The Greatest Gift

May we forever be clothed in grace and mercy; love the unlovable and forgive the unforgivable.

May we honor our Heavenly Father by abiding in the ultimate expression of His righteousness and the greatest gift of all...

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 13:8

Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law.

Galatians 5:14

The entire Law is fulfilled in a single decree: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a 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.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

True Love

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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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Luke 23:34

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

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Matthew 5:44

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

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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.

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Proverbs 25:21

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

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Luke 6:28

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

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John 13:34

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

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Romans 12:14

Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

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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.

Discerning True Needs

It can be so difficult at times to discern what our true needs are. The enemy expertly exploits human emotions. He utilizes shackles of fear, doubt, and insecurity to produce a false sense of need and a skewed perception of joy. Temptations are often disguised as legitimate needs, as Satan understands that human beings desire rapid results and easy solutions. Thus, one enters a cycle of seeking pleasure in people, places, and things that offer only a false sense of fulfillment. The end result is despair and emptiness, as only a personal relationship with Jesus leads to true joy, peace, and eternal security.

How comforting it is to know that applying Scripture enables us to thwart temptation! There is power in the Name of Jesus and He is the Good Portion! By seeking Jesus and aligning our emotions with God’s Truth, we gain eternal perspective and partner with an unparalleled, unmatched, all-powerful, omniscient resource; YAHWEH is His Name!

Father God, 

Thank You today and every day for Your spiritual and emotional provision and protection. Lead us, LORD, to follow the example of Your precious Son when faced with temptation and the lies of the enemy. In The Name of Jesus, we take every stray thought captive to the obedience of Christ! LORD, we seek and serve only You; remind us always of the power in Jesus’ Name! Lead us to patience and pursuits of the Spirit; give us eyes and ears that discern only Your Truth, Father, and bless us with Your everlasting peace and joy. LORD, strengthen our hearts’ resolve and guide our minds to things above as we walk with You. We praise You for the promise of Eternity and the glorious riches made possible through the priceless, precious Blood of Your beloved Son, and we give You all the glory!

In The Name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

John 6:48

“I am the bread of life.” John 4:14

“But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life." Lamentations 3:24

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."

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.

My love, fortress & strength

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Heavenly Father,

We praise You for the promise of Your refuge and the covering of Your comfort...for the promise of Your balm on the broken hearted and crushed in spirit.

Lord, we claim the victory that we are never alone, never orphans...that You have prepared a way for us to dwell with You eternally...and we pray for Your guidance and protection in our temporary dwelling place.

Lord, we praise You that You are always near, and we call upon You in truth for healing in our hearts...in our homes...in our communities...in our world.

Lead us by still waters and bless us with strength and endurance; keep us on Your ordained and anointed path of light and love...and we praise You that because of Your plan, we have purpose !

Jesus, we need You every minute of every day! We pray for Your Kingdom...for You to remove all sorrow and wipe the tears from our eyes...for the day when every knee bows to You, Almighty Father God! For You are worthy!

Thank You, Lord, for deliverance and for making Your home in our hearts. Cleanse and purify us, according to Your will.

In The Name of Jesus Christ, our precious Savior, we praise You and pray these things,

Amen.

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

Psalm 145:18

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

Psalm 73:28

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.

James 4:8(a)

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. .

Romans 14:11

It is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God."

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Revelations 21:4

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.

What’s Bigger?

WHAT'S BIGGER?

Your problems or your God?

What's bigger? A relationship that parted ways or the God who parted the Red Sea?

What's bigger? The people that are cursing you and throwing stones at you or the God who slayed a giant with a single pebble?

What's bigger? The fiery trial you are in or the God who when called on scorched His enemies with blazing flames from Heaven?

His word is full of revelation of His greatness and majesty. When we have the ability to see Him in His fullness, everything else seems to fade away. When you call on the magnified, glorified King of Kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and the Omega...then everything else looks a whole lot smaller. Magnify Him, let Him exalt Himself on High in your life, let Him display His power and glory and move you to Awe! Through the revelation of His character in His word and the manifestation of His presence and power in your life!

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,

The power and the glory,

The victory and the majesty;

For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours"- 1 Chronicles 29:11 .

Go ahead...call on Him... "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know"-Jeremiah 33:3

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Releasing Fear and Anxiety

 Father God,

My anxiety often causes spiraling thoughts and sleepiness nights.

Help me to remember that there is only one true comfort and that is YOU.

Help me to remember that you are always with me.

Help me to remember that you will never leave me or forsake me.

Help me to remember that when I realize that my anxiety and fear are covered by YOU…what else is there for me to fear?

Help me to replace those things which make my anxiety worse with thoughts that correct my thinking and eliminate worry, anxiety, and fear so that I can confidently declare as it says in Psalm 51:3 – “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

In Jesus, Name, Amen