OUR ENCOURAGER

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

What a promise we can depend on when we are walking with the Lord Jesus.  Sometimes life is hard.  We not only have to deal with what is going on in our own hearts, but if we are wanting to serve the Lord rightly then we are walking with others who also might be struggling with their own stuff.  Life is complicated: serving the Lord is complicated.

But Jesus wants to strengthen our hearts for every good deed and word.  He knows what each of us struggle with and He has the answers.  We must seek Him; we must seek His answers.  You must seek Him.

By His power you will be able to fulfill every good purpose of yours and every deed that is prompted by your faith in Him.  Let Him strengthen and encourage you through His word, through prayer, and through hearing the word. Don’t let discouragement stop you from being all you can be in Christ.

He is the way, Meribeth

NOW, IS THE TIME!

James 4:14 You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls…

How Jesus loves you dear one. There is no other reason He came to the earth but to make provision and plans for you.  He spent time looking for those who wanted God in their lives; those He found He blessed and rewarded.  Same is true today, He is looking for those who want a relationship with God. He wants a deep abiding relationship with you.  He has sought you, given you opportunities to see Him, and He continues to try and bring you closer to Him through the things He brings into your life.  You are loved!

Don't waste the precious time He has given you.  Life is fleeting and your life is but a breath, a whisper of smoke, a cloud that is blown away by the wind. Seek the Lord, ask Him to show you what He has for you.  He has a plan for your life now and for eternity.  Open your heart and life to Him.  Don't put Him off; time is fleeting.

Dear Lord, I know I spend most of my time on fleshly things, on things that serve me and my family.  Help me to focus on you more.  Give me the promptings I need to make you number one in my life so that I might please you and glorify you.  Show me your plan for me now and give me the courage to follow it.  In your name, Amen.

WHY WOULD GOD CARE ABOUT YOU?

What is the point of getting to know God?  Isn't He up there and we are down here?  Isn't He far off?  It seems the world wants you to think so.  The world will tell you that you are in control; that you are your own best authority, but Scripture disagrees.  Scripture tells us that God is in control and that what comes into your life comes to point the way to Him.  He is always watching and wanting for you to come to Him and seek His way.

Why would God care about you?  The Bible teaches that God is always seeking those who would love Him and worship Him.  He is not far off, but as close as your own breath.  He wants to interact with you and have an input in your life.  Not for His sake, but for yours; His hearts desire is to give you good things.  Here is a list of some things He has for those who choose to worship Him.

JUSTIFICATION
RECONCILIATION
NEW LIFE - NEW DESIRES
PEACE IN CHAOS
JOY IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
FULFILLMENT

These are just a few of God's provisions.  So what is holding you back from choosing Him and His way?  Do you want it?  Just tell Him.  Ask Him to work in your life and then wait and look for His working...you will find it.

Keep looking UP!  M J Gillespie

When was the last time you offered yourself to God?  If not lately then maybe it is time.  Once you were a slave to sin but now since you are alive through Christ you can be a slave to God.  What do slaves do?  They become obedient to their master and submit to his will.

We are so blessed that our master is full of grace and love.  He has delivered us from our slavery to sin.  He has given us free will to choose and if we choose rightly we will forever be one with Him.  Let us wholeheartedly offer ourselves to God for righteousness sake and be set free from sin.

Romans 6:11-18

My Lord, I submit myself to you; I offer myself to you that you can continue to bring me closer to the glory of my new life in you.  You are the giver of life; help me be a willing receiver.  Help me count myself as dead to sin.  Please, keep working on me, amen.

Jesus is the "Good Shepherd"! The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep and Jesus has done that for us. If we believe in Him then we are His sheep.

Jesus said in John 10 that His sheep hear His voice. Do you listen for His voice? Sometimes it seems we only listen to our own voices, our own thoughts, and our own words. Do you hear Him when He calls you to have fellowship with Him? He knows you intimately, He knows everything about you, and He knows who you are and who you could be. He knows you but He wants you to know Him too. But you will not know Him unless you take the time to hear His voice and listen to Him. He is the Good Shepherd listen and learn.

John 10:11-18
Psalm 23:1-6

Forgive me Lord when I don't take the time to hear You and listen to You. I am so full of myself most of the time I don't make room for You. I want You to be my Good Shepherd, help me see myself as Your lamb that needs to be guided and directed by You. Amen!

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.

When truth about Jesus fills your heart you receive a new birth.  Think about this miracle.  You don’t have to stress or strain, you don’t have to go through training, or spend days, hours, weeks, or even years learning all the jot and tittle of the law, and you don’t have to memorize the whole bible.  You don’t have to be approved, or vetted, or asked to go through rush week and eat rotten eggs to earn the privilege.  All you have to do is say, “yes” to the Lord Jesus who wants to have an everlasting relationship with you and then, “pow” you are born of God.

You receive Instant acceptance, instant love, instant spiritual birth and the Holy Spirit comes to take up residence in you. Wow, wow, wow….think about this for a moment.  You travel from darkness to light, from death to life, from hell to heaven all because you say yes to someone paying your debt for you. Once you are born of the Spirit you are able to understand spiritual things.  You are now born again and the Spirit not only indwells you but He is the divine presence that gives birth to the spirit within which was dead but has been made alive.  

Put your trust in Jesus and He will make you new again.

 

MY PURPOSE

Forevermore,

My purpose in being united with you is to bring you a deep sense of encouragement and comfort.  I want you to experience My tenderness and compassion toward you.  I want to fill you with joy - every day.  We are one in the Spirit and have the same Love: the Love of others, the Love of goodness, the Love of God.

You bring Me great joy My child when you live your life embracing the truth of God’s Word.   For when My work on the cross was done it secured an inheritance in heaven for you.  You who will be an example to the coming ages - when God will show the incomparable riches of His grace that abound to those who were dead but are now alive, forevermore.   Enjoy the position you have dear one, express your thankfulness to God.  Focus on this, feel this, let this truth fill your thoughts and you will be filled with the joy that can only be yours in Me.

Philippians 2:1-2

Ephesians 2: 6-7

I do thank you Lord, what you have done for me is inexpressible and fills me with a feeling of glory.  Help me to focus on this throughout the day…..to remember your passion for me, your love for me.

I feel your joy, thank you!