Month: September 2023

Open

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Jesus said, “Narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:14

In 1918 Jesse Bell Rittenhouse penned a poem called “The Door of Dreams”, which said, “I often passed the door of dreams but never stepped inside, Though sometimes, with surprise, I saw the door was open wide. I might have gone forever by, as I had done before. But one day, when I passed, I saw you

Standing In The Door”.

Jesus said narrow is the gate that leads to life. Thankfully, Jesus is is the one standing at the gate and His arms are open wide. With such a welcoming embrace, what are you waiting for? Welcome home!

Gifts From God

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“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that you are mindful of him…” Psalm 8:3-4

Life is a journey filled with gifts from God. You are born into life, and each breath is a gift. You eat the fruit of the land, and each taste is a gift. You love another, and each embrace is a gift. You laugh with exceeding joy, and each smile is a gift. You cry tears of grief as a loved one passes, and each tear is a gift. You breathe your last breath, and pass into the gift of eternal life.

God’s Gifts Are Never Ending.

Oh Lord, “When I consider the works of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained. What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands…O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth”

Peace!

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God said, “I will hold your right hand, saying, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” Isaiah 41:13

Growing up near the Rocky Mountains some of my most precious alone time was spent among the its whispering pines and towering peaks. Peace seemed only a deep breath away. Even during that period of time when faith felt distant for me, God was there in those moments. Looking back I can clearly see how He was working on and in my life.

God’s Presence Surrounds Us Even When We Don’t Realize It.

And yes, even when we’re not asking for it. How is that possible, you may ask? If I’m not asking for God’s help, why would He help? The answer is that you have no idea who in your life is praying for you at this very moment. Or the prayers that you will pray for yourself ten or fifteen years from now. God does. You see, God is beyond time. He knows the end from the beginning and that gives Him an incredible advantage. When God says, “I will hold your right hand,” simply take His word for it and say, thank you Lord, You are all I need.

Precious Thoughts

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“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand.” Psalm 139:17-18

Walk on a beach, or through the sand on a playground sometime, and then consider the words of David in Psalm 139. Just how precious are God’s thoughts toward us?

More Numerous Than The Sand.

It’s easy to feel like we are lost in this vast world filled with 8 billion people. With all of these people, how in the world can I possibly matter? Don’t kid yourself. God, who created the heavens and the earth, and every single human on this planet, has infinite capacity. You are precious to Him, much more than you will ever know. Talk to Him and feel His warm embrace

Miracles

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“Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you receive.” Matthew 21:22

Jesus works in Matthew 21 are not ambiguous. “Assuredly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, say to this mountain, ‘be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”  

I Believe In Miracles.

Do you? Perhaps you’ve seen a miracle in your life, or the life of a friend, but with the passage of time you’ve begun to discount it as a miracle. It feels safer to explain it away as the advancement of medical science, or your hard work in a job search paying off, or a friend stepping forward to help you out just in the nick of time. After all, it’s easier to believe that what we can touch and see had something to do with our good fortune. Believing that God is at work in your life requires just a little bit more. It requires a simple act of faith.  

The Artist

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“For we are His (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…” Ephesians 2:10

We are a work in progress. Some days you may just need a touch up, other days a fresh coat of paint, and other times you might feel like you need a complete makeover! Never fear,

God Is Up To The Task!

He created you. The real question is, are you willing to trust the Master’s touch in your life? Why not turn to God in prayer and have a chat about your hopes and dreams. I’m convinced you have a whole new world of wonder waiting for you when you allow God as the master craftsman to have the last word. It will be good! 

Knock Knock

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“Behold I stand at the door and knock.” Revelation 3:20

Jesus paints a vivid image for us in Revelation 3:20 as he describes himself. For He said, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and lets me in,

I Will Come In.”

So many go in search of God. There’s no need for He standing right in front of you, knocking. Your search will end wonderfully by saying, “Welcome Jesus, come on in!”

Acceptance

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“Thy will be done.” Matthew 6:10

God knows you better than you know yourself. To accept His will is to fulfill the purpose for which you were created. Yet we seemingly work so hard to fit God into our lives rather than giving Him the reigns.

There Is Peace In Acceptance.

When Jesus taught his followers how to pray, “Thy will be done” was at the very heart of it. Jesus loved His Heavenly Father, and just as importantly, He fully understood how much His Heavenly Father loved Him. Acceptance was never in question. Today if you knew how much God loves you, and wants the best for you, and wants an amazing life for you, the words “Thy will be done” would flow easily from your heart. Give it a try.

Let’s Finish

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“Let us run the race with Endurance.” Hebrews 12:1

We first utter those words “I quit” as children when our friends picked on us, or the game we were playing ceased to flow in our favor. Yet, somehow, as we go through life those words are never really far from our lips. We may not actually utter them out loud, but we think them. Sometimes we act them out without verbalizing it. We “silently” check out of our relationships, our job performance, or as a parent. We simply abdicate our responsibilities by mentally stepping back and failing to engage. Paul encourages us to “run the race with endurance.”

You Can’t Win if You Don’t Finish

Jesus even says in Matthew 24:13, “he who endures to the end shall be saved.” In this passage Christ knew we would face trouble in this world, spiritual and otherwise. His encouragement to us is to endure! In all areas of life, endure. Especially in your faith! No matter what you are facing, endure! For Jesus also said to us in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!” He is all you need.  

True Love

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“By this we know love, because He laid down his life for us…” 1 John 3:16

Does anyone notice me? Am I making an impact? Am I just here to breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide? Questions we all ask from time to time, but don’t kid yourself.

You Are Loved.

Jesus came for one reason, to restore you and I to God. Even if you were the only one to receive the forgiveness Jesus offers, He still would have come. Jesus alone, above all others, sees your true value and He loves you so much that He alone paid the price that no one else could pay to give you eternal life with Him. If you want to know what true love looks like, take a look in the mirror. Jesus paid the ultimate price, and He had your face pictured in His mind when He did it.