Month: December 2024

Miracles

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“Now to Him (Jesus) who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20

God is in the miracle business, but to Him they are not miracles, they are simply His provision and His grace passed along to us. Novelist Frederick Buechner famously said, “A miracle is when

One + One = One Thousand”.

Ephesians 3 talks all about just such a miracle formula. Jesus does immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine when He is at work within us. So, what’s our part in this equation? We simply have to be willing to say yes to Jesus, yes to His love, and yes to His leading. Then be prepared. You are about to see a parade of miracles. Just be willing to open your eyes to see them unfold all around you.

A New Day

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“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

David, the author of the Psalms, sums up the Lordship of God in this verse. He recognizes that God is the author of all creation, and yes the author of our lives. But even deeper, he recognizes that each day is a day that God has laid before us. Indeed, this new day may be filled with laughter or with tears, with heartache or with possibilities, but whatever comes does not really matter for it all pales in comparison to the glory of God. That is why David can say in the second part of the verse,

“We WILL Rejoice And Be Glad In It!”

Each day you rise from bed can and should be a day of rejoicing. Jesus himself said, “I have come that you would have life and have it abundantly.” With that kind of support from our Heavenly Father there is good reason to rejoice.  

Inseparable

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“Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword…Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:35 and 37

Solitude has always been a friend to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love people, the laughter, the smiles, the friendship, but I have always felt comfortable in being alone. As a high school student I would ski alone in the mountains, or bike ride a trail by myself. There was no music playing in my ears, and no distractions other than the sounds of the wind in the trees, or the birds dancing between the branches. Years later I realized that in those times I wasn’t really alone. A friend, closer than a brother was always with me.

Jesus is always with you.

What tries to separate us from God? The answer is summed up in a single word: LIFE. We busy ourselves beyond recognition out of fear of being alone. We crave texting and social media likes and feel like we’re forgotten when it’s quiet. Yet Paul in the book of Romans reminds us that nothing can separate us from God’s love. You are never alone.

Faith

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“David said, “the Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:37

David was a young man and small of stature who literally swam inside the armor upon his shoulders. Goliath was a towering man among men. Yet David was armed with one powerful weapon, Faith in God. In the New Testament Jesus described such faith, saying in Mark 11:24, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe you have received it and it will be yours.” David believed in the God of breakthroughs! 

You Can Too.

How do I know this? Just read Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope”. Today every one of us faces Goliath: It may be illness, bankruptcy, relationships, joblessness, financial hardship, and many more. Of this list, or any other list, there is absolutely nothing that compares with the Power of the Almighty, All Powerful, Omnipotent God who is your heavenly Father. He is saying to you that He has a plan for your life! A plan to prosper you and not to harm you. A plan to give you a future and a hope. Step forward in faith today no matter what you face! God will deliver you from the hand of your Goliath! 

Rejoice

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“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines…yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Habakkuk 3:17-18

When tragedy hits our lives, all we see are shades of gray. Yet, if we allow the clouds to part ever so slightly, you will soon

Feel Hope Again.

Yes there are days when it is hard to spot the miracles in the circumstances of our lives. Those times when it would be so easy to crawl back into bed and pull the covers of depression over our face. Or, we can choose faith. Habakkuk makes such a choice. “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Through the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls – Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” God is your hope in the midst of your circumstances.

Abundance

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“Have you not known, have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary.” Isaiah 40:28

The Creator of the universe is always alert, and always hears our prayers. Combine this with the myriad of scriptures that tell us how God, our Heavenly Father, knows exactly what we need from day to day, and exactly how to provide us with what we really need, and you have the ultimate recipe for

Power Filled Living

Our job is to trust Him, and reach out in prayer telling Him just that. Simply say Jesus, I trust you! My life is yours. Grant me this day Your daily bread. Whatever Your choices are for me today, I am so grateful.

Prayer Has Power

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“For He (God) looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens” Job 28:24

Have you ever felt invisible? That no one cares? You shouldn’t. There’s a party in heaven every time an individual reaches out to Jesus. If you’re amazed at how words, pictures, or events go viral, then you’d be shocked at the reaction in Heaven when

You Lift Your Prayers To Jesus.

In that moment God’s incredible attention is completely focused on what you have to say, and your words can shake the very foundations of this earth. Don’t believe the lie that you are invisible. You are a Child of the most high King! Hold your head high and give God praise!

Joy

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Faith’s great weapon is called Joy. Joy is the amazing breeding ground of peace, and joy filled peace quickly yields hope. There is a reason Jesus spent so much time talking about having peace, having joy, and eliminating worry and fear. He knows that with Peace, Joy and Hope,

You Become Unstoppable

There are some days when you will not feel joyful. On those days proclaim the name of “Jesus”. “Jesus, you’ve got this”. “Jesus, what have I to fear for you are with me”. “Jesus, you are all I need”. With Jesus, your gloom and doom emotions don’t stand a chance. Joy will return.

Green Pastures

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“He makes me to lie down in green pastures,” Psalm 23:2

As you read the 23rd Psalm realize that green pastures are a promise, not a proposal! I can say that because the very first verse of the 23rd Psalm says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” In other words, God is all you need, no matter what life throws at you. God is saying to you,

Trust Me, I’ve Got This!” 

Put another way, it doesn’t matter if your surroundings at the moment look rocky or barren because God is already ahead of you making a way. The pasture will be green soon enough! Trust Him!

Reach Up

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“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us.” Romans 8:26

Jesus said, “My peace I give to you, not as the world gives.” He understood as well as anyone our pain, our struggle, our hurt, our trials, our everything. Sometimes we feel like we pray until there are just no more words to say. At that point the words simply won’t come anymore and we feel a little lost. Where do I go from here?

When The Words Won’t Come, Reach Up

Say “Jesus, I trust You.” He’s right there, even when we have no idea what to pray, or how to pray, and even when we feel like we’ve lost faith. There is an old Hymn that says, “I’m Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, safe and secure from all alarms.” Sometimes, you just need to lean in and reach to Him for help.