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Just because you don’t see God working does not mean He isn’t. Jesus said, “My Father is always working” (John 5:17, NLT). The writer of Hebrews notes: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36, NIV).
I wonder how many times I’ve missed the blessing because I stopped too soon. Perhaps you’ve wondered: * How much longer will I have to wait until God brings my prodigal home? * How much longer will I have to struggle with my unbelieving husband? * How much longer will I have to endure this dead-end job? * How many more laps will I have to walk around Jericho before the walls come tumbling down, and I can take hold of my Promised Land? I don’t know the answer to the question of how much longer, but I do know this: Tomorrow could be the final lap. Don’t give up too soon. Lord, sometimes I just want to give up. As a matter-of-fact, I am tempted to give up on something pretty important right now. Fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit on the inside, so I can persevere on the outside. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. -Sharon Jaynes "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13)
Think about the people you encounter in your life. Ever notice how some are life-givers and others are life-takers?
Every opportunity we have with someone is an opportunity to influence that person for the good. To give life, not just take it. Because whether we realize it or not, people are watching us. What we say and what we do matters. When we live with purpose, we can make a difference that can leave a lasting impact. Are you taking enough leaps of faith in your spiritual life that you put what you have on the line so God can show up in a big way? I know it can be hard to do, but it’s always worth the reward. Often, we live so cautiously that we never give God a chance to come through. You don’t have to have a dream to play professional sports or rule the world. Risk what you have for the sake of helping other people and see what God can do in your life and in others’. Put yourself out there, and do something that might terrify you or make you uncomfortable … like sharing your testimony for the first time or telling a stranger God loves her. Remember that whatever you do, your main audience is God, not others. That’s why in Colossians, the Apostle Paul reminds us to put our whole heart into everything we do, with God’s purposes in mind. We’re called to live life for God’s glory, as Colossians 3:23 explains: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” -Tim Tebow "He alone knows the perfect moment when He can intercede most effectively. He is not concerned with speed, he is concerned with accuracy and making sure your situation is dealt with in a way that Glorifies the Son." - Stacy Hord Hulm
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” ~Jesus
Matthew 10:29 I love that verse, “…yet not one (sparrow) will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” When Jesus said this, something so simple, the way I began to look at the birds that fly around my neighborhood was forever changed. While out on my morning run, I’d see a robin fly by and land on a tree branch, immediately I’d think to myself, “God knows about that single bird, and He cares for it. He actually loves that particular bird.” So amazing. So unfathomable. God is so big. He’s doing “all of this” at once. All of what? Sustaining His Creation. On an even deeper level, God doesn’t just know about that single bird in my subdivision’s oak tree, but He also knows the molecular structure of that bird. He even causes that little bird’s heart to beat…these were His ideas (see Genesis 1:21). Just think about that for a moment, everything is in His hands, even our very own existence. The Bible says, “we live and move and have our being through Him” (see Acts 17:28). Life would not be happening without God wanting it to happen. Life would not be possible without His consent. This is why Paul said, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together”(Colossians 1:17). Paul was speaking of Jesus, who is a part of the Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. All three together equal God (see 1 John 5:7,8). A hyper-critical person might say, “Yeah Matt, that’s great. God is big, so what. Life still sucks.” To that I’d say, “Oh, my friend, but does it?” What if this inconceivable God actually loved us? What if our Creator made this entire universe just so we could have a place to begin a personal relationship with Him? What if that was His big idea? Relationship? Eternal relationship? What if our Designer loved us so much, He would actually become a part of His very own creation? What if He joined us in playing by His own created rules of physics and morals–and did so perfectly–on our behalf? What if, just to be fair to us, He took on the very notion of pain and death for us, to help us? That, my friend, is what happened in Jesus Christ! So why is it we can’t just “jump on in” and enjoy this relationship with such a loving God? Well, because God has allowed a spiritual enemy to join us on planet earth. “Matt, why would your so-called loving God do such a thing?! That sounds sadistic!” To answer that question, I’d have to ask you a question: Have you ever tried to force someone to love you? How’d that work out?…It doesn’t. It never works out. Forcing someone to love you is an impossibility. God knew this. He knew that a planet full of walking, talking, mannequins would never be able to genuinely love Him back, just the same as a sandbox full of army figurines can’t love the boy back who is playing with them–no matter how he sets them up or “makes” them talk. In order to be able to love, we have to have free will. Therefore, God gave us the option to not love Him. Our enemy, whom God has temporarily allowed to reside here with us, he is everything opposite of what God is. This idiot and his dark dorks only have three main goals: kill, steal, destroy (see John 10:10). Jesus said Satan is the father of lies and that he doesn’t even have the ability to tell the truth(see John 8:44). When the Holy Spirit began to point out this jack-wagon to me, He said, “Start fighting him, not people, and not yourself.” Once I began to do this, my relationship with God went to a whole new level. Like Dorothy and her friends who could finally see behind the curtain at what the wizard truly looked like–a weak old man pressing buttons, trying to scare people and ruin their lives with loud noises and smoke–I, now knew the devil. My real enemy had been defined. This moron not only wants us to doubt God, but he wants us to resent Him, ignore Him, be petrified of Him, feel condemned by Him, and he wants us to believe that God does not love us. “But Matt, how can God love me? I’ve done too many wrong things in my life for anyone to love me, let alone a perfect God.” Friend, I’ve been there. I can remember the days when I just wanted to die. I had believed the lies of the devil for so long that I honestly thought God was out to get me for my bad behavior and poor choices! I can even remember being afraid to pray! I’d squint and say, “God, I know I don’t deserve it, but please, help me. I need your help.” I also remember thinking, “If I could just straighten my life out, then God would love me.” These are lies from our enemy! These are falsities from our accuser! (See Revelation 12:10). He fights us spiritually, in our minds! (See Ephesians 6:10-17). We must begin to recognize that! God loves us as we are! Period! The Bible says, “God demonstrated his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:9). Let me repeat that: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US! So if we were sinners in our spirits, how did we become non-sinners in our spirits? How did we become saints? After all, that’s what every Christian is, a saint. Some denominations have incorrectly awarded this title to only a handful of believers, but Paul said that all believers are saints! (See 1 Corinthians 1:2). God has made the option of spiritual perfection–sainthood–easy: believe Jesus has forgiven you of your sins and you will get a brand new holy spirit–one of your own–and it will be combined with God’s Holy Spirit, forever (see Ephesians 2:8,9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20, Romans 5:1, 6:6, Colossians 1:22, 3:3). It is only through believing Jesus has completed your spiritual perfection for you, that you can become a child of God! (See John 1:12, Ephesians 1:5, Hebrews 10:14). Afterwards, Jesus keeps you saved–not you (see John 10:28). The only way you can become un-saved is if Jesus dies again, and that ain’t happening (see Hebrews 7:25). The Christian who doesn’t understand their true identity in Christ will then beg the question, “What if I don’t stop sinning completely, am I still saved?” Well, did you stop sinning completely to get saved? No? Okay, so what did you do? You believed Jesus saved you, and He actually did! The Cross worked! So stop worrying about losing something that you aren’t even maintaining! Jesus is maintaining your salvation, your amazing attitudes and actions are not! (See Hebrews 6:19, Philippians 3:8). So today, my friends, know this: Absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of God, which is found in Jesus Christ! (See Romans 8:39). And yes, God really loves you! He loves you so much He formed this universe! He loves you so much He gave you life! He loves you so much He gave you Jesus! He loves you so much He decided to make His home in you forever! Enjoy this unconditional love and live it out each day! A prayer for you: Heavenly Father, thank you for your love. It has changed my entire life! Right now, I lift up all who are reading this, directly to you. So many of them don’t realize just how much you love them, some are even scared of you. They’ve been incorrectly taught that your love is conditional. They’ve been taught to think you’re mad at them, and you’re not. The enemy has also embedded a tremendous amount of guilt in so many of their souls. Some even think you have too much going on to get involved with their “small” problems, and that’s not true. Others believe they have to behave better before you’ll pay any attention to them–teach them that is incorrect! I command any legalistic, religious spirit to stop pestering them! Teach them about the power that lies within them–YOU! Break the chains on their souls of guilt, condemnation, addictions, and fear! Build up a new confidence in them! Reveal Satan’s lies! Make him leave these good people alone! Strengthen them on such a level that they would no longer be passive, but instead, fighting hard through your grace! Teach them how to defeat hell with their words! Show them how to overcome evil with good, and hate with love! Use these awesome, heaven-ready people for great and mighty things! I know you will! In Jesus’ powerful name I pray, amen. Matt McMillen Ministries https://mattmcmillenministries.com/devotional There may be times when it feels like God is not working in our lives. But as scripture tells us, God is always working things out for the good of those who love Him (even in those moments when we can't possibly see how).
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) When these times hit, it's important to recognize where you "are" blessed and give Him thanks. Are you living in a home? Do you have enough to eat? Are you clothed? Do you have a job? These are just a few things we take for granted versus how millions live all around the world. Also know, that this too shall pass. Whatever it is that is going on right now, will end at some point. The longer it takes, the more time we should commit to seeking God's guidance. Sadly, we tend to do the complete opposite, and withdraw or become angry and bitter. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12) "Never stop praying." (1 Thessalonians 5:17) God isn't out to make our lives miserable. How we handle these times is a choice. Our choice. We live in a broken world and bad things happen that are flat out beyond our control. But, there are also times when our current situation was caused by our own poor decisions. Is God to blame? No. In fact, He wants nothing more than for us to come to Him for help and understanding. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) Call to God in times of confusion, stress, and adversity. He is really hoping you will. If my math is right, you're 33 "million" times more likely to win the Powerball than the odds for this to have happened (as it all did) lol.
#GodHadaPlanAllAlong "Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.' Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, 'Follow me!' " (John 21:17-19)
The first time Peter chose to follow Jesus was in Luke 5. It says he left his boat, and his fish, and followed Jesus. The investment is admirable, but Simon Peter was following Jesus with a very specific idea of what the future would include: the overthrow of an oppressive Roman regime and the establishment of an earthly kingdom. But when Jesus tells Peter, “Follow Me,” post resurrection, it’s a little different. Here, in John 21, Peter fully understands that the road to the Kingdom includes a cross. This isn’t what Peter had planned. But it has been part of God’s plan all along. We are not called to follow a plan. We are called to follow a Person who has a plan that is greater than our own. Maybe you have followed Christ "kind of." Maybe you've followed your idea of who you think God is. But really He's not leading you as much as you're trying to lead Him. Like Peter, it's easy to follow Jesus when He's just "loaded your boat with fish." But what about when the boat is empty and the frustration is high? Jesus is asking you today, "Will you still follow Me? Steven Furtick - Elevation Church “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never give up.”
Luke 18:1 Do you ever feel like God doesn’t hear your prayers? Friend, I’m here to tell you today that God does hear your prayers. He is not only listening to your spoken prayers, but He is also listening to the unspoken prayers of your heart! (See Psalm 37:4, Romans 8:26). He knows more about you than even youknow about you, and…He answers allof your prayers! He doesn’t ignore a single one! God answers our prayers in one of three ways: 1. Yes. 2. Yes, but wait, I’m still using this. 3. No. I’ve got a better overall plan for my Kingdom. I know it feels like your repeated prayers fall on deaf ears, but they do not. I understand that sometimes you just want to give up and stop praying completely, but don’t! Your prayers are not only heard by God, but they are feltby Him too (see Psalm 34:18, Hebrews 2:17,18). He is your loving Heavenly Father, and He only wants the best for all of His children (see Matthew 7:9-11). In the book of Luke, chapter 18, Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them they should always pray and never give up. The story was about a widow who kept coming to an unjust judge for help. Even though he kept turning her away, she simply would not stop pestering him. The judge, however, was very arrogant and crooked. Jesus said that he “neither feared God, nor cared about men” (Luke 18:2), both are terrible qualities for any person in office to have. This dirty and corrupt man kept overlooking the pleas of this woman. Her heartfelt cries fell flat due to the selfish power of this obstinate man who couldn’t care less about her or her problems. However, because she would not stop persistently asking him for help, the judge finally said, “I will see that she gets justice so that she won’t eventually wear me out!” (See Luke 18:5). Jesus then explains to His disciples, “And will not God (who is loving and just) bring about justice for his chosen ones, those who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” The answer is no. “He will see that they get justice…” (see Luke 18:7,8, my note added). Jesus makes it clear that there is something much more important than having every single prayer answered exactly how we want it: “You will get justice and quickly, however, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (see Luke 18:8, my emphasis added). Will He find faith on earth?…Will He find faith on earth?! Will He?! Or will we be like a nest full of baby birds with our mouths wide open, eyes closed, saying, “Gimme, gimme, gimme!”? Why are we so focused on ourselves?! This life isn’t just about us! It took me over 30 years to figure this out, andyes God wants to answer our prayers how we want, but He is much more interested in getting us from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive! And then He wants us to realize we are spiritual perfect for good! He is not our genie-in-a-bottle! He’s our Dad! Good dads don’t just give their kids anything and everything! Good dads say, “No,” sometimes. Good dads say, “Wait.” Good dads think about their kid’s future, and they think about their other kids too! Friend, we must allow the attitude of Christ to come out of us (see Philippians 2:5). It’s there, we just have to get it out (see Philippians 2:12). There is no law in prayer, but we should be praying prayers which have the aura of this: “God, you’ve heard me pray this a thousand times, and I still want it, but if you never give me what I’m asking for, I trust you. I know that you know what’s best for me and others. So continue to do as you see fit, and help me to live out my spiritual perfection in this process of trusting you deeper. I love you, and I’m available to you.” There is no such thing as unanswered prayers. Realizing this fact will build up an unshakable confidence in you! Understanding that your Heavenly Daddy is looking out for you at all times strengthens you! You’ll be able to enjoy your life no matter what is happening around you, and you’ll refuse to fall into self-pity! This heavenly mindset also gives you tremendous enthusiasm and unconditional love for everyone! This is the relationship God longs to have with you–one that is authentic and trusting! So today, my friends, know this: God loves you, and He hears your prayers. He is sovereign and incapable of being incorrect. Further, He doesn’t just hear your prayers, but He’s listening closely! He lives in us and He will never go away! He is a good goodFather who loves us immeasurably! So keep praying! Keep trusting! Keep being your heaven-ready self! And most of all, enjoy your life as God’s own child! A prayer for you: Dad, I want you to know how grateful I am for you. I want you to know how much I appreciate you making me your child forever. Thank you for your commitment to me. You are the real Promise Keeper. Right now, I lift up all who are reading this, directly to you. So many of them are hurting, Lord. So many have been praying to you for a very long time and they feel like it’s not working. Speak to their hearts today and show them that their prayers ARE working. Please help these dear readers to develop a deeper relationship with you. Begin to teach them to trust you, to stand firm in your grace, and to keep praying! Teach them to ALWAYS communicate with you! In Christ’s name I pray, amen. Matt McMillen Ministries https://mattmcmillenministries.com/ And there are always lessons to be learned through the process, "if" you're not too prideful and are willing to "look" for them.
First and foremost, put Christ as "the" priority in any relationship you are in.
But following that, this book can help you better understand what's important to your spouse and what you can do to support those secondary priorities. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7)
It can be easy to blame my feelings and moods on my situation. All it takes is running a little behind and I can feel my insides start to tense up. Then, once I become tense enough, my attitude and actions follow suit. It’s the emotional domino effect. It’s why something like traffic can become the deciding factor of your attitude and how you treat people for an entire day. You may have heard “guard your heart” so many times now it feels cliché, but it’s crucial to do so. A situation may be bad. A circumstance may be hard. A relationship may be rocky. But your emotions don’t have to be controlled by what’s going on around you. Your mood is a choice; your joy is your job. No one but you is responsible for your heart. Eventually, you have to own your emotions by the grace of God. Once you own your emotions, you can control them. And when your emotions are in control, you can focus them towards what matters most: loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind and loving your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). Steven Furtick - Elevation Church "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am He, you will indeed die in your sins." (John 8:24)
Jesus simply says how it is. Each choice takes us down the road of our choosing. Option 1, being with someone who loves us more than ANYONE ever will and will last forever. Option 2, not be with that person, not only now but forever. I can't believe it took me so long to choose the first option, but such was my path. How about you? What option have you chosen? He's right there with us when we're ready. Even if we feel as lonely as we've ever been, He's there. Talk to Him, ask if He's there, and find out for yourself. A son carefully studies the actions of their father. From an early age, the son is learning how a father interacts with other men, how they treat their spouse, how they work to support their families, and most importantly to them, how they are being treated themselves. The father is typically the first role model a son will have. Thus, how we act and “walk” as fathers, obviously has a very profound impact on our sons.
We can tell them until we are blue in the face how THEY should treat others, respect their mothers, watch their language, make family (and especially “GOD”) a priority, but if we ourselves AREN’T living it, then what kind of message does that send? I thought I was a good father. I tried to spend time with my kids. We’d take an occasional trip, go out to eat as a family frequently, and even go to church more often than not. I also worked very hard at my profession and we were financially secure. Here again, I “thought” I was being a good father for my son. I was wrong. When I look back now I see a man that, yes provided financially for his family, and wasn’t a “bad” father, but certainly was not a Godly role model and MOST certainly wasn’t practicing what I was preaching. I allowed my profession to run my life to the detriment of my son and family. Slowly but surely that financial success that I had enjoyed, and believed was of “MY” doing, faded away (and of course it never was “MY” ability in the first place, but was instead God’s rich blessings that I failed to acknowledge). With that loss grew bitterness, anger, and a relentless pursuit to get all that financial success back. For more years than I can count, I chased that "false idol" while my son watched. As I look back now, I couldn’t be more saddened by my actions. He certainly saw his father at his worst. Those were footsteps I sure wouldn’t have wanted him walking in, but fortunately, that wasn't the end of the story. In November, late one night, sitting in my garage, exploding with anger, I finally accepted Jesus. And with that, the Holy Spirit entered my heart. Funny thing when that happens. There’s now a newfound peace as all that anger disappears and your priorities become much more obvious. Yes, I can look back with “truly” open eyes now and see what a wretched soul I was but therein lies God’s abundant and never ending grace! And with that grace, all that past behavior disappears from His sight. I wish I could erase it all from my son’s memory as well, but sadly I can not. However, what I can do is finally now show him, not only the “proper” way for a father to walk a path for their son (and hopefully for “his” future son), but most importantly, how to walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Our sons are always watching us. Analyzing and learning from every interaction they see us having. Live and practice the same kind of life you'd want for them when they are fathers. Remember, we have the greatest fatherly role model of all time. God, our Heavenly Father. If we model ourselves after “that” father, our sons will never have to worry about following in our footsteps. As the gospel transforms your marriage it will inevitably transform the hearts of your children. How you love, serve, and reconcile to each other is a glimpse—a foreshadowing—of how Jesus loves them.
Your actions and heart change speak a thousand times louder than any sermon they'll hear or understand. And with God's grace, they will respond by placing their trust in Christ. There are countless ways that the gospel transforms and bears fruit in marriage. Here are a few. 1.) The gospel disarms pride. In Christ, all are sinners saved by radical grace. This levels the playing field and produces genuine gratitude that says, "how dare I hold their sin against them, when Christ hasn't held mine against me?" This realization allows you to approach each other with grace and love in order to be reconciled -- even when it's difficult. 2.) The gospel is unconditional love. You are saved, not because of anything you've done, but because of what Christ has done. There is nothing you can do to earn it, and no sin too powerful to nullify it. Marriage is similar: when two imperfect people spend their lives together, conflict will happen. But the marriage covenant binds you together while the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit continues - -while you both grow. Covenant love always looks for ways forward, never for ways out. 3.) The gospel makes your identity secure. When you know who you are in Christ, everything changes. Your security is no longer dependant on anything or anyone that can fail. Instead, your peace, hope, joy, and satisfaction are secure for eternity. Security in Christ will birth surprising confidence and selflessness that seem ridiculous. The only explanation is Jesus. Remember: your marriage is the gospel you are preaching to your children. Their faith doesn't ultimately depend on you (only God changes hearts), but your marriage can put them face to face with a living, breathing example of the beauty and wonder of the gospel. Stay fierce, Ryan & Selena #fiercemarriage #twoasone #love #31daypursuit Honestly, I'm not a big fan of these things (as more often than not, they seem to come off as too "prosperity gospelish" to me).
That said, the one today I think is worth a share (and is scratching me right where I'm itching lol). I think it's safe to say we've ALL been here. In fact, many of us are there right now!
Even when you take that all important step to follow Christ, it doesn't mean all of your worldly problems go "poof" in the night. In fact, Jesus warns us of this. "In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33) Maybe it's an addiction, problems at work, an illness, loneliness, a marriage, etc., where you've finally said, "Father, I can't fix this on my own, please help me!". But then what do you do? You want to check on God's progress, as if somehow He's going to screw it up or will need your help lol. When you turn an issue over to the Lord, leave it in His capable hands, and get out of the way. If He wants you to do something, don't worry, He'll let you know. Even when things don't seem to be resolving as quickly as you'd like, remember this. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" (Proverbs 3:5) What God is saying is, "relax, I know what I'm doing, even if it doesn't make any sense to you right now". God's interest may not necessarily be your issue of the moment, but instead, what's best for you in the long run. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8) If something is going on that you don't understand, be at peace, because He DOES. Oh, and by the way, here's how John 16:33 ends, and Proverbs 3:"6" . "But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) and "in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:6) Jesus promises that if you accept Him into your heart and follow Him, He will make ALL things right in the end (regardless of your current circumstances). Don't get bogged down in the worry of today. Give your life over to Christ if you haven't yet. And if you have, don't be too concerned over the current battle, because you've already won the war! Trust God to use whatever is going on for your good. He loves you and will see you through it. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) |
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