Peace

My heart is steadfast, oh God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul!

Psalm 57:7

David's firm faith in God contrasted sharply with his enemies loud lying and boasting. When confronted with verbal attacks, the best defense is simply to be quiet and praise God, realizing that our confidence is in His love and faithfulness. In times of great suffering, don't turn inward to self-pity or outward to revenge, but upward to God. It's a great day in our lives when our hearts are right with God and our minds are at peace. Out of this experience will come joy unspeakable. It can happen today as we invite the Prince of peace in. "My peace I give unto you." Heavenly Father, I pray for peace that surpasses all understanding for everyone reading this right now. I pray for the ability to make wise choices today about things that concern themselves and their loved ones. I pray that You would speak to their hearts and remove all doubt, worry, and condemnation. I pray You would be with us to comfort us and that we would honor You with our lives today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

God Bless you,

J.H.

We Shall Overcome

"I have told you these things, so that in me. You may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

With these words, Jesus told his disciples to take courage. In spite of the inevitable struggles they would face, they would not be alone. Jesus does not abandon us during our struggles either. If we remember that the ultimate victory has already been won, we can claim the peace of Christ in the most troublesome times. Claim that peace today; the peace that surpasses all understanding. Heavenly Father, I pray Your Peace upon Your people today. I pray that they would be able to sense Your Presence in their lives. I pray that they would be able to see You working in the circumstances of their every day. I pray that you break up the routine that we have become accustomed to; that he would shake us gently out of the doldrums of our daily lives. I pray for the extraordinary. I pray for a miracle for those that need, right now in the name of Jesus! Amen.

God Bless you,

J.H

Contentment

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

1 Timothy 6:6-8

This statement is the key to spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. We should honor God and center our desires on Him, and we should be content with what God is doing in our lives. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, most people still believe that money brings happiness. Rich people craving greater riches can be caught in an endless cycle that only ends in ruin and destruction. Paul instructs us to love other people, to love God's work, and freely share what we have with others. It is often helpful to distinguish between needs and wants. We may have all we need to live, but let ourselves become anxious and discontented over what we merely want. Like the apostle Paul, we can choose to be content without having all we want. The only alternative is to be a slave to our desires. Heavenly Father, I thank you Lord for this day. I thank you for all the gifts that you have given us. I know that Your grace is sufficient. I pray for peace in the hearts of those that love You; allow them to be content with what they have and not focused on what they do not. Provide us the grace to live in the here and now, and not continually look ahead to things that are beyond our control. I thank You and praise You in Jesus' Name. Amen.

God bless you,

J.H.

Rawk of Ages!

Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10

This became a time of celebration. Celebration, as we understand it, is not to be self-centered. Once again, it is not about us. Ezra even connected celebration to giving. This gave those in need an opportunity to celebrate as well. Often when we celebrate and give to others (even when we don't feel like it), we are strengthened spiritually and filled with joy. Enter into celebrations that honor God, and allow him to fill you with His joy. Where did people get the idea that Christianity wasn't fun? Where did people get the idea that Christians are stiff, bland people that can't do anything fun because of all the rules they have to follow? These are Old Testament people having a party in honor of the Lord! Everything you do, do for the glory of God.

RAWK on,

J.H.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM!!...Endurance

These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Since you've kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

Revelation 3:7-8,10

The key of David represents Christ's authority to open the door of invitation into His future kingdom. After the door is opened, no one can close it - salvation is assured. Once it is closed, no one can open it - judgment is certain. Some people believe that "I will also keep you from the hour of trial" means that there will be a future time of great tribulation from which true believers will be spared. Others interpret this to mean that the church will go through the time of tribulation, and that God will keep them strong in the midst of it. Still others believe this refers to times of great distress in general, the church's suffering through the ages. Whatever the case, our emphasis should be on patiently obeying God, no matter what we face.
Whenever we are going through, we have to look to Him. We have to acknowledge God in all our ways. We have to praise Him when we are up, AND when we are down. So many of us need something bad to happen to us before we give God any attention at all. Pray against that selfishness right now, and understand that all good things come from above. Accept the gifts that God has given you and use them for His Glory. After all, to whom much is given, much is required. Your purpose and destiny in Christ is revealed slowly through the process of doing and striving; not waiting for the clouds to open up and have God reveal everything then and there. We are still His children and He knows how much we are able to handle. He gives us just enough to get us to next step and then He gives us a little bit more. He encourages us and lets us rely on Him and as we rely on Him, we will one day open our eyes and realize that we have moved further than we ever imagined we could. Nothing is impossible with God. Accept it. Believe it. Live it.

God Bless you,

J.H.

The Joy of your Salvation

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:12

Do you ever feel stagnant in your faith, as though you are just going through the motions? Has sin ever driven a wedge between you and God, making Him seem vastly distant? David felt this way. He had sinned with Bathsheba and had just been confronted by Nathan the prophet. In his prayer he cried, "restore to me the joy of Your salvation." God wants us to be close to Him and to experience His full and complete life. But sin that remains unconfessed makes such intimacy impossible. Confess your sin to God. You may still have to face some earthly consequences, as David did, but God will give back the joy of your relationship with Him. When God forgives our sin and restores us to a relationship with Him, we want to reach out to others who need this forgiveness and reconciliation. The more you have felt God's forgiveness, the more you will desire to tell others about it. The power of your witness is tied directly to what God has done in your life. If you don't tell others about it, it will remain hidden forever. Speak today, and share the joys of the Lord.

God Bless you,

J.H.

The Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. I am the good Shepherd; I know my sheep in my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep."

John 10:11-12, 14

The hired hand tends the sheep for money, while the Shepherd does it for love. The Shepherd owns the sheep and is committed to them. Jesus is not merely doing a job; He is committed to love us, and even lay down His life for us. False teachers and false prophets obviously do not have this commitment. On the cross, Jesus identified Himself with every sin, struggle and crisis of life. In this moment, right now, receive Him as a cure for every problem and you may go free forever. Heavenly Father, I ask for salvation for everyone and liberation from every hurt and habit that may be harassing them. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

God Bless you,

J.H.