Extravagant!

God's love is extravagant and intimate.

He loves us in a very personal way.

Jeremiah 1:5

He knows us before we were ever formed.

Matthew 10:30 GW

Every hair on your head has been counted.

God takes exquisite care of His children.

Our lives are valuable to Him.

Matthew 6:26

As He takes care of the birds in the air,

how much more will God care for us!

John 14:2

Though we may have troubles in this world, 

God has prepared mansions for our eternity.

John 15:13

No greater love exists than the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

His greatest show of love........JESUS!!!!

His love is extravagant..!

You Already Have it!

What?

I already have it!

YES!

Through adoption by God, you already have it.

Power, authority and freedom from fear.

As an adopted child of God we are adopted into the family of God

and become joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:15

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,

but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out

"Abba Father".

As an adopted child of God,

we have been given the same rights as the Son

and have been given a new name, a new identity in Christ.

Most importantly, through adoption, we

have been given power and authority to overcome

"all the power of the enemy," (Luke 10:19)

Jesus had authority over everything; to cast out demons,

heal the sick and over disease.

Matthew 28:18, Mark 1:27, Luke 7:7

As joint heirs with Christ, we inherit eternal life,

the authority to speak over our lives in His Name

and receive all that Christ possesses.

Every person is from God, but not all have been

adopted as sons of God.

To receive your inheritance you must receive Jesus

as your Lord and Savior.

Then all that He has is yours!

Willing

Jesus once told a leper "I am willing".

Matthew 8:3

Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man.

"I am willing," He said.

"Be clean!"

Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

Lepers were outcasts of society.

They lived separately and no one touched them.

Yet Jesus was willing to reach out, touch the man and heal him.

Jesus was willing to heal a blind man on the Sabbath.

John 9

He was willing to speak with the woman at the well.

Even though she was a Samaritan and Jewish people were not to

have any contact with them.  Yet Jesus was willing.

John 4:4-21

Jesus was willing to sit with thieves, beggars, tax collectors and sinners.

Jesus was willing to hang on a cross. 

How many of us are willing to follow in Jesus's example?

How many of us will love the unlovable, talk to the homeless,

forgive those who have sinned against us, or help

those who are in need.

I am willing!

Are you?

A Measure of Faith

Everyone has faith in something.

We have faith the sun will rise and set daily.

Faith the floor will be there as we set our feet upon it.

These are constants.

The faith put in jobs, cars, friends, family and ourselves is not.

This type of faith can fail.

But when we come to Christ we are given a "measure of faith".

Romans 12:3

For I say, through the grace given to me,

to everyone who is among you, 

not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,

but to think soberly,

as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

An everlasting faith in God, Who will never fail.

It is a gift that grows.

Every Christian is given the same amount of faith

and every time we tap into faith by

leaning on, trusting in, and obeying God faith magnifies.

II Thessalonians 1:3

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren,

as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly,

and the love of of everyone of you all abound toward each other....

The power source of faith is the word of God.

Just as water is a power source for electricity.

Without water--no power.

Without God's word--little faith.

Romans 10:17

So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

The more of God's word the greater the faith.

Faith is planted in our spirit and as we water it with the Word

it flourishes and is nurtured by the Holy Spirit.

Water your measure of faith today with the Word of God.

Rest

Open the door and enter in.

There is rest and comfort within.

The key to the door is faith.  Faith in God.

Psalm 62:1 NIV

Truly my soul finds rest in God;

my salvation comes from him.

It is more than a Saturday afternoon at the park.

It is not a quick nap. 

These are only temporary.

God gives a lasting, spiritual, and eternal rest.

Rest which can be accessed every moment of every day.

Matthew 11:28 NLT

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary

and carry heavy burdens,

and I will give you rest.

Get Your Free Gift Here-->God

Get your free gift.

Just send in your info, no purchase necessary.

Simply pay for postage and handling.

You can enter just about every type of sweepstakes

or contest you could think of.

You can buy a lottery ticket (or more)

every time you go to the neighborhood store.

Every one of these sweepstakes, contests, 

& lotteries will cost you something.

Either time, personal information (which can be sold)

or money.

Yet the greatest gift is free!

It is the gift of salvation.

Romans 5:18

Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment

came to all men, resulting in condemnation,

even so through one Man's righteous

act the free gift came to all men, resulting

in justification of life.

What do we have to do to get it?

Not much---just receive it!

God gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, as a free gift.

It is up to us to receive His free 

and unmerited gift of salvation.

By accepting this free gift we become a "whosoever".

Romans 10:13 ASV

for, whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord

shall be saved.

Not all can become a "whosoever".

Claim your free gift today!

Just Waiting For The Parade

A victory parade is held to celebrate victory over the enemy.

The United States did it with the allies after WWI and II.

In ancient times the parade was lead by the conquerors

followed by the spoils of war.

Next came the leader of the defeated army

and the captives

and finally, the victorious army.

The defeating army held this procession to make a 

public spectacle of the captives.

The Bible lets us know Jesus has already won the battle.

He accomplished this on the cross.

Jesus took our captivity captive.  Ephesians 4:8

Colossians 2:15

He has freed us from the destruction of sin.

Having disarmed principalities

and powers, He made a public spectacle of them,

triumphing over them in it.

Jesus now leads us in victory.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Now thanks be to God who always leads us

in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the

fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

The battle has been won.

The parade is getting ready to start.

Don't sit on the sidelines watching.

Join the victorious in Christ!

Living In His Sufficiency

We all like to be self-sufficient;

able to take care of ourselves fully.

The truth is we all need help.

The kind of help which is only available from God.

Psalm 121:2 NIV

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

All the riches of this earth are not enough.

They cannot help to gain complete financial independence,

emotional stability, or physical health.

No matter how may self help books we read

or seminars we attend,

we can never quite reach the point of being

completely sufficient.

God is bigger than our needs

and greater than our attempts at meeting them.

2 Corinthians AMP

Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability)

personal judgments or to claim or count anything

as coming from us, but our power and ability

and sufficiency are from God.

Trusting in God we become self-sufficient in His sufficiency.

Psalm 65:5-6 GNT

I depend on God alone; I put my hope in Him;

He alone protects and saves me....

Take Thoughts Captive

Our thoughts can determine what kind of day we will have.

The effects of negative thinking are both

emotional and physical.

Negative thinking can cause anger, anxiety, depression,

lack of energy and illness.

On the other hand, the effects of positive thinking

lead to peace, joy, happiness, increased

energy and improved health.

The Message Bible tells us in 

2 Corinthians 10:5

that we are to, "use our powerful God tools

for smashing warped philosophies, tearing

down barriers erected against the truth of God,

fitting every loose thought and emotion

and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ"

It is our responsibility to take every negative thought

captive and set our mind 

"on things above". Colossians 3:2

Set your mind today on Christ!

Give Up Or Let Go

There is a difference between giving up and letting go.

To give up means to forfeit, lose the right to by some error,

offense or crime.  To abandon.

To let go means release, as from ones grip.

So many times we give up.

We let life's circumstances gang up on us to the point

we give up our hopes and dreams.

Things like depression, sickness, lack and hopelessness

become our normal.

But God wants to give life.

And life abundantly.

In John 10:10, Jesus tells us He came so that 

we may have this abundant life.

When we let go, we relinquish our hold, releasing

our faith, which allows God to go to work in our lives.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not

for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

We may not understand everything we go through,

but He is working everything out for our benefit.

Romans 8:26-28

........And we know that all things work together

for good to those who love God, to those who are

called according to His purpose.

God has good plans for you, let go and let Him direct your ways.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on

your own understanding. In all your ways

acknowledge Him and He will make straight

your paths.

Power of Words

There is power in the words we speak.

Speak out loud for what we say is very important. 

Words affect our emotions and state of mind.

Words can bring about spiritual, emotional, 

and physical changes.

There is life or death in the words we speak.

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue

and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Basically, what we say can change us.

We can ultimately speak things into or out of existence.

When speaking in a negative way, feelings of anxiousness,

fear, rejection, physical sickness and depression can

become our normal.

Hearing hurtful and negative words from others

can cause a lifetime of pain.

God knew this.

He knew we could build up or tear down ourselves

and one another with simple words.

That is why He commanded us to control our tongue.

Psalms 34:13

Keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking deceit.

James 3:9-10 AMP

With it we bless the Lord and Father,

and with it we curse men who were made in God's likeness!

Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing.

These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.

The power is in you.

The Holy Spirit will guide you

and by faith your words can be powerful

and life giving!

By The Grace Of God

There by the grace of God goes John Bradford  (go I)

This is a phrase attributed to John Bradford--an English reformer

He was awaiting death in the tower of London 

for his religious beliefs in the mid 1500's

and as he watched others being hanged made this statement.

Whether he ever stated this or not, the meaning is clear.

It is because of God's grace we can endure persecutions.

One could say, "I too might suffer the same fate".

Unfortunately, Bradford was later burned at the stake,

but he never wavered from his beliefs. 

Thank God we do not suffer this type of persecution in most countries.

But we do go through trials and tribulations daily.

We have money troubles, health problems, grief and loss.

We suffer at the hands of loved ones.

Friends disappoint.

We disappoint ourselves.

We endure pressure and suppression for our religious beliefs.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:10, 

"But by the grace of God, I am what I am...."

In other words, 

God's favor pours out on us giving a special ability

to go through the day to day trials and tribulations.

This ability results in a peace like no other.

We cannot earn grace, we simply receive it.

Today make a decision to receive God's grace.

God will empower you to go through whatever it is

you are in the midst of.

2 Corinthians 12:9 The Message

My grace is enough; it's all you need,

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Trampoline!

I'm borrowing some word imagery from a dear friend.

We both were living at the Gospel Rescue Mission for Women.

Getting our lives back, studying the Word and 

spending time with Jesus.

We were in a class and my friend shared with us

her thoughts on Ephesians 6:16.

Above all, taking the shield of faith,

which you will be able to quench all the fiery

darts of the wicked one.

She described a trampoline as her shield and

whenever Satan's darts tried to attack and stick

to her, all  they would do was bounce off.

This image has stayed with me through the years.

Anytime I feel attacked, I picture my friend holding

up her trampoline with all the fiery darts bouncing off.

It's a great picture of the Word of God.

Mark 11:22 AMP

Have faith in God constantly.

Faith in God's Word is  our greatest weapon.

We can count on Him, on His trustworthiness,

and His never ending love for us.

But in order for our shield to work well, 

we must use it.

Lift up your shield and those darts will bounce off.

Ephesians 6:16 AMP

Lift up over all the (covering) shield of saving faith,

upon which you can quench all the flaming

missiles of the wicked (one).

You've Got a Friend

The seventies had some great singer/songwriters that inspired change.

Some good, some bad.

This was a very tumultuous time following the end of

the Vietnam war which ended in 1973.

And yet it was a time of great revival in Christianity.

Many thousands came to Christ.

There were huge tent revivals with Christian rock music.

Hundreds of people came together under 

those tents with minds of one accord.

It was all about Jesus.

Carole King wrote a song, but James Taylor made it a hit.

It wasn't a Christian song, 

however, it is so like Jesus!

"You've Got a Friend"

Just like the song say's,

"when you're down and troubled

and you need a helping hand,"

Jesus will be that hand.

"You just call out my name 

and you know wherever I am, I'll come running."

Jesus is just a call away.

He is waiting to be your friend.

He will never hurt you and He will never desert you.

He'll always come running to you.

Miracles Still Happen

God still does miracles.

They may not always be easy to see or recognize.

But everyday miracles surround us.

When Jesus walked the earth, He performed miracles.

These were done as signs and wonders.

John 4:48

Then Jesus said to him,

"Unless you people see signs and wonders,

you will by no means believe."

Everywhere Jesus went He did miracles 

so those who saw would believe.

The apostles went about performing miracles in the Name of Jesus

after His death and resurrection for the same reason.

Today, everyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior

have received a miracle.

A miracle of salvation.

Through the Holy Spirit, people are freed from the bondage 

sickness, fear, and addictions.

Christians who receive the Holy Spirit "upon" them,

(different than the Holy Spirit in you),

are endowed with supernatural power.

Acts 1:8

 But you shall receive power when the 

Holy Spirit has come upon you;

and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

This power is what allows us to go through life 

and be effective disciples for Christ.

In its most simplistic way, miracles can be as

simple as a sunrise, sunset, the smile of a newborn

or as complex as stars in the universe, or the way

our bodies are designed.

Miracles are answered prayer.

When we stay expectant, God will show up.

Some Things About The Bible

Things we should know about the Bible:

First, all scripture is given by inspiration from God.  2 Timothy 3:16  It comes from the Greek word "theopneustos" which translated means "God Breathed, inspired by God, due to the inspiration of God".

Second, the Bible was written during a 1600 year period by about 40 different authors.

None of these men knew each other, lived in the same area and came from different backgrounds such as shepherds to kings.  Yet the Bible has no contradictions and is historically accurate.

Moses began writing around 1450 BC and wrote the first 5 books.  The last book written was Revelation about the year 95 AD.

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. 

Third, the Bible has not changed over time.  Today's Bible is 99.5% accurate to the oldest manuscripts.  The only difference are in spelling and word order.  The reason for this accuracy is due to the scribes always checking their copy.  But more importantly, the Holy Spirit was present to make sure God's word was accurate.

There are approximately 5600 copies that are dated within the 1st century.  This is far more than any other historic document of the time which includes Plato, Aristotle, Homer, and many others. 

And lastly, archaeology is uncovering more and more names, dates and places named in the Bible proving it to be historically accurate.

Psalm 85:11  Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Psalm 119:89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.

God's word will outlast human generations and He will provide proof in His own time.

Destination: Heaven

We are travelers

Passing through this life

A journey of faith

Leaving a legacy of hope

Giving glory to the Lord

We are travelers

Moving from here to there

One foot in and one foot there

Reaching a hand up

Reaching a hand out

We are travelers

Seeking to share the road

The road to heaven

it is not always easy

But the reward is eternity

We are travelers

Setting our mind on Him

Keeping our eyes on the end of the road

Staying focused on the journey

For our citizenship is in heaven

We are travelers

Destination: Heaven