I Know my Father Loves me!

“Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! John 12:27

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

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The word "love" is so misused and overused in our society that we hardly know what to think and how to receive it when someone says, "I love you." People seem to be on a constant quest to find new love of the week because their kind of love is temporary and base on performance. But Jesus came to show us love at its best. He came to show us God kind of love. Nothing made us attractive to God! The original sin made us despicable to God. But despite our shortcomings it was God's pleasure, it was God's will to predestine us to be adopted as His children. Praise God! I don't know about you, but this truth is freeing to me. In personal relationships, even those with our spouses, are sometimes tricky. We have to consistently remain on our toes or else we face the consequences.

Friends, it brings me great joy and peace to know that I don’t have to worry about being perfect. I don't have to be on my best behavior at all times while looking over my shoulder, wondering if God is going to shut the door or abandon me because I blew it yet again by doing or saying the wrong thing. God loves us as we are, imperfect and all. It is okay to be us. We do not have to put on an act for God. We do not have to worry that God might change His mind about loving us because of poor performance or because of tendency to be less than perfect or even because of our controversial past. This the way I see it: God already knows the worst about me -- and He chose to love me! God's love is unconditional. God loves me!My dear friend, God loves you! He loves us both despite our imperfections, quite a delight contrary to temporary, and quid Pro Quo earthly love. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Roman 5:8

Only love has the power to drive Jesus to accomplish what He did on that cross. Only those of us who have loved someone deeply can begin to understand what Jesus was going through during His last week on this earth. I don’t know about you, but I have great difficulty being away from those I love. I don’t enjoy separation. As stated earlier, In this world we tend to love on the basis of performance (we love people who stimulate and challenge us), and yet love still tend to be beautiful, enjoyable, and something worth finding. But Romans 5:6-8 tells us that God's love is not based on our performance! God's love, instead, is unconditional. So Jesus and the Father are one and Jesus knew that time had come and He also knew that death would separate Him completely from the Father. No wonder He felt troubled! It would have been so easy for Him to ask the Father to spare Him and the above scripture clearly tells us that the thought had crossed His mind but He was caught between a rock and a hard place. He loved the Father and He also loved us. He opted to  go with the original plan, the Father's will. He went for His Father's plan of redemption. Jesus chose to save us in accordance to God's will.

Friend, if like you are longing for love and complete acceptance, seek no further. God will not reject you because He loves you too much. Praise God! The Cross of Christ is the clearest, loudest, most powerful "I love you!” ever proclaimed. Jesus loves us so much that He stretched out His arms so wicked people could nail Him to a cross. That's how much He loves us. When speaking of Jesus' love the only question that comes to my mind is why does He love us so much? I do not know about you but I am as imperfect as it gets. The Bible does not elaborate on the reason but it makes it clear that Jesus does because He is love. Jesus died on the Cross to take our (yours and mine) place and make complete payment for our sins so that we could spend an eternity with Him forever in heaven! He chose to die for us rather than live without us. Wow! We are absolutely, totally, completely, and indisputably loved!

Father I thank you for your love. Thank you for opening the eyes of my heart so I can receive your love. Thank you for continuing to perfect what has concerned me for so long. Thank you for the sacrifice of the cross. Thank you for your son Jesus Christ, my savior and Lord!

Praise the Lord!

I am Trusting God...........

“Jesus said to her; take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well” Matthew 9:22

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I have been thinking about the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years in Matthew 9. I have been thinking all day about how big her faith had to be. Women were to stay away for many days during certain days of the month but that woman had been suffering from hemorrhages for many years and yet she didn't care what anybody thoughts. She came out and had the nerves to try to touch Jesus. She didn't let obstacles get in the way of her healing. I picture her, frail and pale fighting her way through the crowd and then through the disciples to make her way toward Christ.

Jesus most likely didn't make the decision to work on her that day. If she didn't make the decision to be healed, she wouldn't have received her miracle. She made it happen. She took her faith and drew on the power of God. That's why Jesus said, "Daughter, your faith has made you well" (Matt. 9:22).

Three very important things happened: She believed in her heart that Jesus would heal her. Then she spoke her faith out loud. Then she acted on that faith by leaving her comfort zone, her house and tries to seek Christ’s presence and then she received her miracle.

Lots of people try to skip the steps of working hard when they need a miracle. They don’t want to pray, go through the test of waiting. They want to snap a finger by believing it in their heart and get what they need. In reality, when you need a miracle, you've got to believe it in your heart, then say with our mouth that we receive it before we can actually receive it.

Are you in need of a miracle today? Maybe it’s not healing. It could be any other need. Jesus wants to help you but you must start by simply believing what God's Word says concerning your area of need, and let that Word change your heart and mind. You have to build your faith up. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17); so start filling the ears of your heart with the Word until faith for your miracle is born. Find everything you can possibly find in the Bible concerning your area of need and then expect your miracle. The Bible say God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Malachi 3:6, Hebrew 13:8). There’s no need to doubt. He already done this, he will do it again, just put your trust in Him. Draw His power.

Yes, you can! Yes you can! Yes you can! You've already received a miracle, when you made Jesus the Lord of your life; you believed, confessed and received the greatest miracle in the universe, the miracle of a reborn spirit. Every other miracle you receive will come in exactly the same manner. God will come through for you. He always does and it does not matter what anybody thinks, does, or says. It does not matter what the situation looks like, you just have to stand on the Word of God, keep praying and receive your miracle.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 115

Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name be the glory,
    because of your love and faithfulness.

2 Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in heaven;
    he does whatever pleases him.
4 But their idols are silver and gold,
    made by human hands.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
    eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
8 Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

9 All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.

12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us:
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord—
    small and great alike.

14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,
    both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
    but the earth he has given to mankind.
17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,
    both now and forevermore.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 112

Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
    who find great delight in his commands.

2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
    they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
    their righteousness endures forever;
    their horn[c] will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked will see and be vexed,

    they will gnash their teeth and waste away;

    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Psalm 38

1 LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.

5 My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
6 I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
7 My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.

9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
all day long they scheme and lie.

13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 LORD, I wait for you;
you will answer, Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”

17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies without cause[b];
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil
lodge accusations against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.

21 LORD, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.