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LAUGHTER

3/7/2025

March 8, 2025 LAUGHTER

Proverbs 15:13 “A glad heart makes a happy face.”
Philippians 4:4 “Be glad in the Lord at all times: again, I say, be glad.”
Psalms 9:2, 32;7 “I will be glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou most high.” “I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for thou has considered my trouble; thou has known my soul in adversities;”
Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Nehemiah 8:10 “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Life is serious-but we can take it too seriously. If we lose laughter and live without joy, we are most miserable. Blessed is the one who can find a reason to laugh and blessed is the one who has a joyful heart. Some may say that laughter and joy are simply personality traits; you are born with these traits are you are not. We are born with certain traits, but the laughter and joy we are talking about come from God; they are a gift to us. If we have a biblical view of life, we are able to see beyond the present and we are able to see the big picture and we are able to see where we are going-this has a way of lessening the pressure of the moment and allows us the opportunity to laugh and to be joyful-knowing God’s plans are sure. And, laughter and joy have health benefits as well. When God looked at His creation, He said it was good; God is good and He has good intentions for His people. If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31. We encounter situations that are grievous and there is a time for mourning; yet, even in the most difficult times we can know the goodness of God. So, let us have a glad heart, and as the verse in Philippians tells us, be glad in the Lord at all times. We have received mercy and grace from God; our sins are forgiven and heaven is our destiny-therefore, let us rejoice and be glad.

John 15:11 “These things In have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Blessings, Buddy

DIVINELY POWERFUL

3/5/2025

March 5, 2025 DIVINELY POWERFUL

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”

In chapter 10 of 2 Corinthians, Paul is establishing the fact that God had called him to proclaim the gospel to all, especially to the Jews. The authority that Paul had came from God. Today, we will look at just a couple of important truths found in this chapter. First, Paul emphasized that believers do not war according to the flesh; the battles we face are primarily spiritual battles. In our flesh, there are no weapons that can prevail in spiritual warfare. The Holy Spirit in us is divinely powerful, and He destroys fortresses; we battle in the power of the Spirit. There are many beliefs, opinions, philosophies, and views that oppose the kingdom of God. As believers, we must be engaged in destroying and opposing any ‘lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.” A key spiritual battle ground is the mind. The enemy is constantly trying to get us to think in ways that are contrary to the gospel and to the ways of God. Obviously, our thoughts are powerful. Proverbs 23:7 tells us “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” We need a foundation on which to build our thought life, and that foundation is God’s word. We must manage our thoughts. Ephesians 4:23 tells us to ‘be renewed in the spirit of our mind.’ A fitting analogy is that thoughts are like airplanes circling above, asking permission to land in our minds. It is super critical for us not to allow wrong thoughts to land in our minds. We have the awesome and life-change power to tell our minds what to think about! As our thoughts go, so we go. The good news is that thinking and dwelling on right thoughts is not difficult because God has given us a new mind. Our part is to reject the old mind that is prone to think in a wrong way, and embrace the new mind that God has given us. As we embrace our new mind, we are being renewed in the spirit of our mind. At the risk of sounding over-simplified, let us simply chose to think in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Righteous thoughts lead to righteous acts-that’s what it’s all about. The Holy Spirit in us has at it’s disposal ‘divinely powerful’ weapons that always leads to triumph. There is no fortress so strong that the weapons of our warfare cannot defeat. We are spiritual beings engaged in spiritual warfare and God has equipped us to win.
Romans 8:5-6 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Blessings, Buddy

WE HAVE COME TO KNOW

3/2/2025

March 3, 2025 WE HAVE COME TO KNOW

1 John 4:12-13, 16-17 “No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in Him, and he in God. And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.”

Love is a big deal; not love as the world defines it but the love that comes from God. This love of God has been given to us through the Holy Spirit. Even though we have not seen God, we can know and experience His love. God’s love in us produces certain fruit or evidence; one evidence of the love of God in us is that we love one another. And amazingly, the love of God is perfected in us when we love one another. One antidote to doubting our salvation is knowing that He has given us His Spirit. John, in very plain terms, is a letter spelling out the assurance of salvation so that there would be no doubt as to whether they were saved or not. It may sound over simplistic, but John says that “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” To confess is to believe. This amazing love of God is a selfless love; it desires the best for others; and it sacrifices for others. The issue is this; have we come to know the love that God has for us. Knowing His love transforms us from the inside out. If we have not come to know His love, then let us be asking God to reveal His love to us. Through meditating on God’s word, studying His word, and asking Him to reveal this life-changing truth, He will in His on way and in His own timing, reveal His love to us. We can begin the process by simply choosing to believe what we read in His word.
1 John 4:7,19 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” “We love, because He first loved us.”

Blessings, Buddy

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING

2/28/2025

February 28, 2025 BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING

Philippians 4:6-8 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Really? Be anxious for nothing? To the one who does not know God and even for many who know God, this instruction to be anxious for nothing seems unrealistic or like a pipe dream. Surely, God did not literally mean that we should be anxious for nothing-especially in the world in which we live. As amazing at it may sound, that is exactly what God means. This command not to be anxious for northing cuts right to the very core of our faith in God. It challenges what we believe about God and it also takes us beyond our own logic and understanding. To the degree that we are anxious is the degree to which we do not trust God. In the very core of our being, in the deepest parts of our heart, mind and spirit, we either have an abiding trust in God in any and all circumstances, or we do not. It is a good thing to ask God to open the eyes of our hearts that we might see His majesty, His glory, His power, His faithfulness, and yes, His love for us. When we meditate on who He is, our anxiousness subsides. Being focused on the circumstances and the potential for harm or loss that may befall us, can certainly causes us to be anxious. God knew we would face difficulties, yet He tells us not to be anxious. The truth is that nothing can separate form His love and His care for us. And here is the real deal-the acid test: even if we suffer great trials and great difficulties, even if we suffer loss, even if become seriously ill, even if our best friend forsakes us-or whatever-God is not only not going to forsake us, He promises even to use it for our good, and He promises to comfort and strengthen us in the trial. Simply said, God is our provider and protector; He never fails. So no matter what our human logic tells us and no matter how dark it looks, let us rest in His care for us. It’s a fact: we all face difficulties; but God tells us to make out request known to Him with thanksgiving. Once we do so, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds-and we will be anxious for nothing. It boils down to us surrendering what we desire and presenting our lives to Him, knowing He is God and He is working all things for our good. We may wonder why God allows difficulties; but the reality is that we live in a fallen world and we encounter the ravages of sin, BUT God is with us in this fallen world and He comforts us and strengthens us that we might endure with peace. One day, God will come again and will right all wrongs and we will experience life in the kingdom of God-there will be no more trials.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Blessings, Buddy

CALLED TO BE PROACTIVE

2/26/2025

February 25, 2025 CALLED TO BE PROACTIVE

1 THESSALONIANS 5:14-15 “ And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Let’s face it. Sometimes, believers get out of line-they do things, say things, and have attitudes that are unlike Christ. The apostle Paul was quick to deal with and correct those who were living contrary to the gospel. The early believers lived in community where issues of the brothers and sisters were addressed. In our culture, we live more separated lives-and that is to our detriment in many ways. Also, in our culture, we are hesitant to intrude into the life of another; we are private; even though there are times we should speak into someone’s life, we are hesitant or even choose not to because of our privacy mindset. Anyway, even in our culture, may we learn how to admonish the unruly in a God-loving way; AND let us be willing to be corrected or admonished when we need it. As we read through this passage, we see that as believers, we are called to action. We must remember that life in the kingdom of God has it’s own ‘ways and means;’ it is unlike life lived according to the ways of the world. Life in the kingdom of God is a proactive life and it’s a life that reflects the character and nature of God. From these verse we learn that we are to be helpers-helping those who are having a difficult time-the fainthearted and those who are weak. Jesus ‘went about doing good;’ His love and compassion for all led Him to action. Just as Jesus was patient, we are to be patient with all people. We should discourage anyone (including ourselves) from repaying another with evil for evil. Instead, we should be seeking that which is good for others. When we have the heart of God leading us, we can and we will rejoice because of what He is doing in and through us. We should live with an attitude of prayer-presenting our request to Him and asking Him use us to bless others. This passage is not an exhaustive list of things we are to be about, but it does give us some clear understanding of the kind of things we should be proactive in; to be inactive in the things of God is something we must not be guilty of.
Matthew 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
John 13:17 “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Blessing, Buddy

OUR MARCHING ORDERS

2/23/2025

February 23, 2025 OUR MARCHING ORDERS

Colossians 1:9b-13a “that you will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of saints in light. For He has delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Som,”

If we belong to Christ, then He has a life for us; a life unlike the world offers. This life that comes from God is to be lived out daily. One cannot live according to the ways of the world and according to the ways of God simultaneously; they are mutually exclusive. The good news for us is that God has designed a way of life for us, and He has enabled us to live this life He has for us. We must know and believe that God desires the very best for us; thus He makes this awesome life available to us. God does not want us living in the shadows, uncertain of how to live life. God desires, and He makes it possible for us to be filled with His spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we may live in a manner that is pleasing to Him. Bearing good fruit in every good work should be the norm for believers. Throughout our days, we can and should be increasing in our knowledge of God. God strengthens us according to His might for living life. How awesome and rewarding it is for us to be steadfast and patient even as we live in a fallen world where strife and conflict are so prevalent. We cannot live this life by our own strength and will-power; He has qualified us and has given us the privilege of living according to His ways; He has made us new creations. Let us remember that God HAS delivered from the domain of darkness and HAS made us citizens of His kingdom. So, as we go about our daily lives, as we negotiate the nitty-gritty of life, let us do so as those who have been filled with the life of God-reflecting His nature, His character, His wisdom, His compassion, and His love. He has made us sufficient for life.
Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Blessings, Buddy

GOD’S LOVE POURED OUT

2/21/2025

February 21, 2023 GOD’S LOVE POURED OUT

Romans 5:5: “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Ephesians 3:16-19 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”

We use the word ‘love’ in many different ways; perhaps we use it so often, we have watered down it’s meaning and impact. The love of God is far different from human love; human love is basically selfish and is limited. We may say we love someone, but we ‘love’ them because of how they make us feel, etc. The love of God is totally unselfish; His love gives and cares for the well-being of the one loved. You cannot explain the love of God; you can only experience it. We cannot earn His love or by some action on our part, become deserving of His love; His love reached down to us when we were sinners, separated from Him. We can thank Him that He has poured out His love into our hearts. That is amazing; human beings can be filled up with the supernatural love of God! The words ‘poured out’ carries with it the idea of being filled up to overflowing. We no longer have to live with the limitations of human love; we can now be expressions of the love of God! The love of God is pure and holy. Having His love poured out within our hearts has spiritual, emotional, and practical implications. The love of God in us enables us to respond as He would respond; instead of being irritated when someone does something we do not like, we can ‘return good for evil’ or speak peace and take the high road of the love of God. In place of judging, we have compassion. This does not mean that we never confront or oppose what is evil or wrong; God corrects and reproves, but it is done out of love. Just as Jesus laid down HIs life because He loved us, we too will find ourselves dying to ourselves when the love of God has filled our hearts. The good news is that when we live out of the love of God and when we die to our ways, we are fulfilled in ways never thought possible. God IS love; and now we can be “filled up with all the fullness of God.” May God grant to us the realization that He has poured out His love into our hearts-each one of us.

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Blessings, Buddy

IN HIM

2/19/2025

February 18, 2025 IN HIM

From Ephesians 1.

It is of great significance that in the first few verses of the first chapter of Ephesians, we find the words ‘In Him’ and ‘In Christ’ several times. We may often here about ‘being in Christ,’ but the importance of that truth and the implications of that truth cannot be over-stated. Before the death and resurrection of Jesus, no one was ‘in Christ.’ In the workings of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, believers are put in Christ-and Christ is put in them. Everything about the Christian life centers around this union of Christ and those who believe in Him. To be in Him is huge-to say the least. In this passage of scripture, we discover some of the benefits and blessings of being in Christ. First, we have ‘been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.’ ‘He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,’ ‘to be holy and blameless.’ In Him ‘we have redemption through His blood’ and the ’forgiveness of our trespasses’ ‘which He lavished upon us.’ He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His kind intentions.’ In Him, we have been ‘been sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.’ Our being in Christ separates or distinguishes us from those who do not know Him. Being in Christ is a super-nature work of God. Once we come to know and embrace this truth, our life is radically transformed. No longer are we mere humans; we now have the Spirit of the Creator God dwelling in us who empowers us, equips us and enables us to live as sons and daughters of God, reflecting the very nature of God. Being in Christ takes us out of what the world calls normal. Does all this mean we will have no trials and troubles-not at all. Just as Christ experienced trials and overcame them, we can do the same because He is in us living His life through us. This all has to do with us knowing our true identity in Christ. To learn of our God given identity, we must give ourselves to God’s word and we must meditate on and digest the truths we learn in His word. God can, but He does not normally ‘zap’ us with the truth of His word-we must seek to know the truth. So, let us not be guilty of living a ‘ho-hum’ life of mediocrity, struggling with and being overcome and defeated by the trials we face. God has made provision for us, and it is found IN HIM.
Ephesians 2:4-6 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,”

Blessings, Buddy

OUR SUPPLIER

2/15/2025

February 15, 2025 OUR SUPPLIER

Philippians 4:6-7,19 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Many fret and worry about how they will get the things they need; they believe that it is up to them to secure what is needed. This viewpoint inevitably leads to a life of pursuing ‘things.’ So much of the world in which we live is materialistic, giving little or no time to what is much more important-the spiritual. In the economy of God-in His kingdom-we are given the good news that we can be anxious for nothing! That may seem to hard to believe. God invites us through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, to make our request known to Him. There is something healthy and wise in seeing God as the one who supplies our needs, and knowing that we are dependent on Him. He said that He will supply all our needs! Does this mean that we do not have to work? It certainly does not mean that. It does mean that God gives us the ability and the skills we need to work, and He supplies the work. The point is that we should understand that it is God who supplies-not ourselves. In this life there are many things that can cause us to be be anxious; but God gives the awesome command to be anxious for nothing! The key to not being anxious is to understand and believe that God is ruling, that He is all knowing and all powerful, that He has all wisdom, and that HE LOVES US. His loving us does not mean that we will face no difficulties in life. In ways we do not fully understand, He has purpose in the trials and He has told us that ‘all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.’ I hate to say it, but trials are a part of the process of being transformed into His image. In the midst of the challenges of life, God invites us to make our request known to Him-what a blessing; He will hear our request and He will answer in His own way-and that is where is submit our will to His will. When we come before God in this way, the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds in a way that we cannot explain. So, acknowledge the trial, make your request to Him-what you want to see happen-but yield your desires to Him and trust Him for answering your request in the way that He knows is best-then leave it with Him and refuse to be anxious.
2 Corinthians 9:8,10-11 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;” “ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgivings to God.”
Blessings, Buddy

PUT ON THE NEW SELF

2/13/2025

February 13, 2025 PUT ON THE NEW SELF

Ephesians 4:22-24 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

This is indeed an amazing passage of scripture. In a miraculous way, God has made us new creations-made in the ‘likeness of God-and yet, we have the power of choice to lay aside the old us and the choice to put on this new creation that God has made. In our Christian walk, we tend to focus on improving ourselves and becoming better Christians. We think that if we pray more, attend church services, give more, and have morning devotions, we are on the right path of becoming better Christians. Do not get me wrong-all of those activities are good. The question is what is our motivation in doing those good things. At some point in our Christian journey, we have to come to grips with what is this new creation, and how does it impact my life. Are we in the refurbishing mode or being made new mode. When we discover and when we come to realize that God has made us brand new creations and we learn that we can live out of this new identity, everything changes. Now, we have those devotions, we give, we gather with other believers-or whatever-because it is our new nature to do so; we do those things because we want to. Remember, our new self is made in the likeness of God! Wow! It is actually true that we can reflect the Creator God; we can think like He thinks; we can respond like He responds; we can care like He cares; we can love like He loves; we can forgive like He forgives. No longer are we under the burden of ‘trying’ to be a ‘good’ Christian. Do not believe the lie that says we are just humans who sin; the power of sin has been broken. Believe the truth that we can lay aside the old self-who we use to be-and we can put on the new creation that God has created. Being renewed in the spirit of our mind is part of the process of putting on the new self; it is critical that our minds be renewed according to the truth of God’s word. We can choose to walk or live according to our flesh, OR we can choose to live according to the Spirit-to the new creation that we are. Let us today renew our minds and live in our new, God given identity.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Blessings, Buddy