Great Storms, bring Angels

Just recently, my husband Bob, close to 92 years young was having severe chest pains. Early in the morning he had taken a nitro and waited for the pains to subside. He finally told me that I should take him to the ER. If you knew him, you would know; this had to be serious for him to request such a thing.  I was filling out Bobs admission in the ER and not one person knew what was going on. Our Pastor was there! How did he know about our problem? Who could have told him? He “just happened” to be there for another person. Seeing our shepherd lifted my heart and I knew without a doubt, he was sent from God for us! This was pre-arranged and a divine appointment!  We talked and he prayed for us. Gods love and strength was unmistakable in our lives. Then, I found out Bobs cardiologist “just happened” to be on call in the ER. 

As they were monitoring his vitals I began to call and text our families and friends to pray. Now, everyone knew what was going on. I looked up and two “love angels” showed up to be by our side during this storm. To try to describe all the love that was showered upon us, would be impossible to put into words. We were overwhelmed by Gods love. There were continued phone calls to help, texts, emails and always prayer.  

God’s love holds you up when your body feel like crashing. His love brings us into a lush valley that is all encompassed by His angels and saints. Big things happen in our lives so we can see God’s power and experience the greatness of His love. His love creates hope and faith to our hearts.

My Father God kept saying to me, “I love you, I love you, I love you!”  O the tears!

While I was waiting during the surgery and recovery, there were two very strong godly warriors that stayed by my side the whole time. Their last name is “Sturm” german for “Storm.” Always be assured, though the sky may get dark, God sends His hero’s to see you through.

When I was tempted to weaken, they kept the waters calm. I looked into their eyes and saw Jesus!  He held my hand and kept me close the whole time.  When the word says “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Please believe it.  God used these saints to continually minister His love to my heart. They knew exactly what I was going through and understood exactly how I felt. 

When Jesus said, “Do not fear” He meant it. We have nothing to fear.

Bob had a 95% blockage in the lower part of his heart and the Dr. put in two stints and smilingly told me, “He is doing very well and will live to be an old man!”  He made me laugh.  Bob always says, he belongs to the 120 club. Genesis 6:3

“And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectations of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.” 1Co. 13:13

There we have our last Love Feast of #13.

Small prayer:

Precious Father,

It sometimes feels like saying Thank you is just not enough to say. But thank you again for being so faithful, for rescuing us in so many ways. Thank you for continually revealing your daily love in our lives. Thank you for your encouragement. Thank you for your divine appointments. You truly never leave us or forsake us. You never fail in our lives. You are always here. We give you honor, we give you all glory and all of our love. Watch over those who are so faithful in giving their love to us, keep them safe, filled up with your love and full of good health. I ask that all those who pray along and read these words would be embraced by your love in such abundance, that they too would become overwhelmed by your goodness, caring and indescribable love. In your son I ask, amen. 

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We search for understanding, but only see in part.

                                                                                  Love Feast #12     

“For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments]’ but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God]. 1Co. 13:12 amp. 

The ancient mirrors in Pauls day were not made of glass, but of steel or polished brass. Smooth surfaces appeared more metallic. When they would look upon their image, they could only see themselves in a dim view. This is the way we see things while we are here.  We see in part. We study, yet we are given our answers in pieces or fragments and we strive to put the puzzle together. 

One of the worlds greatest minds, Dr. Einstein once said:

“I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details.”

“The years of anxious searching in the dark, with their intense longing, their alternations of confidence and exhaustion and the final emergence into the light - only those who have experienced it can understand it.” 

“One thing I have learned in a long life: that all science measured against reality, is primitive and childlike - and yet it is the most precious thing we have.” 

While talking to a friend about equations and how light moves masses and so much more, he said: 

“This thought is amusing and infectious, but I cannot possibly know whether the good Lord does not laugh at it and has led me up the garden path." 

It has been said that he knew God was connected to light and he wanted to get as close to light as  possible so he could ride that beam to God. 

Within all his studies, Dr. Einstein knew in his heart there was a God. He knew there was more, yet he only saw in part. He understood the equations of formulas written on the blackboards, atoms, protons, relativity and gravity. Yet, he tapped in only a shadow of the mystery of God. He understood things, I can barely spell, pronounce nor have the slightest degree of insight. His deepest desire was to know Gods thoughts. He wanted to know His character. 

While we are here, on the earth, we see shadows of tomorrow. There aren’t words to describe the glory that is to come. 

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Jn. 8:12

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father,

I believe in you. I cannot see you or understand it all, but I believe in you. I know your son  gave his life for me.  I know His light is connected to your great love for us and shine together, one in one. I ask that you would open up my eyes so I can understand more of your character, and more of your love. Increase our understanding, our faith, our love to be all that we can be while we are here. Take our hand and walk us through this road. Thank you Father. In your son’s name we pray. Amen.  

Prayer for Healing. Praying the word..

                                                              Prayer for Healing  

Precious Father,

We know your word is true for you are our Father God who never changes. Your word says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. We believe what He said yesterday, He says today and will tomorrow. Your word says that every good gift is from above and from you, there is no variation or shadow that is due to change.  We understand how the grass withers, how the flowers fade, but your word will stand forever. We have learned how it is impossible for you to lie Father and you are our refuge in all ways. Your word encourages us and we hold fast to the hope that you have put before us. Your word tells us that it is firmly fixed in the heavens. We are told to not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, letting our requests be made know to you O Father. We know your love is steadfast and never ceases and that your mercies never come to an end. So great is your love for us, that you have given your only son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. We trust in your word. You are the same and your years have no end. Your word even calls those who love you, the children of God. We are your workmanship and have been created for good works which you have prepared for us beforehand that we should walk in them. Your word says, we have not because we ask not and for our requests to be made known to you. Your word declares that faith comes by hearing and hearing your word. We pronounce speak your word and declare what Jesus said, we can remove all mountains in our life because we have faith like that of a mustard seed. Nothing will be impossible for us! Your word says it, we stand upon it and we believe this. We walk by faith, not by sight. Right now, we speak to our mountain in the name of Jesus and ask in faith without any doubt to be removed. We will not waver, we will not be moved in anyway. We will declare your glory, your greatness and your Holy Spirit in our lives.

We put down all fear and anything that looks like fear and replace it with your faith and love. We ask that you would be merciful and heal our physical bodies and begin to break all our old habitual thinking patterns. You are for us, not against us.  Heal us Father. Go to the source of our problems and do a deep work inside of our heart, our life and our thought life. We put down any former faithless thoughts, but we draw upon your strength to help us. Instead, we stand upon your word.  Your words says that your son took our sins upon that tree and that we will die to all of our sins and live to righteousness and by His wounds we have been healed. We accept these words Father.  Your word says that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities and that his chastisement brought us peace and it is by his stripes that we are healed. We declare to be healed in the name of your son Jesus Christ. 

We bless you from our hearts Father and we speak of your benefits, you forgive us all of our iniquity, heals all of our diseases, redeems us from the pit and crowns us with steadfast love and mercy. 

Your word says that the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and how you will raise him up and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [confess your sins and get right with God.]  You sustain us even upon our sickbed and in our illness you restore him to full health. O Father, take our broken hearts and heal them and bind up our wounds. 

You told us to confess our sins to one another, that we may be healed.  We believe this Father. Forgive us Lord.

You said that a joyful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Father we freely forgive, because you have forgiven us. We forgive all those who have wounded us and set them completely free. 

Your word says that if anyone is sick for them to call for the elders of the church and let them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

Father, we continue to examine our hearts and remove anything in our lives that we have put before our walk with you. We choose to love you Father with all of our heart, all of our soul and all of our mind and we choose to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

Right now we make a deliberate decision not to trust in our own selves, but we put all of our trust in you Father. We will not lean upon our own understanding, we will acknowledge you in all of our ways because we know that when we do this you will make the paths straight for us. We refuse to be wise in our own eyes, but we will walk in the fear of the Lord and turn from evil. We will also seek understanding about walking in the fear of the Lord. For your word says, “It will be healing to our flesh and refreshment to our bones.”

We stand upon your word Father.  Your word further says that without faith it is impossible to please you and whoever draws near to you, must believe that you exist and that you reward those who seek you. Oh Father, you send out your word and healed them and delivered them from destruction.

Father, we know you are faithful to hear our hearts cry. We know you are faithful to answer and reward our faith and love. We also understand that the work has already been done by your son Jesus. 

We believe this, we stand upon this and we ask all of this in Jesus name. Amen. 

Love Feast #11 Whatever way you've been raised, it is time for all of us to grow up.

                                            Love Feast #11

“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 childish ways behind me.” 1Corinthians 13:11

Somewhere every morning there are little darlings born around the world. We feed them, love them, laugh with them, clean up after them and then one day, the sun stops shining and dark clouds begin to gather over the home;  training begins. Enter, the indelible word “NO.” We begin to tell them “no” so they can live longer. We tell them a firm “no” because we love them. We begin our fight against rebellion. 

1. “No! You cannot stick your finger in the electrical socket.”

2. “No! You cannot stick your hand into the bonfire!”

3. “No! You cannot go into the water alone!”

4. “No! You cannot run with a sucker in your mouth!”

5. “No! You cannot run into the street!”

6. “NO! You do not hit mommy!”

7. “NO! You do not pull the dogs ears or tails!”

8. “No! Do not sass me!”

9. “No! No! Stop fighting! 

As the child grows:

1. “No, you cannot stay past midnight.”
2. “No, you cannot hang around that boy.”
3. “No, you cannot go to that party.”

4.   “No, there are chores first!”

5.   “No, do your homework first.”

6.   “No, Clean your room first.”

   

A good godly home is one who teaches boundaries, priorities and respect. The word “no” is proof your parents loved you and cared enough to take the time to correct, train and discipline you in a good way. They taught you that life means taking responsibility for your actions. 

I have sat in homes where the two year old ruled the roost. If he interrupted your conversation while you were talking, the mother then, turned from you and listened to him, instead of teaching him to wait until we were finished talking. Further, the mother would ask permission from him to stop pulling the dogs ears with her sentence ending with a “oo-ok?” Or, “I’ll give you a cookie, ooo-ok?”  Parents, please wise up! That child has just learned:

1. Above all, he calls all the shots. A child is not given by God for the parents to raise in fear of what others think, or to make the child an idol.        

       He has learned, no matter what he does he will get away with it. 

2. He learns disrespect.    

       The only one who really counts is himself and I promise you,  this will become a       

        stronghold in his heart that will lead to future problems as he grows.  

3. It is ok to hurt an animal.  

      He is learning it is alright to be cruel to animals and possibly to his future playmates.

      He gets rewarded for doing it, a cookie. 

4.     He is learning how there are rewards for rebellion.  

         The child does not know what the word “no” means,  

         because the word is not practiced and followed through with discipline. 

This child has learned he will be rewarded when he does wrong. He will continue to test you, to see just how far his rebellion takes him.

What is the result? A gullible and loveless nation that is paying a horrendous price; for accepting the perverted lie of permissiveness. We have mass produced grown children protesting with violence in our streets. They demand their rights, because they were trained this way. Parents feared man instead of God. Parents listened to man’s “wisdom,” instead of God’s wisdom. 

We have walked away from the Bible and replaced it with Idolatries. We will believe everything else, except the truth. 

Many nations have walked into the trap of a seducing spirit that promised freedom without sacrifice and selfishness without accountability. 

As we know, some youths end up in prison where they will at last experience the word “no” and then, understand exactly what it means. They finally learn the consequences of sowing and reaping.

Whatever way you have been raised; if it was a loveless family with not enough freedom or too much freedom, too perfect or embarrassing, whether it was full of abuse and maybe hypocrisy. Unfortunately, all of that is more the norm today, than not. There is no such thing as a perfect family. Parents who try to be too perfect sometimes stress out children who eventually learn they will never measure up to such perfection. The end can be devastating to everyone.  

Please listen, you are not the only one who has gone through these things. Paul is saying; The time is now, for you to wake up, walk away and turn off the replay button of your memories.  Paul says, “When he was a child, he thought as a child, but when he became a man, he put childish ways behind him.”

You may think, “Well that was Paul. You just don’t know what I’ve been through. How can I forget?”   Paul knew God. Do you? If you do not know Him, you can if your heart is humble and willing. 

Paul was stating, it is now time for all of us to grow up in the Lord. If we knew what our tomorrow would look like, would we act differently? Do differently? Would we forgive? Paul urges us to love in the way Jesus commanded. The greater the darkness you have walked through, the brighter your lighthouse! The deeper your pit once was, the more discernment, empathy, compassion and understanding you have for others and the less love you received while growing up, the more you want to love and embrace those who have also been robbed of love. And so, it is time to move from our childhood into maturity. It is time to embrace the Holy Spirit that continues to comfort our souls and gives our hearts peace. Do not hesitate any longer. It is time to grow up in His love. Open your eyes right now and see how the power of His Grace moves in your life. 

“We love him because he first loved us.” 1John 4:19

Precious Father,

We thank you for keeping us in your truth. We thank you for guiding and directing us. We thank you for holding us accountable in your love. We thank you for correcting us and keeping us on that narrow road.  We thank you for always being with us and never leaving us. Your word says,  you are a good God whose love never fails. 

We pray for those who are wrestling with child raising. Your word says that You have not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. Minister your word to these parents. Minister your son’s name to their hearts. Minister the proof of His love to them and give them your hope through His direction for their lives. We ask that your Comforter would bring healing to their hearts and comfort to their souls. We ask that you would begin to take away all anxiety in their lives. Give them the answers they are seeking, through your word. Bring them peace and the love they seek Father.  

Father, your word says that You are a Spirit and that You are love. Bring those who seek your love, into your will. Open up their hearts to understand the tremendous sacrifice of love, that happened upon the cross for all those who search for your truth. You loved us Father before we ever knew you. 

We ask that you would forgive us for our rebellious and selfish ways. We know Your son gave His life so we could have forgiveness of our sins. We know He arose on the third day and was seen by well over 500 witnesses. We know He spoke how He would return for us someday. He lives! O Father, we believe this! We know He is preparing a place for a prepared people! 

Prepare our hearts through your love Father. We ask that you would continue to teach us how to love. Make us a strong people through your love. Continue to teach us through your Holy Spirit how to put others first and us last. Right now, we bury all selfish desires and any rebellion we might have in our hearts and choose to grow up in your love. We put down all fleshly priorities in your son’s name. We rejoice in your love, we teach in love, we worship in love, we speak love, we think in love, eat in love and we work and walk and sleep in love. We cherish your love and we ask that we will be examples of your love while we are here. Thank you Lord. In your Son we pray, amen. 

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The Holy Spirit blows to the east to the west looking for hearts that will surrender to His will.

Love Feast #8-10

“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 perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” 

1Corinthians 13:8-10 niv

Someday prophecies, tongues and knowledge, will be stilled. They will pass away. When we prophesy, we speak in fragments of what we know and we speak in faith. But when perfection comes, the imperfect will disappear. There are many definitions of “when the perfection comes.”  I still attain this to be when Jesus Christ the Son of God returns. 

Think of the wind that blows as far as the east is to the west. God’s love blows endlessly and will circle the globe throughout eternity. His love remains forever and is everywhere, yes, even right in front of you. His love never fails. Though, men will make promises and let you down, God’s love remains sound. His love is constant. His love is stronger and mightier than anything you can think of here on earth. His Holy Spirit works inside of our hearts and is unstoppable! He does this, because love is His character. 

His love is not the universe, as some call love. For it was by Gods love that He created  the universe and all the stars and planets seen and unseen. He is the Creator of all.  

All the chapters in your past becomes like a guiding light to comfort others. God’s love begins to burn out all of the old wreckage, we have made in our lives. How would you  have an ounce of understanding, unless you went through similar trials?  One breath from His Spirit turns our sorrows into joy. Although, we are not promised an easy life we are assured His Holy Spirit will never leave us or forsake us. The Comforter will take you through all of your trials. When we walk through the rough times, we are given more hope, more faith, encouragement, empathy, compassion and wisdom. We learn not just by study, but through our experiences. 

How can I have this new life? You might ask.

By following the two greatest commandments. 

Jesus replied, “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Mt. 22:37-40

Jesus did not make it hard for people to understand these commandments, but they do require thought and action on your part. To love God our Father with all of our heart, all of our soul and all of our mind will require having a new heart from God and allow His Holy Spirit to take the scales from your eyes, renew your soul and replace old thoughts with good godly thoughts. 

This means, you need to be born-again. The eyes of His love looks for surrendered hearts.

One small humble step the size of a mustard seed of faith towards our Father God will bring you into His arms, and His Holy Spirit will bring you the rest of the way.

Here is a prayer just for you:

Precious Father,

I know there is a God. I don’t understand it all, but I heard that your Son Jesus Christ died on the cross, so I can have forgiveness for my sins. I admit, I have done so many wrongs in my life. I know I am a sinner. I have been so selfish in my life and hurt so many people. I need your help Lord.  Please forgive my sins. Name them____________. Forgive me Lord. Give me a new heart and give me understanding. Quicken my spirit O Father. Set me free from all my bondages Lord and replace them with the power of your love. Make me that new creature in Christ that your word talks about. Give me the ability to love you above everything else in my life. By faith, I give my life over to you completely. Do a work in my life Father. In your son Jesus I ask, amen. 

If you have prayed this prayer, the Bible says that you have been “Born Again.”  Now, you must grow spiritually. Read your Bible starting with the book of John in the New Testament. Ask the Holy Spirit to be your teacher in all areas, everyday. Be open to how He will be teaching you. Develop a new habit to have a quiet time in prayer and a reading of the Bible before you go to work. Find a Bible believing church to attend and to make new friends. Every believer has walked through this door and there are no exceptions. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me.” There is only one way to God and that is through His son Jesus. We have all humbled ourselves and admitted we are sinners and we are all a work in progress. 

Morning Prayer

Precious Father,

Our desires are to be ones who think of you first thing every morning. We want to move in your will.  We ask that our lives would be an example of your love and give you glory. We ask that our faith would be pleasing to you in every way. We give you all praise and all honor and thankfulness and for continually hearing our prayers. 

We thank you for the never-ending truth you keep giving to us. We ask that your truth would begin to expand in the far reaches of this earth. Send your truth in the dark arenas of the hearts who are desperate for you Father. Continue to use those who are full of your Holy Spirit, to spread your word. We ask that you would keep angels around them wherever your Spirit leads. 

Precious Father, We ask that you would give rise to a special, holy, Task Force in our land, in our counties and in our cities. Speak to these hearts to take back the land that you have given to us. Wake them all up and give these people a holy unction to speak your truth. We ask that this Task Force would not leave one stone unturned. Unleash these people Lord. We ask that every school would know, every business would know, every home would know and those that walk or not walk, those who drive, those who are wealthy to the poor; would all know that your Son is Lord. We ask that you would begin to prepare all these hearts to receive your word on good soil. We ask that everyone who accepts that Jesus Christ is Lord will grow quickly and zealously Evangelize your truth, join the Task Force and will shout their joy of the one who has set them free!  We stand upon this Father. 

We call for a complete loosening of all chains for all those that are in bondage. All sons, daughters, all families, friends, all those with heavy hearts, addictions, those who are indifferent, atheists, agnostics and those who are self-consumed. We ask that your Task Force bring hope to all those who do not know you, we ask that you would awaken their hearts to receive your son. Set them all free in you Father. We call for every ear to hear in their hearts and to repent from their sins. Give them an understanding they never had before. Awaken their spirits Father. We call for each county, individual state and country to kneel before the King of Kings. Please name your county, state and country: ______.  Awaken our people Father, take all the scales from their eyes. Open up their ears to hear your message of love. We ask that your Holy Spirit would completely fall upon our county and touch every single heart. Set these people free. 

We call for a unity in the Body of Christ. Give us all one mind and bring us into one accord in your love. Give us your eyes and the love we need to overlook one another’s disagreements and to “see” where others are coming from through your eyes. We deliberately break all strongholds of pride and power inside of any of us and any religiosity we depend upon, in Jesus name. And, we will stand upon the love and faith we need, to obey. Right now, we take off all limitations of your will Father in your son’s name. Your word declares that your ways are not our ways, your thoughts are not our thoughts, and so; we lay all of our ways down and fully trust in your ways Father. We ask that your Holy Spirit would reveal to us how we can begin to tear down all old brick walls, that hinder our work and the call you have given to each of us. Seal our lips not to judge one another but to be a help to our brothers and sisters through your understanding. Give us the wisdom to follow this through Father.   Where there is disunity in your people, we ask for unity. Where there is unforgiveness, we ask for forgiving hearts. Humble your people, where they refuse to be humbled. Bring them back to you Father, heal them and forgive your people for any self-righteousness and take away all of their fears and we ask that you would replace all their fears with your love and faith. We pray this in your son’s name Jesus. Amen. 

Love Feast #7 [We learn by doing, expressing our faith through love.]

                                                              Love Feast #7

“It [love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1Corinthians 13:7 niv

“Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].“amp.

“ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galations 5:6 niv

There is a striking example of love between the Body of Christ and the US military. Young men and women from every imaginable walk of life, all signed on the dotted line. They come from the mountains of Appalachia, from the streets of the big apple and some from single parented families or no parents. They come from the farmlands. Some are self consumed, some are talkers, others are quiet and pensive, some never read, others always read, some have never worked, others have always worked. Some are believers, others not. Not one young man thinks alike, and they rode the bus together. There are heads snoozing, some texting without saying a word, others listening to music. Some gaze out the window thinking about those they left with hearts full of questions and fears. And, there are always those with a chip on their shoulder. The minute the bus drives through the gate of the camp, their lives belong to the Drill Sergeant. He will immediately get into their faces. He tells them to listen and look into his eyes. He tells them to spit out their gum, no more cellphones, no vaping or smoking [of any kind] and immediately begins to drive home just how serious the business of war is in their lives. The odor of burning flesh can be smelled for miles. 

Getting up way before dawn, these men begin to force their bodies to go through miles of rigorous hiking in the rain, in the mud, in droughts, sometimes during flea season, mosquitoes and snakes. They learn how to build makeshift tents out of nothing. They get sores on their feet from the sweat as they march. They listen for things that may not be there and have eyes that go all around their heads. They communicate with their hands. They come as close to the reality of war during boot camp as possible.  Whether they “feel like finishing, or not” means absolutely nothing! Any self-pity or whining, bounces off deaf ears. They have been give orders to finish the course.  They will learn how to scale high embankments, carry extremely heavy loads on their backs, when to speak and when not and above all, these men will learn how to work together and have each others back! Yes, they learn to be their Brothers Keeper. They will learn how to trust each other, even with their lives! When the Sergeant gives an order, [which could mean a life or death order] they learn to all jump together! Those who were once lazy will develop muscles and calluses. Those who needed to lose weight will lose the excess in a matter of a month. Everyone learns by doing. Confidence comes to those who learned patience and determination. They are rewarded by their surprised ability to push through each trial. No matter if they fall in an obstacle course, this brings humility. Everyone trips and falls, but these men have hammered out a backbone to get back up again. They learned, love never gives up! A tenacity is birthed.  Once again, they will demand their tired and weakened bodies to be aligned up!  They became one mind and in one accord. 

The military is a true picture of The Body of Christ. We are all soldiers for Christ. We do and learn. But, we cannot learn without doing, because we express our faith through love. Love does. Just as those in the military war, so do we. 

Their obedience to protect, trust and hope in good things become dominant in their thoughts. They now have a bravery to sacrifice their lives for each other in Christ and they are compelled to hold each other up, in faith and love. 

If you’ve ever wondered why you are here on earth, it is to learn how to apply Gods love  in your life.  

Ironically, when we do these things; everything begins to fall into place in our lives. In other words, our faith can express love many times before the feelings come. When we take that one obedient step by faith to love in Christ, a new door opens up in your life. New habits come and eventually the feelings will come. Instead of blaming others, or comparing yourself with others; that one small step of faith takes you through the door of hope that was placed in your heart. 

Prayer

Precious Father,

My desire is to know you. My desire is to draw closer to your heart. I believe your Son Jesus Christ was a pure sacrifice, loves me and gave Himself for me, on the cross and became my Savior. Please forgive my sins [name them] _____.  Turn my heart, my soul and my whole life around to be a strong soldier in your family. I ask that your Holy Spirit would saturate my soul and awaken my spirit to understand your word. Teach me your ways.  Send me godly people to help me walk the miles up ahead. Teach me how to love, how to hear your voice and how to be strong and walk in obedience. In Jesus I ask, amen.  

Love Feast #6

                                                                                     Love Feast #6

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1Co. 13:6 niv

Love is sealed by the hand of God Himself and displays His splendor in all of His creation. True “Love Hearts” understand the plan and purpose of being set free in Christ and being sealed by the Holy Spirit.  

Be ready. God’s love works a deep deep assignment within each believer. His Holy Spirit travels into every crack and crevice inside of their soul and begins to fill up these places with His truth. Picture an invasion of foreign troops on your land. These troops must be rounded up before they can do anymore damage and then dispelled. Think again,  how a Dentist must first drill out the cavity and get all the infected areas, before he can refill the tooth to be used productively. Although, your land is rid of the invaders and your tooth is filled, your work has only begun. 

You begin by rejoicing with God’s truth.  

Freedom in Christ springs a love relationship and this produces an overwhelming joy to know more about the one who set you free. Every time we absorb a little more of His truth, we are stationed closer to His heart. We walk up the hills and down the valleys and listen a little bit clearer. Then, one day we get out of bed and notice how his loving salve is continually applied upon all of the past wounds we once acquired. 

Love does not delight in iniquity or evil.

Like a friend of mine once said to me, “We got to all stick together.” There may be times when you feel alone, but we are all in this together. We aren’t walking alone on this narrow path, but we will notice not everyone looks the same, thinks or sees the same way or responds in the same way, but we all belong in the same family. I cherish truth but I try to be very careful in how I write it. Forms of gossip may even be truth, but it doesn’t make it a good thing to do. Everything we do, comes from our heart. A seed is planted, is watered, growth takes place, the flower blooms and produces more seeds. Think, how all of this goes on in our hearts. The Holy Spirit looks deep within us, and sees what we’ve been “piling up inside of us.”  

The question is: “Are you reproducing seeds that delight in evil? Or, love seeds that rejoice with the truth?”

“Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 

Mt. 7:1-2

I personally believe Christians walk out their own judgements right here on earth. The very thing you judge in another, you will find yourself walking in their footsteps. I say this because I have personally experienced this, early in my walk and have seen others Christians walk through the harsh words of their judgements time and again. If anyone has an ounce of spiritual understanding, they will see the valuable lessons; of the woes and blessings of sowing and reaping. This happens on all levels of our lives. We are not to even think of a judgement towards another. This is not an easy lesson, but a hard lesson that can be very well learned and never again to be repeated. Not one of us can afford to ignore Jesus’ words. We can discern because we know, we pray and if we must, carefully warn another sister or brother. When we judge another, we set ourselves upon a judgement chair and look down on them and have become a judge and jury and condemn them, by the verdict of our words. We are not called to be judges. The best thing we can do for ourselves is to judge our own hearts. Unfortunately, most of us have to walk through this lesson. 

[Jesus said “you judge after the flesh, but I judge no man.” Jn 5:15 He further talked about if he did judge, it was because of his full dependance on what His Father gave to him. He said that he did not come to judge man, but to save man.]

The thoughts we habitually feed ourselves will begin to pile up inside of our hearts and before you know it, the overflow comes out of our mouths. What sort of “food” have you been feeding your heart?

“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks’ (Matthew 12:34).”  

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” 

Proverbs 4:23 amp.

Our assignment? Yield! Give into the will of God. Many shortchange themselves in God’s grace simply by refusing to use everything that has been given to them in Christ.  It is time to yield.  True growth is watered by obedience and brings an unspeakable joy. Have you ever experience such joy?  A bold confidence comes from the faith of developing a sensitive, humble, clear conscience and then, you will be able to hear His whispers in your life. 

Prayer:

Precious Father,

We thank you for never giving up on us. We thank you for always feeding us and teaching us ways to move closer to you and your will. Our desire is to manifest the love of your Son in all of our thoughts. We choose to rejoice in your truth and discard anything that would hinder our walk in your Spirit. Help us to be discerning and sensitive towards others and be ones who would not just speak our faith but be doing it as well. We will yield to your correction, listen to our conscience and guard our hearts daily. We depend upon your Spirit to develop good habits of thoughts.  Thank you for your love, Father. We pray in Jesus amen. 

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - So You Would Know.wmv

Frank Sonnenberg strikes again! I have the utmost of respect in this man's wisdom. Read it and apply it in your life.

Do You Let Envy Get the Better of You?

By Frank Sonnenberg Leave a Comment

If you could trade places with anyone, who would it be? Why would you select that individual over others? Is it because of their personality, relationships, possessions, career achievements, or their overall lifestyle? The million-dollar question is: Do you admire that person or do you envyhim or her?

In the age of social media, it’s hard to ignore what your neighbor is doing. After all, most folks reveal their entire life on social media. To make it worse, some people can’t keep their ego in check. For example, people brag about their expensive possessions, lavish experiences, luxurious vacations, perfect relationships, and of course, their physical attractiveness. (Yuck!) Everyone knows that some of their blabber is exaggerated, but it’s not unusual to think others have it better than you. That can take a toll on your confidence.

Your self-image and self-worth are influenced, in part, by comparing yourself to others. It’s also determined by contrasting who you are against who you want to be. That comparison can go one of two ways. It can be beneficial — inspiring you to become a better person. Or it can be detrimental — making you envious and resentful of others.

“They have more,
They have it easier,
They have it better,
They have it all,” you may think

Resentment can make you bitter rather than encouraging you to be your best.

Envy Is Toxic and Destructive

It’s hard to admit that someone could be more deserving of a good life than you. To rationalize that sentiment, some folks denounce successful people — saying they didn’t really earn their accomplishments. They “received an unfair advantage” or “secured their achievements by mistreating others.”

If you subscribe to that notion, you may conclude that life is unfair and that others are holding you back; this frees you from having to accept personal responsibility for your circumstances. Such thinking can lead to envy, resentment, and even anger.

While you may think that envious behavior is warranted, harboring resentment can hurt you more than you think. For example, it can:

Distort your sense of reality. If you believe you’re being treated unfairly, you’ll look for proof that supports that view. That thinking can progress into a downward spiral, making you angrier and more envious rather than positive and constructive. Furthermore, if you surround yourself with like-minded people, they’ll reinforce those beliefs, making it harder for you to shed that unproductive mindset.

Hurt your health. If you’re gloomy about your future, you’ll view every opportunity as a glass half-empty rather than as a glass half-full. That can be debilitating and have a negative impact on your psyche.

According to the Mayo Clinic, positive thinking can increase your life span, lower rates of depression, offer better psychological and physical well-being, reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and enable you to cope better during hardships and times of stress.

Destroy positive relationships. Envy can turn friends into adversaries. If you think your friends’ accomplishments were achieved unfairly, you’ll resent them for their triumphs rather than be happy for their success.

Foster unproductive behavior. If you become consumed with envy, you may be motivated to seek retribution, and tear others down, even though their success may have no correlation to your success.

Damage your opportunity for success and happiness. If you believe the world is against you, you’ll be more inclined to give up than to invest in your future.

Look in the Mirror Rather Than at Your Neighbor

Just as you’ll never really understand someone’s problems until you walk a mile in their shoes, you’ll never fully appreciate the effort and commitment that someone made to achieve their success. Moreover, the more time you spend comparing yourself to others, the less time you’ll have to make your own dreams come true.

If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, chances are it’s getting better care.

There will always be people who have more, or less, than you. Get over it. Be grateful for what you have. Money should never become the cornerstone of your life nor should it define you as a person. It’s not what you have, but who you are that counts. The only way that you’ll achieve happiness is when you’re at peace with yourself and thankful for the blessings in your life.

Are You Happy For Or Envious Of The Success of Others?

Please leave a comment and tell us what you think or share it with someone who can benefit from the information.

Additional Reading:
Do You Compare Yourself to Others?
Good Relationships Don’t Keep Score
Is Your Friend Really an Acquaintance?
The Secrets of a Successful Marriage
There’s More to Friendship than Friending

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Posted on October 1, 2019Filed Under: Blog, Business Management, Career Advice, Family, Leadership, Life Balance, Relationships, Self-help, Trust and IntegrityTagged: consequences of envy, envy, envy is bad for you, jealousy, keeping up with the Joneses, resentment, the downside of envy, the truth about envy, why is envy badImage licensed from Shutterstock

About Frank Sonnenberg

Frank Sonnenberg is an award-winning author and a well-known advocate for moral character, personal values, and personal responsibility. He has written seven books and was recently named one of “America's Top 100 Thought Leaders” and one of “America’s Most Influential Small Business Experts.” Frank has served on several boards and has consulted to some of the largest and most respected companies in the world. Additionally, his blog — FrankSonnenbergOnline — has attracted millions of readers on the Internet. It was named among the “Best 21st Century Leadership Blogs”; among the “Top 100 Socially-Shared Leadership Blogs”; and one of the “Best Inspirational Blogs On the Planet." Frank’s newest book, Soul Food: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life, was released November 2018. (© 2019 Frank Sonnenberg. All rights reserved.)