Joy Comes In The Morning

Take heart brethren, for no matter what temporary trials are troubling your heart today, it is in no comparison to the glorious paradise that awaits those who are in him.

Keep the faith...fight the good fight...give it to our Abba God...and readily receive His grace. For, His mercies are unending and everlasting! He will refresh, restore and strengthen you, according to His promises.

Be confident and unashamed, boldly approaching The Throne of Grace. And may incomprehensible, everlasting joy be yours every morning...forevermore!

2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Colossians 3:4
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Titus 2:13
...while we wait for the blessed hope--the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ...

1 John 2:28
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

1 John 3:2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Rescued and Redeemed

Praise The LORD that He is is alive, seated on His mighty throne; that He overcame the darkness so that we may walk in His marvelous light.

Praise The LORD for the grace He lovingly lavishes upon us; that by His stripes we are delivered and restored, the salt of the earth, and the lighted city on the hill.

Praise The LORD that we are justified through Him and our stain of sin is removed; that we may be sanctified and reconciled unto The Father.

Praise The LORD, for we are rescued and redeemed...and one with The Son for Eternity!

Romans 3:25
God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Romans 4:25
He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.

Ephesians 1:7-8
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:24
and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:30
It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

A True Love Response

As humans in a fallen world, it is inevitable that we will all face some form of rejection, abandonment, temptation and persecution in our lives.

But, we can take heart that God took human form as Jesus Christ and was also rejected, abandoned and persecuted. He suffered in ways far beyond what any of us will ever face or can possibly comprehend. He completely knows and understands our pain and suffering. After all, the burden of sin...OF ALL MANKIND...rested on our unblemished Christ Jesus...alone.

Yet, He loved and sacrificed...He showed mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion, regardless of the tumultuous circumstances He faced.

To put on the attitude of Christ is to respond in love to those who persecute and spitefully use us...to forgive and pray for them, in spite of the struggle.

A Godly response...one rooted in His Truth and Grace casts Light into the darkness...soothes the sting...removes the strongholds...binds up our wounds...and heals us with His Truth and Eternal Love.

Luke 23:34
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Proverbs 25:21
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Luke 6:28
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.

Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

Acts 7:60
Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

God Is For You

Satan loves to condemn. Every time you stumble, every time you fall, he is there to point an accusing finger at you. He wants to focus your thoughts on your own weaknesses and failures rather than on God’s strength.

In contrast, the Holy Spirit convicts us. He gently says, “Now, that wasn’t right.” But that isn’t condemning – that is convicting. He wants us to put our thoughts on Jesus, who is ready to hear our confession and wash us of our sin.

Jesus doesn’t condemn you – He’s interceding for you.

God is for you. Jesus is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you. And the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you to give power to help you overcome your weaknesses. With this divine Trinity on your team, how can you possibly lose?

“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”
Romans 8:34

“He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me.”
Isaiah 50:8

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
1 John 2:1

Using Words Wisely

The spoken word can have a powerful impact on the listener. Once spoken, our words are irreversible. They can bless or curse; heal or hurt; be gentle or incite anger; edify or tear down; be useful or destructive. Although we have no power over how our words are received, we do have stewardship over what we say...and how we say it.

The mighty Word of God says that the tongue is “a world of wickedness among the parts of the body,” that “death and life are in the power of the tongue,” and that “the one who guards his mouth preserves his life.” Our words have immense power! While righteous words are life-breathing, careless speech can have devastating consequences.

LORD God, help us to be quick to listen, slow to anger and slow to speak. Show us how to guard and tame our tongues. Bend our speech to be useful and gentle, seasoned with grace and wisdom. Lead us to speak truth in love...like honey to the soul of the recipient. Forgive us, LORD, for any unrighteousness we commit with our words; protect and heal us us from the careless words of others. Teach us how to utilize our words to bless, comfort and edify one another. Remind us always of the magnitude of our words, and let us be Holy Spirit led in all we do and say. In The Name of Jesus we pray...Amen!

Matthew 12:36
But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

James 3:5-6
In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest on fire. The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Psalm 49:3
My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

Ecclesiastes 10:12
Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;

Proverbs 13:3
The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 21:23
He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.

James 1:19
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:7
A fool's mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul.

Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Romans 14:19
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

1 Peter 1:15
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.

Strength In His Grace

Father God,

I pray that today and every day we will become more aware of who You Are...Your Grace, Sovereignty, Power, Protection, Eternal Love and Mighty Mercy. May we learn to not place limits on You and what You alone can do in us and through us in order to accomplish Your purpose and perfect plan.

I pray that in those moments when we are at our weakest, we will have a willing and sincere heart to receive all that You are; to partner with You, and walk in Your unwavering peace and mighty strength.

Remind us, Lord, that we are already overcomers through the redemptive blood of Christ...and may we become more aware every day of our true, authentic identity...our sealed, eternal inheritance.

We praise You and thank You, Father God, for all that You are today and every day...for Your precious promises...and for our adoption into Your glorious Kingdom.

In Jesus Christ's holy and righteous name...Amen!

2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

Ephesians 3:16
I pray that out of the riches of His glory, He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,

1 Timothy 1:12
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service.

Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure.

Ephesians 1:5
He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will.

Ephesians 2:19
Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens of the saints and members of God's household.

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.

1 Corinthians 8:3
But the one who loves God is known by God.

1 Corinthians 13:12
Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Gathering Strength From Grace

When we are faced with calamity and chose to walk in The Spirit, God's magnificent grace becomes the source of our strength.

By receiving His grace and believing the beloved blood of The Lamb preserves us, we are able to maintain perfect peace while The Lord acts on our behalf.

And if our supremely great, almighty, all-powerful and all-omniscient God is with us, what can possibly prevail against us?

2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Psalm 46:10
"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 118:6
The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?

Isaiah 26:3
The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

A True Love Response

As humans in a fallen world, it is inevitable that we will all face some form of rejection, abandonment, temptation and persecution in our lives.

But, we can take heart that God took human form as Jesus Christ and was also rejected, abandoned and persecuted. He suffered in ways far beyond what any of us will ever face or can possibly comprehend. He alone completely knows and understands our pain and suffering.

All the sin for all mankind...rested on Him...alone.

Yet, He loved and sacrificed...showed mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion regardless of His circumstances.

To put on the attitude of Christ is to respond in love to those who persecute and spitefully use us...to forgive and pray for them, in spite of the struggle.

A Godly response...one rooted in His Truth and Grace casts Light into the darkness...soothes the sting...removes the strongholds...binds up our wounds...and heals us with His Truth and Eternal Love.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do...(Luke 23:34)

Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (Romans 12:14-16)

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

Redeemed

Praise The Lord that He is is alive, seated on The Throne...that He overcame the darkness and made a way for us to walk in His marvelous light.

Praise The Lord for His grace lavished so mercifully upon us...that by His precious stripes, we are rescued and restored; the salt of the earth and the lighted city on the hill.

Praise The Lord that we are justified through Him and our stain of sin is removed; that we may be sanctified and reconciled unto The Father.

Praise The Lord, for we are rescued and redeemed...and one with The Son for Eternity!

John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Matthew 5:14
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Romans 6:14
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:7-8
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us...

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.