Jesus Christ Is Lord

 

 

In the New Testament, Lord is the most frequently used title for Jesus Christ. Although we rarely use this term in our daily lives, we are all quite familiar with another word: boss. That is basically what Lord means—one possessing authority, power, and control. The Word of God describes Jesus as the head of the church, the ruler over all creation, and the Lord of lords and King of kings (Col. 1:15-18; Rev. 3:14; 17:14).

The realm of Christ's reign covers everything that happens in heaven and on the earth. No one—not even those who deny His existence—can be free of His rule or outside His sphere of authority. Although Satan tries to convince us that liberty is found in doing what we want, true freedom is acquired only through submission to Christ's loving lordship.

Even death cannot release anyone from the authority of God's Son. He is Lord of both the living and the dead. All people must decide to either yield or rebel against Him, but they have the opportunity to make this choice only while they are still living. After death, they will acknowledge Christ's lordship through accountability to Him. If we have not bowed the knee to Jesus in life, we will be forced to bend it in the judgment.

Have you submitted to Christ's rule over your life? His authority causes anger or fear in individuals who have not yet yielded to Him, but those who have experienced His lovingkindness, trusted in His goodness, and surrendered to His authority take comfort in knowing Him as the Lord of their lives. 

~From Pastor Charles Stanley, intouch.org

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Have You Met Any Of These People?

 

One day in 2020, during the pandemic, I was at work. Now I was a customer service rep for an information line. People would ask their questions, and I would give them an answer. Most of the people who called were senior citizens or just older. Some were even lonely or just very outgoing. After answering their questions, they would talk of any and everything. I would have to do a little talking and then ease them off the phone.

On this particular day, I was asked a question about the pandemic. Then I was asked the question I think a lot of people were wondering during the pandemic: Are these the last days? When asked my mind, though I knew we were in the last days, focused on The Great Tribulation, so my answer was "Trust me, you would know."

Yes, to those who know, it was the wrong answer. I know a lot of people shy away from Revelation or even talking about the last days, but the fact is, we are in the last days. I cannot tell you when they started but the last days are here. 

But how do you convince people of that? I would say point them to the Word of God. In 2020, I would not have any scripture to back it up until a few months ago. I was attending a Bible study, and it covered 2 Timothy 3:1-9. And there was my answer. And yours.

Celebrities, famous people, politicians and the like are on this list. I've met a few of the people listed.You are truly blessed if you haven't met a person listed. But in this day and age, yeah, they exist. They are published, accomplished, unapologetic, and celebrated.

From this point forward, my answer to the question is yes, we are in the last days. And I'm providing 2 Timothy 3:1-9 as my proof.

 

 

 Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

 

Think Good Thoughts

 

Every circumstance in your life, whether good or bad, is affected by your thinking. Though it seems overwhelming, this is good news because it gives you the power to transform one part of your life and reap great rewards in nearly every other!

Your thoughts today are your results tomorrow.

Minor changes such as forgiving a past wrong, not blaming authority figures, or being grateful every day can make a gigantic difference in our lives, especially over time.

Your thoughts really are your destination.

One of the most profound changes you can make on the journey to renewed thinking is to adjust your perspective. You can control your attitude and how you react to situations, but assuming a more positive view will not come naturally.

Controlling your thoughts is like strength training for the soul, and it happens through meditation. Though it sounds like a strange Eastern sort of thing, the Bible talks more about meditating on Scripture than it does about memorizing it.

No matter what situation you find yourself in today, change is possible! There is a way out of every difficulty if you choose to cultivate the right thoughts. Like a caterpillar becomes a beautiful butterfly, when you renew your mind according to the Word of God, you experience metamorphosis — a complete and total transformation.

Growth begins when you acknowledge that you have the power to change your thoughts and begin making minor adjustments to your course. As you choose to shift your perspective on challenging situations and meditate on the truth of God’s Word to feed your spirit, your life goes from ordinary to truly extraordinary.

Your mind is like a garden. When you plant and nurture good ideas and pull out the weeds of blame, jealousy, judgment, self-pity, and pride, your thoughts cultivate good fruit that feeds and blesses those around you!
 

~From Change Your Thoughts, Change Your World by Bobby Schuller 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Doubt Can Lead To More Faith

 

It’s tempting to think that many of us will reach a point in our lives where we’ll be forced to question all that we believe, and then after this struggle we’ll never doubt again. The truth, however, is that all of us test our beliefs every day. Every time you make a decision about how to respond to someone who is rude to you, your beliefs are front and center. Every time you feel that ache in your body, a reminder of the emergency surgery you’re still paying for two years later, you wonder if you’ll recover, not just physically but financially as well.

When your car breaks down on the same day that your spouse overdraws your checking account, you face a dilemma about how you’ll respond — and more important, about what the basis for your response will be. When you’re reading a news app and scan the “word bites” about impending military action against yet another aggressive country, about the latest victim of a serial killer, or about the death toll in a train accident, you’re forced to confront your own beliefs — about human nature, about life, and about God.

If we want a stronger faith, then we might be wise to allow our doubts to stand as we work through them instead of trying to chop them out of the way.

Judging from what I see in Scripture, I’m convinced that God honors those seekers who sincerely look for the truth, just like that boy’s father who wanted to believe so badly that he asked God to help him overcome his unbelief (Mark 9:21–24). Maybe you can relate. You are like so many others who want to believe but feel like life has gotten in the way.

More than a third of the Psalms are prayers or songs of people in pain. These inspired poems often articulate our pain for us when we can’t find the words.

More than 2,600 years ago, Habakkuk asked many of the same questions people all over the world are still asking today. And in His grace, God relieved some of Habakkuk’s anguish, even as He left other questions unanswered. But on the other side of his doubts, Habakkuk grew into a person with a richer faith, a faith that may not have developed as fully had he not struggled through his doubts.

Think about it. If you understood everything completely and fully, you wouldn’t need faith, would you? But without faith, it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Why? Because faith and trust must emerge from love, not from a business relationship, a transaction, or some situation in which we have no choice.

Are you willing to ask honest questions? To wrestle?

And more important, are you willing to listen for God’s answer?

~From Hope in the Dark: Believing God is Good When Life is Not by Craig Groeschel

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Letting Go Of Unforgiveness

 

One of the hardest things to purge is unforgiveness. We’re tempted to think that unforgiveness gives us power, when in reality, it keeps us a victim. Yet we keep clinging to our unforgiveness, convinced that doing so is fair. 

But as Jesus followers, we don’t focus on what’s fair. We focus on being faithful. And one of the most faithful things we can do is offer forgiveness, especially when it’s undeserved.

It’s not easy to forgive. But when we follow Jesus, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. And His Spirit is strong enough to help us forgive those who have hurt us, even in the most horrendous ways.

So, when you’re struggling to offer forgiveness, consider this question: Do you want to be right, or do you want to be healed?

You can choose to keep holding on to hurt, convinced that keeping score keeps you ahead. Or you can choose to forgive anyway, knowing that you’re never more like Your Father than when You forgive one of His kids.

This kind of deep work requires humility, honesty, and compassion for both yourself and the other person. And while forgiveness is not a magic solution that will fix all your problems, it does help you fix your eyes on your Father, who is guiding you, helping you, and cheering for you in the process.  

 

~From Deep Clean: Getting Rid of Shame, Toxic Influences, and Unforgiveness Devotional on YouVersion

 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

 

Lean On God For Life's Difficulties

 

Jesus never promised a life without difficulty, or that while we were here on earth that we would just tip toe through the tulips until eternity. Life throws us curve balls and sometimes these difficulties nearly take us out, but even though we will face adversity and hardships that drive us to want to worry and give up.

The good news is that we have a God who never runs out of strength, and who never leaves us or forsakes us. 

~From The Opposite Life by Alex Seeley

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

God Hears Your Prayers

 

 

When you pray, whether in gratitude, pain, or confusion, your prayers aren’t dissolving into thin air or disregarded for more important prayers at the moment. God hears your prayers. He is ready to listen any time of day or night. He doesn’t get distracted, impatient, or irritated. Even if you’ve prayed the same prayer hundreds of times, He doesn’t roll His eyes and dismiss it. Our heavenly Father never misses a word we think or say in prayer; remember this truth when you’re praying today.

Think about God hearing your prayers; how do you imagine He receives them? What does today’s scripture tell you?

 

~From 100 Days of Hope, copyright Thomas Nelson

 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!