....thought

The motivational speakers of our day want us to set great goals for our life: "Where do you want to be in two, five, or ten years? What type of lifestyle do you want when you retire?" We are encouraged to set goals slightly beyond our reach, and then instructed how to create a plan to accomplish these goals. The implication is that a more focused effort will yield superior results and lead to greater "success."

But before we can ask where we want to be in the next few years, we must first ask a longer term question: "Where will I be in one hundred years?" No other goal is worth pursuing until we have a solid answer to this most basic, but all-important, question. What difference does it make which college we attend, which job we take, or what our home looks like if we have failed to address the issue of where we will spend eternity!?

"The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception."Proverbs 14:8

We must be wise with the days we are given and no longer be deceived by the values of the world's system. There's nothing inherently wrong with goals and plans; but far too often, they lead to a self-determined lifestyle and away from the true Director of ALL plans; "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" Proverbs 16:9. 

Our planning must be as a direct response to God's leading, and once in place, our plans must remain in complete submission to His will; "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps" Jeremiah 10:23. When our goal is to be in the center of His will, the specifics of where we will be and what we will be doing are really none of our business. This last sentence is worth reading again!!

Every moment of our life is a precious gift from God. Even though the average life span continues to increase, our time is extremely short. An average life lasts about 45,000,000 minutes (much less in many countries). This may seem like a lot, but by this time tomorrow 1440 minutes will be forever gone; "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" James 4:14.

We must not waste our limited time by chasing after things which vanish; "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity" Ephesians 5:15-16. We must evaluate ALL our decisions and goals based on the overriding desire to glorify God in all we do, to rejoice in His many blessings, and to long for the time when we can worship before His throne for all eternity. Any other set of values must fade to nothing in comparison.

Every day we are handed a block of time and given the freedom of how it will be spent. This is a wonderful opportunity, but the clock continues to tick! Let's honor our Heavenly Father with our goals and plans, and give careful thought to our ways.

- stephen troxel

....look

One blustery winter day a few years ago Lois and I were purring along in our car. We were listening to Christmas music on our way to do some shopping. It was a few days before Christmas. We were thinking about how good God had been to us. We were in good health. We had eight children who love us. We had fulfilling ministry. So many blessings. Our hearts were full and happy. Things were close but we had all we need and much of what we want. 

Passing an area where there were some poor children playing, Lois said, "Turn around and go back. Let's find a little child who could use some money."

After some mild objections I turned around and we went back and drove into the dirt road between the modest houses. I rolled the window down and drove slowly looking toward the little groups of children.  Most of them stood back and looked at our slow-moving car suspiciously. Finally one little boy ran out to the car and said, "Hi, can I help you?" 

"Yes," I said. "I'm looking for a young man that could use an extra twenty dollars for Christmas. Do you know anybody like that?" "Sure," he said, "I can." Grinning, he reached out and took the money.   "Wow, thanks!" He ran toward the house shouting, "Hey mom, dad..." 

We drove away. 

We weren't looking for a boy who was talented or gifted or handsome or impressive in any way. We were just looking for a boy who was willing to admit that he could use an extra twenty dollars at Christmastime. 

When Jesus came to this sin-poor world...

   He was not looking for sharp people for his team. 

   He was not looking for funding for His cause.

   He was not looking for moral support. 

   He was looking for some good honest sinners...

   He was looking for sinners who knew they were sinners...

The heart of the Christmas story came out once when one of Jesus' disciples was irritated that Jesus had been rejected by Samaritans. He said, "shall we call down fire out of heaven and consume them?"  Jesus' answer revealed His heart for the world. He said, "The Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." Luke 9:56

Later in the book of Luke, Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "The son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  Luke 19:10. Jesus came looking for people who were sinners. According to the gospels sinners are sick, lost, wounded, dead, weak and ungodly. That is the kind of people Jesus came looking for at Christmas time. 

The God of Eternity is looking to pour out the riches of his salvation to anyone willing to admit his spiritual poverty. He is willing to heal anyone who is willing to admit that he is spiritually wounded. He is seeking to find anyone who is willing to admit he is lost. He is eager to heal those who are broken and sick. He came looking for people who were needy and willing to admit it. These are his favorite kind of people. 

Christmas is for good, honest sinners. The people who have not been deceived into believing that they don't need Jesus. Christmas is for good honest sinners who live in a deep and continual awareness of their need. Christmas is for when Jesus came to show people whose idols have failed them that Jesus is all their hearts ever craved. 

It's Christmas, when Jesus came looking for some good honest sinners. Anyone interested? Who wants to be first to say, "I need you, Jesus." Jesus is looking for broken people to bless. He is looking for hurting people to help. He is looking for sinners to save. 

Let him know you qualify. 

- kenneth l. pierpont 

....grow

Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church to correct several problems. The Corinthian's needed instruction in marriage, Christian freedom, worship, and various issues which tended to cause division. He also rebuked the church for quarreling about whom they followed: "You are still worldly... For when one says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos,' are you not mere men?" 1 Corinthians 3:3,4.

Apollos was a good teacher, but Paul reminds us that all ministers of the Gospel - all preachers, teachers, parents, and anyone else who desires to share Biblical truths - are simply servants through whom God accomplishes His work. We become worldly and fail to live according to the Spirit of God any time we become followers of a specific minister or feel personally responsible for someone's growth and maturity.

"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." 

1 Corinthians 3:5-6

We must always remain exclusive followers of Jesus Christ! Though He may use many others to assist in the process, God must receive ALL the credit and glory for our growth. God uses each of us to assist in the growth of others. We can teach truth with our words and demonstrate truth with our lives, but we can never cause someone to accept the truth or even grow to a deeper understanding. 

Our instructions are to plant the seed of His Word and water with discipleship, prayer, and encouragement at every opportunity; "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us" 2 Corinthians 5:20. 

- steve troxel

.....rest

We are now God's Temple and are to "reflect the Lord's glory" 2 Corinthians 3:18 into the world as we are transformed into the likeness of Christ. It’s a great honor to be in the presence of the Lord, and we have been given the awesome responsibility to reflect an "ever-increasing" amount of His glory.

When we place our life in the Hands of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we are given His Spirit "with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" Ephesians 4:30. We reflect His glory as we submit to His leading and allow the fruit of His Spirit to be evident in our life; "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" Galatians 5:22-23. As we further submit and allow His fruit to define the character of our life, God's glory will shine with ever greater intensity!

The focus of reflecting His glory is on submission, not on our effort. When the glory of the Lord filled Solomon's Temple, "the priests could not perform their service" 2 Chronicles 5:14. God's glory and the work we perform through our own effort are incompatible - our work hinders His reflection.

"For anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest."Hebrews 4:10-11

God created the heavens and the earth in six days; "By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all His work" Genesis 2:2. God was satisfied with His work and entered His rest. He is still intimately involved, but God accomplishes everything from a confident and calm position of rest because He KNOWS the final outcome.

Likewise, we must not cease from doing what God calls us to do, but we must cease from working in our own strength and for self-righteous rewards. God will certainly keep us active, but the focus of our effort must be on serving and growing from a position of rest with a true desire to do ALL for the love of God.

Many of us are attempting to walk His path in our own strength by working hard and carrying the burdens which are rightfully His. This is not our call! We must love Him with all our heart and serve Him with all our strength. But we must do so through joyful surrender, submission, and obedience. He will accomplish His work in His time and according to His purpose. 

Let's continue to reflect more and more of His glory. 

Let's draw closer into His presence and make every effort to enter His rest.

- steve troxel 

....12

12 Benefits of Giving Thanks

1.Gratitude glorifies God.

This alone would be reason to give thanks to God. Our gratitude glorifies God as we exalt not the gifts, but the Giver. Gratitude helps us realize all we have comes not because of us, but from God.

"And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory." 2 Corinthians 4:15

2. Gratitude helps us see God. 

Gratitude opens our spiritual eyes. There’s a beautiful cycle in giving God thanks: the more we thank Him, the more we see Him working in us and around us. Gratitude helps us sense God’s presence, His personal care and His perfect timing.

"Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights."  James 1:16-17

3. Gratitude puts us squarely in God’s will.

We often make God’s will out to be some big, mystical plan when sometimes, it’s simply obedience. And part of His will for us is to be thankful, not just on the sunny days but on the hard ones as well.

"…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

4. Gratitude brings peace.

Count your blessings, not sheep we’re told to get rid of the worry keeping us up at night. Gratitude helps us see that God’s hand is all over our circumstances. And God tells us when we give him our thanks, He gives us supernatural peace.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7

 

5. Gratitude draws us to God.

Gratitude for the magnitude of God’s undeserved kindness draws us to Him. We see that when Jesus healed 10 lepers. As Jesus walked by, all 10 cried out for healing. “Go, show yourselves to the priests,” Jesus commanded and as they went, they were healed! Fingers were restored and ulcers disappeared as full sensation returned to their faces and limbs. Certainly they were all happy, but only one was thankful. Only one came back to Jesus, fell as his feet and thanked him.  

"Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”" Luke 17:17-19

 

6. Gratitude brings contentment.

It’s said that gratitude makes what we have enough. If we aren’t grateful for what God has given us, getting more won’t satisfy us either. Being thankful is the key to contentment.

"...godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and neither can we carry anything out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these."  1 Timothy 6:6-8

7. Gratitude deepens faith.

Keeping a record of God’s past faithfulness is a faith boost when we face new difficulty. My gratitude journals are testimonies that on my hardest days and in the worst circumstances, God’s record of faithfulness is 100%. That’s why God commanded Israel to remember His great deeds.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

8. Gratitude leads to joy.

The overflow of gratitude is joy. Realizing God’s abundant goodness, even in the hard, is a gateway for joy. Psalms 126 shows this so clearly as the Hebrew exiles sang their thanks to God for bringing them back to Israel. It’s a psalm I prayed in advance for years.

"When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:1-3

9. Gratitude defies Satan’s lies.

Satan is so wily! He whispers that God isn’t good; that He’s withholding good from us. But his scheme’s as old as the garden of Eden, where he questioned Eve: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” When Eve responded only the tree of good and evil was off-limits, Satan suggested God was keeping good from them. “You will not certainly die. . . For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

In a garden that was perfect, that produced abundantly without work or weeding, where every single plant but ONE had been given to Adam and Eve, Satan focused on the lack. True gratitude for God and the abundance He gives protects us from caving to the enemy’s lies.

"No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

 

10. Gratitude guards against envy.

Envy makes us want what someone else has. I mean, we deserve it! Gratitude makes us realize God has given us far more than we deserve. Because there’s enough for everyone, we can cheer rather than compare. A heart wholly grateful has no room left for envy.

"I will give You thanks with all my heart." Psalm 138:1

11. Gratitude helps us live in the present.

“Wherever you are, be all there!” Jim Elliot famously said. But that’s difficult to do in the worry and rush of life. Gratitude helps. Gratitude opens our eyes to the simple beauty of ordinary days. It lets us see this day and this moment as gifts and to take in the abundance right now.

"Say not, 'Why were the former days better than these?' For it is not from wisdom that you ask this." Ecclesiastes 7:10

12. Gratitude is a testimony.

When we thank God openly and acknowledge what He’s done for us, we proclaim a personal, caring God to the world around us. We show that contentment and peace come not from what we have but Who we know.

"Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done." Psalm 105:1

 

.....thanks

It was the day before Thanksgiving - the first one my three children and I would be spending without their father, who had left several months before. Now the two older children were very sick with the flu, and the eldest had just been prescribed bed rest for a week. 

It was a cool, gray day outside, and a light rain was falling. I grew wearier as I scurried around, trying to care for each child: thermometers, juice, diapers. And I was fast running out of liquids for the children. But when I checked my purse, all I found was about $2.50 - and this was supposed to last me until the end of the month. That's when I heard the phone ring. 

It was the secretary from our former church, and she told me that they had been thinking about us and had something to give us from the congregation. I told her that I was going out to pick up some more juice and soup for the children, and I would drop by the church on my way to the market. 

I arrived at the church just before lunch. The church secretary met me at the door and handed me a special gift envelope. "We think of you and the kids often," she said, "and you are in our hearts and prayers. We love you." When I opened the envelope, I found two grocery certificates inside. Each was worth $20. I was so touched and moved, I broke down and cried. 

"Thank you very much," I said, as we hugged each other. "Please give our love and thanks to the church." Then I drove to a store near our home and purchased some much-needed items for the children. 

At the check-out counter I had a little over $14.00 worth of groceries, and I handed the cashier one of the gift certificates. She took it, then turned her back for what seemed like a very long time. I thought something might be wrong. 

Finally I said, "This gift certificate is a real blessing. Our former church gave it to our family, knowing I'm a single patent trying to make ends meet." The cashier then turned around, with tears in her loving eyes, and replied, "Honey, that's wonderful! Do you have a turkey?" 

"No. It's okay because my children are sick anyway." 

She then asked, "Do you have anything else for Thanksgiving dinner?" 

Again I replied, "No." 

After handing me the change from the certificate, she looked at my face and said, "Honey, I can't tell you exactly why right now, but I want you to go back into the store and buy a turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie or anything else you need for a Thanksgiving dinner."

I was shocked, and humbled to tears. "Are you sure?" I asked. 

"Yes! Get whatever you want. And get some Gatorade for the kids." 

I felt awkward as I went back to do more shopping, but I selected a fresh turkey, a few yams and potatoes, and some juices for the children. Then I wheeled the shopping cart up to the same cashier as before. As I placed my groceries on the counter, she looked at me once more with giant tears in her kind eyes and began to speak. 

"Now I can tell you. This morning I prayed that I could help someone today, and you walked through my line." She reached under the counter for her purse and took out a $20 bill. She paid for my groceries and then handed me the change. Once more I was moved to tears. 

The sweet cashier then said, "I am a Christian. Here is my phone number if you ever need anything." She then took my head in her hands, kissed my cheek and said, "God bless you, honey." 

As I walked to my car, I was overwhelmed by this stranger's love and by the realization that God loves my family too, and shows us his love through this stranger's and my church's kind deeds. 

The children were supposed to have spent Thanksgiving with their father that year, but because of the flu they were home with me, for a very special Thanksgiving Day. 

They were feeling better, and we all ate the goodness of the Lord's bounty - and our community's love. Our hearts were truly filled with thanks. 

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" Ephesians 5:20

- david langerfeld

....rejoice

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul gives an exhortation to "Rejoice in the Lord always - and again I say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. Paul had been arrested and sent to Rome to await trial. He spent his days and nights under house arrest, chained to a Roman soldier, but was still able to say, rejoice...always!

When we begin to understand the life changing gift of forgiveness through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus - when we truly grasp the concept of eternity and, through faith, believe we will spend all eternity in the presence of God - we have more than enough reason to rejoice, regardless of our present circumstances. 

If we are unable to rejoice, we have allowed our eyes to become too fixed on the present. Our attention has become focused on our earthly desires, goals and ambitions, and we have lost sight of the blessings of a life in Christ. Either that, or we don't really believe!

The verses which follow list some real benefits of a life of rejoicing."Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:5-7

Gentleness and a lack of anxiety result from rejoicing in a risen Savior. If Jesus Christ can be raised from the dead and sit down "at the right hand of God" Hebrews 10:12, then our Heavenly Father can certainly take care of problems with our job, health, kids, finances or relationships - so rejoice! When we rejoice and focus on an eternity in Heaven and a Savior who walks by our side, our anxiety fades - our present trials become "light and momentary" 2 Corinthians 4:17.

When we live a life filled with rejoicing, we are able to focus on the solutions we know God can provide. We develop a heart of thanksgiving - a heart which naturally presents everything to God in prayer and waits with grateful expectation for His reply. We begin to trust in God's plan for our life. 

These words written by Paul are not the deluded ramblings of an old man in Roman confinement, they are the true promises of God! They represent a promised life we all can live. Our Father offers us a life of gentleness, contentment, and peace; a life free of anxiety and worry. But this life can only happen if we love and trust Him with all our heart, and if we are determined to always rejoice. 

- steve troxel

....fair

 “As Jesus said ‘I AM he,’ they all drew back and fell to the ground!” John 18:6

You would think Judas would have used this as an opportunity to repent. With just three words from Jesus, the crowd that came to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane fell backward. Judas was seeing the power of God once again.

But Judas continued with his plan, blindsided by greed—and perhaps by his disappointment with Jesus. Jesus wasn’t the kind of Messiah that Judas was looking for. He was kind of hoping that Jesus would overthrow Rome and establish His own kingdom.

Yet things didn’t work out as he had hoped because Jesus revealed that His kingdom was not of this world. Judas ignored all the warnings, and Matthew’s Gospel tells us that he walked up to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss.

Like Judas, there are people today who “follow God” yet are not interested in how they can serve Him but in how God can serve them. They will turn to the Lord in times of crisis, maybe when their marriage is falling apart or they’ve lost a job or they find themselves addicted to drugs or alcohol.

God, who is so gracious and merciful, hears their cry and rescues them. But all too often, people abandon God after He has delivered them—after He has put their marriage back on track, after He has led them to get a job, after He has freed them from their addiction. 

In effect, they’re saying, “Thanks, God! Until the next crisis!” But in doing this, they’re actually missing out.

The real blessing is knowing God and bringing Him glory. Yet so many people miss this. They want only what they can get from God, and when they’ve gotten it, they abandon Him. 

The greatest blessing of all is walking with God and knowing Him.

- greg laurie

...gratitude

 "When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." Daniel 6:10

Daniel is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. Since his youth, he was an example of devotion and obedience to God amidst his circumstances. Even when faced with threats of death, he remained faithful and gave thanks to God.

During king Darius' reign, Daniel was placed as one of three high officials that were placed throughout the kingdom. Some folks became jealous of Daniel and tried to find fault in him to accuse him before the king. When they were unable to find error in him, they decided to try and attack his faith. They tricked the king into establishing a law where petitions could not be made to any god or man besides the king. 

The jealous officials did this because they knew of Daniel's close relationship with God and his faithfulness to Him. When Daniel heard of this, he could have become angry or accused God of injustice, but instead he went home and did what he always did… he prayed and gave thanks to God.

 

It would be interesting to know what Daniel thanked God for that day. Was it for His constant provision? His faithfulness in every circumstance? His friendship and the fact that he was never alone? Every bit of this was true even if God had chosen not to rescue Daniel from the lion's den after having chosen to obey God over the king's decree. 

Daniel chose to express gratitude and remain faithful regardless of what happened to him, and God protected him. 

The God of Daniel is the same God we worship and serve today! His faithfulness, goodness, protection, provision, and friendship has not changed. Choose to put God above all else, express your gratitude to God daily for who He is, and remain faithful to His calling in your life. 

- dick ines

.....thanks

Dear God:

I want to thank you for what you have already done.

I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards.

I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better,

I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me,

I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears.

I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves.

I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet,

I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job,

I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief.

I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed,

I am thanking you right now.

I am thanking you because I am alive.

I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties.

I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.

I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.

I am thanking you because, Father, you have not given up on me.

God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is Good!

Thank Him!

.....view

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6

Many of us are facing difficult circumstances. We want to walk along God's path and live a life pleasing to Him, but we're not sure which direction to turn. Our indecision is often because we only trust in what we clearly understand - and we've begun to realize our understanding is not very clear. 

But God's promise is that as we love and trust Him with all our heart, the path directly in front of us will become straight; as we trust, the decisions will become clear and we will KNOW our next step!

We must truly believe that our Heavenly Father sees and hears ALL, and that He is infinitely complete in understanding. Where we are fortunate to see a few short steps down the path, He sees the entire journey - the journey leading us "to be conformed to the likeness of His Son" Romans 8:29, and the destination of spending all eternity praising His name. 

We must keep stepping out in faith, but we must do so by leaning on Him, continually seeking His direction, and trusting His view.

....thanks

Greg Anderson, in "Living Life on Purpose" tells a story about a man whose wife had left him. He was completely depressed.  He had lost faith in himself, in other people, in God - he found no joy in living. One rainy morning this man went to a small neighborhood restaurant for breakfast.

Although several people were at the diner, no one was speaking to anyone else. Our miserable friend hunched over the counter, stirring his coffee with a spoon.

In one of the small booths along the window was a young mother with a little girl. They had just been served their food when the little girl broke the sad silence by almost shouting, "Momma, why don't we say our prayers here?" 

The waitress who had just served their breakfast turned around and said,  "Sure, honey, we can pray here. Will you say the prayer for us?" And she turned and looked at the rest of the people in the restaurant and said, "Bow your heads."   Surprisingly, one by one, the heads went down. The little girl then bowed her head, folded her hands, and said, "God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our food. Amen."

That prayer changed the entire atmosphere. People began to talk with one another. The waitress said, "We should do that every morning."

"All of a sudden," said our friend, "my whole frame of mind started to improve. From that little girl's example, I started to thank God for all that I did have and stopped majoring in all that I didn't have. I started to be grateful."

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thes. 5:18 

 

....other

The parable of the prodigal son contains so many practical lessons on relationships (particularly for parents) that we often forget Jesus spoke this parable in response to an accusation from the Pharisees; "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them" Luke 15:2. 

The message of the prodigal son is really about our Heavenly Father who rejoices every time a "sinner" turns their heart to Him in repentance. 

But why did Jesus talk about TWO sons?

What was the message of the son who remained at home? He was the son who

• quietly watched his younger brother make disrespectful demands on his father; "Give me my share of the estate" Luke 15:12. 
• stayed at home to work the fields while his brother "squandered his wealth in wild living" Luke 15:13. 
• became angry with his father and refused to celebrate his brother's return: "All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat" Luke 15:29.
• walked the straight and narrow - walked the path of disciplined obedience - but he missed his opportunity to receive true blessings as he walked.

"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.'" Luke 15:31

The son had been "slaving" in the hope of a future blessing, but his heart was not joyfully serving. He missed the real blessing of walking with his father and having free access to everything his father owned.

As believers in the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we understand that people can be saved at any point in their life - regardless of past sins. The thief on the cross received his Salvation only moments before he died. But there is always part of us that cries "foul!" Somehow it doesn't seem fair when others have worked so hard for so long. This attitude shows we also have missed the blessing of walking with our Lord. 

Heaven is never a reward for "obedient" living; it is a free gift to those who believe in Jesus. We should never feel we are "slaving" under the burden of His commands in order to earn His favor. Rather, we are to joyfully follow because we know that only in Him, only walking with Him in a loving relationship, is there true peace, true contentment...true blessings!

Let's follow our Lord with a firm perspective of eternity, but let's never become so focused on the future that we miss the blessings given to us today - the blessings of the journey! 

Let's renew our joy at being allowed to walk every day with our Heavenly Father and rejoice whenever a repentant heart returns home. 

Let's never make the sad mistake of living the burdened life of the other son.

- steve trexol

....worry

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7

What do you worry about? 

Do you dwell on the unforeseen? 

Do you worry about imaginary events that never happen? 

Do you worry over people or matters which you have no control over? 

Do you worry when you have nothing to worry about?

Which do you spend more time doing, worrying or praying? The Bible tells us, don't worry about anything...  but pray about everything!

The next time that you find yourself a worried mess, get alone with God. Begin by praising Him for who He is and then unload your heart. God will not be surprised by what you tell Him, He already knows all about it! But, after you've made your requests known to Him, don't miss out on expressing your appreciation to Him. Thank Him for all He's done for you...  and all that He will do for you...

"And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  What an incredible promise: God's peace will stand guard over your heart and mind!  Notice that it doesn't say that your problems will go away, but, that you will experience a peace, a quiet confidence, regardless of what is going on around you.

Get rid of worry, and in return, receive peace from God.

....wrong

ABC World News Now reported on June 16, 2011 that three women, visiting from out of town, drove their rented SUV into a swamp near Seattle, Washington. It seems they had been out to dinner, and were returning just after midnight, when they got lost near Mercer Island. Following their On-Board GPS system, they turned onto a boat ramp - and kept going.

It seems as though we hear a lot of these kinds of stories.  We are all so dependent on the GPS in our car or on our smart-phone when we are in unfamiliar territory. The problem comes when we depend entirely on the GPS - even when our eyes should tell us that there is a lake in front of us.

There is a parable in this story. Since the beginning of Creation, mankind has been depending on the wrong things for guidance. God gave one set of instructions, but Adam and Eve followed the GPS system of Satan (GPS - "Gullible Promptings of Satan") And we're still doing it today. There are people who are lost and wandering around in the midnight of their lives where it is dark and confusing. Instead of listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit prompting, guiding and directing, they follow their own defective guidance systems - and wind up in the swamp.

The Bible has something to say about this. Consider Psalm 25:4-5, "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." 

Psalm 48:14 tells us "For this is God our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end." Proverbs tells us that we should listen to the words of God, for "When you walk, they will guide you" Proverbs 6:22. And Isaiah 58:11 promises "The Lord will guide you always…."

Don't wind up in the swamp of confusion and desperation! Keep your eyes on the Lord, not the systems of the world which promise much but deliver little. He will keep us on the right - and dry - path.

- rocky henriques 

....seriously

 “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

Often, people open the door to demonic influence unintentionally. For instance, they like to read their daily horoscope or think it’s fun to play around with an Ouija board. Maybe they go to meetings where someone says they can contact a dead relative on their behalf. But all these things can open the door to demons. 

And many people who thought they were innocently dabbling in these things have come under the power of Satan himself. That is why we must stay away from these things. The Bible warns, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” Ephesians 5:11.

The Devil couldn’t care less about crucifixes, holy water, or anything else that people think will protect them from him. The only power he fears is the power of Jesus Christ.

In Matthew’s Gospel, we read that when Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and arrived in the region of the Gadarenes, two severely demon-possessed men met him. They had lost everything. They had lost their homes, their families, and their sanity. They had even lost their will. They were completely under the power of the Devil.

But Jesus heard their cry, and He turned their lives around.

If you’re a Christian, you don’t have to live in fear of demons taking over your life because when you put your faith in Jesus Christ, He comes to live inside you as a permanent resident. Our Lord is not in a timeshare program with the Devil. He will be our sole occupant if we put our faith in Him.

Can Satan tempt us? Yes.

Can he hassle and oppress us? Yes.

Can he overcome and overpower us? No.

The Bible promises, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” 1 John 4:4. 

You are under God’s protection.

- greg laurie

.....excuses

 "I'm not perfect."

"I have all kinds of problems."

"I don't know the Bible well enough."

"I have no ability. I don't have any gifts."

"I'm limited."

"I'm just not worthy..."

Well, did you know that....

   Moses stuttered.

   David's armor didn't fit.

   John Mark deserted Paul.

   Timothy had ulcers.

   Hosea's wife was a prostitute.

   Amos' only training was in fig-tree pruning.

   Jacob was a liar.

   David had an affair.

   Abraham was too old.

   David was too young.

   Peter was afraid of death.

   Lazarus was dead.

   John was self-righteous.

   Naomi was a widow.

   Paul was a persecutor of the church.

   Moses was a murderer.

   Jonah ran from God's will.

   Miriam was a gossip.

   Gideon and Thomas both doubted.

   Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.

   Elijah was burned out.

   John the Baptist was a loudmouth.

   Martha was a worry-wart.

   Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?

   So did Peter, Paul - well, lots of folks did.

God doesn't require an interview for salvation. He's our Heavenly Father. He doesn't check our bank statement or credit rating or our IQ before He uses us.  He's not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need. He knows who we are and what we are and loves us in spite of ourselves.

Satan says, "You're not worthy"

Jesus says, "So what?  I am!"

Satan looks back and sees our mistakes.

God looks back and sees the cross.

There are lots of reasons why God shouldn't call us. But if we are in love with Him, if we hunger for Him, He'll use us in spite of who we are, where we've been, what we have done, or the fact that we are not perfect!

Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you will find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asks will receive; and he that seeks will find; and to him that knocks it shall be opened"  Matthew 7:7-8

- author unknown  

....prodigal

In parable of the prodigal son, we see a rebellious young man demanding what he felt was rightfully his: "Father, give me my share of the estate" Luke 15:12. This disrespectful attitude grew until the son no longer desired to live under his father's roof. He "got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living" Luke 15:13.

The reason this is such a universally common issue is that we are all born with the same sinful nature - a nature which holds us in tight control unless we are utterly transformed by the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus; "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires" Romans 8:5. At the heart of the sinful nature is a pride which continually demands what we believe we deserve - this is the root of all sin!

The prodigal son continued to live according to his sinful nature until he found himself in a field of pigs; "he longed to fill his stomach with the pods {the pigs} were eating" Luke 15:16. But God used this terrible situation to soften the heart of the prodigal son and bring him to a state of submitted repentance.

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.'"Luke 15:17-18

Before the son left home, I'm sure the father tried to provide wise counsel about the true priorities in life. I'm sure the father desperately tried every possible method of guiding the son along the straight and narrow path. I'm also pretty sure the father simply held his son close and wept. 

Unfortunately, the lessons the son needed to learn could only be taught through pigs.

There is nothing more painful than to watch someone you love walk down a path of obvious pain; nothing rips the heart like watching your child walk away from God and engage in various forms of "wild living." But it helps to remember that God loves the prodigal more than we can hope or imagine. He desires to live with them in an eternally restored relationship. 

Our Heavenly Father will never miss an opportunity to teach the prodigal and draw them near - even as they may drift and sink - even as they may wallow in their field of pigs.

- steve troxel

.....safest

 “Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.” Matthew 8:23

When I read through the Gospels, I find it interesting how many times storms hit the Sea of Galilee. In a technical sense, Galilee isn’t a sea; it’s a large freshwater lake about thirteen miles long and seven miles wide. However, the perils in the Sea of Galilee are infamous. 

One moment it can be sunny and calm, and moments later, a storm is brewing. This is due to its unique geography. Mountains with deep ravines surround the sea, which is well below sea level. The ravines serve as gigantic funnels that bring winds whirling down on the lake without notice. These gales, strengthened by a thermal buildup in the low valley, violently suck the cold air downward. This simply means that it can be smooth sailing one moment and horrendously stormy the next.

That was exactly what happened, as Jesus and the disciples made their way across this lake, a violent storm suddenly came upon them. In the same way, storms will unexpectedly come into our lives, spoiling our plans. 

Most of us don’t like storms: they hit with great force, and we don’t know how long they will last. We call on the Lord to stop the storms, and sometimes He does. However, sometimes, instead of calming the storms, the Lord strengthens us through them.

The disciples had no reason to panic that day because Jesus was with them on the boat. When Jesus Christ is in your life, you have no reason to be afraid. You’re safer with Him in the night than you would be alone in the daytime. You’re safer with Him in the storm than you would be in a quiet, restful place.

It’s better to be with Jesus in any circumstance than to be anywhere else without Him.

....layers

 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5

Love comes in layers. The intimate love of a married couple is very exclusive. The love we have for our children is intense. We have friends we love on a different level, and there’s a special bond of love that unites followers of Christ. And yet, even with all those love layers extending from us, there is still enough love within us — thanks to the Holy Spirit! — to love the whole world.

That’s why the Bible tells us:

to entertain strangers Hebrews 13:2

to have pity on the poor Proverbs 19:17

to bear one another’s burdens Galatians 6:2 

to visit orphans and widows in their distress James 1:27 

to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us Luke 6:27 

to support the weak Acts 20:35 

to “be kindly affectionate to one another” Romans 12:10

Love is demonstrated not just through words, but through actions. Be intentional in loving others, and God will reward you for your faithful obedience to His command.

"True love is an act of the will — a conscious decision to do what is best for the other person instead of ourselves."  Billy Graham

- david jeremiah