My dear friends in Christ Jesus, may the grace of God be with you. It always feels like there is so much
to do, and so little time to do it. But we know from scripture that
all things happen according the counsel of God's will. We may have peace,
because as Christians we have the special favor of God (2 Timothy
2:1).
He grants us special requests. That special favor is not necessarily working in the lives of unbelievers. Though to a certain extent he covers even unbelievers with favor. We know from scripture that we are not chosen because of our works, but all this was determined in the heart of our Creator long ago. Yet paradoxically, we have free will and agency within God's system as well. God guides history, he works in the systems he created, but he doesn't ordain evil, or create evil. Though when evil occurs, God works to raise up a standard against it amongst His people (Isaiah 59:19).
I want to encourage of you my dear friends, to put trust not in your own discernment, but pray for and receive the God given discernment through the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.
We know we can rely on prayer and conscious contact with God to guide our spirit. Always find yourself in prayer! Pray about everything my friends, and constantly speak to God within your mind. But as you speak to God during the day as you go about your business, let me also encourage you to go on your knees before God in the morning and in the evening to give thanks and worship to your Creator.
He loves you so much, he truly does. He is the wise and holy Ancient of Days. God is Spirit. He is a loving father. He is your father. So let me encourage you to call God "Father." For we know from scripture that when we are born again in Christ, we are no longer children of earthly parents, but God himself is our father. Give him thanks.
It's so easy during the day to offer thanks to God. Thank you Father for this food, Thank you father for that green light. Thank you father for my job, my full tank of gas, my loving wife, my loving husband, or if you're still waiting for that person, thank you Father for the woman/man I know you have out there, picked especially for me. Or we can thank him for the gift of celibacy, if that's our calling.
If we can find a way to trust and put faith in our dear heavenly Father, then we can know true peace of mind. Because then, no matter what happens in our lives, we know, through and through, that God is in control and that nothing can happen without his permission. Even when the Satan wanted to do anything to Job, he had to go before God and ask permission.
The Father loves you dearly. He loves you so much, he gave his Son to grant you passage into eternal life.
He grants us special requests. That special favor is not necessarily working in the lives of unbelievers. Though to a certain extent he covers even unbelievers with favor. We know from scripture that we are not chosen because of our works, but all this was determined in the heart of our Creator long ago. Yet paradoxically, we have free will and agency within God's system as well. God guides history, he works in the systems he created, but he doesn't ordain evil, or create evil. Though when evil occurs, God works to raise up a standard against it amongst His people (Isaiah 59:19).
I want to encourage of you my dear friends, to put trust not in your own discernment, but pray for and receive the God given discernment through the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.
We know we can rely on prayer and conscious contact with God to guide our spirit. Always find yourself in prayer! Pray about everything my friends, and constantly speak to God within your mind. But as you speak to God during the day as you go about your business, let me also encourage you to go on your knees before God in the morning and in the evening to give thanks and worship to your Creator.
He loves you so much, he truly does. He is the wise and holy Ancient of Days. God is Spirit. He is a loving father. He is your father. So let me encourage you to call God "Father." For we know from scripture that when we are born again in Christ, we are no longer children of earthly parents, but God himself is our father. Give him thanks.
It's so easy during the day to offer thanks to God. Thank you Father for this food, Thank you father for that green light. Thank you father for my job, my full tank of gas, my loving wife, my loving husband, or if you're still waiting for that person, thank you Father for the woman/man I know you have out there, picked especially for me. Or we can thank him for the gift of celibacy, if that's our calling.
If we can find a way to trust and put faith in our dear heavenly Father, then we can know true peace of mind. Because then, no matter what happens in our lives, we know, through and through, that God is in control and that nothing can happen without his permission. Even when the Satan wanted to do anything to Job, he had to go before God and ask permission.
The Father loves you dearly. He loves you so much, he gave his Son to grant you passage into eternal life.
But know that we all have tough days. The word of God tells us a righteous man may stumble seven times, but he will rise again. If you have an off day,
don't beat yourself up about it. God knows our hearts are flawed as
humans, constantly tempted by sin. He understands this, because he
came down to us in human form, as Christ Jesus. We know Christ Jesus
was tempted in every way possible, and that he endured the pains of a
human life without sin.
This paid the debt that humanity incurred
through our endless disobedience against God, for all who will believe in the name of God's one and only Son. If you stumble, rise up again, dust yourself off, ask your Father's forgiveness, repent before Him, come under the blood of Jesus, and keep moving forward in faith. And if
you can't seem to rise up out of the gloom in your head, or the mindset
of sin going on, ask your loving Father for a hand up. We know he
answers our prayers, because he loves us truly. He has come to me so many times, when I've felt so down and upset, and I cried out, "Father, please help me!" And he always comes, protects me, helps me, and lifts me up. Praise the Lord!
