#God'sPurpose

[albertfinch]

Seeking Communion - October 13, 2022

How many times do we try to reach through to Him – we pray, we fast, we read His Word, we worship?

The enemy tries to block you, but how easy it is to come into His presence when you declare He is Lord; because he must bow down. "For greater is He that is within you, than he that is in the world."

What you need right now, whether it be your children, your spouse, your finances, your health, lift it up to Him right now, for He can make all things whole. Like the woman with the issue of blood, she pressed through, and He made her whole.

The man who had the legion – he was insane -- he cried out with what little bit he could and He made Him whole. The man who couldn't walk, even his parents were afraid. But He goes beyond circumstances and establishes wholeness, for He is the God of wholeness – the Alpha, the Omega.

Allow Him to come in and take down any wall that is coming against your fulfilling your calling in Christ, any kind of hindrance, whether it be a large wall that you've been hitting your head against for years, or whether it be a teeny, tiny, picket fence – anything that would block His presence, from just devouring you, to where you could be swallowed up in the goodness of God. To where fear could not find a landing place, but faith would be the landing place.

Faith conquers all fear. Don't make Him small. Understand, the King of the universe came to serve, to set free, to save and to heal, and to bring the good news that the Kingdom of God is not only around you, but is within you. Let His Kingdom come forth.

Continue to pray His Kingdom come. Continue to pray His will be done. For, yes, you as a born-again Believer are to bring it to earth -- for you are a citizen of His Kingdom, and are moving and advancing in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let His Spirit lift you up, from glory to glory – then you can look down and come to understand God'spurpose for your life. For He is looking for a hungry people, a trustworthy people, overseers in His Kingdom, overseers in His vineyard – whether they have pain or whether they have strength; whether they have fame, or whether they be hidden; it makes no difference. He looks at the hearts of His own.

"That He would grant you grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man....that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:16,19

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[eternalfaithinhislove]

His mercies are new every morning

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

How wonderful is it and how blessed are we that God’s Mercy never ever ceases?

I often use words such as unfailing; unending; unstoppable when speaking of God and His Promises.

But I don’t say them just to say them, they’re FACTS!

The Bible tells us of all God has promised to us from the beginning of time. Two of my favorites are:

His Love, forgiveness, and mercy will never end

He will never leave us but will always be with us

What’s even more comforting and reassuring (and God knows He has to reassure us often since our emotions go up and down and we sometimes feel like what we’ve done can never be forgiven—even by Him) is that His promises are unfailing; unending; unstoppable!

Here are some of the countless verses in which the Bible reminds us of God’s Promises:

Psalm 136

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2)

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

“Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45)

“I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. (2 Samuel 7:14-15)

“Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. (Psalm 24:8)

“For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” (Psalm 33:4)

“He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:10-12)

“If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4)

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever." (Isaiah 40:8)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

“Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

“For the word of God will never fail.” (Luke 1:37)

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Not to mention the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! 

And He promised David would always have one of his descendants be 

We can rest assured our God is good, all the time; and all the time our God is good. And He is always with us, forgiving us when we turn away from our sins and return to Him.

His Love is forever and ever and ever!

Thank You, Lord, for your unfailing, unending, unstoppable promises!

[christian-perspectives]

What Is The Will Of God For Me?

What is the will of God for me? I don’t know how many times in my Christian life I have entertained that question. When we ask it, what are we usually seeking? Aren’t we looking for God’s direction and purpose for our life? We want to know what type of ministry the Lord wants to use us in. We are ready to go, but sometimes the Lord says NO! At least, not yet. Before we can or should pursue those things, we need to make sure we know the fundamentals of Christianity. And that we are living them. God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.   1 Thessalonians 4:3 Does that shock you? The will of God for you and me is to be holy. Many people view “being holy” as living a legalistic lifestyle. That simply means doing certain things, wearing certain clothes, and abstaining from certain activities. And if you choose to live like that you have that freedom. But we can’t make that type of lifestyle a necessity to maintain our salvation.

Biblical Holiness

The holiness spoken about in the Bible means being separated to God. This chapter begins with the following verse. Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Paul told his readers, you’re doing great. But don’t let your guard down because the lust of the flesh can pop up at a moment’s notice. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 1 Thessalonians 4:4-5 Therefore Christians must live with godly morals. If they don’t, the next verse tells us there will be consequences. Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 1 Thessalonians 4:6 A Christian involved in sexual sins defiles their body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Also, they draw someone else into their sin along with them.

Maintain the Will of God

Involvement in sexual sins makes us directly disobedient to God’s Word and our testimony becomes shattered. The next verse emphasizes the importance of being holy.  God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.  1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 Today the enemy of our souls is having a field day promoting the lust of the flesh. He will happily tempt you through your electronic devices and by any other means. Therefore we must remember that the will of God for you and me is holiness. And we must live it every day. Check out this related post on the will of God called How To Know God's Perfect Will For Your Life. Lord, help us to stay pure and holy while we live in this sinful world. Keep us clean from the lust of the flesh that is always trying to infiltrate our lives. Read Paul's great teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4. Read the full article

[trulydeeplylovedbychrist-blog]

Deep regard to your humility, Mr. Joey de Leon, for admitting your mistake, and for your hope that what happened yesterday would bring open doors to tackle issues concerning depression and other kinds of mental illness.

To be honest, when I saw the issue that was circulating yesterday, about him commenting kind of harsh words (Harsh for me, as I myself personally struggled with the turmoil of depression in the past. Not proud of it, but I just want to give a stand about it and to contribute to somehow end the stigma of mental illness in our society), I was upset and wish I could talk to him personally about mental illness that his eyes might be opened. But all I could do is to keep silent and I ended up with my hopes and prayers that one day, may God enlighten him, not only about the reality of depression, but also about his viewpoint and sympathy and empathy for people who are struggling with it. Thank God for today, he apologized and humbly admitted his fault and he even hoped for the awareness of the disability that depression brings. I believe God used his mistake so that the debilitating issue of mental illness would be embraced by the society with understanding, rather than judgment for the sufferers. To make mental illness also as a laughingstock won’t help, it will just make the sufferer to cry out silently in misery and keep the illness to himself/herself and won’t bother to ask for help. Anyway, I want to grab also this opportune time to at least give some facts about depression and other mental illnesses. Depression is not just a feeling of sadness or loneliness. It’s more than that. It’s not a brush-it-off thing. Why? Because depression is a medical condition where certain chemicals in our brain go down, and get imbalanced over time. A specific part in our brain, and that is the hippocampus responsible for emotions and memory, is greatly affected. Brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, hormones for happiness, mood and anxiety that act as neurotransmitters so we could function normally, are impacted. With that being said, depression and other types of mental illness should be considered and treated just like any other diseases. You can’t just easily get over it like cancer. You have to take certain medicines just like when you have diabetes. You have to undergo some therapies as you have to when you have a heart disease. It disables a person physically also. The thing is its manifestations are not considered physical by most people, like tiredness, loneliness, or being lethargic, inability to get out of bed, loss of interest of things, anxiety. It’s not “only in the mind” stuff but it’s truly “in the brain”. Sufferers of depression are not just acting to get attention from their loved ones and people around them. Depression is a real thing. Chemical imbalance in the brain is serious. Sometimes, we wish that everyone we meet would also experience it so that they could understand us more but of course it’s a selfish thinking. What we all just hope is that people will be more educated so that there would be no prejudice or preconceived notions about mental illness. In addition, it’s not a matter of faith, whether you have a great faith or a little. It doesn’t mean that God’s grace is little to those who suffer from mental illness. It doesn’t mean that His favor is far from them, or from us. I am a Christian, and I did not ask for it (who would?) nor expect that I will be struck by depression. Yes, His Word reminds us about not to worry, to not be anxious, to be joyful always, that He is with us always, His plans for us are not to harm us, but to prosper us, to give us hope and a future, and so much promises in the Bible. But if we are going to look closely in the Bible, let’s take for example this particular verse, in Mark 2:17, doctors or physicians were mentioned and acknowledged for the sick people, so they are here for a reason, including the psychologists, psychiatrists and other medical experts for mental health. And God also promised in Psalm 103:3, that He heals ALL our disease, I believe it does not exclude mental illnesses, because it was explicitly stated the words “all disease”. And God also showed healing in the New Testament, the stories about Jesus and the sick people. It’s a matter of how God can display and magnify His great power in us, so that His name may be glorified. I also hope that more churches would not just consider mental illness as spiritual attack or some demonic oppression. Church is one of the places where people including those who haven’t known God yet, find it a safe haven for their problems. If those people who are seriously battling depression heard that they just need to have more faith and pray harder, the tendency is that it might get worse because it was impliedly stated that they are not doing enough concerning their spirituality. They might get the wrong idea that their faith is little or that they have no faith at all. They might also misinterpreted that problems and difficulties are with them because they are faithless. And worst, they might think that they are being possessed by the devil that’s why they’re experiencing it. Isn’t it terrifying that the demon is in you? So instead of getting relieved, the sufferers might be terrified and run away from God. I just hope and pray that more Christians would be more opened and encourage those that they meet who silently suffer from mental illness and to the rest of the world where depression is now one of the leading causes of disability. Yes, Jesus is the Great Healer, but what if Jesus also tells us that it is also needed to seek help and take medicines for it? God might be telling to take better care of ourselves and watch out for our bodies’ health for it is His temple and through it we serve and worship Him. I believe that depression is existing for a reason, and that reason is part of God’s great plan for us.

And going back to Mr. de Leon’s mistake and apology, may all of us realize that it’s neither scrutiny nor judgment that we need, it’s love, and if there’s love, there comes understanding and hope for the hopeless ones and there would be a better place, a better world to live in. One of the many things I realized, his mistake yesterday was meant for a greater purpose because October is the month that our country recognizes National Mental Health. Many netizens reacted and I, myself, was surprised by how many people who got upset by his pretty rude comments. May we raise more awareness and continue to spread it and give attention to those who suffer from any type of this disease. And may the mental health bill be passed into law in the Philippines so that there would be an end to the stigma. Let us all lift those people up in prayer who are still suffering from mental illnesses that they might get different kinds of help and support.

P.S.One “side story” that we could get from what happened is that how we humans are prone to mistakes and shortcomings. Mr. Joey de Leon explained his reasons why he said those nasty things. According to him, he knew all along that depression was just stress. Thank God how He made him realize his mistakes and said that he was sorry, in all humility. May we forget his wrongdoing, forget not the awareness of mental health advocacy, extend forgiveness just like how God forgives us and move forward. God’s grace be with us all!

#NationalMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #EndTheStigma #God'sPurpose #God'sGrace

[dawnlizjones]

God's wide-angle lens

#God'spurpose is always bigger than mine. Or yours, BTW. #trusthisplan #faithfulness

I don’t mean to sound like an old time horse trader, but I have been summarily blessed with good teeth.  If you are not one of those in my camp, then you know that’s not something to be taken for granted, period.  In fact, one dentist once told me that the thickness on the enamel of my choppers is only about one in 100,000.  Translated, that means I have really no viable excuse of any cavities.…

[eternalfaithinhislove]

R e s t

God wants us to rest.

He made the seventh day a Holy day of rest.

“Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from all the work of creating He had done.” (Genesis 2:3)

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.” (Psalm 127:2)

If we don’t rest, we tire ourselves out.

If we tire ourselves out, we lose time we need to spend with God.

I love this quote from John Gray: “Rest is where your faith is.”

Jesus Himself shows us how important rest is:

In what He says to Martha…

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42)

In leading His apostles and the crowd of five thousand He fed to rest…

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

In being our rest…

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

There are numerous other times where our Lord points out that sometimes we need to stop what we’re doing, find a quiet place, and pray and spend time with Him.

Rest is very important in our relationship with GOD.

[teachercarlyloves]

Eternity

Then again... a sleepless night.

What about me? I'm living my life to the full! Fullness of God in my life. I just couldn't comprehend His wonders in this life. He's just so totally awesome! I'm a carefree being, all I mean is I completely cared every burden, worry, joy, peace... everything my heart feels I already surrendered it to Jesus. All I want and all I need, I've got everything in Him and more! I find pleasure in serving Him. My desire in this present life is to seek and do His magnificent purpose in my life. For I know I'm not just living in the present but I'm investing everything I've got for an eternal life. I'll live together with the Eternal One. And yeah, we are enjoying a life that looks so pleasurable and yet how does it feedback in eternity? We're enjoying these pleasures with our bodies but how about our spirits? We must take care more of our spirits than our bodies however, we still need to eat, sleep and other things does our body need to go through living a worthy life and to completely do the things that God wants us to do.

Being with Jesus and enjoying the love He gave me. I can really say that I'm satisfied! It's really more than enough. My life turned 180 degrees. I once was a victim of all these lies, deceptions that the evil injected in my thoughts but now, I'm a victor over these things. I accepted all the changes with arms wide open. I completely learned to know, value, love myself ----my whole being as how God loved us. Christ died for your spirit and not for your flesh. Stop saying "I love God" yet you're not accepting His Son Jesus as your Lord and Savior. How could you say that you really loved God at all? Mean to say Jesus' death was totally NOTHING for you? That His death was cheap? I'm just a human I committed a sin. Why? because you obeyed your body instead of your spirit.  

It's not yet too late on truly asking for the Lord's forgiveness on how we insulted Him in creating us, on how we satisfied the call of our flesh instead of listening to Him. He wants the best for us I know for sure that's always you've been wanted too ever since. God never lied and He won't ever lie to you. He want you to have the best of both this present life and the eternity.

He loves you so much. That's why He wants you to come back and commune with Him again.

Accept Jesus NOW. Not later, not tomorrow, not next week... because maybe they wouldn't come anymore.

[eternalfaithinhislove]

R e l a t i o n s h i p s

Relationships are important. The Bible tells us:

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:4-5)

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)

“So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28)

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

We were clearly not made for solitude. In fact, if we take a look way back to when God created Adam, He realized Adam needed a companion because the animals weren’t compatible with him. So God then created woman, Eve, from Adam’s very own rib.

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.’ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:18-25)

Now, that being said and after reading what these verses say, our most important relationship is with God. Our relationship with Him is to be first and foremost, our top priority, number 1 for us 24/7 forever.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Deuteronomy 5:8-10)

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple." (Psalm 27:4)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths."(Proverbs 3:5-6)

"And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)

We are to live together in a community focused on Christ. We are to Love our God—who Loves us very much—above all else. Putting Him and our relationship with Him first and foremost.

God first, family second, and every other person/place/thing third.

God first, always!

(Photo credits to @ God_Jesus_Bible from Instagram)

[eternalfaithinhislove]

God h e a r s

“We have courage in God's Presence, because we are sure that he hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will. He hears us whenever we ask him; and since we know this is true, we know also that he gives us what we ask from him.” (1 John 5:14-15)

God hears.

I said this in my post yesterday and just want to elaborate.

God answers our prayers. He hears each and every single one. And not one is left unanswered.

Our part is to ask and believe we will have what we asked for, in some way.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)

He knows what’s best and will give us what we ask Him for with a heart full of gratitude.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

But He knows how to grant the request(s) we make in our prayer(s).

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)

“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” (John 16:23)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

Always asking of Him and not thanking Him isn’t right. Our Father gives us good gifts and for that and everything in our lives, we should be grateful.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

Not thanking Him and expecting Him to quickly answer our prayers is not only disrespectful but may actually delay His responses, because an ungrateful heart isn’t ready for blessings.

Don’t just ask God, thank God!

[eternalfaithinhislove]

E N E R G Y

God is our source of life, of energy, of everything. One of my favorite songs illustrates this fact perfectly. It’s [literally] called energy by Hillsong Young & Free. So, I decided to meditate on each lyric. . .

You are the only one in my head

God IS the Only God and should be the Only One we honor and adore. He constantly fills my head, I’m sure He’s always on your mind too, and for all His people.

i've chosen You now my heart is set

We as believers have already decided to follow Jesus. Our hearts and minds are made up; there’s no indecisiveness and nothing will change our minds.

“‘But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’” (Joshua 24:15)

Your love forever and is my strength, my strength more than a rush of adrenaline

Our strength in God is unfailing and never-ending. It’s a powerful feeling (adrenaline rush) knowing He is with us and we gain confidence in knowing He won’t let us be overcome. For HE has overcome it all!

“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—  my father’s God, and I will exalt him!” (Exodus 15:2)

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

You will sustain me until the end

Our God is a just, unchanging God. He will remain the same, so He’s not going to help us and loves us one day but not the next. When we believe and trust in Him not only do we have nothing to fear, but He will always be with us and sustain us.

You are the only one

God is the ONLY ONE who can make our dreams come true!

You are the only one

God is the ONLY ONE who will always be there; who will always help us; who will always rescue us through everything that comes our way.

when You speak dreams and reality collide

God knows us better than anyone—than ourselves even. So He knows our dreams, goals, and Purpose—He created each of us and gave us these aspirations for a reason and He will help us achieve them when we ask and believe in prayer.

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:22)

“‘We both had dreams,’ they answered, ‘but there is no one to interpret them.’ Then Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.’” (Genesis 40:8)

Your Word rewrites my destiny

God is our Creator and The Author of our whole lives. When we pray, He hears. Whatever we choose or do, He will guide. He will also correct us when we ask Him to show us the way.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

my life finds a new beginning

We are born again in Jesus. When we are baptized we receive His Spirit. We are revitalized by spending time in His Word and in prayer.

“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’” (John 3:3-8)

cause You are, You are my energy

I can’t do anything without God. I go to Him for everything. I can do all things with Him and nothing without Him.

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Jesus Your Presence is what ignites

Your truth is electric, the source of light

Jesus IS our light!

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

a moment with You makes me come alive, alive

Every time we read and meditate [on] The Word of God, we are truly alive. So it is when we go to church and worship Him. His Word comes alive and makes us be truly alive. Not just our earthly vessels but our very souls.

We are alive through and because of Jesus Christ.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

when You speak dreams and reality collide

When we turn to God and ask for something according to His Will, He will make it come to pass.

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17)

Your Word rewrites my destiny

Jesus saves us all. No one is too far gone that He can’t or won’t save; the moment you truly believe and give your heart to Him your Savior already paid the debt you owed with His Blood! He’s given us the destiny of saved!

He tells us that what we ask for in His name will be given for us but we must not doubt. For He holds our destiny. Of whom shall we be afraid then?

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11)

my life finds a new beginning

Our new birth [in Jesus] is a bond that can never be broken. It’s not just words and water—It’s a connection to our Lord who saved us from all our sins. Our baptism connects us to the life our Redeemer died to give us; it brings us victory in HIM.

“And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 11:16)

“for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23)

cause You are, You are my energy

My faith in Jesus is what motivates me every day! Without it I wouldn’t just be energized—I’d have nothing.

Jesus, You're everything I need and more

Jesus has saved us and given us e v e r y t h i n g! What more will we ever need or want? Our God provides us with all we could ever need and want.

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

We will never need more than Jesus! Ever. He IS more than enough!

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.” (Psalm 23:1)

I'll follow You 'til the end

I can see people who don’t believe, begin to but I can’t imagine a believer ever stop believing. We might get mad or frustrated at God but to completely lose faith? That’s hard for me to picture. I will follow Him to the end!

You are my strength

Jesus is my strength in every situation. Whether I need a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold or to pull me up—He is there! Always.

Jesus, You're everything I need and more

The Lord will always provide for us. Our Father will not only fulfill our every need but He wants to—and does—bless us abundantly. We must believe and remember this for all our days.

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)

You are, You are my energy

Jesus is my energy because He’s what makes me the happiest. The Only One who can always make me smile.

You're the everlasting God

You're the One who holds it all

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired His understanding is inscrutable.” (Isaiah 40:28)

God created everything out of nothing. HE is THEE CREATOR, He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. This is far outside human understanding but that a great thing. It means there is no one and nothing like God.

God can make anything happen!

“For there is nothing that God cannot do.” (Luke 1:37)

I can't help but stand in awe

God is so awesome, so miraculous and so merciful filled with unfailing grace and love unending that how could we not stand in awe? The Bible often tells us to have awe-inspired or awe-filled reverence (honor, respect) for and fear of GOD.

“Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe, and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” (Acts 2:43)

You are my energy

Everything God has done for me makes me so happy it energizes me to my very core!

You're the everlasting God

You're the One who holds it all

I can't help but stand in awe

What God has made—nothing and no one can change. God is in control of everything and nothing will keep Him from us or us from Him.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

“The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.” (Psalm 138:8)

So, how could we not stand in awe?!

You are my energy

By being baptized in His Holy Name, we’re blessed with The Spirit [of GOD]—what could ever fill us with more joy and energy?!

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20)

He gave to us also the authority to make disciples in His Name.

when You speak dreams and reality collide

Your Word rewrites my destiny

Jesus re-wrote each of our destinies on the cross. His blood redeemed us all.

“But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

my life finds a new beginning

We are new in Christ. 

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

cause You are, You are my energy

God will remain the same forever and so will His Word and His Promises. How cool and exciting is that?! To know God won't let us down, ever. This gives us total energy and confidence!

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (Psalm 33:11)

Jesus, you're everything I need and more

Jesus is all we need. He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life!

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” (John 14:6-8)

I'll follow you 'til the end You are my strength

When the disciples followed Jesus He left them—and us—with a promise:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus, You're everything I need and more

Philippians 4:19-20 literally states: “And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in the Messiah Jesus. Glory belongs to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen.”

Jesus came in order to give us everything!

“‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’” (John 10:10)

You are, You are my energy

God gives me my every heartbeat, He is my heartbeat.

You are my energy

Our God is the one who gives our lives meaning and joy; this is what gives us energy—Spiritually energy and He enables us to carry on.

[eternalfaithinhislove]

T r i a l s

Life won’t always be easy, even for us Christians. As a matter of fact, Jesus tells us the opposite—it’s going to be really hard! It won’t be perfect like some people assume until we’re with Him in Paradise. This applies to all who choose to believe in Him.

If the world didn’t except HIM, how the heck is it going to accept us?

“‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ (John 15:18-25)

In John 16, Jesus warns the disciples about the trials and troubles to come. Yet, He also reminds them of the joy He will bring them! Jesus reminds them He will send them the Holy Spirit. That they’ll be persecuted for believing in Him—because they persecuted HIM. He also told them that though they would grieve Him, He’d send them His Holy Spirit. He explained to them that unless He left (died for them) He wouldn’t be able to send The Advocate (His Holy Spirit).

The world was wrong and still is, by condemning our Lord. He let the disciples (and us) know that His Spirit would enlighten us and lead us to the Truth.

Everything He told them applies to us as believers as well. So, the persecuting and peace that was promised to them is also promised to us through our faith in the Lord, our God!

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I  have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.’” (John 16:1-15)

Jesus also mentioned He had more to say but the disciples wouldn’t have been able to bear it—this too also applies to us today. There’s a lot we cannot yet even begin to comprehend. Truths we can’t yet know.

But we can take heart for our Lord has saved us and set us free!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

And He is always with us through it all!

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

[eternalfaithinhislove]

➳

➳ Arrows can symbolize war and death 

or 

➳ they can symbolize future prosperity.

Arrows were/are used to fight or hunt but I feel like they can symbolically remind us that “the best is yet to come.”

When we go through hard times—and we go ten steps back—God is preparing us, molding us into better versions of ourselves. He takes the bad and makes it good.

“He was making a pot from clay. But there was something wrong with the pot. So the potter used that clay to make another pot. With his hands, he shaped the pot the way he wanted it to be. Then this message from the Lord came to me: “Family of Israel, you know that I can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay in the potter’s hands, and I am the potter.” This message is from the Lord. “There may come a time when I will speak about a nation or a kingdom that I will pull up by its roots or tear down and destroy it. But if the people of that nation change their hearts and lives and stop doing evil things, I will change my mind and not bring on them the disaster I planned. There may come another time when I speak about a nation that I will build up or plant. But if I see that nation doing evil things and not obeying me, I will think again about the good I had planned to do for them.” (Jeremiah 18:4-10)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Like an arrow, we’ll shoot forward with the help from His Hand! From bad times to good; from lack to prosperity; from failure to success!

“And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.” (Acts 11:21)

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Yet, we typically view things as getting worse before they get better. And to a point that is true. It does sometimes happen that way. Why? Because It’s hard to remember in the bad moments that many good ones are to come. That’s what our Bibles are there for—to remind us how many times our God promises. . .  

But the Good—great, actually—news is that God doesn’t desert us in the moments we slide back but as He told Jeremiah in this passage if we repent and turn to Him, He’ll prosper us. He’ll never leave us when we need Him most. Think of how far He’s brought you. Do you think He’d quit and leave you in your darkest hour? No. Not only is our God far from a quitter but He has promised to never leave nor forsake us.

“‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)

And we’re arrows in God’s Hand. Arrows never go backward and God’s Hands never fail!

“My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” (John 10:29)

As long as we trust and believe in God, and follow Him, the best is truly yet to come, so get ready to shoot forwards into a prosperous, good future God has planned for you. ➳

[eternalfaithinhislove]

forever flawed

A lot of us are good people. All of us know we’re not—nor will we ever be—perfect.

But wait, even Jesus doesn’t call HIMSELF “good!”

“‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone.’”(Mark 10:18)

This in no way means He’s “not good” nor does it mean He is saying He isn’t God.

What He’s doing in saying this is setting an example for us. That we should realize we’re no one is “good”/perfect/flawless.

The Only perfect human ever created and walked on this Earth was Jesus Christ.

We weren’t created with flaws—we got those ourselves. The moment Eve and Adam disobeyed God in Eden, we became flawed forever. 

But thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ, we’re made perfect, imperfectly perfect. And yet, He [still] loves us, flawed sinners.

Our use of free will brought us failure and oppression but Jesus’s death and resurrection brought us life and freedom. 

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

It’s our faith in Him that gives us—forever flawed people—hope.

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:6-9)

[eternalfaithinhislove]

The Good Shepherd and The Lamb of God 🐑

Here is the passage of The Good Shepherd and His Sheep from chapter 10 of the book of John.

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

’I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.’

The Jews who heard these words were again divided. Many of them said, ‘He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?’

But others said, ‘These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’” (John 10:1-21)

Jesus is often referred to as The Lamb of God.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”  (John 1:29)

Verse 10-11 & 15-18

Verses 11 & 14-18

Yet, He is also our Shepherd.

Verses 11 & 14-15

Verses 2-4, 7-10, & 15-18

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)

Verse 16

“Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:3-7) Verses 2-4 Verses 1, 5, & 12-13

Verses 6 & 19-21 talk about the Jews who didn’t believe in or understand what Jesus was saying. Jesus always caused division. Why because as He said in verse 10, He came that we may have life, and have it to the full but those who didn’t believe and trust Him wouldn’t gain the same thing. Instead, they ridiculed Him and His Teachings, while those who did believe in Jesus and knew He was the Messiah defended Him. Verse 21 sounds like either a believer asking a sarcastic, rhetorical question: “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” or someone who was starting to believe in Jesus Christ after seeing all the miracles He performed. His sheep were being separated from those who weren’t His sheep. “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12) “‘Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First, collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” (Matthew 13:30) 

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[eternalfaithinhislove]

A B B A

As God’s Children, we can refer to Him as Abba—a more affectionate alternative to the name Father.  

It is through Jesus that we become God’s Children.

Reading 1 John 3 tells us more.

Jesus Himself calls God by this very name, giving it even more significance. His Sacrifice is what ties us to Himself and unites us to ABBA Father. By His Blood, we are not only healed but we are born again—as God’s Children!

‘Abba, Father,” he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’” (Mark 14:36)

Jesus has the right as God’s Son to call Him Abba and through His Death and Resurrection, He bonded us to His Father, making Him our Father through this bond and our faith in Him.

“But as many, as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…” (John 1:12)

Paul wrote of this us several times in the New Testament that it is because Jesus sent us Thee Holy Spirit that we can call Thee One and Only God our ABBA Father. How awesome is that! I’m sure everyone sees their father as the best dad but I know for a fact that all of us Christians know God is ABBA.

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him, we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)

"And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me, ‘Says the Lord Almighty.’” (2 Corinthians 6:18)

Let us praise our ABBA Father. 

[teachercarlyloves]

Thank You Lord for using me. :)