Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

The human experience of life on this planet offers richness in both the sunshine and the rain. As much as we would prefer to have the sun shining all our days, it is clear that we appreciate our days far more after surviving the storms life will bring. When we are faced with storms, we can find comfort that we are not the first to have faced trying times, nor will we be the last. Through God’s Word, we can draw inspiration from those who have seen the difficulties life will bring and be encouraged to choose a heart status of gratitude and praise even when our hallelujahs are weak. David was the man after God’s heart, and his life was one of miracles but also enormously testing times. David was anointed king as a teenager, but he would not take the throne until nearly twenty years later because another man, Saul, sat as king. Saul became aware that David was to be king, and for most of the time when David awaited the time to become king, he was pursued, hunted, and terrorized by Saul. Despite all of this and other trying times, David could find solace in the Lord and offer gratitude to Him. Just as David found his confidence in God and offered Him praise, we can as well, no matter the situation. Life will bring trying times, but we are always left with the choice of gratitude or bitter feelings. We can draw encouragement from those who have navigated through hard times before and, like them, choose to praise God, keep a good attitude of gratitude, and see that even if it does not make sense now, one day, it will. Can you give gratitude to God in an imperfect situation? If you can, then you are expressing the highest form of faith!

 

 

2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 NIV “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

The Greek word translated “temporary” in this verse is “proskairos”, which means “for a season, enduring only for a while.”  Psalms 30:5(b) says “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. “It is amazing how we freak out when we face certain situations in life, even as Christians. We forget that the greater one lives in us (1 John 4:4). We forget that every situation that is named is subject to the Name of Jesus (Ephesians 1:21, Philippians 2:9-11). We forget that every situation is temporary and subject to change, if we exercise our authority in Christ Jesus over that situation. This is what you should say to your circumstances when they do not line up with God’s Word: Temporary! You need to understand problems do speak to you through the demonic forces behind those problems. They say things like, “You cannot get rid of me. I will be with you as long as you live.” “Your parents died from this, and you will, too.” “Your family was poor, and you will always be poor. You will never have abundance. You will never get out of debt.” You must resist those thoughts and talk back to them, because they are contrary to what God said in His word. Resist devil’s thoughts and ideas (2 Corinthians 10:5). Do not be passive. Resist steadfastly!  If you name the challenges, you are facing as “yours” and “permanent”, they will stay. But if you call them “temporary”, they will eventually leave. Your circumstances are subject to change! Temporary!

Proverbs 22:6 ESV “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

God’s plan is that children be a great blessing in a family. Sadly, in many homes, the children are terrorizing, exasperating and exhausting their parents. All young children act exactly as they have been trained by their parents or other care givers. As they get older children have additional influences that may affect their behavior, such as peers, television, social media, teachers, etc. God places primary responsibility on fathers to make sure their children are trained according to God’s Word. Mothers are not exempt from this responsibility, but God does hold fathers ultimately responsible. If you allow your children to disrespect or disobey you, that is your choice. Do not blame your children. They are just doing what they have been trained to do. Most parents tell their children to do right, but few seem to consistently train their children to actually do right. Training is much more than telling or teaching; it requires that the desired action be done over and over, until acting right becomes a habit. Training is making sure someone does something correctly until it becomes a habit. Do not be deceived into thinking that letting children have their own way will promote peace: yours or theirs. No peace will be found in a home where the instruction of the Lord is not followed (Isaiah 54:13). Children do not know what is best for them. That is why God gave them parents who are responsible for training them correctly. But if you have not achieved perfection in this area, God will still help you and your children. This is not meant to condemn, but to encourage. If your children are grown, just keep on loving them and praying for them. If you fell short as a parent, do not despair. God is merciful and gracious. So pray for your children and God will work in their lives.

Matthew 4:10 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'”
The devil speaks all the time. You may not be able to stop him from speaking but you can make sure he does not have the last say. Devil can take advantage of our circumstances, feelings, and emotions to preach his sermon to us. He can bombard our mind with thoughts that are not consistent with God’s plan and purpose for us. But we have the responsibility and the capability to cast down all satanic imaginations and bring to captivity every satanic thought (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Jesus Christ is our example. When Satan came to tempt Him (Jesus Christ) in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, Satan did not have the last say. Jesus responded to Satan’s suggestions, by stating the stand of God’s word concerning each suggestion. Whenever Satan confronts you with his suggestion, his opinion, his deception and his lies, respond with the truth (God’s word). Do not allow him to have the last say in any situation concerning you. Satan is not a gentle man; so you must counter his temptations with violent faith based on God’s Word. But you must know the truth to be able to challenge his (Satan’s) lies. You must study “to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15).

1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

 

Why is it that the Christians of the first century were able to do so much damage, in a positive sense, in such a relatively short period of time (Acts 17:6)? And how is it that these first-century believers, without the tools, technology, and media that we utilize today, were still able to radically impact their culture? The short answer is they followed and practiced a radical, non-compromising Christianity that is not known by many in the twenty-first century. When we read about Christianity in New Testament books like Acts, we might classify it as something that was radical, over the top, and perhaps a bit on the extreme side. But to them it would have been nothing less than normal Christian living. They were different. Christians should differ from non-Christians in every realm, not just the religious realm. We should differ from non-Christians not simply because we show up at church on the weekend or attend a midweek Bible study. Rather, we should differ from non-Christians because we conduct our businesses differently, we treat our spouses differently, and we raise our children differently. Our values should be different from those of non-Christians. People need to see this difference in our lives, but all too often, it simply is not happening. If we want to impact our world like the first-century believers did, then we have to get back to the principles they applied. It starts with the Christianity they practiced. Christianity based on the unconditional love of God, great faith, uncompromising word of God, and demonstration of the Spirit and power.