“Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.”
‭‭James‬ ‭5:7-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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#PatienceDeepensTrust

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40

It cost you absolutely nothing to be kind and trust me when I tell you that you never know when you’re standing by someone who is trying their dead level best not to fall apart. Being kind, “expressing kindness, are actions that should not feel like a cost or a chore, but to many, it is a significant effort outside of its euphoric chemical reaction.

I’ve read that research studies compound the idea that kindness is a chemical reaction. Linking ‘random acts of kindness’ to releasing dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain that can give us a feeling of euphoria. This feel-good brain chemical is credited with what’s known as helper’s high— positive emotions following selfless service to others. In addition to boosting oxytocin and dopamine, being kind can also increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood. Why then aren’t we all striving to be more kind? Actively seeking out ways to make kindness a core and manifesting art to our lives? The benefits clearly indicate happier, healthier communities, yet it remains a distant reality.

The late american author Augustine “Og” Mandino once said, ”Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.”

The science of kindness tells us that it is just about the only thing in the world that doubles when you share it, from the random act of helping an elderly person across the street, a warm hug, to an anonymous donation for a worthy cause. In which case—kindness is at best, unattached, unflattering and unrewarding of self, unbiased of personal gain and can grow into infinite potential when we become aware.

Kindness is an international currency that’s transcends langauage barriers and will always double in value. Therefore, I encourage everyone reading this message to spend it well, non prejudicially, and thoroughly because what you do for the least of them….you do it unto Christ!

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

All throughout the Bible scripture affirms time and time again that God never fails. It really behooves us to remember in times of desperation and grief that we may not be seeing God’s good and gracious purpose from our current vantage point.

Undoubtedly, the Lord uses difficult seasons as stepping stones in our spiritual growth. In trying times we have to believe that God knows what’s best for us and trust in His faithful promises.

As God’s children, we can stand firm in our faith. God’s covenant with us is not going to fail. His Word is flawless, right, and true. His promises can be fully trusted, no matter what our circumstances may be.

That being said, if this message hits home I am
encouraging you not to give up hope. Face each day confidently with an awareness that the victorious Lord is on your side. Know with all assurance that God never fails. His good promises to you will come to pass. Yes indeed, we can all brag about God’s love because it never fails, it never gives up, and it will never run out on us!

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If you are anything like me and you are going through a valley of trials and tribulations, I wanted to remind you (including myself) the Lord is still carrying you. There is a confirming promise found in Isaiah 46:4 and it reads, “God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.”

If this promise is true; which we know it is, we haven’t made it this far to be let down. God can’t fail because it’s not in His nature to fail. God will always give us the means to make it through the worst of times. He is so powerful that nothing can get in His way and nothing is too difficult for Him. We can take comfort in His unwavering love! In fact, we are protected by the very same love that redeemed us.

The good news is that God promises that we will make it to our destinations (Phil 1:6). I know it may take a little longer than expected, but it will happen. Therefore, be strong in His might. Stay faithful and hold on to the truth. The truth is that we are surrounded by the Lord and He is with us at all times (Heb 13:8). Don’t look left and right. Look at the Lord straight ahead of you. He is taking care of what’s on our left and what’s on our right.

Think about how a little baby girl child is carried around by her father. She has no fear. She feels secure. She knows she is in good hands. She recognizes that she is in a safe zone in her father’s arms. Beloved, we are in a safe zone in our Father’s arms. We must remember that we are supernaturally shielded. We must declare God’s power and protection over our lives. We are in the best hands there is. God carries us all the time despite our awareness of His goodness.

So, no matter what you and I are going through right now, God is still effortlessly carrying us and undoubtedly, we are going to make it.

May God’s unyielding grace bless you, keep you, protect you, empower you, encourage you, inspire you, and remember that He will always love you!

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Hallelujah and thank You Jesus because even in a declining world, there is always hope because God is the God of hope.

That being said, despite the current state of affairs there is hope in the world. All hope is not lost. As I stated above and according to the Bible, God is the God of hope. The word hope in the Bible is from the Greek word “Elpis” and this term is used over 48 times throughout the NT. It means a desire of some good with an expectation of obtaining it.

Unfortunately, our world constantly mistakes hope for wishful thinking and we toss around “hope” with little catchphrases or polite conversational buzz phrases:

I hope you get that job.

I hope you have a good day.

I hope it all works out for ya.

I hope you get better soon.

As Christians, we don’t have wishful-thinking-hope. We don’t have positive-thoughts-hope. HOPE HAS A NAME AND THAT NAME IS JESUS!

The Bible says in Matthew 12:15-21 that after Jesus perceived the Pharisee’s malicious plot to take Him out, He fled the scene and the people that followed Him who was sick were healed. But Jesus warned them not to reveal who He was thus fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. In verse 21, Isaiah’s prophecy declared, “And His name [Jesus] will be the hope
of all the world!”

Jesus gives us confident-assurance-hope. Because of Him, we have rock-solid-hope that God is with us and that God will save us and that God won’t abandon us. Okay, now that you know biblical hope is more than just wishful thinking, I would like to encourage you with the words spoken by in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

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#HopeHasAName

When I am afraid, beaten, hurt, broken, tired, betrayed, falsely accused, talked about, frustrated, or angry I will always choose to place my trust in God in Christ Jesus!

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 reminds us to, “Consider what God has done: Who can straighten
what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.”

Solomon knew back then that life was not predictable. He knew God’s people would experience ups, downs, highs, and lows along their pathway of life. As it was for God’s people then, so it is for us today. We are no different than the people in the days old; many of us want to trust God when times are good because it can feels a easier. But when times get difficult, it is even more important to trust God and that’s the contextual wisdom nugget Solomon is teaching us in the above reference scripture.

Beloved, God’s unchanging character can give us a firm foundation when things feel unsteady and uncertain. It behooves us to never forget that God is bigger than our circumstances. Difficult times may feel like they last forever, but they are temporary and they pale in comparison to eternity. God is always present amid the bad times as well as the good (Hebrews 13:5).God is always faithful (2 Tim 2:13). Therefore, in times of doubt, remember His promises (Joshua 21:45). Remember who He has always been. Even in doubt and uncertainty, if you keep going to Him believing, He will continually show Himself to be trustworthy (Hebrews 11:6).

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Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith and not by sight.” Many translations use the term “walk” but the NIV and the NLT uses the term “live”. Contextually, both terms implications are the same, however to “live” is the better translation as the meaning is to live, act or conduct oneself. The translation using “walk” was intended so that the reader could have the sense that they were on a long journey of faith.

Living by faith and not by sight means that we live today according to God’s promises, even though we cannot see them, and not according to the temporary, arbitrary things that our eyes often focus on here on earth.

Living by faith is believing in God’s Word and His promises. “Faith” is described in Hebrews 11:1 as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” It comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17).

Living by faith doesn’t mean we dismiss the obvious, but we must equally factor that it’s not about how things “appear” to us while we are living on earth. The translation does not mean “vision” or “sight” with the carnal eyes, as some commentators suggest. Some suggest this part of the verse is a reference to 1 Corinthians 13:12 where Paul stated that his understanding of God while on earth was unclear, obscured, and imperfect compared to how he would be able to understand God perfectly, clearly, and fully in Heaven. In that verse, Paul said that we now see darkly through a mirror (and so we need faith), but in Heaven, we will see face to face (faith will be replaced with actual full awareness and knowledge of God). When we “see face to face” we will visibly be able to see God. It is also important to note that mirrors in those days were made of polished metal, and did not display reflections clearly as mirrors do today.

I hope all of this makes sense and perhaps answered some questions you may have been pondering in regards to living by faith.

That being said and in summation, living by faith frequently contrasts the visible unreality of this fake, false, and failing world, with the invisible reality of true, glorious, eternal, heavenly things, that are our promised inheritance, in Christ. Undoubtedly, we must fully trust and embrace that faith is not only required for salvation, but is the much necessary ingredient (secret sauce) to live a victorious Christian life. At the end of the day, living by faith simply means that we trust completely… every word the proceeds out of the mind and mouth of God.

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When I look back at one of my favorite childhood reading books, I distinctly remember the American folktale entitled, ‘The Little Engine That Could.’ This story back then and still today is used to teach children the value of optimism (postive thinking), tenacity, and perseverance (James 1:1-2).

If you remember the story, in this tale, a long train must be pulled over a high mountain after its locomotive breaks down. Larger locomotives, treated anthropomorphically, are asked to pull the train; for various reasons but they refuse. The request is sent to a little small engine, who agrees to give it try. Surprisingly, the little engine succeeds in pulling the train over the mountain while repeating the motto: “I-think-I-can”.

You see, the stranded train was unable to find an engine willing to take it on over difficult terrain to its destination. Only the little engine was willing to try and, while repeating the mantra “I think I can, I think I can”, overcomes a seemingly impossible task.

Contextually, this story reminds me of the battle between David and Goliath. Just imagine the level of optimism that David possessed when he stood against the Philistines 9 foot giant (I Samuel 17).

I don’t know what plight, obstacle, or terrain you might be needing to overcome today, however I do know that Proverbs 18:21 reminds us, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”

What you tell yourself EVERYDAY will either lift you up or tear you down. Therefore, I encourage you to SPEAK LIFE!

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