Thought For The Day

Loving your enemies is a hard pill to swallow. Loving your enemies will transform your mind and keep you from becoming bitter, in involves dying to self-will. Matthew 5: 43-44 (Jesus speaking) " You have heard it said love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those that curse you, and do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Jesus is telling us something here that we are not to think and react as the world.  His ways are superior to the mindset of the world and the religious crowd. We are to reach beyond ourselves and reach into the power of God.   There is no way that we could love our enemies, without the power of the Holy Spirit imparting that love to them through us. When you love your enemies, you disarm them, they cannot argue with God's love. We must let go and grow!! Forgive and live! Love will do more than you can imagine.  I have experienced this persona...

We all have so much to be grateful to God for, we should remember to be thankful to Him daily. Thank Him for the very air we breathe, thank Him for the fact we have loved ones and friends, and thank Him for the body of Christ, (the church) and all the beloved that minister all over the world to bring, love, comfort and help and provision for others. Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. Beloved, be a person who is thankful for Jesus and all He means to you.  Be thankful, for the simple things in life, that was placed there by our Father in heaven. In Paul's letter to the Corinthians: 1 Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus our Lord, that you be enriched in every thing by Him in all utterance and all knowledge , given as a testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiti...

As we all get ready to greet loved ones and celebrate with a feast, showing our Lord, this day is set aside to celebrate His goodness and for us to be  thankful. Beloved, everyday is a thanksgiving day to those of us who love the Lord, and who know that God loves us. We thank the Father for sending Jesus, to die in our place so that we can live the abundant life on this earth.   Abundance of His love, Joy, peace, and the provisions that we need to have as His family,  Born of His Spirit, given a new life, a new fresh start, being delivered from darkness into the light of His love. Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, ( First and foremost, we are to come before the Lord with thanksgiving)  And into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him , and bless His name. The Holy Spirit who is the author of the word of God, He penned, that we are to be thankful first. Then we are to praise the Lord.  Being thankful, gives you a peac...

When we understand that we are the church, a living organism, carrying life wherever we go, then, our life will take on a new meaning. Going to church fellowship is nice and needed, to gather with those of like mind, pray and worship. However going to church does not save you, only receiving Jesus as our Lord, are we saved by grace through faith.  (Unmerited, undeserved favor of God) That is His grace. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God , not by works, lest anyone should boast. I have known people who have gone to church all their life and yet, they just experienced religious activity, trying to work their way into God's good graces. Every time the church asked for a volunteer, these people would jump in, believing that they are pleasing God, the more that they do.  God is already pleased with us, because of Jesus. Sometimes, it is just pleasing man, we want to look good, and show we a...

Beloved one, we have so much to be grateful for. Thanking God for the little things in life reveals that we are seeing His hand even in the simple things. Be appreciative for anything you encounter and see God's hand in. Remember He is creator, and has His plan for you, He is in control of our life. Psalm 105:1-5 Oh, give thanks to the Lord!  Call upon His name ; ( the name o Jesus carries such great power)  Make known His deeds among the peoples! (all His mercy and compassion and forgiveness) Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; (He gave us song, He loves to hear the words He has penned for us, to be sung back to Him)  Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His Holy Name:  Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength;  Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth. Those that have a grateful  attitude, have a song in their heart for the ...

We can get so busy in the worlds traditions, that we forget to spend quality time with our Lord. This will cause our wick to get smoky and dull where you can barely see the light shinning. The wick needs trimming! When we hold offences in our heart, that will dull our light. When we become critical and mean spirited, that will dull our light. When we hold unforgivness in our heart, that can cause us to have a dull light. Matthew 25: 1-7 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them , but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  "And at midnight a cry was heard; Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. Five of the virgins were p...

As I was reading the story about Joseph again, I realized something. Another story came to mind about Abram and Sari.  Who, after the covenant with God, their names were changed from Sarai, to Sara h , and Abram to Abra h am.  Genesis 17:5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abra h am; For I have made you a father of many nations. Notice the H in their new names, could this now mean that the Holy Spirit is present to help produce nations? Just a thought! God is certainly with them now. I asked myself, if there had not been an Ismael, then there would not have been Ismaelite's to buy Joseph and take him to Egypt? God's plan? God said, His ways are not our ways, His ways are higher.  Had Sarai, not encouraged Abram to take Hagar her maid, things might have been different. But God! Genesis 16:4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived.  And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. ...