve." 

This Grabbed My Attention!

I was preparing an Eulogy for a special woman of God earlier this morning and this scripture passage grabbed my attention. I do not have time to give a long dissertation or explanation but would you take a moment and allow the Word of God to challenge your heart? Each of us will receive something different simply because each of us are at different places in our spiritual journey. Don't worry about what God may say to someone else. Be open and honest with God and ask Him to speak the revelation of truth into your life. The Book of Hebrews declares that the Word of God is "alive and powerful." Jesus said that His words are "spirit and life." Read this passage with a sincere openness to the Spirit and observe God sharing His heart with you.

 

Matthew 23:1-12, "Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, ² saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. ⁴ For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. ⁵ But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. ⁶ They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷ greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ ⁸ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. ⁹ Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. ¹⁰ And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. ¹¹ But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (NKJV)

 

Be blessed, challenged and encouraged today!!

Love of God

In several previous posts I have shared some inspiration that the Spirit placed in my wife's heart a few weeks ago during a time of prayer and meditation. I would like to share another of the encouraging reminders that the Lord placed in her heart. I witnessed this particular promise come to pass in the service last night. Two (2) young adults committed their life to Christ when they full realized that God loved them. This is what the Spirit spoke to Ann: "You are connected to My love that nothing can sever." I will be honest with you; I don't believe those words just because Ann wrote them down (although I believe that Ann is a truthful person). I believe these words because they are collaborated and confirmed through the writing of the Words in the Bible. God spells His love out for humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ came to earth, died in our place, and offered His life as a sacrifice for my sins and the sins of my fellow human beings. There was a price paid for my redemption and I celebrate His forgiveness today.

Let us remind ourselves of the Words that God used to describe and define His love through the writing of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:35-39, "Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”  ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. ³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NLT)

Would you take a moment and allow the Word of God to speak hope into your heart?

Each of us can count on the love of God regardless of our circumstances.