Source:- GOOD NEWS

Luke
6:27 (NIV). ''But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you.''...... Thoughts on This Verse... Jesus was the
perfect example of this command in his life and death. Love has such
redemptive, life-changing power. While not everyone responds, many do.
While being kind in our deeds and loving in our hearts to our enemies is
not easy, God's Spirit can fill us with Jesus' love and help us live
powerful lives of grace even in the presence of those who hate us.


Moment In The Word
Trade Fear For Love
Greetings


TODAY'S VERSE

Let all who fear the LORD repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me
free. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear.
Psalms 118:4-6 (NLT)
"And Samuel replied, 'Speak, your servant is listening.'"
I Samuel 3:10 (NLT)


TODAY'S THOUGHT

How much of your time is spent in fear? Not much you say. Okay, how much
of your time is spent in defending or protecting yourself? How many
thoughts are spent planning and plotting every detail of your life in
order to make everything seem just right. Why? Because you fear that
others may think poorly of you. One way or another, fear plays a large
part in our life. In today's passage the Psalmist has found an answer
for his fear. When he was in distress he prayed to God and God set him
free. Because of God's loving intervention the author no longer feared.
Rather, he meditated on God's love and learned to trust in that love.
Isn't that what you and I need to do? Today, when fear comes to us, let
us do what the Psalmist did. Let's pray to God and let Him answer us. He
will, because His love endures forever.



TODAY'S PRAYER

Father, help me overcome my fears. Instead of being fearful, help me to
trust in Your faithful love. I give my life to You and ask You to guide
me, protect me and set me free from the bondage of fear. In Jesus' name.
AMEN


TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-I give God my fear, He gives me His love
Picture your self in a fearful state. Anxiety is starting to rise. You
can feel your heart beating faster. Pressure builds and your breathing
gets shallow. As terror starts to build to panic, you stop and cry out
to God. See God as He hears your cry and turns His head toward you. He
says, "Give me your fear." You sense a glimmer of hope and in
desperation you give it to Him. And as you do, He gives you back His
love. Feel His love bring you back to joy. Sense peace beginning to take
over your body as you begin to relax. Affirm, "I give God my fear, and
He gives me His love."

Temptations - Author Unknown

Temptation is a choice between God's will for us -- the old path -- and a shortcut provided by Satan -- the new path.

So often, Satan's path is presented to us as a shortcut to happiness, prosperity, and accomplishment.

However, this path leads us away from God and the blessings he longs to give us.

Let's not be like the people of God in Jeremiah's (in the Bible) day who refused God's way and said,''We will not walk in it.''

The outcome of their choice was their own destruction. Choose wisely. Live wisely. Live for good deeds and God. Be Blessed.


Psalm
84:11 (NIV). For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows
favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is
blameless... .... Thoughts on This Verse... God doesn't hold back on his
goodness! In fact, the Father loves to give his children gifts. These
gifts are all encompassing. These gifts are gladly given. How do I know?
Three ways: 1) I've been repeatedly blessed; 2) I've seen what God has
done to bless his people through the centuries; and 3) his Word promises
this to be so.

Spirit of Christ Endures

All who see
me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: "He trusts in the
LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in
him." - Psalm 22:7-8

It's amazing
to think that Psalm 22 was written centuries before Christ died on the
Cross, because many of its verses are teeming with prophecies about
Jesus experiences at Calvary. Todays passage, for instance, is a
prophecy about those who mocked Jesus at the foot of the Cross. They
added to His injuries by raging against Christ. As it states in both the
psalm and the Gospels, they hurled insults against Him culminating in a
mocking accusation of “He trusts in God; let God rescue Him!

It must have
tormented Jesus to hear those hurtful words from His own people. He had
spent three years trying to draw them closer to God through grace,
love, and peace. But the mob gathered at Calvary didnt want to hear
All you need is love. They didnt want a Messiah who forgave their
enemies. They didn't want a leader who brought about change through
helping the weak and healing the sick. They wanted a Christ who
obliterated their enemies; they wanted a Champion who would kick the
Romans out of the Promised Land.

And so, when
Jesus failed to live up to their expectations, they turned against Him
and mocked His powerlessness as He agonizingly died upon the Cross.

In some
places and with other people, Christ and Christianity still face those
torments. Atheists despise us and blame Christianity for all of the
wars in the last two thousand years. Advocates of progressive change
try to diminish our relevance and message by equating our Faith with
other religions. Or they mock our Faith by revising and rewriting
history in order to exclude the influence that Christianity has had
upon Western Society and throughout the world.

But as long
as Time exists and people remain on this planet, Christ's words and ways
will endure, despite the challenges and criticisms of our Faith. The
Cross did not end Jesus global ministry; it actually began there. The
Calvary mockers may have died 1900 years ago and turned to dust, but
the Spirit of Christ endures and His mission remains.

Prayer: Our
Loving Heavenly Father, thank You for Your power that prevails and Your
words that will not go away. Thank You for enduring on the Cross so
that the penalty for sin could finally be paid. Without You, our world
would not be the same. With You, we have a hope that continues
throughout eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."

God Bless you.

Romans
8:35-37 (NIV). Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or
sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us....... Thoughts on This Verse... ''More than
conquerors.' ' What a great phrase. In Christ, this is who we are:''more
than conquerors.' ' No hardship, enemy, physical disaster, not even
death, can separate us from Jesus. Once our lives are joined to Jesus,
our future is tied to him (Col. 3:1-4).
Loving from the Heart

"Fervently love one another from the heart." - 1 Peter 1:22 (NASB).

There
is a story by an unknown author being circulated on the Internet that
reflects the outlook of Peter's letter to the churches in Turkey. You've
probably read it, but it is worth repeating. It may or may not be true,
but it does make an excellent parable if you keep in mind that Jesus
made up stories to illustrate a point.

It is about a little boy who is about to have open-heart surgery.

"Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart."

"You'll find Jesus there," the boy interrupted.

The surgeon looked up, annoyed. "I'll cut your heart open," he continued, "to see how much damage has been done."

"But when you open up my heart," said his young patient, "you'll find Jesus in there."

The
surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. "When I see how much
damage has been done, I'll sew your heart and chest back up and I'll
plan what to do next."

"But you'll find Jesus in my heart," the young boy insisted. "The Bible says He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart."

The
surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart,"
he said coldly. "I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and
weakened vessels. And I'll find out if I can make you well."

Later,
the surgeon sat in his office, recording his notes from the surgery,
"Damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration.
No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and bed
rest. Prognosis," here he paused, "death within one year."

He
stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said. "Why?" he asked
aloud. It was clear he was speaking to God. "Why did you do this? You've
put him here; you've put him in this pain; and you've cursed him to an
early death. Why?"

The
surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter. "You created that
boy, and you created that heart. He'll be dead in months. Why?"

And
thus a dialogue began between the surgeon and God. And in that dialogue
this frustrated physician discovered a new understanding of God's
providence and love. The surgeon wept.

Now
he sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him. The
boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?"

"Yes," said the surgeon.

"What did you find?" asked the boy.

"I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.

In
times of persecution and suffering, in times of grief and stress, when
it all comes down to it, we have only one place to turn, and that is to
the power of the indwelling Christ. If, at the heart of the universe,
there is not love, then nothing else we believe matters.

As the Bible says, "Fervently love one another from the heart." - 1 Peter 1:22 (NASB).

Prayer:
"Our Loving Heavenly Father, thank you that you loved me so much you
gave your Son, Jesus, to die for my sins. Thank you, too, that because I
have accepted Jesus as my Savior, he now dwells in my heart. Please
help me to communicate his love to every life I touch. And grant that
people, seeing Jesus in me, will want Jesus in their hearts too. Thank
you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving
Name I Pray, Amen."

Have a Blessed Friday and God Bless you.


Moment In The Word
Work Toward Peace
Greetings


TODAY'S VERSE

"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making
allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every
effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves
together with peace."
Ephesians 4:2-3 (NLT)


TODAY'S THOUGHT

Everyone wants peace but so few are willing to work on it. Paul writes
out a formula for peace that if practiced, would revolutionize the
church. First, he asks us to be humble and gentle. It is amazing how
much hurt can be dished out under the guise of humility. So Paul adds to
be gentle. He continues by writing that we should be patient making
allowances for each other's faults. But how can we do this? He says we
do it out of love. Remember, love covers a multitude of sins. Finally,
if peace is our real goal, then we need to make every effort to keep
ourselves united in the Spirit. To Paul, peace was not an option, but a
reality to be insisted on. How hard do you work for peace at home,
church or work? What if everyone did?



TODAY'S PRAYER

Dear Prince of Peace, please forgive me. I have not made peace my
desire. I would rather be right. I would rather be in control. I would
rather fight for my self interests. I have such a hard time trusting
you. Forgive me. Please help me follow You and Your commitment to peace.
AMEN


TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-I desire to be at peace with others
Picture yourself living at peace with others. Feel how wonderful it is.
Sense your body relax and joy start to bubble up inside of you.
Experience the deep pleasure of being humble, gentle and patience.
Affirm that you desire to be at peace with others.

Matthew
11:28-30 (NIV). Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For
my yoke is easy and my burden is light....... Thoughts on This Verse... I
guess we could call it the irony of discipleship. To follow Christ
means that we give up everything and follow him. To follow Christ means
that we receive untold blessings in this life and eternal life with God
in the life to come. So is it hard? Yes, sometimes it is. But life is
hard. Is the burden light as Jesus promised? Yes, because we know our
lives are not lived in vain, that we are living life as God intended it,
and when life


Hope & Endurance

"For everything
that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through
endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." -
Romans 15:4 (NIV).

You may have
read the story about the "piano teacher who was affectionately known as
Herman. One night at a university concert, a distinguished piano player
suddenly became ill while performing an extremely difficult piece. No
sooner had the artist retired from the stage when Herman rose from his
seat in the audience, walked on stage, sat down at the piano and with
great mastery completed the performance.

"Later that
evening, at a party, one of the students asked Herman how he was able to
perform such a demanding piece so beautifully without notice and with
no rehearsal. He replied, 'In 1939, when I was a budding young concert
pianist, I was arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp. Putting
it mildly, the future looked bleak. But I knew that in order to keep
the flicker of hope alive that I might someday play again, I needed to
practice every day. I began by fingering a piece from my repertoire on
my bare board bed late one night.

The next night I
added a second piece and soon I was running through my entire
repertoire. I did this every night for five years. It so happens that
the piece I played tonight at the concert hall was part of that
repertoire. That constant practice is what kept my hope alive. Everyday I
renewed my hope that I would one day be able to play my music again on a
real piano, and in freedom.'"

I'm sure that
some of our readers at this time are facing great hardships and may even
be in peril for their life. The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to
experience great hardships, shipwreck, whippings, and being thrown into
prison for his faith. He was the one who wrote today's Scripture verse
encouraging the Christians in Rome (who, if they weren't going through
persecution at the time, would soon be) to find encouragement and hope
in the Word of God. May you and I do the same.

Prayer: "Our
Loving Father in Heaven, in times of hardship, despair and suffering,
please help me to keep practicing my faith every day, putting my trust
entirely in you. And please bring me through triumphantly to the last
day when I will see you face to face and know you as you are. Grant that
this hope and the encouragement from your Word will keep me enduring to
the end. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In
Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."

Proverbs
3:3-4 (NIV). Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them
around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will
win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man....... Thoughts on
This Verse... Character is measured by the love and faithfulness we
genuinely display in our daily lives. These are not simple virtues that
we can fake. Merciful love is displayed when we have power over another
but choose to treat them with kindness and genuine concern. Faithfulness
is being a person of truth -- genuine and trustworthy in word and deed.
These virtues need to be a part of our everyday lives and permeate our
very identity. When they do, others will notice and God will be pleased.

The Power of Love

"For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16 (NIV).Â

"Years ago, R.
G. Lee told a powerful story about a mountain school that had a hard
time keeping a teacher. It seems there was a group of big, rough boys
who took pride in running the teacher off. The biggest and roughest of
them all was named Tom.

"A new young
teacher won over the boys, however, by letting them write the rules for
the school—which were very strictly enforced with a rod. For example,
cheating would be punished with five strokes of the rod, and stealing
with ten strokes, both to be given with the offender's coat off.

"Everything
went well until one day Tom's lunch was stolen. A frail little boy in
hand-me-down clothes that were too big for him admitted his guilt. The
school rules demanded that he be whipped. When the teacher called the
little fellow up front, he came whimpering and begging to leave his coat
on. The pupils insisted he obey the rules and take off his coat. When
he did, a deathly silence settled over the room, for he had no shirt on
and his emaciated body looked like skin stretched over bones. The
teacher gasped and dropped the rod. He knew he could never whip that
little boy.

"Suddenly, big Tom strode up and stood between the two. 'I'll take it for him, Teacher, for after all it was my lunch he stole.' He shrugged out of his coat.

"At the third blow the switch broke, and the teacher threw it in the corner and said, 'That's all, school dismissed.'

"The frail little boy laid his hand on big Tom's arm and through his tears said, 'Thank you, Tom, it would have killed me.'"

And that's
exactly what Jesus did for you and me when he died on the cross some
2000 years ago—he took your and my punishment for all our sins so we
could be freely forgiven and given God's gift of eternal life.

"For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Do you believe that
Jesus died for your sins and, if so, have you accepted God's full and
free pardon? You can do that right now by praying the following Prayer:

"Almighty and
Loving Father God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the
wrongs that I have done. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on
the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. I invite you, Jesus, to come
into my heart and life as Lord and Savior. I commit and trust my life to
you. Please give me the desire to be what you want me to be, and to do
what you want me to do. Thank you for dying for my sins, for your free
pardon, for your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."

Ephesians
4:22 (NIV). You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to
put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires; .......... Thoughts on This Verse... That's a tough one, isn't
it?! We each surrendered our heart to God and our old self was crucified
with Christ when we became Christians (cf. Rom. 6:6). Jesus reminds us
that this surrender is something each of us should do daily (cf. Luke
9:23). We need to put the old sinful life aside every day and choose to
live for Jesus in response to God's grace. As we move forward, let's
make it our spiritual habit to consciously offer ourselves to the
lordship of Jesus each day.

A Contrast of Births

Jesus said,
"'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In
my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told
you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me
that you also may be where I am."  - John 14:1–3 (NIV).

Walter B.
Knight reported how, "An hour after Queen Elizabeth's third child was
born, 128 Â cables were sent to all parts of the world! Lights in
Buckingham Palace, the Home Office, Foreign Office, Colonial Office, and
Commonwealth Relations Office had burned all night. The palace's big
switchboard was manned all night. And personnel on night duty were
doubled in the ministries."

How different
was the birth of Jesus, "The Prince of Peace." No earthly potentates
proclaimed his coming. Atrocious, bloodthirsty Herod concerned himself
with the event because he thought some rival rule had appeared.

God, however,
signaled the birth of Jesus by dispatching angelic hosts to proclaim the
good news and by placing in the heavens the guiding star to direct
humble shepherds and seekers to the lowly place of Jesus' birth.Â

How different
will be the second coming of Jesus. The first time, he came as a babe to
identify with lost mankind and to pay the price of our redemption
through his death on the cross. The good news is that Jesus is coming
again and, when he does, he will come in all his divine glory as King of
kings and Lord of lords. To him every knee will bow. What a day this
will be!

Jesus himself
promised that he would come back to earth to get and take his true
followers to be with him forever in Heaven. The important thing is to be
sure that we are ready for his return and/or to meet God face to face
should we pass from this life to the next before Jesus Christ comes back
again.

We do this by
confessing our sinfulness, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that
he died on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sins, and accepting
Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord.

Prayer: "Our
Loving Father in Heaven, thank you for your wonderful promise that Jesus
is right now preparing Heaven for his true followers and that he is
coming back to earth to take these ones to be with him and you forever.
Help me to be sure that I am prepared for this great and glorious day to
meet you face to face. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen.
---------
Philippians
1:3 (NIV). I thank my God every time I remember you....... Thoughts on
This Verse... Certain people are blessings. It doesn't matter if we
visit with them on the phone, get an encouraging email, or see them
face-to-face. Any time we remember them, we thank God for them. So let's
follow Paul's example and let them know they give us reasons to offer
thanks to God.

Are You An Example of Jesus?

Let your light
so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16.

Each time we go
to church, we hear the message of Jesus. We are humbled at the message,
and declare we are the light of Jesus. Monday morning finds us perhaps
going to work, and that person pulls his car right in front of us,
almost side-swiping ours. What do we do? Are we shining our light -
asking Jesus to take care of him on his way this morning, or do we
quickly drown him with our words? Then, we get to the office and things
aren't any better. Someone does something or says something that we
doesn't set too well with us, and what do we do? Do we open our mouth
without thinking and speak the words we want to speak? Or do we take a
moment to ask God to give us the words to speak, so that we won't
offend?

How do we come
across to our family? Do our children see the light of Jesus within us,
so that they are patterning their life after a Godly figure? Or do they
see us doing things and saying things that God doesn't approve of, yet
we ask them to do better in their actions and in their words?

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. - Matthew 5:14.

Let us examine
ourselves this morning - our demeanor, our attitude, our feelings - and
see if we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. Do we express Jesus
in our conversations? Do we act in love, each time we are faced with
something with which we don't agree? Do we feel we are the servant of
God, given the opportunity to share Jesus with others? Or do we put
ourselves upon a pedestal, far above the 'lowly sinner', and feel we are
too good to associate ourselves with them? Remember, if it were not for
God sending His Son, Jesus, to save the

world, then we would be but a 'lowly sinner' ourselves, and God's love would not be within our hearts and souls.

Prayer :
Almighty and Loving Heavenly Father, give us the attitude of love and
forgiveness. Help us to show only your light, when faced with those
things that the world presents us with. Help us to give love where we
think love isn't due, and help us shine daily with the light of God. We
give you praise! Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
--------
John
4:14 (NIV). ... but whoever drinks the water I give him will never
thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of
water welling up to eternal life.......

Thoughts on This Verse... Water!
That precious gift for the tired and thirsty. Water! That essential
refreshment we all need. Jesus, however, offers water we don't have to
carry or purify. No, this is water that wells up within us. This is the
water that the Holy Spirit brings us. This is the water that gives us
eternal life that starts now and lasts forever!
Do you Have a Problem?

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. - Matthew 19:26 .

Ae you sick? Do
you have marital or children problems? Are you about to lose your job?
Someone hurt your feelings? Is the 'church' not treating your right? I
am sure we can find any number of problems, if we are asked. If I were
to dwell on poblems, I am sure I could come up with a few as well.

You are going
to find people that are more intent on telling you about their problems
than they are to tell you about the happiness and successes in their
problem. Their nature is to complain and keep the 'fires burning' under
those problems. One of those people was the man that laid by the pool of
water for thirty eight years, waiting on 'someone' to put him in! He
never made an effort to reach the water himself, but 'waited' until the
person of compassion came by. But, along came God and asked him WHY he
was laying there so long. After he explained that nobody would help him,
Jesus told him to 'rise, take up thy bed, and walk'! [John 5:8] He
didn't give him time to 'whine' about the problem of thirty eight years,
but told him to 'do something'.. . get up! take thy bed! and WALK!

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28.

Do you have a
problem you want to get rid of? Is it affecting your ever day life?
There's a God who has power over all the problems in our lives. He's the
God of enough; He fed a multitude of people with only five loaves and
two fishes! [Matthew 14:17-21 He is the 'bread of life'. [John
6:35] He is the 'light of the world'. [John 8:12] He will fill you
with all truth, if that's what you want. If you want to get power over
all those problems in your life, let Jesus help. He is the only one that
can bring deliverance and peace. When you come to Him, and place your
trust in Him, then those surmounting problems will become as a little
mountain. And the Word says, 'if you have faith as the grain of a
mustard seed', [Matthew 17:20] you can remove this mountain! Place your
faith in Him today, and let Him give you power over those problems!!

Prayer : Our
Loving Heavenly Father, we live in a world that brings us what seems to
be unsurmountable problems. But, you can bring us through all those
problems with your Power. Help us to trust in you completely. We give
you praise! Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully,
In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."

Have a Blessed Wednesday and God Bless you.

1Corinthians 15:2 (NIV). By this gospel you are saved, if you hold
firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in
vain....... Thoughts on This Verse... What saves us? God does through
Jesus' sacrificial life! Let's make a commitment to let nothing make us
relinquish our trust and dependency upon that hope, that Gospel by which
we are saved. There is no other name, no other Gospel, no other message
that can give us salvation. (See Acts 4:12; Gal. 1:3-9; Col. 2:6-16.)
We don't need to add anything else to it. We must never let anyone take
anything away from it. Let's hold firmly to this faith, this trust, in
God's grace given to us in Jesus!

THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

God's Goal is Not to Make us Good

"We
proclaim Him [Christ], admonishing every man and teaching every man
with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete [mature] in
Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power,
which mightily works within me." - Colossians 1:28–29 (NASB).

We don't have to be good for goodness sake!

In
fact, being good may be our worst enemy. It was for the Pharisees!
Their external goodness was a cover-up used to avoid facing what they
were on the inside. Jesus did not approve of their external religiosity!
In fact, he opposed it vehemently.

It
can bring a great sense of freedom to realize that God isn't into
rules, but rather relationships. And his goal isn't to make us good, but
to make us whole; that is, to heal us from the inside out. The end
result will be goodness but goodness that comes from a healed heart, and
not from adhering to external rules and regulations dictated by
legalism.

This
is not an excuse to act out in sinful or destructive behaviors or to
ignore God's laws which are for our protection. Never! As the Apostle
Paul said, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no
means...." - Romans 6:1 (NIV).

What
it does mean is that I need to grow towards wholeness and maturity by
recognizing my inner brokenness, my weaknesses, and my unresolved
character issues and bring them not only to God, but also to a trusted
friend and / or counselor for healing and recovery. As a general rule,
we got damaged (emotionally) in damaging relationships and we get healed
(emotionally) in healing relationships. As James said, "Therefore
confess your sins [and faults]to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." - James 5:16 (NIV).

Again,
God's goal is not to make us good, but to make us whole. It's the heart
that counts with him, not the externals. If all I have is external
goodness, I am no better than the Pharisees. Realize too, that only to
the degree that we are made whole will our lifestyle, our attitude, our
actions, our behavior, and our relationships be "whole-some. "

Prayer:
"Our Loving Father in Heaven, please help me to see my broken parts so I
can bring them to you for healing. Confront me with my reality, make me
whole, and lead me to the help that I need to do this. Thank you for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I
Pray, Amen."

Isaiah
61:1-2a (NIV). The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the
LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to
bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and
release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the
LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who
mourn ......... Thoughts on This Verse... Jesus read this passage at a
synagogue in Nazareth to describe his ministry (see Luke 4). He came to
preach good news, to bind up, to bring deliverance, to offer release, to
proclaim grace, and to offer comfort. If Jesus has sent us into the
world as the Father sent him (John 20:21-23), shouldn't we be teaching
and serving as he did?

Romans 8:35-39 Nothing Can Separate Us From God's Love

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, "For Your sake we are killed all
the day long. We are counted as sheep of slaughter." 37 But in all these
things we more than conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am
persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ...

THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

this is one
of the pivotal life passsages from youth that continues to not only
leave me standing in awe but continues to wrought freedom and faith in
my spirit. i am loved and there is nothing that can diminish that love,
reduce it or come between God and I. implication - what i have done and
what i will do does not seperate me from God's love. nothing done to us
by others can reduce God's love and acceptance for us.

I WAS READING A BOOK CALLED JESUS CALLING AND MY DEVOTION WAS

DO NOT EXPECT TO BE TREATED FAIRLY IN THIS LIFE

PEOPLE
WILL SAY AND DO HURTFUL THINGS TO YOU,THINGS THAT YOU DON'T DESERVE.
WHEN SOMEONE MISTREATS YOU,TRY TO VIEW IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW IN
GRACE. SEE HOW QUICKLY YOU CAN FORGIVE THE ONE WHO HAS WOUNDED YOU.
DON'T BE CONCERN ABOUT SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT. INSTEAD OF OBSESSING
ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS OF YOU , KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON ME.
ULTIMATELY, IT IS MY VIEW OF YOU THAT COUNTS.

AS YOU CONCENTRATE
ON RELATING TO ME, REMEMBER THAT I HAVE CLOTHED YOU IN MY RIGHTEOUSNESS
AND HOLINESS. I SEE YOU ATTIRED IN THESE RADIANT GARMENTS, WHICH I
BOUGHT FOR YOU WITH MY BLOOD. THIS ALSO IS NOT FAIR; IT IS PURE GIFT.
WHEN OTHERS TREAT YOU UNFAIRLY , REMEMBER THAT MY WAYS WITH YOU ARE MUCH
BETTER THAN FAIR . MY WAYS ARE PEACE AND LOVE , WHICH I HAVE POURED OUT
INTO YOUR HEART BY MY
SPIRIT.

MY THOUGHTS

Sometimes it seems the world is caving in on me maybe you too but remember

the love of the father is always there and i know its easy to take our eyes off that

i have been going through so much lately but this i do know jesus loves
me this i know for the bible tell me so .Sometimes we are weak we fall
into stuff

we sin we are sinners saved by grace and even if you are addicted to stuff God will never let you go if you hang in there .....

C.S. Lewis indicated that if
he wanted something easy and pain-free, he would have chosen a bottle of wine
over Jesus. There is no question that
biblical love leaves us more vulnerable.
But this will not be the devastating vulnerability that comes with
psychologically needing people.
Christians need less and love more.



Edward T. Welch

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE U TUBE BELOW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l_jrjd2agU

John 3:17 (NIV). For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through him....... Thoughts on This
Verse... God is not the big Scrooge in the sky, critically looking down
on his flawed children and waiting to condemn those who mess up.
Instead, he saw how broken, flawed, and messed up we were and entered
our world to save it ... to save us. God's purpose in sending Jesus is
our life and our salvation.

Moment In The Word
Bring God Joy
Greetings


TODAY'S VERSE

"The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."
Psalms 147:11 (NIV)


TODAY'S THOUGHT

Have you ever wondered what God delights in? We know all about our own
wants and desires. But God has desires too. The truth is that God
delights in you and me. The Psalmist declares that the Lord delights in
two things. First God delights when we deeply respect and revere Him. He
is the creator of the universe. All power belongs to Him. Who are we
that He would even care about us? Why would He ever consider worthy to
even utter His name? However, what I love about this verse is although
God is delighted when we respect His majesty, He also delights when we
put our hope in His unfailing love. This very God that deserves all our
fear and respect delights in us putting all of our hope in His never
failing love. Do you want to make God happy today? It's simple. Put your
hope in the unfailing love He has for you.



TODAY'S PRAYER

Father, You deserve all my respect. You are the almighty, all powerful,
all wise God and I stand in awe of You. I also hope in You because of
the great unfailing love You have for me. Thank you Father for Your
love. Might my hope in Your never failing love bring You all the delight
that You deserve.
AMEN


TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-I put my hope in God's unfailing love
Today meditate on what "unfailing love" means. Paul prays in Ephesians
that you and I, "will have the power to understand, as all God's people
should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." Today,
sit quietly in the presence of God and ask Him for the "power to
understand" His love. Picture God loving you. Sense how real it is.
Rebuke any negative thoughts or doubts and be steadfast in mediating of
God's love for you till you can honestly affirm, "I put my hope in God's
unfailing love."

A View of the Heart

"Samuel saw Eliab and thought 'surely the Lord's anointed [for king]

stands here before the Lord.' But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not

consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The

Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the

outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" - 1. Samuel

16:6-7 (NIV).

Today's society
places tremendous emphasis on physical appearance not only for women,
but also (even if to a lesser degree) for men. If, for example, two men
of equal qualifications apply for the same job the tallest man is most
likely to be given the position.

Because of his amazing courage in the Battle of Lodi in 1796,

Napoleon Bonaparte became know as "the little corporal." He was only five-feet- two-inches tall!

William Wilberforce was another small man who apparently never

enjoyed good health. For twenty years he was under a doctor's care.

More than any other person he was responsible for stopping the

British slave trade. He was known for his eloquence and in 1780

entered the British Parliament at age 21. Six years later he joined

Thomas Clarkson, the anti-slave campaigner, and began his fight

against slavery even though the bill to end the slave trade didn't

become law until 1807—twenty-one years later.

On one occasion
James Boswell, the great Scottish author went to hear Wilberforce
speak. Afterward he said, "I saw what seemed to be a mere shrimp ... but
as I listened, he grew and grew till the shrimp became a whale."

Often in life, many of the greatest achievements have been

accomplished by persons who have had a serious setback, a major

limitation or handicap, or a significant failure of one kind or

another, but have overcome their defect, and risen above their

circumstances.

If you feel you have a shortcoming, be encouraged, the people God

uses are ordinary people who make themselves available.

Prayer: "Our Merciful Father in Heaven, thank you that you use

ordinary people to accomplish your work on earth. I am available.

Please use me to be a part of what you are doing in the world today.

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus loving Name I Pray, Amen."

Proverbs
31:10 (NIV). A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far
more than rubies...... . Thoughts on This Verse... What would happen if
we valued our spouses? What would happen if we publicly valued a
faithful wife more than a voluptuous starlet? What would happen if
character was valued more than money? I believe it would transform our
culture, enhance our marriages, and produce stronger and better adjusted
children. I know God would be pleased!

When The Devil Knocks at My Door

"Resist the devil and he will flee from you". - (James 4:7).

A friend recently gave me the following quote. I like it. If you

haven't heard it before, I think you will like it too: "When Satan

comes to remind me about my past, I remind him about his future."

One thing Satan does is continually accuse us before God (See

Revelation 12:10). He will accuse us, too, of our past in our mind if

we allow him to. When he does, however, we can remind him not only about his future in hell, but also that Christ shed his blood on the cross and gave his life to pay for our sins and has washed them all away. So what's there to accuse us of if we have confessed our sins to Christ and asked for and accepted his forgiveness? Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Because Christ died for us and cleansed us from our sins, we can, in

his name, resist the devil and, as James said, he will flee from us.

Satan hates the name of Jesus. Be sure to mention it when he comes to tempt you. Instead of trying to reason with Satan, just remind him of his future and mention the name of Jesus.

Prayer: "Our Father in Heaven, Thank you that you have defeated Satan and all his evil emissaries, and that there is power in your name to defend against any and all of his devious ways and to defeat him. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus matchless Name I Pray, Amen."

2Corinthians 7:1 (NIV). Since we have these promises, dear friends, let
us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit,
perfecting holiness out of reverence for God....... Thoughts on This
Verse... God has blessed us with so many wonderful promises. He has
secured them through the sending of his Son''to conquer death and bring
life and immortality to light.'' He will''transform our lowly bodies to
be like his glorious body.'' He will take us home to be with him
eternally, but until that day, he will live inside us and reveal himself
to us. He will make us more than conquerors and will not allow anything
to separate us from his love. So what should our response be? Yes,
surely we should offer him praise. But, we must not limit our praise to
words. God wants our lives to be pure, staying away from what is evil,
vile, putrid, and corrupt. He wants us to do this, not so we can claim
some moral superiority, but so that we can show him our adoration and
reverence. In our desire


Moment In The Word

He Cares For You

Greetings


TODAY'S VERSE

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."
I Peter 5:7 (NLT)
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who
earnestly seek him."
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)


TODAY'S THOUGHT

If someone offered to take all your anxieties away from you would you
take them up on the offer? Or would anxiety, by its own nature, cause
you to worry that the person would not be able to take care of your
situation? Ironically, you would end up with a whole new set of worries!
So what do you do when Peter tells you to give all your worries and
cares to God? If you are like most Christians you just hold on to them.
Sure you pray. You even begin to trust Him, but as soon as anything
moves, you go back to holding on to your cares all over again. The truth
is that giving your cares to God takes faith. The author of Hebrews
says if you have true faith, then it would necessitate that you believe
God exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him. That is
what Peter meant when he said to cast all your cares on Christ. Why?
Because, God exists and He will "reward" your faith in Him by caring for
you. Can you imagine that? Next time you worry, start with the thought
that God deeply cares for you! He cares for you with all the resources
of His mighty power and wisdom. With that in mind, you can feel free to
start today and give Him all your cares.



TODAY'S PRAYER

Father, You know how I worry and carry many concerns with me. Forgive me
for my lack of faith. I know You reward those that come to You in
faith, so I come now in faith believing that You care for me. I choose
to give all my worries to You. I know You are all powerful, wise and
loving, so I trust You with all the outcomes of this step of faith. I
pray this in the powerful name of Jesus.
AMEN


TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-I cast all my cares on Jesus
The whole premise of casting your cares on Jesus is that He cares for
you. Therefore today picture God caring for you. See yourself sitting
before God. You're worried, fearful and anxiety has you in it's grip.
Then Jesus comes by. He cares for you! Sense it. Know deep in your heart
that it is true. Why? Because He made you and knows your worth. He
cares for you. Pause and meditate on it. He cares for you. Focus on what
He sees in you. He sees a person of insurmountable worth, an object of
His supreme love. He cares for you. Believe it and affirm that you will
cast all your cares on Him.

John
1:14 (NIV). The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth....... Thoughts on This Verse... Jesus
is God's message. It wasn't a message contained in a book or given in a
vision, or revealed on a mountain to only a watchful few. No, God's
message was human flesh, bone, and blood. God's message came and lived
among us. He faced our hardship, got our dirt between his toes, felt our
disappointments, struggled with our temptations, suffered our
treachery, and bled our blood. Yet living in our world, God's message
brought us more than truth; he delivered us from death by God's grace.

Moment In The Word
Be Free


Greetings


TODAY'S VERSE

"Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin
that so easily trips us up."
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

"My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before
the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He
himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins-and not only our sins
but the sins of all the world."
I John 2:1-2 (NLT)


TODAY'S THOUGHT

What do we do with our sinfulness? The author of Hebrews said that we
should strip it off us, get rid of it like we would a weight tied around
our ankle. But how do we that? There are many different ways. We can
blame others for our actions. We can deny that what we have done is
wrong. We can project those very things we do onto others. We can choose
to ignore our behavior or better yet rationalize why we did what we
did. There are other options. We can feel shame. We can feel helpless
and get deeply depressed. We can give up and say, "It's no use, that's
the way I am." We can choose to become bitter and give up. But thank God
there is yet another way. John shared it with us. He says if we sin, we
can come to Christ, who will go to God the Father on our behalf. He is
the one who can assure us of forgiveness. He is the one who can comfort
us. He is the one who can give us the strength to get up and start over.
He is the one who can say to our accuser, "Be gone! Leave my child
alone!" Today, if you have something bothering your conscience, if you
feel burdened, bring it to Jesus. Confess it to Him and them let Him
wash it way. Let Him clean your heart and free your soul. Let Him give
you a peace and joy that is greater than all of your sins. Hear Him say,
"You are forgiven."



TODAY'S PRAYER

Father, thank you for convicting me of sin. Thank you that I can come to
You, confess my sin and know that the blood of Your son Jesus totally
cleanses me. Thank You for complete forgiveness. Thank You for new
direction and giving me a fresh start. Thank You for Your love. In
Jesus' name.
AMEN


TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-I am loved, forgiven and free
The author of Hebrews paints a picture of a person getting ready to run a
race but his feet are all tangled up in chains. Use that metaphor and
picture yourself struggling trying to get free from the chains that are
binding you. You wrestle with all your might and you can't seem to get
free. Feel the nagging sensation as you become frustrated, sick to your
stomach over all the turmoil you are in. But then Jesus comes by. He
sees your struggles. Sense His compassion toward you. You can tell that
He understands. You wait for it, but there is no condemnation. Instead
you hear Him say, "Be free!" and the chains snap off you. Feel yourself
relaxing as you truly understand that you are loved, you are forgiven,
you are free.

Matthew
6:33 (NIV). But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well....... Thoughts on This
Verse... Seek! That is the focus word in this verse. This word is a
robust word, describing a passionate pursuit of something to make it our
own. The Kingdom, and the righteousness of those in this Kingdom, are
not our wish, our hope, our dream -- they are to be our passion. We will
pursue God's Kingdom at all costs. We will pursue it with passion. This
will be our consuming effort until we make it our own, or better yet,
find it our home!
Moment In The Word

Mind Your Mind And Heart

Greetings
TODAY'S VERSE

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one
body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all
wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude
in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:15-16 (NIV)


TODAY'S THOUGHT

William Backus, in his book "Learning To Tell Myself The Truth" writes,
"Sadly, misbeliefs, whether verbal or visual, are the direct cause of
emotional turmoil, maladaptive behavior, and most self-destructive
behavior, such as overeating, smoking, lying, substance abuse, or
adultery, to name a few." It is true, the consequences of misbeliefs,
misinterpretations of events and skewed predictions about outcomes all
to often lead to us to despair and the dysregulation of our emotions.
Therefore it is crucial that we protect our heart and our mind. Paul
shares how can do this. First he says that we are to let the peace that
comes from knowing Christ rule in our hearts. The heart is where our
emotions, imagination, visualizations, dreams and aspirations come from.
We need to let Christ rule in each of these areas. He should fill our
imaginations, dreams and visions with His peace. Satan uses our
imagination. Have you ever noticed that you fear in technicolor,
surround sound and 3-D? It is the same with anger, hopelessness and any
other of our painful emotions. Our imagination goes wild. Instead, we
need to let Christ's peace fill our hearts. We need Him to be the Lord
of our imagination. Second, Paul writes, "Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly." It is the word of God that challenges and helps correct
any negative core belief. As His word dwells in our minds we will begin
to see it spill over into our belief system. This happens through
admonishing one another with all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Today give God
both your heart and your mind. Let Him be the Lord of your thoughts and
imagination.



TODAY'S PRAYER

Father, please let Your peace rule in my heart. Let Your word dwell in
my mind. Help me grow with others as we admonish each other with all
wisdom. May I be blessed through the singing of psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs. And may I be filled with gratitude in my heart to You
dear God. In Jesus' name I pray.
AMEN


TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-God's peace resides in my heart
Today meditate on God's peace. Take a deep breath and relax. Picture
yourself in a quiet place. Let yourself relax as you continue to breathe
deep. As you relax ask God to help you sense His peace. Invite the Holy
Spirit to come and give you the peace that, "passes all understanding! "
Let His peace fill your mind, your body and your emotions. Visualize
yourself reading the scriptures and extracting peace from it. See
yourself fellowshipping with others in worship and enjoying the peace of
God. Affirm deep in your soul that "God's peace resides in my heart."

Jeremiah
29:11 (NIV). ''For I know the plans I have for you,'' declares the
LORD,''plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future.''... ... Thoughts on This Verse... Jeremiah was telling
God's people that 70 years after the devastation, God would deliver and
restore them. Despite the fact that they had repeatedly abandoned God,
he would not abandon them or his promises to them. He would be faithful.
In fact, God was planning and preparing a bright future for them. This
promise also reminds us that no matter how deep our own personal gloom
may seem, God does have plans for us. He will keep his promises to us.
He will deliver and bless us. We can have a vibrant hope and a bright
fut

Moment In The Word
Believe The Truth

Greetings


TODAY'S VERSE

"Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me."
Psalms 40:11 (NIV)


TODAY'S THOUGHT

Oh the lies that we believe. Those insidious thoughts that drive us
crazy. Our internal dialog so often leads us into unnecessary grief and
pain. William Backus in his book, "Learning to Tell Myself The Truth"
writes, "You can know the truth somewhere in your brain's storage cells,
but not know the truth in your internal monologue. All too often we
make ourselves miserable and keep ourselves miserable by listening to a
nonstop stream of inner nonsense - even when we know very well that the
nonsense runs counter to divine truth." In today's passage, the Psalmist
is crying out to the Lord for His mercy. He is asking God to protect
him with His love and truth. It is knowing the truth that keeps us from
all the madness. Martin Luther wrote, "We pray, 'Lead us not into
temptation', so that God would guard and keep us lest the world, our
flesh and the devil lead us into misbelief, despair and other great
shame and vice." Today might we let truth guide us. Might we challenge
our negative thinking and any lies that would temp us from believing in
the love and mercy that God has for us. May His love and truth protect
us.



TODAY'S PRAYER

Father, do not withhold Your mercy from me. Please help me to trust in
Your love and believe the truth you have given me in Your word.
AMEN


TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-The truth sets me free
Discernment, wisdom, knowledge, these are all related to knowing the
truth. They are all gifts from God. Today, meditate on each. Ask God for
discernment. Sense what it would be like to be discerning in difficult
situations. Picture God giving you the wisdom you need to solve
mysteries and know what truth is in complex situations. As you meditate
on knowledge, ask God for the knowledge you need to distinguish what is
right and wrong. See God coming to your aid through the knowledge that
comes from communing with the Holy Spirit and knowing His word. Feel
yourself thirsting for truth, searching for it and then receiving it.
Praise God and affirm, "The truth sets me free."

Psalm
34:5 (NIV). Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never
covered with shame....... Thoughts on This Verse... We are like the
moon; the glory we show is the reflection of the greater life in our
lives that does not originate in us but is a blessing to others through
us. Look to God for your hope, your strength.

The Lint Trap

"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." - Isaiah 1:18 (NIV).

Every time I put a load of laundry into the dryer and remove the

filter, I am amazed at the amount of lint that is trapped there.

Where does it all come from? The clothes have been washed and washed over and over again, yet the filter becomes filled with lint that must be emptied.

Though we strive to live a more righteous life, we, having a sinful

nature, still sin. Our sin gathers together, just like the lint, left

on the clothes washed over and over, still gathers in the lint trap.

There is still sin left and caught in our lives -- sin that must be

emptied out.

We would be caught in the trap and left there forever if it were not

for Jesus' cleansing presence in our lives. He is the one who gave us

freedom from gathered sin, and released us from the trap, when He

died on the cross at Calvary.

Now, all it takes is time spent in prayer, to ask God's forgiveness

for those sins on a regular basis, to keep our lives cleansed and

white as snow. It is here with God in prayer that we are able to

empty ourselves of pent-up sin caught by our conscience -- "our lint

trap" -- and emptied with prayer.

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of

faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty

conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

- Hebrews 10:22 (NIV).

Prayer: Our Loving Heavenly Father, we come to You this day, giving thanks for our having been blessed with an escape from our sin. Thank You for the trap that gathers our sins and for allowing us to come to You in prayer to ask forgiveness. Cleanse us from all the sin that gathers in our lives, so that we may be made white as snow. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."

Psalm
34:4 (NIV). I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from
all my fears....... Thoughts on This Verse... Have you sought the LORD
lately? Many of us made a commitment to turn all of our lives over to
him last week; how have you done at that commitment? God promises wisdom
to those who ask and don't doubt. Have you asked for wisdom recently?
Let's join our hearts together, and with the Spirit's help, let's seek
our Father so that we can honor and glorify him, finding our blessing in
his presence.

Moment In The Word
Shine The Light

Greetings


TODAY'S VERSE

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put
it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the
same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)


TODAY'S THOUGHT

As Christ followers we have a Holy purpose! We are part of a Holy
Mission. Evil forces have invaded the earth's domain leaving mankind in
darkness. Yet God, in His mercy, has called you and I to bring the light
to the world. Each of us to the part of the world He has put us in.
Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. - Let your light shine
before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
heaven." Perhaps all this sounds over the top. Something you would see
in a "Lord of the Rings" type epic. But the reality in this world is
that most people are in a spiritual battle, struggling with sin or its
effects, spending their time in spiritual darkness. Imagine being in
utter darkness when all of a sudden someone comes by offering you
eternal light. Being in blindness now you can see. That is the mission
of the light bearer. People are searching for light to illuminate their
soul and God has asked us simply to shine the light. Live out our inward
reality where other people can see it. Love others the way Christ loves
us. Lay out our platter of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,
so others can partake. Jobs are great, careers wonderful. If you have a
vocation you are blessed, but you will never find a higher calling that
bearing the light. Today, might God allow you to shine His light in
every area of darkness you come in contact with.



TODAY'S PRAYER

Father, thank You for shining Your light into my dark world. Help me not
forget. Today, help me carry Your light and shine it on all those in
darkness around me.
AMEN


TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-I will share the light of God with those around me
Picture yourself out in the country at night. It is really dark. You
have a torch but it is not lit. As you sit there you can see Jesus
coming with a burning torch. He comes and lights your torch and says,
"Go and make sure others have light." Sense the urgency of your mission.
Feel the gratitude deep in your heart because Jesus has given you
light. Feel the joy as you go to give the light to others that are in
darkness.

Jeremiah
6:16 (NIV). This is what the LORD says:''Stand at the crossroads and
look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in
it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not
walk in it.'''...... Thoughts on This Verse... Temptation is a choice
between God's will for us -- the old path -- and a shortcut provided by
Satan -- the new path. So often, Satan's path is presented to us as a
shortcut to happiness, prosperity, and accomplishment. However, this
path leads us away from God and the blessings he longs to give us. Let's
not be like the people of God in Jeremiah's day who refused God's way
and said,''We will not walk in it.'' The outcome of their choice was
their own destruction

"In my Father's house are many mansions ... I am going there to

prepare a place for you. And if I go ... I will come again and

receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also" - (John

14:2-4).

According to an article in Christian Victory, Holiday Inn had a plan

to erect a hotel on the Mount of Olives. They sent engineers to

survey the hotel site to make preparations for building. Their

conclusion was that it couldn't be done as they found that there was

a geological fault under the Mount that is causing it to split.

Some 2,500 years ago the Bible, as stated by the prophet Zechariah,

said that this split (possibly caused by a great earthquake) will

take place when Jesus Christ returns to earth to put down all evil

and rule and reign forever. "Then the Lord will go out fully armed

for war, to fight against those nations. That day his feet will stand

upon the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of

Olives will split apart, making a very wide valley running from east

to west, for half the mountain will move toward the north and half

toward the south." - Zechariah 14:3-4, (TLB).

Christ's first coming is an indisputable fact of history. We can be

just as certain of his second coming because he promised that if he

went away he would return. Numerous prophecies regarding his first

coming were fulfilled in minute detail. We can be just as certain

that all the prophecies regarding his second coming will also be

fulfilled in minute detail. Zechariah's prophecy and the evidence of

the geological fault under the Mount of Olives is just one more

confirmation of the validity of God's Word and the hope we have of

Christ's return for his own. The important thing is to be ready

because when we least expect it, Christ will come.

His coming will be somewhat like the earthquakes in California or

anywhere else, we know they are going to come, but they strike

without warning. The important thing is to be prepared ahead of time.

If Christ should come today, would you be ready? You can be by

confessing your sins to him and inviting him into your heart and life

as personal Lord and Savior.

Prayer: Our Almighty Father in Heaven, thank you for the promise that

Jesus is coming back again to take all his true followers to be with

him and you forever in heaven. Thank you, too, for this wonderful

hope. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In

Jesus loving Name I Pray, Amen."

Acts
13:38-39 (NIV). Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through
Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him
everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be
justified from by the law of Moses....... Thoughts on This Verse... Law
couldn't do it. Animal sacrifices couldn't do it. Piety couldn't do it.
Religious practices couldn't do it. Only Jesus can bring full
forgiveness of sins. Only Jesus can make us fully righteous and holy.
Forgiveness and righteousness come through him.

Preparation for Eternity

"Prepare to meet your God" - (Amos 4:12, NIV).

"I came home from work last evening," said David E.Leininger, "greeted the family, changed clothes, and began reading the mail. This week's Newsweek was there, so I began flipping through. Early on I came to this rather striking ad: it said, 'It's 1998. You're DEAD. What do you do now? Just for a minute, think the unthinkable. Think about when suddenly you're not there.' And then the ad goes on to try to sell life insurance. Years ago, a friend of mine who was an insurance agent would approach potential clients on the street and say, 'I had a dream about you last night ... I dreamed you died ... and you didn't have insurance!' The amazing thing to me is that his approach actually worked he made a fine living."

I find it interesting that the first thing many people read in the

daily newspaper is the obituary notices. I don't know why except it

is an admission of sorts that death is a fact of life.

Other people avoid reading the obituary notices altogether as they

don't want to even begin to think of death. This is sad because

sooner or later it happens to us all for nobody gets out of this

place alive. In younger days death seemed a life-time away and it

was. The years passed, then my father died, then my GrandFather and Grand mother ... Dying doesn't bother me but the process can be frightening if one should lose his or her health and especially his or her mind. Over that we have little or no control.

However, what we do have control over is the life after death. Should you have a dream tonight that you died, what would happen to you? Where would you spend eternity if this were a reality and not a dream? Better still, where will you spend eternity when this is a reality?

Prayer: "Almighty God, thank you for letting me know in your Word

that I need to be prepared to meet you at the end of my life here on

earth. And thank you for showing me the way you have provided for

such preparation by accepting your Son, Jesus, as my personal Lord

and Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.

Gratefully, In Jesus loving Name I Pray, Amen."

Psalm
31:1 (NIV). In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to
shame; deliver me in your righteousness. ...... Thoughts on This
Verse... When all the clutter is stripped away, what is your real hope?
When you push aside the diplomas, awards, accolades, and honors, what is
the basis of your significance? Only One endures forever! Only God
guarantees that our life is significant. Only our Savior can provide for
us a place where our valuables won't decay and aren't stolen and won't
rot. So let's not place our treasures or our hopes in anyone but the
LORD.
Confessing the Right Sin

"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment" - (Proverbs 12:19, NIV).

Years ago I remember reading a simple but profound statement that

Cecil Osborne made. He said, "When we are hiding a deeper sin or

fault we tend to confess a lesser one all the more vigorously [or

someone else's]."

For instance, an old friend had been trying to overcome his smoking

habit for twenty years without success. He had been judged for this

by folk in his church for as many years. He had also confessed his

problem endlessly and prayed for deliverance, but no matter what he did, he just couldn't beat the habit.

When he shared his struggle with me I simply asked him, "Why do you need to smoke?"

He looked at me with a blank look as if to say, "Are you crazy, what

are you talking about? I don't need this problem."

He then mumbled a few incoherent words, turned around and walked away. He died a few years later of cancer!

My friend's smoking wasn't the real problem. It was the fruit of a

deeper root. He was confessing the wrong sin. True, his addiction to

tobacco was a problem that needed to be resolved, but it was the

symptom of a deeper problem that, it seems, he didn't want to look at.

The same is true of all addictive behaviors and many of our negative

and sinful actions. We need to be ruthlessly honest with ourselves,

to at least one safe person who won't judge or put us down, and to

God, and admit and confess not only the symptomsbut the causes behind them. We may need to ask God to give us the courage to face these causes and lead us to the help, support, and recovery we need to overcome them. This is the kind of praying that God loves to answer.

As his Word, the Bible, says, "The Lord is near to all who call on

him, to all who call on him in truth." - Psalm 145:18 (NIV).

Prayer: "Eternal Father in Heaven, please give me the courage to

face, see and resolve all the causes behind any symptoms in my life

whether they be behavioral, physical, emotional or spiritual. Help me to find a safe, trusted friend to confess these to. And lead me to

the help I need to overcome. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus loving Name I Pray, Amen."

This was sent to me by a friend i thought to share
From My Heartby Mitch Salmon
What further evidence do we need that we are broken? As I survey this
land I see conflicts, wars, droughts, starvation and a deep sadness that
has pierced so many hearts. It's clear that this world is crying out,
but do they know who can deliver them? Do they know the One who died on
that tree so that we would finally be declared free? Even if the
trials of this world were to pass would they know who to thank for the
mercy? I ponder these things as I consider Your wondrous love. You
traded glory for shame. You left Your perfect kingdom to live amongst
us in this broken place. You spared no expense, held nothing back. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You
spoke these words as You considered Your own destiny. You knew the
love in Your heart. It is more than we could ever fathom. It is far
greater than anything we have ever experienced. Your love alone has the
ability to transform a heart. Your love alone can set us free. Father,
I pray that You will reveal Yourself to the hearts of all. I pray that
Your great love will be made apparent so that even the cynical, jaded
and blind will open their eyes to You. This was where You found me;
ashamed and alone even as I was surrounded by this mass of humanity. I
hid in plain sight. No one knew my heart. No one knew my brokenness or
the deep pit inside me. You replaced my shame with gratitude. If You
can draw me unto You I know that You can draw anyone! So, Father, I
pray that You will use me as an ambassador in this land. I pray that
You will use these hands to type Your words. I pray that You will use
the skills and abilities You have already blessed me with to bring glory
and honor to Your name. I pray that I will decrease so that You may
increase. My heart is full and there is no more space to contain this
stream of life that You have poured into me. It must flow not to but through me.
Take the weakness in me and use it to exhibit Your strength. I bow
before You. You are my Lord, my King and the Author of my salvation!
You are the Provider of hope, joy, love and peace. You are the one I
searched for all my life even as I was groping in the darkness. Thank
You for shining Your brilliant light into my dark heart. Thank You for
showing me the way even as I was lost and alone. Thank
you, Jesus, that You would leave Your home in glory to make this world
Your home for a time. Thank you for Your life of servanthood and for
setting self aside for us. Your sacrifice did not begin on that tree.
It began on the day that You opened Your human eyes. You never forsook
those who sought You. You never turned down a plea for physical or
spiritual healing. You were not murdered. You laid Your life down
willingly. You endured agony and bore the burden of the cross for me!
Love is Your prescription for this world and it is healing one heart at a
time. So many have been transformed by this love already and yet I
pray that there will be MANY more. Hear my cries, oh Lord! Hear me
pleas for this world! We are all searching for the same things and yet
so many do not know this love that changes hearts and lives. I pray
that You will reveal Yourself to them just as You revealed Yourself to
me. If they only knew the truth of Your love! Reveal it to them! Pour
it down on every man, woman and child! We don't have to live in
brokenness! We don't have to live in shame! We don't have to be who we
have been, we are called to be who You say we are. This identity can
only be found in Your Son, Christ Jesus! Father, it is in Your precious Son's name that I pray. I am affectionately and gratefully Yours always. Love, me

click on link by Arron Shust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95tTVquDy6U


2Peter 3:9 (NIV). The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to repentance.. ..... Thoughts on This
Verse... God wants all people brought to repentance so they can receive
his grace and live with him in glory. If that is God's passion, how can
we not make it our passion

Thoughts for Today - Storm Damage

STORM DAMAGE

Isaiah 4:5b-6 God's own glory will be like a huge tent that covers
everything. 6 It will provide shade from the heat of the sun and a place
of shelter and protection from storms and rain.

Much like life we all have many storms in our life to go through rather you been in a earthquake or tornado or a loved one died could also be a friend who you where close to

Much like sin, which can enter our hearts and minds (often
unexpectedly) it tears us apart and litters our spirits with the
debris of wrong choices and bad-decisions, bringing us into lifestyles
that destroy all that is good; anything and everything from large ˜hurt
those you love sins, to small (seemingly insignificant) wrongs, that
together wreak havoc on us and all that we hold dear, taking us on
journeys we never imagined could happen to us.

Exodus 18:19 Listen now to My voice; I'll give you counsel.. (NKJV)

Isaiah 40:29 The LORD gives strength to those who are weary. (CEV)

We might not always have the wisdom to live life without error we
after all, are not perfect beings; but we can choose to live differently
by striving to be God-driven and Jesus-spirited. He is always ready to
assist us and shelter us, if we call upon Him; and our footsteps can be
guided by Jesus, Son of God in the everlasting Way.
Prayer: Father let us heed the signs you send when we are
considering entering ˜stormy relationships and lifestyles, gather us
up, tidy our thinking and our actions, and let us grow more in Your
image, standing erect and strong like a tree freed of all that is broken

As the road ahead seems rugged

And the path is getting steep,

I feel that I can't make it

So my heart begins to weep.

Then I turn to see who's coming

To join me on my way,

I see it is my Lord

And he slowly turns to say

"Lean on me.....

When you have no strength to stand.

When you feel you're going under,

Hold tighter to my hand.

Lean on me.....

When your heart begins to bleed.

When you know I'm all you have,

Then you'll find I'm all you need."

Then when I felt that no one cared

If I lived or died,

And no one bothered asking why

I'd go alone to cry.

When the burden got so heavy

I could barely face the day,

I felt His arms around me

As I gently heard Him say

"Lean on me.....

When you have no strength to stand.

When you feel you're going under,

Hold tighter to my hand.

Lean on me.....

When your heart begins to bleed.

When you come to know I'm all you have,

Then you'll find I'm all you need."

Poem Author Unknown

Psalm
121:8 (NIV). The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now
and forevermore. ...... Thoughts on This Verse... Does it matter to
anyone that I'm here? Does anyone notice when I'm gone? Does anybody
care if I make it home or never leave the house? The answers:''Yes!
Yes!! Yes!!!'' The LORD, the Savior of Israel and the Father of Jesus
knows all about us and our comings and goings. He will watch over us,
now and forevermore

Moment In The Word
Help Me Rejoice
Greetings


TODAY'S VERSE

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there
are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice
in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)


TODAY'S THOUGHT

What qualifications do you put on happiness? So many times it seems as
if we put conditions on whether or not we are going to rejoice. We must
be liked. We must be successful. We have to have the right kind of car,
house, clothes or social status before we can really find happiness. But
what happens if those things that we feel are so important to "who we
are" are taken away from us? What if we lose our job or a friendship
tanks or we face bankruptcy? What if we are falsely accused of something
or our friends turn on us? Then what happens to our peace, joy or
happiness? Somehow Habakkuk found the secret. It was in his relationship
with God. He was able to rejoice in Him no matter what. He had
committed himself to God and when troubles began to brew, he was able to
trade his commitment in for trust. Finally, when times were at its
worst, his trust allowed him to return to joy from painful situations.
This joy came from a deep trusting relationship with God. Listen to what
he said, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on
the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I
will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." This
didn't happen by accident. Habakkuk had a relationship with God that he
could return to over and over again. Today begin with trust. Trust Him
with everything you have and everything you need. Trust Him with today,
tomorrow and the future. Then, when you need it, just like Habakkuk,
your trust will help you return to joy.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Father, help me to trust You in all things. Help me to put my hope in
You. Help me to rejoice in You no matter what happens. I pray this in
Jesus name.
AMEN

TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-I will rejoice in all things
Visualize God being there. There as you are facing struggles. Feel a
tension build up in your body as you think of a negative experience.
Breathe deep and picture God coming into your negative situation and
giving you peace. Sense your ability to trust in Him. Feel His presence
and a deep knowing that you can rejoice that He is there. He cares and
nothing can happen that He does give strength for. Feel a joy start to
well up within you. Let it grow and see yourself rejoicing in God in the
midst of your struggle. Feel the peace and affirm, "I will rejoice in
all things!"

1John 4:21 (NIV). And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God
must also love his brother..... .. Thoughts on This Verse... For over a
week, John has reminded us again and again. We must love our brothers
and sisters in Christ. This reminder, however, is the clincher. If we
love God, then we must love his children and our brothers and sisters in
Christ. Notice that the word isn't''should' ' or''will try'' or''want
to.'' No, we must. The Bible is careful not to put many''must do''
or''thou shalt'' commands in Scripture. But God's point is clear. Love
of each other is not optional, negotiable, or even something to be
delayed. God sent Jesus to die for the sins of all of God's children.
How can we not love those for whom Christ gave so much? As Paul will say
to the Corinthians, ''God's love compels us!'' We MUST love

Moment In The Word
Christ's Ambassador

Greetings

TODAY'S VERSE

"For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer
counting people's sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful
message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making
his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to
God!"'
II Corinthians 5:19-20 (NLT)

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Christ has given us a task of reconciling people back to God. It is
sharing with others that when they become born again, God no longer will
count their sins against them. Paul says it beautifully in today's
verse. He writes, "We are Christ's ambassadors, with God making His
appeal to mankind through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come
back to God!" But here is the catch. We need to say it in a heavenly
language. It is a language of love. We feel if we just tell people that
God loves them that they will get it. If we can just out maneuver them
intellectually, convincing them that God is their logical choice, that
it will all make sense to them. No, the kind of response that God stirs
in a heart is emotional. It is emotionally knowing that converts the
soul. As we love those we come in contact with, loving them with the
love of Christ, they can begin to really believe in their heart that God
will no longer count their sins against them. As we are empathic and
loving unconditionally, they will hear our Heavenly Father saying to
them, "Come back!" This is more than head knowledge. It is a real loving
relationship that their weary soul is coming back to. May Christ help
us become His ambassadors of love.


TODAY'S PRAYER

Father, help me share Your message of reconciliation with others. Not
just with my words but with my actions. Might I represent You with real
love so others may respond to Your appeal to "Come back to You."

TODAY'S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
-I am Christ's Ambassador
Visualize yourself living for Christ. You are His ambassador of love and
He wants you to share His message of love and forgiveness with others.
Picture you being kind and loving to a neighbor. See yourself praying
for them, asking God to help you share His love with them. Sense their
openness to God as you love them and are a good neighbor. See yourself
having an opportunity to share with them. Because of your love, they
respond to the God that you are serving. They want what you have. Sense
the joy and the peace as they receive Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Feel the joy in your heart as you know you allowed God to love them
through you. Affirm out loud, "I am Christ's Ambassador."

Romans
8:14 (NIV). [T]hose who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of
God....... Thoughts on This Verse... Over the last two weeks we have
been blessed to read a number of Scriptures that speak of the Spirit's
work in our lives. In the last several days, we've celebrated being
God's children. Now the two concepts come together in one glorious
declaration: we are God's''sons, '' his children with full inheritance
rights. We have not only been given grace, but we live as his children
and enjoy the blessings of his eternal family.

I always say God is faithful even when we are faithless
which is a scripture in Timothy but i do not we focus on our struggles more
God help us to forgive our selves ...That is one thing i struggle with sometimes .

Beyond Destruction And Above Calamity

"Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the Lord." - Psalm 144:15 (NRSV).

Recently, while
going through a personal struggle, I learned that IÂ could still be
happy in the Lord, right in the midst of chaos. How is this possible?

Even when one
is amid crushing events, and everything seems spinning out of control,
God has already thought of all that, and has made himself
our refuge. God is ever-present. He must be. It is his nature to be. He
sustains with his Creator-might all the land and its people. I am
consoled that God hears the cries of the oppressed. I am also comforted
that God is the final judge in all our circumstances. We can safely
trust all things to him, and, without fear, rely on his stronghold. All
who turn to him can safely declare the truth of today's scripture,
"Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people
whose God is the Lord."

We do well to
repeat this verse until it becomes our victory song, until it becomes
our song of rescue, our shield of hope in our Creator, his Son, and the
Holy Spirit, who together transcend the earth and fill the heaven. Let
that song begin in us and let us join the heavenly host, singing to the
glory of God an endless song of praise. It surely is right to do so. The
majesty and glory of His name are in the depths and the heights of his
touch.

Do not expect
unbelievers to help us. Do not wait for insecure people to come to our
rescue. The God of heaven and earth sees our struggles for wholeness,
all the while saying that he has the ultimate answer.

He comes into
our bad news, into our questions, into our deep grief, and our seemingly
senseless pain. He comes with light for those who sit in darkness. The
God of everything good watches and slumbers not.

Prayer: Our
Heavenly Father God, our help is in your name. Help us to see past the
signs of destruction to your saving presence. Remove the tangled
webs that obstruct our sight. Make straight the way of salvation. Happy
are the people blessed by such victory. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."

Romans
8:15-16 (NIV). For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave
again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we
cry,''Abba, Father.'' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that
we are God's children.... ... Thoughts on This Verse... Ab-ba. Listen to a
baby and you will hear these basic early sounds. Incredibly, Jesus
showed us, and the Spirit enables us, to speak to God with these
syllables of familiarity, trust, vulnerability, dependency, and
intimacy. The Spirit is our guarantee that we don't have to be afraid of
God, but that we can approach him as our loving and tender Father who
always listens to our hearts and seeks to bless our lives.

Things That Bug Us

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and

supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will

guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" - (Philippians 4:6-7,

NKJV).

As the ditty goes, "It's the little things that bother us and put us

on the rack, you can sit upon a mountain but you can't sit on a

tack."

And isn't that the truth? It's the little annoyances in life that get

us tied in a knot. A slight criticism, a driver who cuts us off on

the freeway, a green light that turns red before we get to it, a

friend running late, and so on.

Let us realize however, that somebody's frown may have more to do

with them than us. A criticism may be somebody projecting their

unresolved issues onto us. Somebody failing to thank us may indicate that they are having a "bad hair" day, and somebody cutting us off on the freeway may be an indication of their impatience”as well as a reflection of ours!

What somebody else does to me may or may not be a problem. How I react though is always my issue, and when I overreact, that is always my problem. What the other person does is their issue. How I act, react, or overreact is always my issue and my responsibility.

If we'd remember that "whatever others think of me is none of my

business," I would at least learn to cope much better with many of

life's little annoyances. I know it's easier said than done, but it

is a goal to work towards. Furthermore, the more mature and whole I become, the less life's little annoyances will bother me. I'm still

working on this issue.

Prayer: "Our
Loving Heavenly Father, as it is your purpose for me, please help me to
grow through the circumstances of life that 'push my hot buttons' and so
become more and more like Jesus in every way. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen