A Father’s Love   

My Child,    

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1 I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2 I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3 Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31 For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27 In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28 For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28 I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5 I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12 You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16 I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26 You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14 I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13 And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6 I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44 I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16 And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1 Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1 I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11 For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48 Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17 For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33 My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3 My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalm 139:17-18 And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40 For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5 I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41 And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3 If you seek me with all your heart,you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29 Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13 I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20 For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18 As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11 One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4 And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4 I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23 For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26 He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3 He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31 And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10 I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32 If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23 And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39 Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7 I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15 My question is… Will you be my child? John 1:12-13 I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32 M

Love, Your Dad... Almighty God

What Makes Heaven Heavenly   
by Max Lucado    

You will be you at your best forever. Even now you have your good moments. Occasional glimpses of your heavenly self. When you change your baby’s diaper, forgive your boss’s temper, tolerate your spouse’s moodiness, you display traces of saintliness. It’s the other moments that sour life. Tongue, sharp as a razor. Moods as unpredictable as Mount Saint Helens. This part wearies you.

Just think what Satan has taken from you, even in the last few hours. You worried about a decision and envied someone’s success, dreaded a conversation and resented an interruption. He’s been prowling your environs all day, pickpocketing peace, joy, belly laughs, and honest love. Rotten freebooter.

But his days are numbered. Unlike he did in the Garden of Eden, Satan will not lurk in heaven’s gardens. “There shall be no more curse” (22:3 NKJV). He will not tempt; hence, you will not stumble. You will be you at your best forever!

Christ will have completed his redemptive work. All gossip excised and jealousy extracted. He will suction the last drop of orneriness from the most remote corners of our souls. You’ll love the result. No one will doubt your word, question your motives, or speak evil behind your back. God’s sin purging discontinues all strife.

No sin means no thieves, divorce, heartbreak, and no boredom. You won’t be bored in heaven, because you won’t be the same you in heaven. Boredom emerges from soils that heaven disallows. The soil of weariness: our eyes tire. Mental limitations: information overload dulls us. Self-centeredness: we grow disinterested when the spotlight shifts to others. Tedium: meaningless activity siphons vigor.

But Satan will take these weedy soils to hell with him, leaving you with a keen mind, endless focus, and God-honoring assignments.

We might serve in the capacity we serve now. Couldn’t earthly assignments hint at heavenly ones? Architects of Moscow might draw blueprints in the new Liverpool. We will feast in heaven; you may be a cook on Saturn. God filled his first garden with plants and animals. He’ll surely do the same in heaven. If so, he may entrust you with the care and feeding of an Africa or two.

One thing is for sure: you’ll love it. Never weary, selfish, or defeated. Clear mind, tireless muscles, unhindered joy. Heaven is a perfect place of perfected people with our perfect Lord.

The Power of Patience    

By Dr. Charles Stanley   

Hebrews 6:9-15    

Picture yourself waiting in a checkout line that hasn’t moved for ten minutes. Many of us would feel frustrated. We live in a generation that expects instant results.

Everyone struggles with some degree of impatience. We’re born with this trait—think about a three-month-old who wants milk in the middle of the night. The inborn reaction is to fuss at the first hint of discomfort and to keep at it until the need is met. Patterns from our old “flesh” nature make this a continual battle for most people, but one that is very worthwhile to fight.

Let’s consider the biblical definition of patience. It can mean both longsuffering and perseverance, or not giving up and yielding under pressure. In either case, it reveals itself when we are willing to wait without frustration while suffering or experiencing some strong desire. In other words, we accept difficult situations without giving God deadlines. What’s more, patience means accepting what the Lord gives, on Histimetable—or what He chooses not to give. This quality results in inner peace and lack of stress. Meanwhile, we should pray, obey, and persist as we seek God’s direction.

The danger of impatience is that we might miss the Lord’s perfect plan and His blessing. Only when we trust our Father’s will and timing can we rest peacefully.

What causes you stress? Carefully examine whether you are taking matters into your own hands or releasing the circumstance to almighty God. Listen to Psalm 37:7, which says, “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” Seek His way and His timing. Anything else can be destructive.

Giving God What’s His(short simple message on Tithing)   

By Greg Laurie    

On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. (1 Corinthians 16:2 NKJV)

The other day I was with my son Jonathan and my grandson, Christopher. Christopher was enjoying a bag of chips that Jonathan had given him, and Jonathan said, “Hey, buddy, can I have a chip?”

“No.”

“Son,” Jonathan said, “give me a chip. I gave you those chips. Now give me a chip back.”

Christopher scrunched up his face like he was in pain. Then he reached in the bag, pulled out a pathetic-looking little chip, and reluctantly held it out.

“No,” Jonathan said. “I want a big chip. Give me a good chip, son.”

Eventually Christopher gave his dad a decent chip.

As I watched all this, I thought about how we can be that way with God. All too often we want to give God our leftovers. God gives us our lives, our health, our income . . . it all comes from Him. Then He says, “I’d like you to give a percentage back to Me.” And we feel pain.

God established certain laws for Israel regarding tithing. The people were to bring one-tenth of their material resources to the temple and bring the best, not the worst, to God. Some would argue that tithing is not in the New Testament. But in the New Testament, the standards of the Old Testament are never lowered. They’re always raised.

Ten percent is entry level. It’s where you start, not where you stop. Every believer should systematically give of his or her finances to the Lord. We love to hear what the Bible says about prayer, about hope, about the return of Christ, about comfort. But when it comes to giving, we’re like Christopher and the little chip. We should welcome everything the Bible says about everything and simply do it. We should surrender to the Word of God.

Following God's Way to Forgiveness   
LAUREN DUNGY   

 Life is all about relationships, and because we humans are not perfect, even people who love us are going to hurt us.

The question is, “How will we respond when we get hurt?”

Colossians 3:13a says, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.” The first thing to do is understand that even the godliest people we know aren’t perfect. They do things we might not think are right. If and when that happens, we’re to be gracious and loving and explain to that person why we’re offended.

The verse then says to forgive anyone who offends us. That’s very straightforward, and most of us who read this passage would understand that it’s not just good advice; it’s a command. God expects us to forgive each other.

Knowing we should forgive someone doesn’t make it any easier, especially when it’s something that really stings. My usual response is, “I can forgive a lot of things, but I can’t forgive that!”

The second half of Colossians 3:13 has the perfect answer: “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” God has forgiven us, and not just for the small, insignificant things — He forgave us everything. Jesus died on the cross to forgive every offense you and I have ever committed against God or our fellow humans. If we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior, God has already forgiven us, without hesitation or exceptions.

Whatever we’ve done and whatever our motivation was, He forgives us. And He expects us to do the same.

In Matthew 18, Peter asked the Lord how many times he should forgive someone who sinned against him. Should he be willing to forgive someone seven times? Jesus answered, “Seventy times seven times” (v. 22, DRA).

Jesus then told a parable about a servant who borrowed millions of dollars from the king and couldn’t pay it back. The king forgave him and cancelled his debt, but then the servant wouldn’t forgive one of his coworkers who owed him a few thousand dollars. When the king heard what happened, he was incensed and had the servant brought in and punished for not having the same mercy in his heart that the king had demonstrated.

Jesus showed Peter that no matter how large the offense is or how often someone hurts us, God expects us to forgive.

I don’t know about you, but it’s just not in my human nature to do that. I need the Holy Spirit to take over my life to help me to forgive like Jesus. And when I do, I see the benefits: Not only do I experience God’s forgiveness more fully, but also I enjoy relationships without being hindered by the hard feelings that come from holding a grudge.

That’s why God wants us to forgive others — not just for their benefit, but for ours as well.

Heavenly Father, thank You for forgiving me and bringing me back into relationship with You. Thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross to show us the true meaning of forgiveness. Help me to show that same forgiveness to others, so they can see You living in me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Matthew 6:14-15, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” 

Heavenly Father, help us to keep your commands and reflect your love to our neighbors. Give us the motivation to be the good and faithful servants you have called us to be. Help us have the passion and perseverance to get up and live out your commands every day. Let us be disciples who yearn to celebrate your glory. Amen.”

Homesickness for Heaven   
By Greg Laurie    

Deep inside us, there is a sense of something more in life that drives us on. No matter what experiences you’ve had, no matter how wonderful they were, they were just a glimpse of what is still ahead. You are really homesick for a place you have never been before, and that place is Heaven. You were wired this way.

The Bible says that God has put eternity in our hearts (see Ecclesiastes 3:11). This simply means there is a sense inside of us that there is more to life. That is what keeps us moving forward.

It is sort of like the homing instinct we see in the animal kingdom, like the salmon making their way upstream with such determination. We see it in the way the swallows return every year to San Juan Capistrano. It’s a homing instinct that drives them.

We have the same thing, but it is a homing instinct for a place we haven’t seen yet. It is a homesickness for Heaven. Until that day, there is nothing that will completely satisfy our lives. No matter what happens to us on Earth, it pales in comparison to this great hope.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18).

This is the hope of the Christian—the hope of a place called Heaven. There is a better world ahead. There is something greater than what we’re experiencing now.

Heavenly Father, we praise you that this world is not our home! Everything seems broken and laden with sin, but we take great comfort in your patience and mercy toward us, and that you have prepared a place before us. Whatever joys or trials we face in this life, help us to remember our true home lies elsewhere. Please keep us strong until our time on Earth is done. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

A Simple Morning Prayer    

God, please enlighten my mind with truth, inflame my heart with love, inspire my will with courage, enrich my life with service. Pardon what I have been, sanctify what I am, and order what I shall be. Amen - Author Unknown