ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

With all the news feeds, opinions, and op-ed's floating around the internet it's no wonder our minds are on information overload. The way we all tend to shoot off our mouths you would think we were the most informed, understanding and wise generation that ever graced planet earth with our intelligence.

All joking aside... the wisest people among us are not those who have thousands of likes and views on their social media feeds. They are not those of us who have spent years and years studying in the top universities to acquire their Doctorate. 

According to God, wisdom and understanding are something tangible, profound, and much more personal.

In James 3:13  God asks us us a point blank question..."Who  among you is wise and understanding? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom." 

God's wisdom has nothing to do with how many degrees we can list next to our names. The wisest people in the Kingdom of God are not those of us who are considered the smartest. Instead, wisdom is applied to the people who put God and others first in their lives. In the Bible humility has to do with servant hood. The verse goes on to say "wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate , submissive, full of mercy, good fruit, impartial and sincere." Wow! What an incredible list of character traits we should all aspire to.

God also tells us if we lack wisdom to ask Him for it and he will give it to us generously. We are to imitate God who is always ready to forgive us for our sins when we confess our failures and turn away from our transgressions. Because of his mercy and faithfulness he encourages us when we're down, leads us when we have lost our way, and loves us even when we don't deserve it. To boil it down, if you want to be considered wise,  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12) WISDOM IS LOVE IN ACTION.
 

PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING

 

"Into each life some rain must fall." This timeless phrase comes from a classic jazz song sung by Ella Fitzgerald and quickly became an anthem for everyone who perseveres through hardships. We certainly don't look forward to having setbacks in our lives but the good news, when we have Jesus as our anchor, we always come out victorious. 

Rain and storms symbolize hardships...so when the rain starts falling it's best to get our focus on the One who helps us in our time of need. The Bible gives us lots of perspective on adversity when it hits home. 

1) When trials come...REJOICE.  That sounds crazy but our reaction to trouble when it hits will show our enemy, Satan, we choose to trust God with the outcome and we refuse to cave to fear of our circumstances.

2) Obstacles, big and small, test our faith. "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)

3) Faith produces steadfastness that empowers us to stand firm, immovable, confident in God. When we make it through, God tells us we are perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

Best of all, the promise of victory is found in First Peter Five verse Ten  "After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen , and establish you."  So remember...when bad news comes... perspective is everything so hang on and..DANCE THROUGH THE STORM.

HOPE IS ON THE HORIZON

It's crazy how much time I invest in doomscrolling or doomsurfing as it's called. Seriously. It is a term that means excessively scrolling through bad news on social media. I get it. I'm guilty of it... but there is very little good news anymore. The world we live in is black as pitch especially when you look at current events through a secular worldview. The main stream media has us constantly on high alert as we wait for the next traumatic event to light up the computer screen. We are bombarded with statistics on crisis fatigue and we wonder where and when all the chaos will end. 

Let me give you some good news. When we are feeling most burned out by the events surrounding our lives and what we read on social media that is precisely the moment when we must push back harder in prayer. I'm talking warfare prayer. On our knees. Focused. Thankful. Filled with Faith. Think of the world you see on the news today as a smoke screen. It's the enemy trying to keep us filled with fear and dread about the future. Instead, look around...we are winning these battles. Think about all the positive things that are being exposed to the millions and millions of us who are waking up to see who is creating all the problems. There is no doubt we are engaged in a spiritual war for our country, our people and our faith and we need to engage the enemy with spiritual weapons of war. Make no mistake, God is working behind the scenes and in faith we need to keep looking at the horizon.

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer . (Romans 12:12)
 

THIS PRESENT DARKNESS...has a bright side

 Did you ever notice when a storm is brewing you can feel your skin prickle, taste the presence of danger in the air, smell the incoming chaos, and watch the storm rumble to life from afar off. I've been in Florida during a hurricane and the day before was bright, sunny and beautiful...not a cloud in the sky. However, the weather forecaster acted like the sky was falling. I have to admit, its during these uncertain moments that I feel most unsettled not knowing if our family should evacuate or shelter in place. For me its the same hair raising, heart pumping feeling I get when I consider the changes in our political atmosphere. Are we rushing headlong into a New World Order or is it all hype to keep us in constant fear and dependent on our leaders.

Being prepared when a natural disaster is at your door and in the face of our ever changing world can set our nerves on edge. Inflation, food shortages, voter insecurity and widespread corruption are blowing through our beloved country at an alarming rate. We are bombarded with the latest conspiracies and conflicting news on a daily basis and its becoming impossible to discern truth from lies. 

However, behind all the lies, more and more people are realizing something sinister is coming. Will it be the grid going down, a civil war, a terrorist attack in our own country? The question we need to ask ourselves becomes...where will we hide when the storm makes landfall? 

Will we cower at the feet of our leaders like we did during the pandemic or will we run to the cross and trust the promises of God, even while the winds are raging out of our control around us.  Yes, we are living in uncertain times but God "Is the same yesterday, today and forever."

We can be sure of three things... (1) God loves us (2 )His promises are trustworthy and reliable (3) God is working on our behalf, no matter what our circumstances look like. The most powerful thing we can do during dark times is Speak God's Promises Over Our Lives . Words are powerful weapons. Below are a few of His promises to get you started.

"In the shelter of your presence you hide us from all human conspiracies; you keep us safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues." Psalm 31:20 

"You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you."  Deuteronomy 3:22

"When I am afraid I will trust in You."  Psalm 56:3

"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid ?" Psalm 27:1

"The Lord is the one who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8

There are many more promises in the Bible. As a matter or fact, there are 365 verses that tell us not to fear! A verse to help us face life with courage every day of the year. As for me...I am choosing to trust my God and His promises of protection, provision and faithfulness written in His book to us for such a time as this.

 

FILL YOUR BUCKET LIST WITH TREASURE

If you're like 99% of the population you believe life is all about being happy. The magic formula to living that euphoric existence is to work hard at realizing your dreams. With so many options we spend countless hours getting a better education, so we can land the perfect job, then  make tons of money to buy lots of stuff, and eventually have a bigger and better bank account as the years fly past.   Finally, when we reach retirement we can kick back and enjoy everything we worked so hard to achieve to make us" happy."

Don't get me wrong...I'm right there with you, with my personal "Bucket List" overflowing.  But I found an old Arabian Tale that might shed some perspective on our priorities.

Three merchants were traveling across the desert on camels to a great city.  Suddenly they heard a heavenly voice say, "Stop riding!" The men stopped.  The voice continued, "Get off your camels and gather up some sand in your hands."  The men obeyed.  The voice continued, "Hold the sand in your hands for the rest of the journey."  The men did as the supernatural voice commanded.  As you can imagine it was not an easy ride, but they made it to their destination.  When they opened their hands they saw that the sand they were holding had turned into jewels!  They were ecstatic, but at the same time lamented, "If only I had known; we would have gathered up so much more sand while we had the chance."

Life is full of opportunities, yet sometimes we don't realize how valuable those opportunities were until it's too late.  Jesus tells us,"Don't hoard treasure on earth where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or -worse!- stolen by thieves.  Stockpile treasure in heaven where it's safe..."

Fortunately, it's never to late to start filling our "Bucket Lists" with eternal treasure.  The bible tells us no deed will go unrewarded - even a cup of cold water to a stranger, a kind word to a hurting soul, or a prayer for your enemy in the middle of the night.

How big is your Bucket?

Scripture Reading:  Revelation 22: 12,  Mark 9:41 
                                

WAITING FOR A MIDNIGHT MIRACLE

It's Christmas again and this year you might feel the magic and wonder of the season has faded, leaving you empty and disillusioned.

Maybe your life has taken a nose dive and you find yourself skidding out of control into the midnight hour, that black hole of hopelessness, where even your last chance has disappeared into a dark and disappointing future.

 We have all experienced setbacks from time to time that leave us feeling depressed and defeated. It's at that critical point of despair that we need a reminder that "nothing is impossible for God." Allow me to tell you a true story of a man who lost all hope and hit rock bottom.

Steven Lavaggi was a successful graphic designer, with a beautiful wife and young son. He was up and coming in the competitive business world with tons of talent and plenty of potential. He was a rising star until his life fell apart. One day, Steven's wife unexpectedly left him for a Rolling Stone magazine writer. Steven was left to raise their son alone, who was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.With the challenges of caring for his child, Steven lost his edge and his budding business. As bills mounted, his life began swirling out of control. In desperation, Steven turned to God for help. He was abandoned, broke, and filled with worry; only a miracle could put his life back together.

So one night, sitting on his bedroom floor, he began searching the Bible for answers. As he read about God's love and His gift to the world ( His only son Jesus,) Steven Lavaggi gave his life to God. In that moment he was forever changed. As he began to follow God's plan for his life he developed a passion to create hope for people around him. Since he lived without hope for a while, he knew how powerful hope could be when it came flooding in. After reading Psalm 91:11 ("for He will give his angels charge over you, to guard you in all your ways.") he used his talents to paint an angel.

A friend encouraged Stephen to make the angel three dimensional, so he worked with a sculptor to cast the image. The first edition of those sculptures were an instant sensation, but God had an even greater plan. Later, while speaking in South Africa as a guest of Parliament, Steven held up one of the angels to a crowd of 3,500 people. The sculpture had a black patina finish, and when the audience saw it they jumped from their seats in joy. He was told that a few days before a preacher declared, "One of the things we need is for international artists to express the love of God through art, perhaps even painting angels' in black."

When he heard this Lavaggi grabbed a white angel and held it over his head and said, "These angels were created to be like brothers and sisters, as we are supposed to be." Later, as he thought about that moment , he decided to call the sculptures The Angels of Reconciliation. That set of angels was sold at auction and were presented as a gift to Nelson Mandela. Today, Steven is known as the "Artist of Hope", and his work is seen all over the world.

God has a plan and purpose for each one of us. Your problems may be mounting along with the bills but God is bigger than anything you might be facing in your life right now. ANYTHING. Luckily for us, God does not sleep during the dark midnights of our lives. He does some of His best work when all hope is gone. Every day is a new beginning with God and the possibilities are endless. Miracles' still happen to ordinary people like you and me. The thing is, we stopped expecting them.


 PRAYER...
Lord God and Heavenly Father, I come before you today broken and afraid. I turn my life over to you and trust that you have made a way for me through the darkness. I'm open to your plan, even if it's not what I envisioned because I believe nothing is too hard or wonderful for you to accomplish in me.
In Jesus name. Amen

Scripture reading
John 3:16
Psalm 3:2-6
Luke 18:35-43
Psalm 91

PRAYER DOES MATTER

Each of us has an opinion on what we believe our country's future holds. Presidential candidates tickle our ears with their words of wisdom hoping to entice us to jump on their bandwagon. Like many Americans, I'm wishing for a miracle before our nation crumbles before our very eyes.

As a christian I know we can debate our political views all we want but without faith in the one true God and a desire to pray nothing will change. Unfortunately our current situation in this country will get worse unless we stand united as One Nation Under God. Below is a prayer for our government. Each sentence is taken from scripture making this a prayer for all denominations. If God's people (You and I) will humble ourselves and pray, and seek God's face, turning back to Him and realizing our sin He will forgive us and heal our land. Please pray the following prayer often, our future depends on it. 

Heavenly Father, I give thanks for our government......1 Tim. 2:1
I pray for all men and women having authority over us in any way........1 Tim. 2:2
Pour out Your Spirit upon them and make Your Word known to them.....Prov. 1:23
Cause them to be men and women of integrity, obedient concerning us.....Ps. 25:21
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty......1 Tim. 2:2
Let wisdom enter their heats, and let knowledge be pleasant to them....Prov. 2:10
Let discretion preserve them and understanding keep them.....Prov. 2:11
to deliver them from the way of evil and from evil men....Prov. 2:12
Make their hearts and ears attentive to godly council.....Psalm 1:1
doing what is right in Your sight....2 Chron. 20:32
Let the upright dwell in our government.....Prov. 2:21
Cause there to be a shaking in all areas....Heb. 12:27
Let those complete and blameless before You stay....Prov. 2:21
and cut off the wicked. Let the unfaithful be rooted out....Prov. 2:22
Bring to light what is hidden in darkness....1 Cor 4:5
and expose the secret aims of the heart....1 Cor. 4:5
Let this nation remember from where they have fallen, ....Rev. 2:5
repenting and returning to doing their first works....Rev. 2:5
setting their hearts and their souls to seek the Lord...1 Chron. 22:19
humbling themselves, praying, and turning from their wicked ways....2 Chron 7:14
Then hear them, O Lord, and forgive their sin and heal our land....2 Chron. 7:14
Open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light....Acts 26:18
Soften the hearts that are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin... Heb. 3:13
Deliver them from their destruction's..... Psalm 107:20
Father, You have been long suffering toward us....2 Peter 3:9
not willing that any should perish....2 Peter 3:9
but that all should come to repentance...2 Peter 3:9
Raise up a standard in this nation....Isa. 49:22
Cause the rains of the Spirit to flood this land....Zech. 10:1
and revive Your work in the midst of us.....Hab. 3:2
Raise up intercessors for this nation....Isa. 59:16
to pull down strongholds over this land....2 Cor.10:4
And let the glory of the Lord be revealed!!!!.Isa. 40:5

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