Monthly Archives: January 2018
Many people believe that if we love God and love others as we love ourselves things will go easy for us in this world. However, Jesus told his disciples, “For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows”. So the reality of living on fallen planet earth exempts no one from experiencing times of difficulty, disappointment, or frustration. Our Lord Jesus told His disciples, whom He loved, that they would encounter troubles and problems on this earth. After…..
Sometimes the experience of loving and being loved generates warm feelings that bring happiness, satisfaction, pleasure, and encouragement. This type of Love has the power to lift us up and reward us with the courage to keep stepping forward in life- towards our destiny! However, true love is not just a feeling, and Jesus tells us to love those who will not, or cannot return our love. When we experience this side of love, it doesn’t always feel rewarding. Instead…..
Even people who consider themselves courageous and strong have times when they feel overburdened, afraid, and weak. When life feels dreadful, and it feels too hard to keep stepping forward through the daily challenges, our heart and soul may sense the need to give up and quit. At this point it would be easy to fall into self-pity, or self-loathing for not being stronger, BUT that would only lead us in the wrong direction…. to emotional and spiritual defeat. We…..
When Jesus left the upper room with his disciples, he went to the Mount of Olives, his place of secret prayer. There he told the apostles, “Keep praying for strength to be prepared for the severe test of your faith that is about to come.” In the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord cautioned His disciples about the tempter’s power, and counseled with word and example how to overcome the Enemy’s persuasion. Jesus used the weapon of ‘pouring out your hearts…..
The human race seems to be plagued with complaining. Have you ever noticed that it seems easier to focus on or point out what is wrong, instead of what is right? We complain about our circumstances, family, friends, and enemies. We grumble about the economy, politics, churches, and jobs. Often we get pulled into being judgmental, critical, and negative, because of our pride, unprocessed inner anger, or fears. Being judgmental and angry go hand-in-hand, producing a negative cycle that will…..
We were created in the likeness of God and were given a body, soul, and spirit. The spirit part of us is where God’s resides, the center of our relationship with Jesus, whose Holy Spirit dwells within us. The Holy Spirit has power to control the mind, and the mind has power to control the body. When the “spirit of our mind” is renewed with God’s love, truth, and the Logos of the Word, it is absolutely possible to overcome…..
Most of us desire to walk in harmony with others, but in this world conflict cannot totally be avoided! It is so easy to get pulled into conflict, even when our heart’s desire is to be people of peace! What’s really inside our hearts is going to be forced out through our mouths in times of conflict, stress, or anxiety. At some point, we will all find ourselves in a difficult place where we must choose what to do…..
“And I say, oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest” (Psalm 55:6). There were times when King David did not want to look at the pressures in his life – he just wanted to fly away and find some relief and rest. In times like these, when it feels as if responsibilities, challenges, or trials overtake our ability in life to rest in the Lord – it can be a struggle…..
If Jesus personally asked you, “What do you want from me in the coming year”, what would your answer be? Every true believer will take a spiritual journey that will move us further into the passionate heart of our heavenly Bridegroom. As believers, we are all at various spiritual levels, and growing all the time. Our needs, desires, and hopes change, as we continue to step forward in the Kingdom of God. Before meeting Jesus, we felt unworthy-so in…..