Rejoicing and Being Glad!

Any day, any time, we can choose to rejoice and be glad.

Psalm 9:2:
I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

On any given day, we can turn our thoughts to God, His great love for us and all that He has already done for us through His Son Jesus Christ, and we can rejoice and be glad! The Psalms speak repeatedly of rejoicing and being glad.

Psalm 31:7, 8:
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.

What a wonderful pattern for our own joy and praise to God.
When we have trouble, God makes a way where there is no way. He will deliver us; He supplies our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Psalm 32:10, 11:
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

God's wonderful mercy endures forever!

Psalm 90:14:
O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Every day, regardless of our circumstances, there is much to rejoice about, for the spiritual truths are far greater than any earthly circumstances.

Psalm 40:16:
Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

It is repeated again in Psalm 70.

Psalm 70:4:
Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

What a wonderful thing to focus on! What a great perspective to have!
If your day is less than great, God is greater! We can turn to Him and seek Him and He will hear our prayers.

Psalm 118:24:
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

No Matter What ... God Loves You!

Does life ever seem just too busy, just too frustrating, just too daunting?

No matter what is going on in life, always remember God loves you.

1John 3:1a: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...

Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Always know God is there for you and hears your prayers.

Hebrews 13:5b: For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

1Peter 3:12: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

1John 5:14, 15: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Because of the work of our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we have been justified freely.

Romans 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Always know when you turn to Him, God forgives you and gives you a new beginning. God is "rich in mercy," as we see in Ephesians 2:4, and has made a way for us when we fail to walk according to His Word. It's pretty simple and it's really true.

1John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And your new beginning is at hand. Just remember:

Philippians 3:13,14: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

So no matter what is going on, never give up. God wants us to give all our burdens to Him!

1Peter 5:6,7: Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

He cares so deeply for us that in the next verse we are warned that the adversary may want to "devour" us, but we can resist, or stand against, him and be victorious.

1Peter 5:8,9: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Everyone has their challenges, but we resist the adversary and he will flee from us (James 4:7). We can stand together as Christians, walking in love.

1Corinthians 15:57,58: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

And finally,

1Corinthians 16:13,14: Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
Let all that you do be done in love. (NASV)

Always remembering, God loves you and always will.

Facts of Life vs Truth of God's Word

God's Word is truth, as we learn in John 17:17, when Jesus Christ said to God, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

John 8:31,32:
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

As someone once said to me, "that's a mighty big IF." IF we continue in God's Word and believe it, this great truth of God's Word makes us free, even when faced with daunting and defeating facts that life throws at us. It makes us more than conquerors through life's toughest situations, truly making us free.

Let's look at some examples.

Suppose the facts of life tell you that the economy is lousy. Right now, that is a fact. Maybe jobs are hard to find; maybe bills are hard to pay.
BUT the truth of God's Word tells you in Philippians 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." That is the truth!

The competition is on between the facts of life and the truth of God's Word! Which one you choose to believe is up to you.

The facts of life may tell you that an illness is untreatable or perhaps that it is manageable but incurable.
BUT the truth of God's Word tells you in 1 Peter 2:24, "Who his own self [Jesus Christ] bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

"By his stripes ye were healed" it says, a promise for you accomplished by Jesus Christ, and it's the truth! The challenge is on...which to believe, the discouraging facts or the bright and shining truth of the promise of God?!

The facts of life may tell you that you can't sleep at night. After all, you had trouble all those other nights.
BUT the truth of God's Word tells you in Psalm 4:8, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. " And in Proverbs 3:24 it says, "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Peace and safety and sweet sleep are promises and the truth!

If the facts of life are leaving you anxious and concerned, the truth of God's Word tells you in John 14:27 that Jesus Christ said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

This is not given as man gives: no strings attached here; no changing his mind and wanting it back. The truth is that he has given us peace. So which to believe? Facts or truth?

And God urges us in I Peter 5:7 to cast "all your care upon him; for he careth for you." God will never leave us or forsake us!

So day by day we have the choice: the facts of life vs. the truth of God's Word! Which will we believe? Each one of us gets to choose for himself. I'm going for the truth; how about you?

In the next post, we will look at some keys to make this happen in our lives.

What a joy to be able know God's promises and to know that the truth shall make us free!

Believing the Truth!

What a statement Jesus Christ made when he said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

There is breadth and depth to that statement that I could not begin to cover here. If you asked me how that statement could be practical, I would immediately think of the great deliverance that comes with believing in Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9, 10: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved [delivered or made whole].
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

What could be more practical than being saved, made whole, receiving everlasting life, and being made righteous! Good-by condemnation, hello joy and peace!

You can also look at that John 8:32 and know that no matter what life throws your way, God's Word is truth (John 17:17) and God's promises will come to pass when you believe them.

Mark 11:12-14: And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he [Jesus Christ] was hungry:
And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Jesus would have known it was not time for the fully developed figs. Jesus Christ went to that fig tree looking for the small sweet edible buds that precede the full fruit. Snacking on the buds was considered a delicious snack. If the buds were not there, then there would be no fruit later that year. But Jesus Christ made a bold declaration! Let's watch as the story unfolds.

Mark 11:20,21:
And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

The tree dried up and died from the roots up, overnight! Peter was astounded, and Jesus Christ taught him a profound truth about believing God.

Mark 11:22,23: And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God [other translations could be "believe in God" or "believe God"].
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

In the context of these verses, we know that Jesus was referring to believing God, even if it is as huge as saying to the mountain, "Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea."

This is too amazing! Could that really be true? Yes! Then, what are the keys? Look back at the verses, and you will see: Believe God. Say it. Do not allow yourself to doubt in your heart, but rather believe that those things which you say, according to the truth of God's Word, shall come to pass. And you shall have them. Just keep it in the perspective of God's Word and what God says is available, because that is the truth.

The record continues.

Mark 11:24:
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

The word translated "receive" is the Greek word lambano, meaning to receive into manifestation or to take or get hold of. "What things soever ye desire" in this context refers to"believing God." So it only applies to what God has made available. But how can we know this? By going to His Word, the Bible, and learning what He has made available to us.

It's like walking up to the teller window at the bank and withdrawing some of what has been deposited in your account. God has already made the deposit--that would be what He says is available in His Word! And when we pray and believe, without doubting in our hearts, we "shall have them."

So no matter what life throws your way, the truth of God's Word will make you free. Learn the promises of God to you, believe them, say them, refuse to doubt in your heart--and you "shall have them!"

A Wise Man Built His House upon a Rock

The Lord Jesus Christ knew his followers would need a firm foundation in life. They spent time with him, heard him teach, and followed him for a variety of reasons. So in 2 lengthy teachings that are recorded, he spent time teaching them about living God's Word. And then he laid down a startling and challenging truth. What did they really want for their lives?

From the sermon on the mount:
Matthew 7:24-29:
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

A similar record from the sermon on the plain:
Luke 6:46-49:
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

We build our house upon a rock as we believe and do the written Word of God. Jesus Christ is no longer here in the flesh; we can't walk with him, hearing him teach in person. We must go to the Bible to learn in order to do. Many people will tell you what they think God's Word says or means, but it's important to go to His Word for yourself, so that you know that you know.
This is a noble thing.

Acts 17:11-12:
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

It's important to take that time to study and know; and then to think about what we think about, in order to do what the Bible says.

2Timothy 2:15:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Does this take some time? Sure, but it's worth carving out that time.


Ephesians 5:15,16:
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Redeeming the time is planning for those minutes so they don't get stolen away. The same word was used of buying out all the produce in the market before it even opened. Here it is "buying" that time to take time for God.

When we take this time to spend time in God's Word, we have His Word fresh in our minds. People need something to believe; we need something to believe. And we, of course, want to believe God's Word!

James 1:22-24:
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

That's quite a picture! Pretty sad really.
but God's Word continues.

James 1:25:
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Deuteronomy 7:9:
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

God will keep His Word, and He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5b-6:
for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

How firm is our foundation? As firm as we know God's Word and do it! We carve out that time for God and then see to it that we do what His Word says.
As it says in Nehemiah 8, the joy of the Lord is our strength. Our lives are built upon a rock as we hear and do God's Word. And no matter what life throws our way, we need never fear.

No Power Outages with God!

In my hometown, everyone is gearing up for a big winter storm with lots of ice and snow headed our way. If you have a generator, you've been warned to get it ready just in case the power goes out. Aren't we glad that God never has a power outage?! And to think that He has filled us with His power! Even if the power that runs the lights, TV and fridge goes out, God's power never goes out!

After Jesus Christ was resurrected and before he ascended into heaven, he told his disciples that he would send the "promise of the Father" and that they would be "endued [or clothed] with power from on high."

Right before Jesus Christ ascended, he told his followers:

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Every born again believer receives this power in the new birth. What a wonderful heavenly Father to bestow His love in such a great way! It truly is power from on high and enables us to do signs, miracles and wonders.

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Praise God for His great grace to give us such power in the new birth! We can learn and grow in our walks with Him, manifesting this power as we believe His Word. And just think, no power outages when it comes to God's power!

New Year? Must Be Time to Lose Weight!

That's what they say, isn't it? It's another new year, time to lose weight. Personally, no matter my size or the time of year, I like "weight loss" according to God's Word.

Hebrews 12:1b Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

"Lay aside every weight;" now that is some weight loss I can use any time of year! Every weight refers to every burden or hindrance. What's weighing you down in life? God says you can simply lay it aside, along with any sin or broken fellowship. These are things that can "easily beset us," it says.

God truly wants us to lay aside all those weights, and when we are humble, we do so.

I Peter 5:6,7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Our cares are anything that causes anxiety or stresses us out, distracting us from God. He cares so much for us! He promises He will never leave us nor forsake us and that He will supply all our need. So why not cast all our care on Him?

Perhaps we're burdened or hindered by old habits we haven't yet overcome. God has provided for that as well. He's given us Christ in us, and we truly can be transformed by renewing our minds, putting off the old man and putting on the new.

Ephesians 4:22-24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation [behavior] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

God will even strengthen us with might by His spirit in the inner man, according to Ephesians 3:16. So what have we got to lose? Just that lousy weight that so easily besets us!

I love the rest of Hebrews 12:1: "and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

What a great description of life--the race that is set before us. I don't want to just sit down on the sidelines! Nobody really wants to be so easily beset! And just as I wouldn't carry a big heavy backpack to run a long race, I don't want to carry along a pack of burdens in this race of life that God has set before me.

God is so gracious! This sounds like a plan to me! I think I'll go with His weight loss plan and run with patience the race that is set before me.