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  In Everything   Give Thanks   “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)   Reasons we can be thankful in this hard season? A greater sense of His faithfulness. His Word tells us, “Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:5, NIV). A richer understanding of His peace. Since God’s in charge, and we are not, we can let go of our anxious thoughts and rest in Him. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NIV). A constant assurance of His goodness. Because His plans for us are always good and always purposeful, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13, NIV). A deeper dependence on His presence. When I’m on my knees, He meets me without fail. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (...

  Our Sacrifice of Praise.   Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of  our  lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.   Hebrews 13:15-16   The writer to the Hebrews explains several essentials for proper praise.   · Praise that pleases God is offered   by Him , that is  by  Jesus Christ, on the ground of His righteousness and pleasing God.   · Praise that pleases God is offered  continually , so that we are always praising Him.   · Praise that pleases God is a  sacrifice of praise , in that it may be costly or inconvenient.   · Praise that pleases God is  the fruit of our lips , more than just thoughts directed towards God. It is spoken out unto the Lord, either is prose or in song. “What proceeds from the lips is regarded as  ...

  Love   your   neighbor  – It’s not a suggestion The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command : “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament scriptures it tell us, yes it even commands us as Christ-Followers, God’s People, Women of God and God’s Girls, to Love Our Neighbor as ourselves. Matthew 22:39 and Mark 12:31 are just a couple. It’s easy to think that religious ceremony, going to church, devotion and Bible Study are more important than love for God and our neighbor, but it isn’t the case. A thousand empty burst offerings or meaningless good faith gestures do not mean more to God than a single act of love done in His Name. God didn’t say it would always be easy but He does promise to never leave us or abandon us. We can do so much more in Hi...

  Love Your Neighbor (Matthew 22:39)   What does it mean to “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself?” It’s easy to say “I love the Lord,” or I love Jesus;” or even to love and take care of ourselves. Some days it’s hard to love my neighbor when my neighbor doesn’t love me. When social media posts of people you considered friends are so hateful and divisive. But who REALLY is our Neighbor ? Jesus has commanded us to love each other, in the same way we take care of ourselves and are concerned about our own interests. It means we should take care and have concern for the interests of others. Respect, honor and dignity. If the love of God is real in our lives, it will be shown by the presence of love for God and for others. In Genesis chapter 1, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” God created all of us – mankind – the same; we are made in the image of God, His likeness, His representative. Even though we come from different backgrounds, God’s comm...

Where's Your Fear?   We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts (1 Thessalonians 2:4, NIV).   A major snare for many people is their fear of other people. So many people fail to make decisions or take action because they are overly concerned about what family, friends, workmates, or peers might think about them. Essentially, in such moments they are more concerned about what people think than what God thinks.   But we cannot be people-pleasers and God-pleasers at the same time. To live in obedience to God, we’ll have to be okay with disappointing some people and making decisions they don’t understand. Our fear of God must become bigger than our fear of man, and no amount of temporal satisfaction or approval from others is worth compromising the destiny for which we have been created.   Together, let’s determine to please God more than each other or ourselves!