Perfect Love

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

The definition of fear is “a distressing emotion aroused by impeding danger, evil, pain, etc., whether it is real or imagined. Fear is the feeling or condition of being afraid.” We fear many things including the fear of the unknown and loss: fear of death, illness, disasters, failure, rejection and loneliness.  The “unknown” can keep us feeling uneasy and uncertain. We can plan, be prepared and hope for the best, but we just don’t know the future and the outcome. Others common fears include the fear of flying, heights, public speaking, the dark, spiders, clowns, crime, the economy, the environment, the government, and on and on it goes.

When we are fearful, we are in a battle for our very lives. Fear creates discouragement which leads to army of problems including anxiety, depression and others. Fear is punishment but there is life by the Spirit. “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Galatians 5:16. The Bible tells us repeatedly how to retrain our minds against fear and to stand firm in His perfect love for us: “This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not have to fight the battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:15&17.

Hearts needing transformation and renovation desire money and other external comforts to make them feel secure. The Bible tells us to be content and not fall into temptation which leads to ruin or punishment; “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10.

God’s grace is enough: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” 1 Peter 1:13-14. The world looks at us in amazement because we have heart and mind of Christ. No matter how odd we may appear to the world, we must follow the Lord’s leading. There is freedom in Christ. Stand firm knowing His perfect love that drives out fear. 

Transformation of the Heart

Total transformation of the heart takes time, sometimes perhaps more than we would want to admit. Psalms 119 gives us many answers how to walk consistently with God.

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from the commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statues as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word." 119:9-16. 

Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord." 119:1 
These verses are packed with disciplines to stay in his Word, and to "be" conformed to His image: 
Be committed to stay in the Word. Be consistent: 

As much as possible, try to do daily bible reading, from your phone, on Facebook, or even the good old fashioned way, straight from the pages of your bible! 

Be thoughtful: meditate on the word, do a bible study. Look up the definition of words if you are not sure what they means.look up other verses on the subject. 

Be teachable: Allow the Holy Spirit to convict you. Be humble. Be open to truth. 

These actions produce a changed and joyful heart full of thankfulness.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Our God is good. This is what He has done for us who believe in him:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment to bring all things in heaven and earth together under one head, even Christ." Ephesians 1:3-10.

This is where you stand, your position with God through the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

1. We are chosen and made us holy and blameless, his adopted sons. We are secure and reconciled with God! 
2. He has given us his glorious grace, redeemed us through the blood, the forgiveness of sins. All barriers between us and God have been destroyed! 
3. He has lavished on us all wisdom and understanding and he has made known to us the mystery of his will. We have the Spirit of God in us that gives us insight to the mystery of grace! 
4. He makes his love known to us and fills us "to the measure of all the fullness of God." Eph 319. Praise the Lord!

Process of Growing

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24

The process of growing wheat takes about a year and goes through four growth stages. First the plant grows leaves and branches. Then it shoots up stems, growing to it's full height. Then the stems terminates in it's head and it develops flowers, fertilizing its self from the movement of pollen. Once this happens the grain is it's ripping stage, the plant begins to wither and die. Each grain or kernel of wheat has it's own resources to protect and nurture the embryo of the wheat germ (as in germinate), allowing it to grow out of the soil into a new wheat plant, continuing the cycle of growth.

God made us us to grow and multiply: "Be fruitful and increase." see Genesis 1:28 But just like the wheat plant, unless we die to self, we cannot fully grow, increase and multiply. "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies." see 1 Corinthians 15:36.

This process of dying to self is for the believer who has decided to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ: "Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." Romans 8:8. Life with Jesus no longer revolves around a "me" attitude. When self-centeredness begins to die, finally I begin to live. The "old self", of self-centeredness and sinfulness begin to fall away.

This lifestyle of making life "all about me" no longer fits. We no longer have to struggle with the sinful nature because there is life in the Spirit: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:1-4.

Death to self is a radical concept. But it is a principal, a design of God, shown in the example of a kernel of wheat dying, that it may grow and multiply. We must die to self, so that we can live the way God had intended. To accomplish this transformation or renovation of the heart, He uses our pain and sufferings but rejoice: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4.

Our suffering in Christ leads to a future glory: "I consider that our present suffering are not worth comparing with the the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18. "In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37. Because of who Jesus is and what He has done, you have greatness in you!

Serving the Church

1 Corinthians 12:18-26

When serving the church people often times think too small thereby limiting their own growth and other's around them. They might only see themselves as a choir singer or the Sunday school teacher. When they are not naturally gifted at singing or teaching, often joy fades and they give-up. 

When serving, it's time we stop thinking in terms of a "Sunday only" establishment. The church is not a place or a time, rather it is a body of believers, each one uniquely gifted by God to guide, help, challenge, and support the rest. Most service to the Lord doesn't take place inside the church building. It happens out-side the church walls and in the world, where we do the things that Bible instructs.

Most believers are not in a position to influence a lot of people. When we act or speak, only those closest to us notice, but a chain reaction ripples outward to affect an entire community. Paul's metaphor of body parts working together harmoniously is a helpful description of how one small action can have a widespread impact. Consider the way tensing your big toe keeps your foot stable and thereby steadies your whole body. In the same way, a gentle rebuke, a listening ear, or a loving deed benefits the church by strengthening one brother or sister, who then supports another.

We are on this earth to serve the kingdom of God and His church. And we do that by ministering to each other in small ways that steady the whole body as we give extra support to one member. In talking about such service, be challenged to find a need that God can meet through you.

Service of Motherhood

Philippians 2:1-11

Children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). Being a mother is a great honor and privilege, yet it is also synonymous with servant-hood. Every day women are called upon to selflessly meet the needs of their families. Whether they are awake at night nursing a baby, spending their time and money on less-than-grateful teenagers, or preparing meals, moms continuously put others before themselves.

Sometimes this constant serving can be exhausting and even discouraging, particularly for a first-time mother. But you can take real encouragement from Jesus. One of the best examples of gracious servant-hood is found in John 13:3-16. By kneeling to wash His disciples’ feet, the Lord showed that the key to true leadership is humility. It is humility that leads to eternal rewards.

Unless you are willing to stoop down and get your hands dirty, you will miss the real riches of motherhood. By dying to your own desires and pouring your life into someone else, you become like Christ and create a godly legacy that will carry on for generations to come. What greater blessing could one hope for? Of course, the motivation for serving others is not to reap benefits, but when we follow God’s plan for our life, that’s what happens.

In giving us children, God places us in a position of both leadership and service. He calls us to give up our lives for someone else’s sake, that is, to abandon our own desires and put our child’s interests first. Yet, according to His perfect design, it is through this selflessness that we can become truly fulfilled. 

Answers in Hard Times

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

God reserves the right to reveal some things and conceal others. Although we may not know why natural disasters occur, the biblical truths we do know with absolute certainty allow us to trust the Lord even in times of great suffering.

God is in Control:

Nothing in heaven or on earth is outside of His rule and authority. “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all” Psalm 103.19. God does not react to events but sovereignly ordains or permits them to run their course. Although we cannot know for certain if He has sent a catastrophe or allowed it, we can trust in His goodness and wisdom.

God loves People:

Giving His Son for the salvation of the world proves that God loves each person. “For God so loved the world that He gave His Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” John 3:16-17. Even though many will reject this fact, this truth stands firm. God cares for us, even when we can’t feel it or won’t accept it.

God has Purpose:

God ordains or permits events for His good purpose. “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say MY purpose will stand and I will do all that I please” Isaiah. 46:10.Though we cannot fully comprehend what God is doing in each incident, every disaster is a call for humanity to wake up. God is alerting us of the need to change and repent, so the lost can be reconciled and the redeemed can be revived to live purposefully and totally for Him. A disaster can open our ears to hear from the Lord.

God is Hope:

The One who loves us perfectly is in full control, working everything out according to His good purpose. “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.Knowing this should fill us with Hope, even during crisis situations. The Lord promises to turn disaster into good for those who are called according to His purpose.

2015 Blessing

May this New Year be Your Best Year and may Blessings continue to follow you Many More Years to come. May God be the Center of your Life and He will bring new Good Things. 

Allow God to bring Healing to your Heart, replacing pain, hurt, rejection and brokenness with Love, Joy and Peace. May Kindness, Goodness, and Gentleness replace un-forgiveness, strife, jealousy, slander and gossip with family, friends, and co-workers. 

I pray that your Godly Desires and God given Talents and Gifts come to fruition, fully realized and multiplied. May you have more than enough and you become a blessing to others. 

This is your year. You are blessed because you belong to the King. God bless us all and Thank You God for who You are and all that You do for us. Amen

God's Plan for You

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

It's amazing that God actually has a plan for your life that is far greater than you can imagine. Unfortunately, this existence we have on earth has us so preoccupied with the demands of life that most of us give little thought to what it will mean to be completely sanctified.

Sanctification: Three-stage Process

At the moment of salvation, God sets us apart for Himself. Then throughout the rest of our earthly life, He works to transform us into the image of His Son. One day, however, there will be a glorious culmination to our sanctification. Presently, we all struggle with sin, but when we die, our spirits and souls will ascend to heaven and be completely sinless. Then we'll see our Savior face to face and experience unimaginable joy. No longer will we struggle with the pride of life or the lusts of the flesh and the eyes (1 John 2:16).

Not the Final Step

Some day in the future, Jesus will descend from heaven, bringing with Him the souls of those who have died in Christ. They will be united with their resurrected bodies, and believers who are still alive on the earth will be changed (1 Thess. 4:14-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). Then sanctification will be complete: spirit, soul, and body.

Not just a Story

This is not a fairy tale, but the believer appointed destiny. God Himself promises to bring it to pass. We'll walk in His presence, spotless and without blame, for all eternity. Knowing this, how will you live today? The promise of salvation doesn’t mean to just give us hope, but to spur us on to holy living.

God Works Within Us

Ephesians 3:20-21

Take these words in slowly and let them sink into your understanding: “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (v. 20). What an amazing description of God’s ability to work within us.

Yet so often our focus is mainly on what we want Him to do around us: If He would change this situation or fix that person or problem, only then my life would be better. But God invites us to think and ask bigger because He wants to change the heart. 

The Holy Spirit has more than enough power to transform lives from the inside out, but working change within is usually a slow process. Spiritual fruit takes time to grow and mature. That’s why we need patience and faith to believe He is working even when we don’t see the results right away. God is never in a hurry and will never give up on us.

The Lord has a purpose for your life, and He is constantly working to achieve it. Although He has an individualized plan for each one of His children, He also has an overarching goal to conform every believer to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. In order to accomplish this, He may have to bring us through some struggles and heartaches. It might make no sense to us, but God knows exactly what He’s doing.

What would you like to see the Lord do within you? As you read the Bible, look for qualities that God considers precious, and ask Him to work them out in your life. Then rely on His wonderful promise to do even more than you have asked or imagined.

Defeating the Devil's Strategies

John 21:15-19

All of us make tracks through the valley of failure. Then the key question is, what we will do next? Sadly, many believers who stumble give up a vibrant kingdom-serving life for a defeated existence. But failure can also be a chance for a new beginning of living in Christ's strength.

In pride, Peter thought his faith was the strongest of all the disciples' and swore that even if the others left Jesus, he never would (Mark 14:29). Yet when the time of testing came, he denied even knowing Christ--and did so three times (Matt. 26:69-75). Satan hoped the disciple would be so wounded by his own disloyalty that his faith would be undermined by shame, condemnation, and despair.

Likewise, when the Enemy sifts believers today, his goal is for us to become shelved and ineffective for God's kingdom. That's why he goes after our strengths, especially the areas in which we proudly consider ourselves invincible. But if we're willing, the Lord can use our failures to do spiritual housecleaning, as He did in Peter's life. After the resurrection, Jesus met with the disciple personally and restored him, preparing him to become a great leader in the early church. He made it clear that Peter's potential to serve was defined, not by failure, but by his unwavering love for Christ.

Peter laid down his pride, received the healing Jesus offered, and put on courage with the Holy Spirit's help. He then risked his life fearlessly to further the gospel, and many came to Christ through his example. Failure was the catalyst that grew in him a stronger, more authentic faith.

Accepting God's Love

1 John 4:7-12

Many people simply can't believe that the Lord loves them. Others believe that He loves them, but only when they are pleasing Him in some way. Why is it so hard for us to accept His unconditional love?

One reason is that we have a hard time loving others without condition. We might say the words "I love you" to our spouse, children, friends, co-workers, or fellow believers but all too often are calculating in our mind whether or not they've lived up to our standard. We sometimes excuse ourselves from loving certain people because their behavior upsets or annoys us. The fact that we place restrictions on extending favor causes us to wrongly assume that the Lord does likewise.

Another reason is poor self-image. Considering ourselves unworthy, we refuse to accept God's love. None of us are worthy of the heavenly Father's goodness and mercy so you can let go of that excuse once and for all. We're not coming to Him based on our worth. Rather, we're coming to Him based on His grace, and our position is secure in Christ. To put yourself down as "beneath His grace" is to trample on His loving, generous gift. God arranged an awesome divine way for us to be reconciled to Him, and His greatest desire is for relationship with each of us.

If you feel unloved or struggle to accept yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of our heavenly Father's love for you and to sink it deep into your heart. Receive the truth that He reveals. It will be a completely different story about your value as an individual.

Jesus the Source of Peace

Colossians 1:15-20

Before we knew Jesus Christ, our life was full of godlessness and wickedness—we had self-seeking ways and stubborn, unrepentant hearts (Romans 1:18; 2:5, 8). Like our strife-filled world, we clamored for peace and tried to find it, but our efforts failed.

When we came to faith in the Savior, all of that changed. We were rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into Christ’s kingdom (Col 1:13). Every one of our sins—past, present, and future—was forgiven. Divine justice was satisfied by Christ’s sacrifice, and God’s wrath upon us was removed. We became a new creation, washed clean by Jesus’ blood (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Now that sin’s power over us has been broken, we can live in accord with God. He sent His Holy Spirit to be our personal guide in this new life, helping each of us experience Christ’s peace (Rom. 8:6). We also can look forward to an eternity spent in heaven, where righteousness, tranquility, and joy abound (Romans 14:17).

The story of the prodigal son’s return is a picture of our reconciliation with the Lord (Luke 15:11-24). The son had chosen to leave his father, living instead to please himself. Repentant, he eventually returned home; his father joyfully greeted him and forgave him, and there was harmony between them. God has done all this for us.

Our unity with the heavenly Father came at a great price—the sacrifice of His only Son. Christ gave His life for us so that we could be reconciled to God (Col. 1:20). Christian lives are to testify that Jesus is the source of our peace. 

Remember God's Blessings

Psalms 9:1-2

We are given amazing privileges when we trust in Jesus. Recalling these promises is a good way to maintain a thankful heart, even when facing challenges in other areas. Consider four such blessings:

Christ’s gift of salvation: No matter what trial we’re facing, it is microscopic next to the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. The cross was a steep price to pay, but the Savior willingly took our place in order to offer us forgiveness and eternal life.

Assurance of God’s love: The Lord cares for us unconditionally—that is His very character (1 John 4:16). Unfortunately, the storms of life can cause us to question this, but Romans 8:31–39 unequivocally tells us that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

Answered prayer: We have the awesome privilege of talking to the Father about anything burdening us—and He never grows tired of listening to His children. Our omnipotent, omniscient God is not only able to help us in any situation; He also knows the best possible way to do so.

A personalized plan: The Lord has a will, plan, and purpose for our lives that He will accomplish if we obey Him. No one is exempt from adversity, but we can trust God to bring good from everything He allows to come our way.Hardships, temptations, and tests will touch us all, but the Lord allows difficulty for a reason, even when we don’t understand why (Romans. 8:28). Therefore, submit yourself to the Father, thank Him for His wisdom, and be confident that He will accomplish His purposes for you.