Perfect Love.

My husband's father passed away when Bob was only 7 years old.  He was fortunate to have his mother and his step-dad that raised him with love and care.  There are many orphans around the world who have no one.  When a child is born into your family, the child that you give birth to is what you get.  My mother-in-law likes to tease my husband about how his dad said was an ugly baby. Ha!  When we give birth we don't get to pick the hair color, or the eye color, or anything about the child.  When we adopt, it is our choice, our pick.  Could you imagine being taken into the foster home program or into an orphanage and wondering if anyone was ever going to adopt you into a 'real' family?  How special it would be for someone to hand pick us after they KNEW us!  Wow!  This is what God is doing today.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  He knows our ups and downs.  Our successes and failures.  He even knows our secret thoughts...our dreams, our desires, our ambitions.  There is nothing about you that is hidden from his sight.  If you were waiting to be adopted and God were doing the chosing, and you wanted to be part of his family he would say, ABSOLUTELY!  Wow.


he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--Ephesians 1:5

So many people suffer from low self esteem.  Self esteem is exactly what it sounds like, an estimation of self.  Why not see yourself the way that God sees you.  God hand picked you to adopt into HIS family.  He picked you knowing exactly who you are, and was happy the day that you said, "yes" to His call. 

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."  Rom. 8:15

There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear.  So many are afraid that they are not measuring up.  Afraid of not measuring up as a parent, as a friend, as a spouce, as a provider, as a shepherd, as a child of God.  Realize that HE hand picked you!  God isn't trying to make his mind up about you, He is stuck on you...He has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us to himself.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Rom. 8:11

It is the Spirit of God that causes us to call out abba father, it is His Spirit that quickens our mortal bodies.  The Holy Ghost is the comforter.  Jesus said it is good that I go to be with the Father because if I didn't go, I could not send the precious Holy Spirit to you.  Ask the Holy Spirit to dwell within you, the Holy Spirit will envelope you in the Love of God.

My heart is fixed

In the old testament, the ark of the covenant was where the presence of God resided.  On top of the ark was the mercy seat.  The mercy seat represents God's throne that he sits upon in Heaven.  When you say, "Jesus sits upon the throne of my heart,"  you are saying that his presence is in your heart. 

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,  1Cor. 6:19

God has made a better way through Jesus Christ, each of us are the temple of God, in which his presence resides as long as the blood of Christ has been applied to our lives.  Where is the mercy seat and the ark now?  These things reside in your heart, and God sits upon His throne in your heart.  Where are your treasures?  What is your heart fixed on today?

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.  Luke 12:34

When your heart is set on external things like love of another person, love of money, or love of pleasure, or strong drink your heart feels empty, because the presence of God only fills your temple when your heart is fixed on Jesus. When your heart is set on worry for another, you are trading the peace of God for your own efforts. We can't take care of ourselves without God moving on us, so how can we take care of another?  Let God handle that, only He can do it.   When Jesus is the pure desire of your heart, than the presence of God will fill your heart.  Even if you have already made Christ your Savior you will miss the joy and peace of your salvation if Jesus is not the center of your attention, seated on the throne of your heart.

Jesus said to the church of Ephesis in the book of Revelation, 'yet I hold this against you, that you have lost your first love.'  If you feel the emptiness of missing the presence of God in your life, let go of the things that you are holding to you right now, and make Jesus the center of your attention again.  In repentance and rest you will find the peace and joy of Christ enveloping you once again.

From faith to faith

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.  Romans 1:17

What is faith?  If someone made the comment to you, "I love you, but, I do not have one bit of faith in you."  How hurtful would that comment be to you? Few people actually understand what faith is in this life. Faith is powerful.  Faith gives you the courage to take a risk. Taking a risk is sometimes good, but it can also be bad.  Without taking a risk, few businesses would be born, few dreams realized, few hearts challenged. There are millions of people that take bad risk, living in risky behaviour everyday, life is not without risk.   Why is it that risky behavior is so easy for many people, but taking a risk to love someone is so hard?  I have heard so many people say, "Let's go ahead and do it...we won't get caught."  Now that is faith, risky behavior.  Why is it easy for many people to have this kind of risky faith, but they can't risk giving, caring, loving, hoping. 

 It takes faith to move from one job to another, even if the second job is a better job or better pay.  It takes faith to believe in a child enough to put into their lives, even if sometimes they seem unappreciative. It takes faith to accomplish most things in life.  Show me a life without faith and I will show you someone that has lived a life of missed opportunities! God ask us to live a life of faith.  It isn't by your good works that you will go to Heaven, but rather by your faith.  The verse above says that righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Revelation comes through teaching.  The teachers in school that impacted us the most were always the ones that took time for us, that relayed the message to us,  'I care for you, because I believe in you.'  A teacher that does not believe in the student is just putting in time...The teachers that impacted us the most  were to ones that took the time to care.    If a teacher loses that attitude towards the students, it is just time to retire.

The things that we are doing in life, are we doing them by faith or are we just putting in time?  God NEVER just puts in time when it comes to you.  God would not ask you to believe in him, if he did not believe in you.  By faith, Jesus carried his cross, walked up the hill of golgotha, and poured out his blood for you.  He believed in you enough to lay down everything, even his life.  God wouldn't ask you to be a person of faith, if he wasn't a God of faith.  The just shall live by faith.

Even if you don't feel loved, you are loved.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16

God is love.  We know who God is by His love.  Why is it so hard to believe that God is a good God that loves his creation?  He loves each of us and calls us by name.  Even the very heads of our hair he has numbered.  If he numbers the hair on our heads just imagine how he also knows everything about us and watches over us with care.  We love our kids dearly, but how many of us watch over our kids to the extent that we even number the hairs of their head?  We don't even number thier toys, we have no idea how many toys that have, we lost count.  But God takes the time each day to number the hairs on your head, he watches you to take care of you  that closely. 

How can we understand or even communicate the love of God?  It goes beyone comprehension.  The bible simply says, GOD IS LOVE.  So, what is love.  The bible describes love by it's attributes.  When you see the attributes of love, you see the attributes of God.

I Corinthians 13 first of all says that love is patient...so first of all God is patient.  When you get the idea that God is just tapping his fingers in heaven, just waiting for you to finally do something right, getting madder each minute...you have the wrong idea of God.  God is patient.  More patient than you can imagine, and yes, he is patient with you, not just with everyone else.

Then he passed in front of Moses, calling out, "The LORD, the LORD, a compassionate and merciful God, patient, always faithful and ready to forgive.  Exodus 34:6

Love is Kind... so God is kind...

So we can go confidently to the throne of God to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time. Heb. 4:16

Love always protects...so God always protects...

Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Prov. 30:5

Love always trust...so God always trust...

Keep the good thing committed to thy trust by the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in us. 2 Tim. 1:14

Love always hopes...so God always hopes...

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.  Rom. 15:3

Love always perseveres...so God always peseveres...

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. 2 Thess. 3:5

How can you know  the heighth, depth, and breadth of the love that God has for you?    God is always patient with you, and is NOT easily angered with you!  God is alway kind, and is not rude towards you in anyway...even when we take his name in vain, he is kind towards us still.   God is always protecting you, and is not self seeking.  God is always trusting you with good things and good gifts, and is not envious or proud.  God always holds out hope to you, and does not keep a record of wrongs as we come to him for help.  God always perseveres, no matter how many times we fail him, or push him aside, or put other things in front of him.  God does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.  The truth is that God's love is never failing towards YOU...will you embrace the truth?

All you need is love...

Low self esteem is often the result of feeling unloved or unworthy.  When we feel like we didn't win the approval of our parents, siblings or friends growing up,  we can often struggle through life looking for the approval that we feel that we need.  Feelings of self doubt and low self worth plague many people today and can often be the reason for unhappiness in life.   You can find yourself in a place in which you have drifted from job to job, or marriage to marriage, relationship to relationship, without finding the approval that you desire.  Alot of times we look for love in the wrong places.  We marry someone that we aren't compatable with, just to have somebody.  We empty a whisky bottle, just to have some fun or peace of mind.  Sometimes we can be in a relationship with a good person, yet, still feel unsatisfied and unhappy.  In times like that we wonder 'what is wrong with me?'  And our self esteem falls farther still.

The Bible says, greater love hath no man, but that he lay down his life for his friends.  The roman cross was a means of capital punishment in the days of Jesus.  We have capital punishment today in the form of lethal injections.  Could you imagine giving someone today the sentence of capital punishment though they hadn't committed a crime.  In the days of Jesus, the crime of the person  was to be posted above the criminal so that all would know what crime they had committed.  The sign above Jesus' head said, KING OF THE JEWS, this was the only charge they could bring against him, because he had committed no crime.  The bible says, 'without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.'  The blood of Jesus is the sacrifice that rids us of the guilt of our sin.   Do you know how much that God loves you?  He gave his only begotten son for you.  It is one thing to give yorself to save someone, but, it is harder to sacrifice your sons life to save another.  How much does Jesus love you?  He stretched out his hands from one side of the cross to the other and said, "I love you this much."

We evaluate our self worth, and sometimes we feel worthless.  Do you know how much you are worth to God?  When Jesus came to this earth he knew there was NO WAY he could live without you!  Imagine someone that would look at you and say, "I can't live without you."  He gave up his life, so that you could be made one with God, so that you could have a relationship with him.  He wasn't willing to live without you, that's how important you are to him. He would rather die on the cross than to lose you.   He gave up EVERYTHING for you, and even today he is still saying,  "All you who are weary and heavy laden come unto me, and I will give you rest."  He didn't die for only the beautiful people, the important people, the big people.  You may feel worthless because someone treated you that way, but God is saying to you today, "I love you this much...and I need you, I can not live without you..."

Sometimes we feel like our problems are just too big.  We can get to the place where we just stop asking for help, and we just live life unhappy, unfilfilled, thinking that no one really has the heart or the ability to help us through.  We keep looking for that 'right' person that will come along and hold us and make everything better.  God is saying today, "My arms are big enough to hold you."  God can reach around this world with his saving grace, and not miss one person. He is reaching out to you and  anyone that reaches back to him will not be lost.  You are not so lost that he can't find you, He knows exactly what you need.

It's just that easy

We tend to make everything harder on ourselves.  Have you ever wanted life to be simple.  The Bible says that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.  Romans 14:17.   If you could package righteousness, peace and joy in a box and put it on the market what would be the market value?   Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking"  Why would Jesus say that it isn't about eating and drinking?  Why say that before telling us what the Kingdom is about?  Jesus said that the Kingdom was not about eating and drinking because this is what most people spend most of their lives seeking after.  In the morning we get out of bed, clock into work, work all day, come home exhausted...and most people on the planet do this so that they will have something to eat, a place to sleep a way to pay the bills.   We can find ourselves living our lives just trying to survive.

Since the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, how do we obtain it?  I see people struggling everyday to enter in.  Sometimes it feels like no matter how hard you try the Kingdom eludes you.  In desperation we often cry out, "Lord, where is the righteousness, peace and joy?" We read daily devotionals.  We search the Scripture for some 'new word' or revelation that will 'fix' our problems.  We call our friends and pour out our hearts looking for an answer.  We search and search and search, but somehow righteousness, peace and joy are no where to be found. 

If you struggle to find the presence of God, and the peace and joy of your salvation seems to have walked out on you today try not to make it too hard on yourself.  There is only one thing that you need to remember.  JESUS.  Just push everything else out of your mind and your Spirit and lay down everything and cling to Jesus.  You may think, "Oh, I can't let go of everything right now, there are too many important things and I got to see to this and that and take care of this in this other person. 

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.  Mark 8:35

Don't hang on to those things that are driving your crazy!  Just put your mind on Jesus and let it stay right there.  It is that simple.  Why are the simplest things sometimes the hardest things to do?  When you feel your peace of mind leaving just remember that it is simple, think on Jesus.  He is peace.  When you feel your joy slipping away, just remember JESUS and your joy will come back to you.  When you feel unworthy and righteousness seems so far away, just remember it is about what Jesus did, not about you.  Just think about Jesus, and forget about yourself.  It is just that easy.

Life is like a bar of soap, the harder you squeeze it, the more it slips out of your hands.  Loosen up your grip today.  You don't have to run your life and the lives of the people around you.  No matter how big your responsibilities, God will direct your path if you will surrender it to him.

Need a change?

Sometimes change is a good thing.  Sometimes change is a bad thing.   Change isn't always what we want to see.  If someone has just started taking drugs it can become aparant by a change of look, change of behavior, change of grades...and these things go from good to bad.  Often when people are under stress the first thing they will do is try to find a joint, a pill or a drink.  It is because they feel like they need a change.  They want to be free of the things that are bothering them, and the drugs will change thier perceptions, change thier feelings, and change their thought and attitudes.  It is like a releif from the grief that they are carrying through life.

If you will let him, God will not only change you, but he will transform you.  What's the difference?  A butterfly doesn't just change from a worm to a butterfly, the worm actually transforms.  It comes out a completely new creature.  Narcotics may be able to change the way you feel about life, but, narcotics cannot transform you.  When the drugs or alchohol wear off you are still facing the same inner disatisfaction that you had before you began taking them.   God doesn't just change you, he will actually transform you. 

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual^a act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12: 1-2

When we accept Jesus as Savior we are transformed at that time.  After I surrendered my life to God, the desires that I had changed, the habits I had changed, the things I desired to do were different.  I had been transformed into a person with different desires than what I had before.  But, it doesn't stop there at salvation.  God wants to transform us everyday, and renew us in the faith.   In the verses above we are told to no longer conform to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. 

 Your mind will either make you or break you.  What is going on in your mind?  We can get our minds all out of whack.  We get angry, HOW?  We think on things that make us angry, often times it is things we can do nothing about.   We get worried, HOW?  We think on things that make us worry ourselves to death, and then we wonder why we feel dead inside.  We get UPSET and FEARFUL.  WhY?  We put images before our mind and in our thoughts that get us all upset and afraid, and then we wonder why our blood pressure is through the roof.   You can get yourself in a state where you are acting after the pattern of this world by churning things over and over and over and over and over and over in your mind.  That is how the world does things.  We shouldn't pattern our lives after the pattern of the world, but after the things of God.

17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect^a the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  2 Cor. 3: 17-18

And what exactly are we free from?  We are free from worry, free from fear, free from stress, free from anxiety.  As a Christian, you only have to carry these things if you chose to do so.  When you transform your mind with the renewing of God's word you chose to let Jesus carry your worries, your fears, your stress, and you anxieties.  Transforming your mind with the renewing of his word doesn't mean just simply reading the bible, it means letting the Word of God be on the thoughts of you mind all day instead of that other junk that makes you so upset all the time.  If you are truly living by His Spirit you will be free to live, not bound up in mental anguish, anger and fears.  We are being tansformed into his likeness.  God is asking you to trust him today.  Let him renew your mind, and leave behind those things that upset you and make  you want to go get a drink.  Let him place himself and his word in your mind and his peace will transform your life.

Worries, Anxieties and fears...Oh my!

Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and that everything else we need will be added.  We each need to ask ourselves today, 'Did I really seek his kingdom first today?'  What does it mean to seek his Kingdom first?  This isn't talking about going to church or getting saved, because it is a daily seeking of him that is required because our needs are daily as stated in Matthew 6

31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

Daily we have necessities, and things that cause us worry and grief, anxieties and depression.  Jesus said that we are to seek his kingdom and his righteousness first, and not to worry about our daily cares and worries.  Our daily worries and cares are like the thorns of life.  They pierce and destroy and produce nothing productive.  Most of the things we worry about never happen, and often these are things that we have absolutely no control over.  But, it is like we are restless at times.  It is like we just need something to keep our mind and heart busy, and we pick up worry and cares in an attempt to give that anxiety something or someway to release.  But thinking about our worries and cares only increases stress, it does not decrease stress.  So, since our stress increases, we worry even more.  It is like a hamster caught on a wheel.  Our minds run round and round and round in circles, never finding a place to stop and get some rest.

Rom 8:5-8

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Why is it that we cannot get our minds to leave our worries and cares behind.  It is like we try to drop it, and forget it, but our mind is set...in a trap.  All day and all night our minds churn and turn, thinking about things that we try to forget but we can't seem to let it go.  This happens because our minds are controlled by our sinful nature instead of being controlled by the Spirit of God.  We feel restless and anxious because we have not filled our minds with God's word and with prayer.  If we were busy meditating on the word and bringing our needs to him in prayer we would not feel so empty and vulnerable.  It is through our confidence in his word, and the peace we receive when we pray that we have the power to walk without worry and fear.  We have not sought his kingdom first, nor sought his righteousness and we are open to attack.  Our mind fills with worry and fear.  Stress, anxiety, anger and depression then begin to rule our hearts and minds instead of Christ ruling there.

The bible declares, "you will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is set on thee."

Where is your mind set today?  You may think, why don't I have the joy and peace that is promised?  Is your mind dwelling on him?  Have you put him first above everything?  Is he your all in all, more important than anything?  When he becomes everything to you, your mind will stay on him.

Why so downcast?

We all have times when we aren't feeling up to par.  But, there are  seasons of our lives when depression sets in and it seems like we can go for days without any joy whatsoever.    The psalmist said, "Why so downcast, O my soul?"

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Pro. 17:22

When your spirit is so crushed that you can't seem to bring any joy or laughter to your life you are oppressed and darkness has settled in over your life.  What kind of things crush our spirit?  Anything that causes you to loose your hope of a better day is a spirit crusher.  Living with someone that is abusive is certainly a spirit crusher.  Living with someone that requires alot of care that is demanding is a spirit crusher.  Having disabilities and physical problems that causes you to be handicap is a spirit crusher.  Financial problems that pile up like Mount Everest is a spirit crusher.  We are living in an age, in a day and time when many people are going through life with a crushed spirit.  It's like having splinters on the inside.  No matter where you go, or what you do it feels like that splintered wounded spirit on the inside is peircing you and it can feel like all hope is lost.   

 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit  Prov. 15:13

Many people go through this life, never feeling anything but inner pain and conflict.  The answer that the world often gives is to get on some medication to make the pain go away so that the inner tension and  pain will lift so that you won't feel depressed all the time.  This does not heal the spirit, it does not heal the heart, it is only a temporary fix, it is not the best that God has to offer.

Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don't turn away from me, or I will die.  Psa. 143:7

We know that God can and will heal you of depression when you give your life to him, but what if you have been saved for a very long time, and you are very depressed as well.  The Psalmist said, "My heart cries out to thee O God, but you are not near."   There are times when we pray and pray for deliverance but seem to get no where.  What will deliver us in these times of affliction and pain?

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,  Isaiah 61:1

This passage is referring to Jesus.  There is an anointing that comes for the Holy Spirit.  When we fix our eyes on Jesus we can feel His presence and His anointing touching us today.  You have to seek him with your whole heart.  You can't hold onto your problem with one hand, and hold on to Jesus with the other.  You have to let go of everything and lay hold of Jesus.  He has to be everything to you.  You must be consecrated, sold out, focused on HIM.  As this anointing surrounds you, the depression will lift!   When Jesus becomes the very thoughts of your mind, the very passion of your heart, the very purpose of your life you will find the joy, the peace and the excitement that you need.  It will bring healing to your shattered heart.