My two sons are getting to the age where they will very soon be leaving home. Our oldest will graduate from high school next year and our youngest son will begin high school next year. As I look back through the years, I am reminded of so many great memories and experiences that I have shared with them. Yes, as parents we also have the “interesting” moments that must be dealt with, but, do we really understand how precious our children are?

In Genesis 4:1 we read, “4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”

We receive our children from the Lord. It is His gift to us. It is our responsibility to Him to raise them according to His Word and His teachings. As you begin each day, thank the Lord for the gift of children He has given you. And, take the time and effort to raise them that day the way the Lord would want you to.

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

Each year, we celebrate something special in all of our lives — a birthday. It is normal for us to wish the birthday person another year of health and happiness. But, why do we look forward to a year when God tells us to “count the days”?

In Psalm 90:12 we read, “¹² So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

We often forget that we are not guaranteed years, rather the Bible tells us to “number our days”. Remember, that we might not have a “tomorrow” to get things in order. We must choose today to make sure we have given our life to Jesus and received His gift of salvation.

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

I believe we as Christians need to come to a harsh reality about our country; We are walking away from God. Now, I know that all don’t agree with me, but I believe this fact to be true. The Los Angeles Times published an article last year that was titled, “U.S. has become notably less Christian, major study finds”. In this article it stated:

“The U.S. has become significantly less Christian in recent years as the share of American adults who espouse no systematic religious belief increased sharply, a major new study found. For what is probably the first time in U.S. history, the number of American Christians has declined. The erosion in traditional religious ranks seems likely to continue. Among Americans aged 18 to 33, slightly more than half identify as Christian, compared with roughly 8 in 10 in the baby boom generation and older age groups, the new data show. Over the last seven years, the number of people who identify as atheist or agnostic has doubled.Moreover, in a reverse of previous patterns, younger Americans do not appear to be adhering more to traditional faiths as they become parents. Just the opposite seems to be happening — members of the millennial generation have grown less religious as they age.”

I appreciate your right to disagree with me on this point, but I pray that you will agree with me to be in prayer for our country. Take time each day to pray for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on this country like never before. Pray for people’s lives to be touched and moved in a way they have never experienced. Pray that our country will no longer be “significantly less Christian”,but become “significantly more Christian”.

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

I was talking with a friend of mine that has a daughter that is battling cancer. He was told today by the doctor that there is “nothing else we can do”. Despite their best efforts, the cancer continues to spread. My friend is now dealing with the reality of watching his daughter, who is in her 30’s, battle a disease she cannot win. As I talked with him today, I was reminded of a particular scripture.

In Matthew 6:34 Jesus tells us, “³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

May my friends situation and the Lord’s Words be a reminder to us all to enjoy today as if it were our last. Remember to tell the people around you that you love them. Remember to live your life today so that the world is a better place because of your actions. Remember to make sure that you have given your heart to Jesus and only Jesus. Remember, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things”.

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

There have been times in my life when I have thought that “people get away with murder!” For whatever reason, it seemed like their lies, deceits, damage they had caused never had consequences. Perhaps you have felt that way also.

In Proverbs 14:22 we read, “Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

Those things that we see people do, even the hurt and damage done to us, will always have consequences. No, we might not see them, but as the Bible says, “Do they not go astray who devise evil?”

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

I suspect that one of the worst feelings we can experience is loneliness. There are many ways that we can experience this emotion, but one of more common ways is during times of trials. It seems that at our darkest moments, those times when we are being attacked by those around us, we are by ourselves. Sound familiar?

In Deuteronomy 20:1-4 we read, “20 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. ² So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. ³ And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; ⁴ for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’”

Yes, we may see “all alone”, but God’s Word assures us that “When you go out to battle against your enemies…..the Lord your God is with you”. Remember, you are never alone. The Lord is always with you, “⁴ for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’”

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

Believe it or not, approximately 90% of people are right handed. Being left-handed myself, I can personally tell you that most everything is designed for right handed people. Even thought 90% of you reading this is right handed, are you really “right handed”?

In Psalms 20:6 we read, “⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.”

Regardless of which hand is your dominant hand, “right handed” people believe in the “saving strength of His right hand”.  As Christians, we are all called to be “right handed”. We are called to believe in “His right hand”. We are called to believe in His strength. So, as you look at your day and the trials you are facing, “are you right handed”?

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

I have found that a large majority of people that accept Jesus into their hearts do so at a time when they are broken. I know that this was exactly what happened with me. Once all the worldly things have been stripped away, we see ourselves for what we truly are — broken, alone and a sinner. Personally, I believe that there is no better way to meet Jesus.

In Genesis 1:25 it states, “ ²⁵ And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

At the beginning of Genesis we read that the earth was “void” – empty, alone. Yet with God’s hand, He created something that God said “was good”. When we reach that point when we are “void”, trust that God’s hand will create something in your life that He will say “was good”.

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

This year at Journey of Faith, we are doing a year long study of what it means to live a “Spirit filled life”. Many people and churches may talk about it, but what does it truly mean to be Spirit filled? One of the key points to living a Spirit filled life is understand that the Spirit lives in your life. No, He is not a thought, a feeling or a program. He is alive and He lives in you.

In Genesis 1:1-2 we read, “1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

When we met the Lord, we were void and darkness was on our faces. Just as the “Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters”, it is the Holy Spirit that hovers over us and takes away the void and darkness that fills our bodies. If you want to live a Spirit filled life, remember that the Spirit is alive and lives in you.

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

While on the cross, Jesus cried out “it is finished!” When He did, the Bible tells us that there was a great earthquake and the curtain in the temple was torn in two. This was not the only time that the Lord’s words caused a great earthquake.

In Revelations 16:17-18 John writes, “¹⁷ Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” ¹⁸ And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.” 

Jesus declared “It is done!” and there was a great earthquake. Remember these two great earthquakes the next time you are enduring trials and struggles. The Lord who loves you is in control and when He declares “it is done”, it will cause great earthquakes in our lives.

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!