Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”  KJV

It is Valentine’s Day 2023!  The day when love and its benefit come into focus.  Much like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and many other days, we celebrate, one day per year is insufficient, but it is good to be reminded.  Valentine’s Day elicits attention from youthful puppy love to the mutual sharing in marriage love.  Also, we must never forget God’s love and our love for Him!

This passage could be applied to friends, but it is also very applicable to ROMANTIC LOVE relationships, especially marriage.  We’ve all heard the adage, “two can live as cheaply as one,” and the power of working in tandem with “a three-fold cord is not easily broken.”  (Do not think I am suggesting a love triangle, for I believe strongly in monogamy.) 

I suspect that sometimes we fail to fully comprehend the value of that helper or mate God has given us in the loving marriage relationship?  Here the writer advises that ‘two are better than one’ and then offers reasons for that statement.  That which they produce from works to children has incredible benefits. 

He informs us that if one stumbles, the other provides comfort, encouragement, and assistance.  He also brings to light the incredible loneliness and danger for a person with no one.  While I do not want to make anyone’s pain more severe because they are alone for whatever reason, we know that having a friend or spouse is a God-given treasure.  If you are alone, I pray that God will bring that special person into your life and allow you to enjoy the treasures of a loving marriage.  I am missing my sweet Bonnie more than words can convey! 

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:25 that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for her.  Likewise, in the preceding verses, we learn of the wife’s commitment to her husband.  Considering the relationship of the Body of Christ to the Lord Jesus is essential, for it conveys the image of loyalty and fidelity.  We know our Lord’s great love for us and His incredible sacrifice, so both husband and wife should invest everything in developing and strengthening their marriage. The result of the two who have become one is described in the verses in our text.  The reward is great!

It is easy to become so accustomed to one another that we take our spouses for granted, which is always negative.  Marriage is not 50-50. It is 100-100, and on this day, it is wonderful to invest the effort to rekindle the spark that you knew in the beginning.  Someone told me once, ‘giving flowers is a waste of time and money.’  I have never agreed with that, and although flowers are not something no one would want to eat and will wither in time, they convey the message, “I care, I love you, and you are worth this.” 

When we think of our love for each other in marriage or courtship, we should be reminded of the greatness and beauty of God’s love for us.  Marriages made in heaven do not live in hell; any marriage can deteriorate if we fail to invest ourselves in the other person.  LOVE is worth LOVING! An investment in Love pays incredible dividends!

May God be with you as you go through your day.

Psalm 8:3-5 – “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon, and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?  5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.”  NKJV

I love the outdoors and spend as much time there as I can.  I love being in the woods and watching God’s handiwork in nature.  This world is truly the work of an incredibly talented artist. I have had some of the most wonderful and humbling experiences just sitting on a hillside or near a stream and watching one of God’s spectacular sunsets. 

I have been at a campsite, looked heavenward, saw the endless array of stars, and watched as a meteor shot across the sky.  I listened to the creatures of God’s world break the stillness of that peaceful place and was moved deeply!  I stood in awe as I looked up at some of the most majestic peaks or looked down from a ledge on one of them across canyons brilliant with the colors of nature and time.  Each time I was warmed by the confidence that this design was a designer’s work and humbled at how insignificant I was compared to it all.  A mere speck!

Yet, I know from the Bible and personal experience just how much God cares about his creation called man.  He loves man more than he loves all the rest of creation.  I can say that because God said it and demonstrated it at the Cross.  He continues to demonstrate it with the wooing of the Holy Spirit, drawing a rebellious, sinful creation to Himself.  His love for us is boundless, and although man has continually rejected Him, He still reaches out to us, offering SALVATION.  That is nothing short of amazing, but such is God’s grace!

The humbling reality that He has chosen us to spend eternity with Him as heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus is amazing!  Man rejected God in the Garden and continues to reject Him in so many ways today, yet GOD still loves us and desires to bring us to Himself.  

If you have difficulty believing in the power of God, look at this world, the design, the beauty, the intricate detail.  If that does not convince you, consider the human body’s design with all the nerve paths, arteries and veins, organs, and the body’s function.  If you want me to believe that this just happened, you should have gotten to me before I saw the first sunset, for, after that, I was hooked on God.  I did not immediately serve Him, but I have never doubted His existence and will not doubt.

Oh Lord, thank you for your creation we can experience and utilize.  Thank you for your daily provisions and endless love.  Thank you for allowing my sins to be washed away and my name entered in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Thank you for giving me help today, and I hope for tomorrow!   If you are low, make plans to watch a sunset, and I believe something will stir inside your heart.

May God bless you as you go through your day!

Hebrews 13:5-6 – “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   6 So we may boldly say:

“The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”   NKJV

Frequently in reading Scripture, I find something that speaks to me differently than it has in the past, and this passage is one of those.  I’ve read this many times, and each time I would focus on the absence of fear when walking with God.  As I reread this, some words flooded my heart and mind – Contentment and Courage!

The apostle challenged those listening to live without covetousness and to live in contentment. He understood something that we have missed too often. Covetousness is one of, if not the biggest, problems in believers’ lives. Virtually all the other commandments have their beginning in that little self-centered green-eyed monster.  As we give way to it, we find ourselves succumbing to numerous other failures in life and character.

His encouragement and qualifier for living a life of Contentment was God’s Promise, “I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.”  If I genuinely believe God’s Promise, then I can be content in whatever state I find myself in because I know, as David declared, “I was young, and now I am old, and I have not seen the righteous forsake nor his seed begging for bread.”   

We can take the many promises of provision, including, “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.”  The question is not God’s ability but our confidence in His Word.  So, if I believe God, then Contentment is a natural by-product of that trust, and I do not have to look with envy or covetousness toward anyone or anything.  After all, My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and He owns the hills.  There is Nothing impossible with Him, and I am His. Therefore, I trust, relax, and rest in confident contentment.

The apostle did not stop there, but he spoke that out of our state of contentment, we can make a bold declaration that since God is my provider, helper, teacher, guide, and protector – I WILL NOT FEAR! 

My life then will be lived without fear of man or anything because what can mortal man do to me?  He may take away my possessions, but God can and will provide.  He may take away my physical freedom, but I’m free in spirit and can never be enslaved even if I am imprisoned.  He may take away my life, but my life is not dependent on how long I draw breath on planet earth, for I am an eternal creation, and should they snuff out my physical life, I transition to Eternal Life!  What can man do to me?   Much but nothing in comparison to what God can do for me. 

So, as you go through this day, ask the Holy Spirit to help you trust God’s Promises so you can truly live in contentment and Courage. 

God bless you as you go through your day!

Acts 2:46-47 – “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” NKJV

I am sure you are wondering what part of this I’m calling revolutionary.  Well… Notice the first few words, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple….”   They got along in Church!  Wow, what a concept, Church Unity! 

Sadly, I’ve seen more than I would like to remember of infighting within the local congregations where people were jockeying for position and control.  I’ve watched churches split over internal disagreements that could have and should have been solved by biblical principles.  I’ve watched as those outside the faith were so alienated by this type of attitude and activity that the church virtually lost its witness in the community and became a clique rather than a church. 

On the other hand, I have also seen churches that were so harmonious that they touched their communities powerfully and impacted members’ lives positively and dynamically. 

Imagine this fledgling entity called The Church after Jesus’ ascension having such unity that they could meet together DAILY and still get along, be in one accord.  They had a common goal and vision and unitedly pressed toward that mark. They fellowshipped, not just getting together for a social event but a blending of lives, hearts, minds, and faith.  They were people of simplicity, gratitude, and praise, and as a result, they had a dynamic impact on their community.  I suggest that we would have like effects if we had like minds as they do.

I have no problem with people having different ideas on many things within the church.  We are all individuals and do not all think alike.  However, allowing it to become a dividing wedge is not good.  I’m not talking about compromising your convictions or winking at sin and disreputable behavior.  I’m talking about power struggles, positions, and titles being allowed to become more important than the purpose for which the church originated.  Notice the last sentence where we see the LORD adding to the church DAILY those who were being saved.  That says something about their daily lives and witness. 

Some think you have to be in the church building to get saved, but you don’t have to be in a hospital to get sick or well, and you do not have to be in a mortuary to die.  If the church were unified in purpose and touching its community as these, we would find that Sunday morning was less of a preaching service and more of a reporting service of what had transpired during the week.  I’m not against preaching.  I am for reaching our communities DAILY.

As you consider the church and examine the early church, please allow the Holy Spirit to mold your thinking so that your prime objective is the central purpose of God.  

May the Lord be with you and bless you as you go through your day!

1 Corinthians 1:18 – “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. “NKJV

I interviewed for a sales job once, and the interviewer commented, “Well, I guess you are qualified. After all, preaching is the ultimate in sales.”  I have thought about that many times since and disagree.  Someone once asked if I knew the definition of a salesman, and I knew he had something clever to offer.  So, I played the game and said no.  He said, “A salesman is someone who convinces you to buy what you don’t need at a price you can’t afford.”  

That may be true of some, but undoubtedly not true for all who are in sales. However, sales does involve convincing someone to purchase a particular item.  I do not consider preaching a ‘sales job’ or a ‘pitch.’ It is the presentation of GOOD NEWS pointing to the door of salvation and life.  It is more of a public service announcement than sales. 

Once in witnessing to a particularly difficult individual and presenting the GOOD NEWS, he stopped me and said, “You are quite the salesman, aren’t you?”  I said, “No sir, I’m not trying to sell you anything. I am simply offering information that, if received, will completely transform you” I make no commission, the price has already been paid, and the warranty is eternal.  It is up to you to decide whether you will receive or reject the offer.  If the Holy Spirit is tugging your heartstrings, I urge you to accept.  I know this might be splitting hairs, but I have never considered preaching the gospel as sales or politics.  I am not seeking a sale or garnering a vote; I want to see a life transformed!

The apostle Paul packaged what the gospel is in a beautiful package in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.  He identified that Christ died for our sin, was buried, rose on the third day, and was seen by eyewitnesses.  He continued in the following verses declaring that there is a resurrection from the dead for Christ arose.  He made the arresting declaration that if Christ did not rise, our faith would be in vain.  If that is the case, then we are still without hope; all we have is here and now.  That makes it a pitiable existence.  But Christ did arise, and we have hope!

The word gospel means good news.  The image is that of a newborn calf skipping in delight as it leaps and plays.  The Good News makes our hearts leap for joy because it transforms us from children of darkness into children of light.  We are born again and become new creations in God.  The old is gone, and the new has come to life.  So today, I come with a Public Service Announcement that Jesus is alive and is extending the offer of salvation to whosoever will.  Harken to the call of the Spirit of God if you have not, and if you are a child of the King, then allow Him to live His life through you completely. 

May God be with you as you go through your day!

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 – “So let no one boast about men. For all things are yours— ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Kefa, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come. All are yours, ²³ and you are Messiah’s, and Messiah is God’s.” TLB

As I prayed and read this morning, many things filled my heart. This passage grabbed my heart.  I believe it is important to muse on, meditate, ponder God’s word, and find the nuggets under the surface.  These verses brought me to consider the Message, the Promise, and the Provision for the believer.

I ask that you notice several things, the first being – “All things are yours.”  When we read the word ALL, we must determine what that means.  ALL THINGS?   He included all things past, present, and future.  Immediately I was reminded of the declaration of Jesus – “Fear not, little flock, for it is My Father’s good pleasure (desire) to give you the Kingdom.”  Also, Paul’s statement that the Kingdom of God is not material but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  So, what are the ALL things spoken of here?

As we ponder the matter, we realize that The Kingdom of God is God.  He said we are to seek the Kingdom AND Righteousness, THEN; all things will be added or given to us. Again, we come to All Things.

Therefore, if ALL THINGS are ours, then God declares that we ARE in Him abiding and His Word in us, producing the fruit of righteousness in us.   How many of us see ourselves as possessors of ALL things?  How many of us have struggles, trials, difficulties, problems, and something we seem unable to overcome? 

Where we see ourselves is vastly different from the declaration of God that ALL things are ours and that we are the possessors of ALL things.  But, according to the Bible, that is how we are.  We are IN CHRIST.  If we are IN Christ, then we are Abiding IN Him, and His Word is Abiding IN us.  What does that suggest? 

God calls us to live AS WE ARE, in Him!  Our call is not how the natural minis d influenced but the devil wants us to think.  If Jesus is WHO The Bible said and did WHAT the Bible says, THEN we are the Righteousness of God, and ALL things are ours.

God views things from Heaven’s perspective FINISHED.  We view things from our earthly human perspective as they exist in our time-space continuum.  God calls things that are not (in the natural) as though they were because they are in Heaven.  God is not looking at the problem from the problem but from the solution.  He is not looking at things from earth, reaching for heaven. He is looking at things in his Eternal Present and sees them done. 

If we believe the Bible, it is time for us to begin to view ourselves as Abiding in Christ, and from that position and condition, we can see ourselves as being AS HE IS.  How is He?  He is Victorious, having triumphed over the devil.  Jesus did not live with any sense of lack.  He saw things as the Father saw them.  He did what He saw the Father doing and said what He heard the Father saying.  Therefore, if we are IN HIM, we, too, need to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our thinking to view life from God’s Eternal Present rather than our human frailty.

It is time to declare our victory, dispossess the squatters on our promises and possess our inheritance.  

WHO ARE WE?  We are those to whom all things have been given. Therefore, as a Child of the King and more than a conqueror, a New Creation in Jesus, I can be a manifestation of Jesus on this earth.  Today I urge you to dismiss doubt and disregard all the flaws you think you see in yourself, open your heart and hands to God, and say THANK YOU!  Receive it; it’s yours.

God bless you as you embark on a new way of thinking and living, Victorious in Jesus

Hebrews 13:5-6 – “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”  NKJV

In my years of ministry and life, I have learned that without contentment, a person lives in an unending miserable state.  Covetousness is a vicious companion, as are Envy and Greed.  No wonder the apostle Paul told us that he had learned to be “content in the state he found himself.”  He knew how to abound, and he knew how to be abased.  His confidence was not in Things but in GOD, which is where ours should be.  If we focus on What We Do Not Have rather than who We Have, we will live lives filled with “What If Moments” and be continually dissatisfied with virtually every aspect of our lives.

In the above passage, I see that courage is one of the by-products of contentment.   There is courage for life, facing obstacles, ministry, and attempting the difficult and even impossible.  It provides the foundation by which we can rise to the heights that God has designed and desired for our lives. 

We move from the condition of victim to the place of victor because of the statement in verse six: “THE LORD is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?”  You will come to the condition and position that your life is “hidden with Christ in God,” and nothing or no one can touch your eternal spirit.  Oh, they may inflict wounds on your body, and if you allow them on your emotions but your eternal spirit cannot be touched, it is in God’s Hands, safe and secure.

I no longer worry about those things that I can do nothing about.  I work to change my circumstances when they are contrary to what I believe God would have them, but I do not fret over the present or live in the past.  I keep my eyes firmly fixed on the Ultimate Goal and Objective.  I press toward the mark of the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus.  I realize that whatever state I am in is temporary and that My God will supply all my needs according to His Riches in Glory.  He will grant me the wisdom to know what to do, the ability to accomplish the task, and the provisions to sustain me in times of plenty or lean.

So, as you go through your day, go with God allowing the Holy Spirit to bring a spirit and sense of contentment, not complacency, into your hearts.  As you do, you will quickly rise above the circumstances and stand victorious in mind, body, and spirit. 

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Jeremiah 32:17 – “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You.” NASB

When we view God as Who He is – Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, we quickly conclude that “Nothing is too difficult for Him.”  When we examine the record of the Bible and see His exploits, we quickly realize that He is Omnipotent and His power unlimited.  When we recall the times in our own lives when God has demonstrated His Power and His Grace, we realize that There is None Like Him in all creation.  No wonder the prophet of old would say – “Ah, Lord GOD, you are creator with infinite power and can do anything!”

Life experiences help us develop faith.  I have faith that when I sit in a chair, it will hold up under my weight, and I will not fall to the floor.  I have tested chairs before, and almost all of them have held me up. I trust that the airplane I get into will rise from the earth and soar through the skies to its destination because I have ridden in numerous airplanes, and they have done just that.  I trust that when I flip the light switch, there will be light in the room because previously, I have done so, and it worked. 

Life experiences generate confidence in us that something will be as it is supposed to be or as expected.  The same is true with God in that we have tasted His goodness, seen demonstrations of His power and might, experienced His mercy and grace, and therefore We Believe!  We believe that He can.  We believe that He will.  We believe that He wants to.

It would be beyond my human ability to recall all the times that God has demonstrated His supernatural power in my own life, not to mention the countless other lives that I have personally witnessed Him in.  So, I, along with the prophet of old, declare, “Ah, Lord GOD!  You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  NOTHING is too difficult for you!”  I trust you and quietly live confidently that You are and will ever be My GOD!

I don’t know what you might be facing today, but I know God is more than enough for whatever that is.  I love the song Joel and LaBreeska Hemphill wrote, “When Jesus Says It’s Enough.”  In that song, they declare that when Jesus says it’s enough, it will be enough, and I know He’s aware, and He really cares about all that pertains to me.  I’ve had my share of troubles and trials, and sometimes the going gets rough, but when Jesus says it’s enough, it’ll be enough.   I say AMEN!  So, whatever you are facing, cast your care on the Lord, and when He speaks peace to your situation, all your sorrows and troubles will have to flee. 

May the Lord be with you as you go through your day!

Psalm 6:9 – “The LORD has heard my supplication; The LORD will receive my prayer.” NKJV

There were many times in his life of David that he was under pressure, and stress or distress filled his days.  God called David a man after His own heart, and I believe that one of the reasons was that David always had a heart for God.  He could look around and recognize the wickedness and desire other than that.  He truly desired to please God and was confident that if he turned to God, God would turn to him.  Thus, the basis of this prayer and hope in the Lord is that God not only heard him but received his petition!

I believe that Scriptures like this one and the truth presented was the basis of John’s words in 1 John 5:14-15 – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” NKJV The early Christians had a confidence in God that propelled them to achieve great things for the Kingdom and should do the same for us.  It kept them steadfast amid the storms of life and gave them a deep, settled peace and assurance that God heard them, and the answer was on the way.  We should have the same confidence, and as the writer of Hebrews declares in Hebrews 10:35 – “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” NKJV

I firmly believe that God loves us so much that He carefully listens to our cries or prayers.  He wants to respond to our petitions, and when he finds a heart filled with expectation and confidence in Him, He is moved with deep compassion.  There is something about having the assurance that God has not only heard you but received your petition and is responding to it.  You may not know when the answer is coming or even how it is coming, but in your heart, you know it is coming.  There is something not only comforting about that but will embolden your spirit and quicken your resolve to continue your walk and work in Him.

Don’t look at man. You will grow despondent.  Look to God, and your heart will rise above the problems of this life and soar into the presence of the Almighty.  There will come a peace within your inner self that will enable you to enjoy His Grace and peace amidst the storms of life.  Remember, God is on your side and always on the side of right!

May God be with you as you go through your day!