Do not Fear!        "Where God's love is, there is no fear, because God's perfect love drives out fear.  It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears."           I John 4:18 "But God shows his great love for us in this way:  Christ died for us while we were still sinners."        Romans 5:8 What would your life be like if you could remove any fear?  Just think how confidently we could live.  Fear is not all bad, though.  Remember that we are to "fear God and keep His commandments".  But this is the kind of fear that is a deep, humbling respect.  It is not being afraid to put one foot in front of the other or to get up in the morning.   It is not being afraid of what might happen today, tomorrow or in the future.   God told Timothy through the apostle Paul, "God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirt of power and love and self-control." (I Timothy 1:7).  When we are afraid, we miss opportunities to do what God wants us to do in our lives.  We must know that there is nothing satan despises more than a Christian who is confident and secure in his/her salvation.  A Christian who has placed their faith and trust in God will face the problems and challenges of life with boldness but with a peace that can only come from the knowledge of the love and care of God. God is love.  We need to remember that daily.  He loves and cares for His sheep.  Pray today that you will be reminded of the love of God as you read the Word.  Pray for God to help you overcome the grip of fear as you walk the path of life.

Being Thankful "I will praise the lord at all times; his praise is always on my lips."..."People who do what is right may have many problems, but the Lord will solve them all."                                                     Psalm 34:1, 19 We know that we need to praise God.  We also know that when we begin to praise God and thank Him, it begins to ease the burdens we carry from our shoulders. We need to be people who are grateful.  This should be our attitude, not only toward God, but also toward other people.  When someone does something nice for you, you should let them know it. Another thing we need to do is appreciate our family members.  This is especially true of the person you are married to.  Tell your family that you are grateful for the things they do.  Tell them you are grateful for who they are.  You will be amazed at the change in attitude in yourself and those around you when you begin to show thankfulness. Think daily on the things you have to be thankful for instead of spending all your time worrying about what you don't have.   Be thankful, also, for those who have been honest with you throughout your life.  I mean those who have been truly honest in a way that helped you change your life for the better.  Thank those who have helped you achieve and become what you are at this point in your life. Pray today thanking God for all the good things in your life.  Thank God for the protection and love He provides for you.  Pray for closer relationships as you become a more thankful person.

We're Part of a Family "Because of His love, God had already decided to make us His own children through Jesus Christ. That was what He wanted and what pleased Him." Ephesians 1:5 Sometimes I think that we miss the idea that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We've used the terms Bro. so-and-so and SIs. so-and-so for many years, but it has been more of a title than what it was actually meant to be. In Christ, we are family!! What an awsome thought. God is our Father. Jesus is our brother. When we read of the great men and women of faith in Hebrews 11 we are reading about our adopted brothers and sisters. Hebrews 2:11 says, "Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So He is not ashamed to call them His brothers and sisters." We, who are Christians, are family. How do you treat your physical family? Generally, aren't we more patient, more loving, quicker to forgive in our physical families than we are in our spiritual family? We should treat our spiritual family with the same, and even greater, love, patience, forgiveness as we exercise in our physical families. Think about this. You will be with your spiritual family through eternity!! What a wonderful thought. I know that physical families are not always happy. So many have been torn apart by sin which leads to divorce and separation. Any time you feel down about that, remember that you are part of the greatest family that has ever been and ever will be. You are part of God's family. Pray today that God will help you to remember the family that He has given you here on earth. Look at your spiritual brothers and sisters with new eyes when you see them during the week. Remember that we are family.

God First "People may make plans in their minds, but the Lord decides what they will do." Proverbs 16:9 It all begins with God. People today are spending everything they have and everything they are searching for "the meaning of life." They are looking everywhere for fullfilment. They look in material things, in the stars, in cultic religious practices and the list goes on and on. If they would only go back to the first statement. It all begins with God. Genesis 1:1 tells us that "In the beginning God created..." That is where we have to start if we are going to find out how to live a life that is full. We must begin by placing our trust and faith in God who created us. Without God we are just wandering around like sheep, as Jesus said, who have no shephard. Where do we find out about God? We must go to His Word. Pray today that we will keep our focus on God. Pray that God will help us stay away from the temptation to focus on ourselves and the world around us. Remember to read God's Word, even if it is only a few verses, so that we can hide it in our hearts and make His Word a part of our lives.

God is Love!! "I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you." John 13:34 If you read the entire Bible, both Old and New Testament, you will get a picture of the greatest love story that has ever existed. It is God's love for us. From the beginning of time His plan has been for us to love Him and for us to love each other. "Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God's child and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (I John 4:7-8) Prior to Jesus words in John 13 the command to love each other as you love yourself was already in existence. Jesus made this even more powerful when he said that we should love each other the same way that He loves us!! There are many reasons why we should love each other. This morning, let's think about one of those. In John 13: 35 Jesus contiued, "All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other." You don't have to go far to see that we live in a world ruled by satan that is full of anger, hatred and revenge. It should not be this way with God's people. When you are tempted to follow the ways of the world, remember that we are to love as Christ loved us. Pray today for help in following the path that Jesus has walked. Pray for a stronger love for our brothers and sisters so that the world will see Jesus in us. Look, today, for an opportunity to show God's love.

Our Guide "This God is our God forever and ever. He will guide us from now on." Who is your guide? When a person travels on a path that they do not know well, such as those who climb Mt. Everest or travel deep into jungle forests, they always choose someone to guide them. The traveler knows that without a guide he has a good chance of becoming lost, possibly even losing his life. Therefore, he will choose a guide who knows the path, who can safely bring him home when the journey is over. Is our life not like traveling one of these trecherous paths? Do we not need a guide? When we put our faith and trust in a guide who knows the path, it will bring us so many benefits. A trusted guide will lead us in a way that brings meaning and purpose to our lives. It will make our lives easier because we can trust our guide to lead us on the right path. We will be able to live our lives focused on the joy that lies ahead of us when we reach our final destination. Who is your guide? The Holy Spirit led Zechariah, John the Baptists earthly father, to prophesy about the coming of Christ in Luke 1. He said, "With the loving mercy of our God, a new day from heaven will dawn upon us. It will shine on those who live in darkness, in the shadow of death. It will guide us into the path of peace." The only guide who can bring us to heaven is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Pray today for strength to search the scriptures daily for instruction in how to follow our perfect guide. Pray then for God to lead us in the path that brings peace, hope, and a final resting place in heaven.

Praise God Always "I was naked when I was born, and I will be naked when I die. The Lord gave these things to me, and He has taken them away. Praise the name of the Lord." Job 1:21 It is so easy to praise God when things are good in our lives. It is easy during those times to worship, to talk of how good God is, to enjoy fellowship. But what about when things are not so good. What about when troubles come and we are not sure what tomorrow will hold. What about when you've lost, as Job did, those who are dear to you? How easy is it to praise God then? God does not change. He is great always. Our troubles do not make Him any less God. Remember that we have help. "Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain." When we are weak, God has given us help to make us strong. During times of trouble we need to lean on the promises of God to be with us always. Only He can bring the peace that cannot be understood by the world. But we will only find that peace when we are trusting in Him, talking to Him, and planting His Word in our hearts. Pray today that even in the troubles of life, we will remain focused on God. Pray that we will not give into the temptation of satan to doubt. Remember to read God's Word every day.