I am a Friend of God!

The Song: I am a Friend of God
by Israel Houghton and Michael Gungor

If you have Real Player, click here to hear a little sample of the song.

If you use Windows Media Player click here to hear a little sample of the song.

The Lyrics:
Who am I that You are mindful of me
That You hear me when I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me
How You love me it's amazing

(Chorus)
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

God Almighty, Lord of Glory
You have called me friend

(Repeat Chorus)
He calls me friend
He calls me friend...

We sang this song at church two Sundays ago, and it has been on my heart and on my lips every day since! The words just sank in down and stirred within my soul as the meaning of the lyrics seeped into my bones! It just boggles my mind to think that the Almighty God has called us His friends! You don't believe me? Let's look at what the Word says:

"Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness and he was called the friend of God." James 2:23

Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:14, 15

By living a life of obedience in love, we demonstrate to others that we are friends with God Almighty.

“This is my commandment: Love each other.”
John 15:17

Did you notice that Jesus’ friendship with us is characterized by full disclosure on His part? During the days He walked in the flesh, Christ revealed everything he learned from the Father to His disciples, and ultimately to us.

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15

Jesus gave us the best knowledge we could ever want from Him...the knowledge of the Father Himself, shared with us through the Word! He hasn’t kept secrets from us, but instead has given us an intimate peek into God as our Father through His Word. He generously gives us wisdom in understanding the Word, and how to live according to His Word. He willingly reveals his mind and character to us through the Word too! Isn’t genuine friendship built on disclosure and trust? It is amazing to me that our Savior would reveal Himself to us in such an intimate and full way!

Jesus also models true friendship for us in scripture. He shared the thoughts, desires and hopes that God our Father has for us. He disclosed the ways of God through His life. He shares His sacrificial love for us. He demonstrates His love for us in a way that could never be duplicated or surpassed.

He wants the same honest disclosure from us too...about everything. Why try to hide anything? Does that make sense? He knows about everything in us anyway! He can see deep into our hearts where we try to hide our ugliest secrets from everyone. And we may be successful hiding it from everyone else…but not Him. So why be a hypocrite and hold back the truth about our feelings from Him? Let it out!

Even what you think may be viewed as audacity in your full disclosure to Him, God views as authenticity. Express yourself, unburden yourself, and experience freedom in Christ like never before as the strongholds of secrecy and unconfessed sins are lifted!

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

What do we have to lose? We only lose our egotistical self pretenses in front of God. He is not going to love us any less! In the process of shedding the useless false pretenses, unhindered by guilt or fear, in being completely honest about everything, our relationship with our heavenly Father deepens and becomes intimate.

“…Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” Hebrews 13:5

He has spoken nothing but truth to us…can we do the same in return?

These are the lyrics to a song called "You Called Me Friend” by Fred Hammond.

Perfect and true,
Pure in all Your ways,
Oh Lord, there is none else like You,
no one like You,
and all these things,
keep me in awe of You,
and I'm overwhelmed that you would,
call me friend.

I guess I still find it utterly amazing that the perfect, omniscient God would want a friendship with me…obviously His grace, forgiveness and the blood of Jesus covers me beyond measure ever so completely!

“The Son of Man came … a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Matthew 11:19a

Halleluyah! \0/

The ABC's of Who You Are in Christ

Most of this article originally sent to me via email as an Excel file that placed your name automatically in place of the word "you." I have added a little to the "you ares". Read this and personalize this with your name or "I am". In any event realize that this is what God's Word says about YOU! Rejoice! \0/

You are able - Philippians 4:13
You are abounding in grace - 2 Corinthians 9:8
You are abounding in hope - Romans 15:4, 13
You are Abraham's offspring - Galatians 3:29
You are abundant - John 10:10
You are accepted - Ephesians 1:6
You have access - Ephesians 2:18
You are adequate - 2 Corinthians 3:5
You are adopted - Ephesians 1:5
You are alive - Ephesians 2:4-5
You are an ambassador for Christ - 2 Corinthians 5:20
You are anointed - 1 John 2:20
You are anxious for nothing - Philippians 4:6
You are the apple of His eye - Zechariah 2:8
You are appointed by God - John 15:16
You are the aroma of Christ - 2 Corinthians 2:15
You are not ashamed - 2 Timothy 1:12
You are assured of reward - 1 Corinthians 15:58
You are assured of success - Proverbs 16:3
You have authority over the devil - Luke 9:1
You are baptized into Christ - 1 Corinthians 12:15
You are beautiful - Psalm 149:4
You are becoming a mature person - Ephesians 4:13
You are becoming conformed to Christ - Romans 8:29
You are a believer - Romans 10:9
You belong to God - John 17:9
You are betrothed - Hosea 2:19-20
You are blameless - 1 Corinthians 1:8
You are blessed - Ephesians 1:3
You are blood bought - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
You are bold - Proverbs 28:1
You are a bondservant - Psalm 116:16
You are born of God - 1 John 5:18
You are born again - 1 Peter 1:23
You are bought with a price - 1 Corinthians 6:20
You are a branch of the True Vine - John 15:5
You are His bride - Isaiah 54:5
You are His brother - Hebrews 2:11
You are brought near - Ephesians 2:13
You are built up - 1 Peter 2:5
You are buried with Christ - Romans 6:4
You are called - 1 Peter 5:10
You are calm - Philippians 4:6
You are cared for - 1 Peter 5:7
You are carried - Exodus 19:4
You are changed - 1 Samuel 10:6
You are a child of God - John 1:12
You are cherished - Ephesians 5:29
You are chosen - 1 Peter 2:9
You are circumcised spiritually - Colossians 2:11
You are a citizen of heaven - Philippians 3:20
You are clay in the potter's hand - Jeremiah 18:6
You are clean - Ezekiel 36:25; John 15:3
You are cleansed - 1 John 1:7,9
You are clothed with Christ - Galatians 3:27
You are a co-heir with Christ - Romans 8:17
You are comforted - Jeremiah 31:13
You are complete in Christ - Colossians 2:10
You are confident - 1 John 4:17
You are confident of answers to prayer - 1 John 5:14-15
You are confident He will finish you - Philippians 1:6
You are confident He will never leave you - Hebrews 13:5- 6
You are a conqueror - Romans 8:37
You are content - Philippians 4:11
You are content with weakness - 2 Corinthians 12:10
You are continually with God - Psalm 73:23
You are controlled by the love of Christ - 2 Corinthians 12:10
You are courageous - 1 Chronicles 28:20
You are created in Christ for good works - Ephesians 2:10
You are created in His image - Genesis 1:27
You are crucified with Him - Galatians 2:20
You are dead to sin - Romans 6:11
You are a delight - Psalm 147:11
You are delighted in - Isaiah 42:1
You are delivered - Psalm 107:6
You are desired - Psalm 45:11
You are determined - Philippians 4:13
You are a disciple - John 8:31-32
You are disciplined - Hebrews 12:5-11
You are drawing near with confidence - Hebrews 4:16
You are empowered to obey - Philippians 2:13
You are encouraged - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
You are enlightened - Ephesians 1:18
You are enriched in everything - 1 Corinthians 1:5
You are equipped - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
You are established - Deuteronomy 28:9
You have eternal life - John 3:36
You have every good thing - Philemon 6
You are exalted at His right hand - Acts 2:34-35
You are faithful - Revelation 17:14
You are family - Psalm 68:5
You are far from oppression - Isaiah 54:14
You are favored - Job 10:12
You are a fellow citizen with the saints - Ephesians 2:19
You are a fellow worker - Colossians 4:11
You are filled - Acts 2:4
You are filled to the fullness of God - Colossians 2:9- 10
You are filled with the fruit of righteousness - Philippians 1:11
You are filled with the fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22-23
You are filled with the knowledge of His will - Colossians 1:9
You are filled with joy - John 17:13
You are a finished product -in progress - Philippians 1:6
You are a first fruit - Romans 8:23
You are forgiven - Ephesians 1:7
You are formed in the womb by God - Jeremiah 1:5
You are a friend of God - John 15:14, 15
You were lost, but now are found - Luke 19:10
You are a fragrance - 1 Corinthians 1:15-16
You are free - John 8:36
You are freely given all things - Romans 8:32
You are gifted - Romans 12:6
You are given His magnificent promises - 2 Peter 1:3-4
You are given His Holy Spirit - 2 Corinthians 1:22
You are glorified with Him - 2 Thessalonians 2:14
You are God's child - John 1:12
You are God's gift to Christ - John 17:24
You know God is for you - Romans 8:31
You are gracious - Proverbs 22:11
You are granted grace in Christ Jesus - Romans 5:17,20
You are guarded by God - 2 Timothy 1:12
You are guarded by God's peace - Philippians 4:7
You are guaranteed - Ephesians 1:13-14
You are guided - Psalm 48:14
You are guiltless - Romans 8:1
You are the head - Deuteronomy 28:13
You are healed - 1 Peter 2:24
You are healthy - Deuteronomy 7:15
You are an heir of God - Titus 3:7
You are helped by Him - Isaiah 44:2
You are hidden with Christ in God - Colossians 3:3
You are His - Isaiah 43:1
You are His handiwork - Ephesians 2:10
You are holy - Ephesians 1:4
You are honored - 2 Timothy 2:21
You are humble -Philippians 2:24
You are the image of God - Genesis 1:27
You are the image and glory of God - 1 Corinthians 11:7
You are an imitator of God - Ephesians 5:1
You are in Christ Jesus - 1 Corinthians 1:30
You are included - Ephesians 1:13
You are indestructible - John 6:51
You are indwelt by Christ Jesus - John 14:20
You are indwelt by His Spirit - Romans 8:11
You are inscribed on His palms - Isaiah 49:16
You are inseparable from His love - Romans 8:35
You are an instrument of righteousness - Romans 6:13
You are joyful - Philippians 4:4
You are justified - Acts 13:39
You are kept - Isaiah 38:17
You are in a Kingdom of priests - Revelation 1:6
You are a king's kid - Psalm 44:4
You know all things work together for good - Romans 8:28
You are known - 2 Timothy 2:19
You lack no wisdom - James 1:5
You are lavished with riches of His grace - Ephesians 1:7-8
You are led in Christ's triumph - 2 Corinthians 2:14
You are liberated - Romans 6:23
You have life abundant - 1 John 4:9; John 10:10
You have life and peace in the Spirit - Romans 8:6
You have light - John 8:12
You are a light in a dark place - Acts 13:47
You have life flowing through you - John 7:38
You are like a watered garden - Isaiah 58:11
You are a living stone in a spiritual house - 1 Peter 2:5
You are the Lord's - Isaiah 44:5
You are loved - John 3:16
You are loved constantly, unconditionally - Isaiah 43:4
You are loyal - Psalm 86:2
You are made by Him - Psalm 100:3
You are a magnifier of God - Psalm 69:30
You are marked - Ephesians 1:13
You are a member of His body - Ephesians 5:30
You are might in God - Luke 10:19
You have the mind of Christ - 1 Corinthians 2:16
You are a minister - 2 Corinthians 3:6
You are a minister of reconciliation - 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
You are a mountain mover - Mark 11:22-23
You are named - Isaiah 43:1
You are near to God - Ephesians 2:13
You are never forsaken - Hebrews 13:5
You are new - Ephesians 4:24
You are new born - 1 Peter 2:2
You are a new creation - 2 Corinthians 5:17
You have new life - Romans 6:4
You are part of a new race - 1 Peter 2:9
You are not condemned - Romans 8:1
You are no longer a slave to sin - Romans 6:6
You have not been given a spirit of fear - 1 Timothy 1:7
You are obedient - Isaiah 1:19
You are an object of mercy - Romans 9:23
You are obtained an inheritance - Ephesians 1:11
You are of God's household - Ephesians 2:19
You are on the winning side - Colossians 2:15
You are one with Him - John 17:23-24
You are an overcomer - 1 John 5:4-5
You are pardoned - Jeremiah 33:8
You are a partaker of Christ - Hebrews 3:14
You are a partaker of the Holy Spirit - Hebrews 6:4
You are a partaker of grace - Philippians 1:7
You are a partaker of the promise in Christ - Ephesians 3:6
You have passed from death to life - John 5:24
You are patient - James 5:8
You have peace - Philippians 4:7
You are one of the people of God - 1 Peter 2:9
You are being perfected - 1 Peter 5:10
You are pleasing to God - Psalm 149:4
You are God's own possession - Titus 2:14
You are possessor of all things - 1 Corinthians 3:21-23
You have the power of God behind you - Philippians 3:21
You have power - Acts 1:8
You have power over the devil - Luke 9:1
You are predestined - Ephesians 1:11
You are prepared beforehand for glory - Romans 9:23
You are prosperous - Psalm 1:3
You are protected - Psalm 91:14
You are provided for - Matthew 6:33
You are purchased - Revelation 5:9
You are purposeful - Psalm 138:8
You are qualified - Colossians 1:12
You are raised up with Christ - Ephesians 2:6
You are ransomed with Him - Isaiah 35:10
You are rare - Proverbs 20:15
You have received mercy - 1 Peter 2:10
You have received an unshakable Kingdom - Hebrews 12:28
You are reconciled to God - Romans 5:10
You are redeemed - Galatians 3:13
You are refined - Isaiah 48:10
You are reigning with Him - Romans 5:17
You are rejoicing - Romans 5:2-3
You are renewed - 2 Corinthians 4:16
You are His representative - Matthew 5:16
You are rescued - Colossians 1:13
You have rest provided - Matthew 11:28-30
You are rewarded by God - Isaiah 49:4
You are rich - 2 Corinthians 8:9
You are righteous - Ephesians 4:22
You are rooted and built up in Him - Colossians 2:7
You are royalty - Romans 5:17; 8:16-17
You are a royal priesthood - 1 Peter 2:9
You are safe - Psalm 4:8
You are a saint of God - Psalm 34:9
You are the salt of the earth - Matthew 5:13
You are sanctified - 1 Corinthians 6:11
You are satisfied - Jeremiah 31:14
You are saved - Ephesians 2:8
You are sealed by God with His Holy Spirit - Ephesians 1:13
You are seated with Him - Ephesians 2:6
You are secure - Deuteronomy 33:12
You are sent - John 20:21
You are set free - John 8:31-32,36
You are sharing Christ's inheritance - Romans 8:17
You are sharing His glory - John 17:22,24
You are His sheep - Psalm 23:1
You are sheltered - Psalm 91:1
You are shielded - Psalm 91:4
You are a slave to righteousness - Romans 6:18
You are His soldier - 2 Timothy 2:3-4
You are a son of God - Romans 8:14
You are stable - Isaiah 33:6
You are standing in His grace - Romans 5:2
You are standing firm in Christ - 2 Corinthians 1:21
You have your steps established by the Lord - Psalm 37:23
You are strengthened in Him - Ephesians 3:16
You are strong in the Lord - 1 Corinthians 1:8
You are amply supplied - Philippians 4:18
You are sustained from birth - Psalm 71:6
You are a temple - 1 Corinthians 3:16
You are thought about - Psalm 139:17-18
You are transferred into His Kingdom - Colossians 1:13
You are transformed - 2 Corinthians 3:18
You are treasured - Psalm 83:3
You are triumphant - 2 Corinthians 2:14
Youare unafraid - Isaiah 44:2; 51:12
You are understood - Ephesians 1:8
You are united with Christ - Romans 6:5
You are upheld - Psalm 37:17
You are upright - Psalm 7:10
You are unblemished - Colossians 1:22
You have understanding - 2 Timothy 2:7
You are useful for His glory - Isaiah 43:7
You are valuable - Luke 12:24
You live in victory - 1 Corinthians 15:57
You are walking in His light - 1 John 1:7
You are a warrior - 2 Corinthians 10:4
You are washed - Titus 3:5
You are watching for His return - Luke 12:37
You are weak, then are strong - 2 Corinthians 12:10
You are in a wealthy place - Psalm 66:12
You are welcome - Luke 11:9
You are being made whole - Mark 5:34
You put on the whole armor of God - Ephesians 6:11
You are wise - Proverbs 2:6
You are His witness - Acts 1:8
You are His workmanship - Ephesians 2:10
You are not of this world - John 17:14
You are His worshipper - Psalm 95:6
You are worthy - Revelation 3:4
You are yielded to God - Romans 6:13
You are yoked with Jesus - Matthew 11:29
You are heaven bound, guaranteed. - I Peter 1: 4

You made all the delicate inner parts of my body O God, andYou knit me in my mother's womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Everyday of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are Your thoughts about me O God. And when I wake up in the morning, You are always still with me.

Psalm 139 (The Book) \0/

Original Author Unknown

*The copyright of this web site does not pertain to works that I have CLEARLY indicated are not my original thoughts, and are clearly specified as such. This article is clearly one (stated in the FIRST paragraph) that I do NOT claim sole authorship to, nor claim to copyright.

Who's Your Daddy?

Okay, we've heard the above question many times in jest, and used in another context. ;-) But seriously, Just who is your daddy? I am not referring to our earthly, biological fathers, but to our Father God who is in Heaven. The bible tells us that God is our Heavenly Father. We should not take that statement lightly. He is our Father!

Many of us grew up taught, conditioned, or just believed God to be a Diety that sits high on a cloud in judgement, dispensing punishment and destruction with lightning and thunder at will. We never knew Him as the benevolent, loving and caring Father that He is. Do you know who your Heavenly Father, your Daddy, is?

Just who is God? To understand a little better who He is, let's take a look at a few attributes of His character.

The Word tell us that God is:

• Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End - Revelation 1, 21, 22
• All knowing and ever present (Omniscient) - Psalms 139
• YAHWEH - I AM - Exodus 3:13-15
• The Creator - Psalms 8, 104, 148
• Loving and faithful - Psalms 23, 42, 51
• Good and generous - Psalms 34, 81, 107
• Holy - Psalms 66, 99, 145
• Love - 1 John 4:16
• Merciful and forgiving - 1 John 1:9, Psalms 32, 111, 130
• Powerful - Psalms 76, 89, 93
• Righteous and just - Psalms 71, 97, 113
• Spirit - Psalms 104, 139, 143
• 2 Samuel 22 tells us that He is:



our Rock

our Fortress

our Deliver

our Refuge

our Shield

Horn of our Salvation

our Savior

worthy of praise

our Lamp

Perfect

Flawless

• He delights in our prayers - Proverbs 15:8, 15:29
• Purifies hearts - Proverbs 17:3
• He knows the heart of all people - Proverbs 15:11, 16:2, 21:2

And this is just the beginning of God's wonderful attributes. Get to know your Heavenly Daddy. Just like an earthly relationship takes time and committment to develop, your relationship with God needs to be cultivated too (on your end). Spend time talking to Him. Read what He has to say in His word. He has loved you and planned for your life even before you were born. He's waiting to hear from you!

Get to know Him as much as we can fathom of His character in our humaness. And the next time someone asks, "Who's your Daddy?" you can smile, knowing that you know, that you know, that you know!

\0/

A Prayer For My Married Sisters In Christ

Father, we come before You thanking You for mere fact that we know to come to You with our problems. We know that You are the author and finisher, the perfecter of our faith. Based on Your word, we have the confidence knowing that You hear us and understand our every need, and we thank You for that. Father, we thank You for Your Spirit that dwells inside of us that draws us nearer and closer to You bit by bit everyday. Halleluyah!

You have given us a cherished and challenging place in the world as mothers. We thank You for Your loving arms of protection around our families, as we go about our daily activities, keeping us safe from hurt, harm and danger. We ask that You continue to protect us, and keep us, making us ever so mindful that it is by Your mercy and grace that in You, we live and move and have our being, O merciful Father.

It is our utmost prayer to do everything that You place in our hearts as mothers to lead our children to You in their young lives. Your word tells us that if we train up a child in Your teachings, when he is old, he will not depart from it, and we thank You for that promise, Lord. We thank You for the privilege of raising Your little ones to adulthood following Your precepts. We ask that You continuously lead and guide us giving us much needed wisdom as how to train, advise and watch over our sons and daughters in these ever increasingly sinful times. Guide us through decisions regarding educational choices for our little ones that have future consequences. As a family, Father bless us going in, and coming out, recognizing that we are the seed of Abraham and heirs to the promises of You, Father God.

Father, while we acknowledge that You are in control of everything, we know that we need Your help in managing ourselves as the wives that You would have us to be. You have given each one of us a husband that we are to be the helpmeet to. Your Word makes it clear that the husband is the head of the household as Christ is head of the church, and in return, we wives are to be subject to our husbands as the church is subject to Christ. Following Your Word, we thank You that we experience and share love and respect in our marriages. Help us to be the supportive wives that our husbands can always depend on. Help us to continue to grow in the fruits of the Spirit, thereby improving our relationships with our husband and others.

Whenever we feel lonely, depressed, tired, stressed out or unloved, gently remind us that You love us, and that we are to abide in Your love drawing our strength and worth from You. Help us as wives learn to master our emotions, and not let our emotions rule us. We thank You for reminding us that You are in control- that worry and anxiety will not fix a thing. Bless us with good health so that we may be available for our children and our husbands. Help us to be good stewards of our bodies, so that we know when to take a rest, not working our bodies into overdrive, bringing low resistance, tiredness, and possible illness.

As wives Lord, give us the wisdom to know when well enough is enough, to know when to be silent, and to know when to speak up. In all things let our actions and our words permeate the love of Christ throughout our marriages and our homes, bringing peace and harmony to our home, our sanctuary. Father, mold us, and shape us wives to become lovely imitators of Christ, virtuous women in our homes, making our husbands proud and thankful. We thank you for your Word which states that we can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives us strength.

Bless our husbands, Lord. Let him recognize Jesus Christ as the perfect model of love and sacrifice, and let him as a father, and as a husband, model that example for his children, especially for his sons. Lord, let him realize that You have given him the wisdom, the authority and the God ordained leadership role to raise his household serving You, Lord. We ask that You continue to mold our husbands into the model of good stewardship over all of Your blessings that You continuously bless us with, so that we may be a blessing to someone else in need. We thank You for these blessings Lord.

On the job Lord, give our husbands favor with his boss and superiors. Let him prosper on his job, becoming the head, and not the tail. Let him gain admiration and respect on his job Lord, but only because of his commitment to You, which models excellence in everything he does on his job.

As individuals and as families, Lord we ask that you reveal your special purposes you have planned for us. We want to do your will Lord. Lead us into the path you have chosen for us so that we may willingly and faithfully fulfill your plans.

Lord, above all, we thank you, and we praise your Holy name. We ask that in all things that Your divine will be done, and we will always continue to trust and believe in Your plans and Your purposes for our lives. We ask all these blessings in your most precious name, Amen.

\0/Halleluyah!

The Heart of God

Judging people solely by actions can be very inaccurate. Have you ever longed to look inside someone's heart to understand what the person is really like and what his or her motivations and beliefs truly are?

When it comes to really knowing the Lord, we certainly need to be able to see inside His heart. We live in an age of misinformation about who God is. Unfortunately, confusion over His characteristics, forgiveness, and gift of eternal security frequently lead people to disregard Him. But to understand the heart of God, all we need to do is look at the Cross.

The Cross demonstrates both God's justice and His mercy. We never have to worry about the Father being unfair; His righteousness requires that He always does the right thing in every circumstance.

God is perfectly Holy; therefore, His just and appropriate sentence for sin is eternal separation from Him. However, God wants to have fellowship with His creation. How does a Holy, Righteous, and Just God interact with sinful, rebellious human beings?

He prepared a perfect, sinless substitute to bear not only mankind's guilt but also the punishment each one of us deserves. Jesus Christ's death made it possible for us to be declared no longer guilty - our sin debt has been paid in full, and we appropriate that payment on our behalf by receiving Jesus as our Savior. The Lord's justice demanded that His Son undergo the worst possible punishment - separation from the Father - so that God's mercy could be poured out on us.

We thank God for His mercy. Hallelujah!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:16-21


\0/ Devotion provided by InTouch Ministries (Thanks, D'Ann!)

Life and Death Musings....

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die..." Ecclesiastes 3:1,2

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

Why is it that we get most reflective about life when someone dies? Why is it then that we realize the fragility of our own bodies and the certainty of our own demise? Why are we shocked when someone dies? Why don't we feel a need to get it right spiritually before someone dies?

Why do we tend to treat life as a ho-hum event until someone dies? Why do we tend to notice detailed beauty in nature, and the pleasures of simpler things in life after someone dies?

Why do we wait until after someone dies to compliment them and talk to them in our own minds or at the gravesite about how wonderful they were? Why is it that we wait until after they die to tell others how much they meant to us, and the colorful anecdotes of their personalities?

Why is it that we wait until a death occurs to find an opportunity to pray a heartfelt prayer, thanking God for our lives and those of our families and friends?

Why is it then at the news of death that we realize with more clarity, that we are powerless, and that God really is in control of things whether we like His plans or not?

If we know that our loved one's spirit is finally at peace with God, why are we sad? Are we sad for the deceased, or selfishly sad for ourselves or sad for others left behind, such as children?

Why do we tend to hold family a little closer and realize how much they mean to us after someone else dies?

Just wondering..........

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (KJV)

Got Compassion?

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12


Have you noticed that in catastrophic situations such as 9/11 or the recent tsunami disaster, the absolute best of humanity readily shines through? We freely demonstrate unbridled giving and compassion when it comes to helping masses of theoretically faceless, unknown, people on a large scale. People coming together from all parts of the world as one body, unselfishly helping the ones in need is indeed awe inspiring. I imagine that God is pleased.

On the flip side, I have been disappointed in what I see in myself and in mankind in general, when it comes to demonstrating compassion on a much smaller scale...especially with people that we do not know well or at all. When presented with the situation of the person crying alone in the hospital waiting room, or the upset co-worker with whom we interact everyday, on a one on one basis, we seemingly fall flat on our faces. It seems that when it comes down to demonstrating compassion in those types of instances, we use such cop-outs such as, "It's none of my business," "I don't know him/her," or "How do I know he/she is not crazy?" "I'm in a hurry, and I can't be late!"

The Spirit of God inside of us cries out, urging us to demonstrate the compassion of Christ towards the person in need. And generally what do we do? We ignore Him...repeatedly. In this sense, we are behaving like the multitude of faceless businesses and corporations by not recognizing the whole person, the inner person and their personal state of need...not being the Spirit filled beings that we are. We generally behave as if it is safer or better for us 'not to see' the person in need, than to have to step out of our own comfort zones to address them. In this light, I'm not accusing anyone here, but I'm asking several 'point blank' questions for you ask yourselves:

How many times have you turned your head and pretended not to see a person that you could have reached out to?

Why do you do that?

What keeps you from reaching out?

Fear? Fear of the unknown?

Fear of potential embarrassment?

Fear of having to actually do something?

Fear that it may cost us something?

Fear that we'll be late going to our destination?

As it is, it is only by God's magnificent grace that we ourselves are not the ones in need.

Perhaps the next time the opportunity presents itself to demonstrate the compassion and love of Christ, these scriptures may come to mind:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.

32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,

36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,

43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Matthew 25: 31-45

Hold on, hold on, hold on! Before you try to beat me down, I am NOT saying that you are compelled to automatically go to the aid of every homeless man you pass on the sidewalk, or all of the beggars at the traffic lights or every commercial that comes on TV asking for your monetary support! What I am saying is to listen to the Spirit of God within yourself. He speaks to you all the time. He will lead you and guide you. He will let you know which opportunities are for you to step in. You will know. This is where discernment and wisdom from God play a big role. When the time comes for your opportunity to reach out in compassion, to someone hurting or in need, do not be afraid.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:6-8 (KJV)

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Phillipians 2: 1-3

Ready? Set. Go!

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A Little Humor --

Humor is always a good thing, so don't be gettin' your feathers all ruffled up! Instead of getting mad, if this is talking to you, CHANGE your ways!!! Hello! ;-0


You Know You Are a Ghetto Christian If......

1. You lie on an application to get a job and then get up and testify that "God made a way out of no way!"

2. You get mad at a visitor and call them out for sitting in YOUR seat.

3. You tell the preacher to baptize you from the neck down because you just got your hair done!

4. You take 2 hours to get ready for church, get there late, and leave early.

5. You open your bible and you cough from the dust that flies out.

6. Your wedding song is 'Secret Lovers'.

7. You say aliens abducted you, but the Lord set you free.

8. You do not lift your hand during worship because your acrylic nail is broken.

9. The only time you like to sing in the choir is when they let you sing "your" song.

10. You do not tithe because you say, "the preacher might be crooked and stealing the Lord's money, so I don't want to give it to him."

11. You have ever said, "Show me in the bible where it says, thou shall not smoke."

12. Your favorite part of the service is the benediction.

13. You overheard someone say, "We got fed today at service" and you asked if they served chicken.

14. You think "The Trinity" is a new female gospel group.

15. You just got finished smoking on the outside of the church and then try to lead a song, get choked up, holding your throat and say to the congregation, "The devil don't want me to sing this song."

16. The only scripture you know is, "Jesus wept."

17. You know you attend a ghetto church when they stop worship to announce someone parked in the pastor's spot and they are currently being towed.

Author Unknown

What's JOY Got To Do With It?

The word happiness may evoke for some, visions of a beautiful day at the beach, or being in the presence of the one(s) you hold dear, or being in good health, or watching your children's faces as they open up their long waited for Christmas presents or maybe for you it's being tucked inside your home in front of the fireplace with hot cocoa watching as snow falls silently, transforming the landscape, or knowing that all of your bills are paid...in advance...I know these things are sheer happiness for me! ;-)

The point is this: Everyone has things/situations/people that make them happy, and everyone wants to be happy. A lot of times we feel that it is our right to be happy. Well, why not? We are told all our lives, "Life is short, enjoy it!" Do we not spend our entire lives in the pursuit of happiness? In addition to getting things that we need, we work long and hard to buy more things, bigger homes, faster, more luxurious cars, advanced electronic gadgets, collecting more things, and trying different things for more experiences -- all in this elusive quest of 'happiness' --which is really a longing for a fulfillment inside of ourselves that cannot ever be fulfilled...by our selves in any manner.

If our happiness depends on our particular 'happy' circumstances, what happens when the money runs out, the stuff we've collected is stolen, the gadget are obsolete, the cars rust, the home is demolished by a tornado, our health deteriorates, loved ones die, and our friends forsake us? Then what? Isn't that when depression and despair easily chase our long sought after happiness away? Happiness is temporal, solely based on our circumstances.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:Rejoice!" Philipians 4:4

Okay, everybody, think Tina Turner here, and sing along:
"Oh, oh, oh, what's JOY got to do with it, got to do with it?"

Everything, and joy should not be a second hand emotion. When we read the book of Philipians in the Bible, we see that it is a book emphasizing the real joy of the christian life. Paul wrote this book locked up behind bars, but from his exhortations of joy you would never know it. The Apostle Paul learned the secret to a joyful life: whatever the circumstances, be content, finding real joy in knowing Christ focusing on Him, and being content in that!

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11

Of course we know that it is much easier to 'talk the talk' than to actually 'walk the walk' when it comes to persevering joyfully in the face of adversity. I personally, have been blessed not to have endured any of the hardships of Paul, or hardships that people in my very own town go through everyday. It is one thing to 'talk' joy, and quote scriptures about joy in the days of sunshine, than it is to live it and be it in the midst of the storm. It is my prayer that when my day comes to be tested that I am able to stand firmly shielding myself with faith in the Word resting in God's peace and security.

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philipians 2:1, 2

Paul went from being a financially well off, highly respected Jewish scholar to being a jailed, despised by many, Christian. Yet, he still knew and experienced real joy. The joy of Christ. Wow, that's what I'm talking about! Amen!

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