Born from Above

Is there something that you are looking forward to? Is it a vacation? Is it a birthday? Is it a holiday? Is it a new job? How much are you looking forward to it? Does it consume your time? Do you think about it throughout the day? Is there something much better you should look forward to?

We look forward to many things. It could be a birthday, a long-awaited vacation, a new job, a wedding, a graduation, or a family reunion. All of those things are good. They are things we should look forward to. But there is something far better we should look forward to.

We should look forward to the full implementation of the kingdom of God. But many of the people we interact with every day do not. Perhaps you are one of them. We sometimes lose sight of what is most important. There is nothing better than the kingdom of God. However, we may take it for granted or think it is something far into the future.

Some do not look forward to it nor know about it. Jesus says we can only see the kingdom of God if we are born again. For some, that is a scary thought. For others, it is confusing. For those confused, they are not alone. Nicodemus was confused too, and he was Jewish leader. Jesus states we must be born of water and the Spirit. From a human perspective, it may not make sense. Yet, God’s ways are not our ways. We simply need to take it in faith and obey.

I pray we all look forward to the kingdom of God. I pray we listen to Jesus. I pray each one of us choose to be born from above, born of water and Spirit, born again. Look forward to the kingdom of God. Listen to Jesus. Be born again. Be born of water and Spirit. Be born from above.

John 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

Righteousness of Faith

Are you looking forward to an inheritance? Is it an inheritance of physical possessions, land, or money? Has it been promised to you? Are you planning to leave an inheritance for your children? Are you giving them the best inheritance? Are you giving it to them now?

Inheritances can cause a lot of strife. Siblings who have always gotten along well can turn on one another, fighting over possessions, land, and money when their parents die. Even if the parents have a will, it may be contested by one or more siblings.

But we have a priceless inheritance if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ. Our inheritance includes ruling the world alongside Jesus. It includes an eternity of being in the presence of God. Our inheritance is not earned through our works or strict adherence to laws or doctrine but through our belief and faith in Jesus.

We like rules and checklists. We like to be able to say we are doing the right things. We like to check off things we have completed. We like to compare ourselves to others. But our walk of faith is not about rules, checklists, or competing with one another. Our faith is about following Jesus and His commands to love God and love our neighbor.

If we desire to follow Jesus, we will stop competing with one another, throw out the checklists, and worry less about rules. Instead, we will filter all we do with the question: “Am I doing this out of love?” Putting our faith in Jesus is not only about love but trust. We trust Him to follow through on His promises. We trust Him in the good times, the bad times, and everywhere in between. It is a continual trust we have in every moment of every day.

I pray we all look forward to the inheritance we have. I pray we know our righteousness comes through faith. I pray each one of us puts our trust and faith in Jesus Christ. You have an inheritance. Trust God’s promises. Put your faith in Jesus. Follow Jesus’ commands. Love God. Love your neighbor.

Romans 4:13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

Works vs Faith

Do you believe we should all earn our rewards? Do you believe everyone should work? Do you applaud those who do well, earning promotions? Have you taught your children to be good workers? Are you constantly seeking to work more? Has it become an addiction?

Many of us work hard to earn a living. We also work hard on our homes and at our churches. Some of us cannot sit and rest when there is something we think needs to be done. It is as though we are genetically designed to work, that we are only satisfied when we work.

It is good that we work. It is also unfortunate if we apply working to our faith. Mixing the two are like mixing oil and water. All our works, even if done for the church, cannot earn our way to heaven. If Abraham, credited as being a man of faith, could not boast about his works before God, neither can we.

Just because we cannot boast about our works before God does not mean we should not work. Quite the opposite. We should work. But our work should be done out of our love for God, rather than out of compulsion or a desire to earn God’s favor. It is our faith in Jesus Christ that has justified us and by God’s grace we are granted eternal life.

It can be challenging to separate our line of thinking in which we must work to earn a living and yet be saved through faith. We often mix them and seek to be saved through works. We must remember that God loves us and through his grace we are saved through faith. Doing the good works God has put before us is good, but it does not save us.

I pray we all understand that our works do not save us. I pray we know it is by God’s grace and our faith we are saved. I pray each one of us put our faith in God and do good works out of our love for him. God’s grace saves you. Put your faith in Jesus. Do good works out of love.

Romans 4:1-2 What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

The Lord Will Keep You

Are you looking for someone who will walk by your side? Do you long for the comfort of knowing you are not going it alone? Are you seeking security? Are you seeking protection? Would you accept it if it was available? Or would you continue to struggle on your own?

We sometimes want someone to walk beside us. This typically happens when we are going through a trying time. But sometimes, even though we want it, we turn it away. We continue to try to make it on our own. We prefer to think we are strong enough to overcome it by ourselves.

The truth of the matter is, we might just squeak by on our own. We may gut it out and survive. But it was never meant to be that way. God will come alongside us if we will ask him and allow him to do so. Yet, I have seen people or heard them tell their story of asking but refusing. They will ask God to help, but when he attempts to support them, they push him away. That’s how we are as humans, isn’t it?

Here’s another truth we should remember. God is still there. He is still supporting us and working on our behalf. We may not see him. We may not feel him. But he is no less there. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God is with us from that time going forward. As the Psalmist states it, “from this time on and forevermore.”

Knowing that God is always with should give us comfort. We should have peace knowing that he is in control and is working on our behalf. He knows our every movement. He knows our every decision. And despite us making bad decisions at times, God continues to love us and to work for our good.

I pray we all know that God is always with us. I pray we remember that God is working on our behalf. I pray each one of us takes comfort from knowing that God knows us and loves us anyway. God is always with you. God is working for you. Take comfort in God. God loves you.

Psalm 121:8

The Lord will keep 

your going out and your coming in 

from this time on and forevermore.

Live Confidently

Trust. It can be challenging to trust in promises that won’t be fulfilled immediately or within a short period of time. Waiting for a promise to be fulfilled years or decades or centuries in the future can test our resilience and patience. Abraham lived with that challenge.

God promised Abraham (Abram) that he would make him into a great nation. The promise came when Abraham was seventy-five years old. We learn that Abraham lived another one-hundred years after God promised Abraham would become a great nation.

Throughout those one-hundred years, Abraham had his ups and downs. He and Sarah tried to take matters into their own hands, which did not turn out well. Abraham twice lied about Sarah being his wife in order to save his own life, not trusting God to protect him. In both cases, each ruler who had taken Sarah in later asked Abraham why he would curse them.

Abraham, despite his missteps, is considered to be an example of faith in God. He grew in his faith as time passed and he experienced God caring for him. Perhaps his most pointed to example of faith is when he passed the test of taking his only son Isaac to sacrifice him. He believed God would either raise Isaac from the dead or provide a substitute sacrifice.

Is our faith growing? Are we trusting God’s promises? God has promised he will care for us. He has promised eternal life. For many of us, that is years or decades away. Do we trust God to deliver on his promise? Do our lives demonstrate our faith? Or are we filled with fear, anxiety, and worry rather than living confidently in God’s promise? Just like Abraham, we can choose to trust in God or take matters into our own hands. The more we trust in God, the more we see him acting on our behalf.

I pray we all trust in God’s promises. I pray our faith grows as we experience God in many ways throughout our lives. I pray each one of us live confidently in God’s promises. Trust God’s promises. Grow in your faith. Experience God working on your behalf. Live confidently.

Genesis 12:2-3 “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God Is Calling

Do you like to travel? Do you like to visit places across the country? Do you like to see foreign lands? Do you like to interact with other cultures? Are you willing to move your family and everything you own to a foreign country? Will you go if you are commanded to go?

Some of us like to travel while some prefer to stay home. Some of us who travel will only travel within our own country. Others like to travel to foreign countries. We want to see the sights and experience other cultures. We often think about sampling other foods.

Only a few will move to a foreign land at God’s command. The truth is, God doesn’t call all of us to do this. I’m sure his calling is based on his knowing our hearts and minds. He knows those who are willing. He knows who will accomplish the work he is calling them to. He knows who he has gifted for the work.

God called Abram to pack up his belongings, his family, and his livestock to move to a foreign land. Abram is credited with faith because he followed God’s calling. It was a very large undertaking. They traveled over 600 miles on foot. It would have taken them roughly a month to make the trip to Canaan. The logistics of driving livestock, finding food and water, and negotiating safe passage with the inhabitants of the land would have been challenging to say the least. Add in that Abram was 75 years old and the challenge increases.

God doesn’t call all of us to travel to foreign lands, but he does call us. He may be calling us to merely walk across the street. He may be calling us charitable work. His call always includes showing others who he is through the work he has called us to, even if it is an everyday job. Will our faith show through? If we are following God’s calling, it will.

I pray we all hear God’s calling on our lives. I pray we follow God’s calling throughout our lives. I pray each of us allow our faith to show every day, thereby showing God to others. Hear God’s calling. Follow God’s calling. Let your faith show. Show God to others.

Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”

The Gift

Do you like receiving gifts? Do you like giving gifts? Have you considered that gift giving can become transactional? Are you concerned about giving a gift to someone so that your gift is comparable in value as a gift they have given you?

Gift giving has become complicated in our society. We spend a lot of time considering what gift to give. Often, we consider the price as it compares to the gifts we have received. We may not even consciously think about it. It’s just there in our subconscious mind.

We have been offered a gift that we can never match. Though we are all condemned to death because of Adam’s sin, Christ has given us the gift of righteousness. Since He overcame death, we are no longer condemned to death but have received life. Because we have received life in Jesus Christ, we are set free.

We often worry about death. We may hear or say that living is better than the alternative. Yet, if we are in Christ, the alternative is eternal life with Him. Do we really consider this life better than that? If we do, we don’t fully comprehend the gift we have received. That is not to say we should seek physical death, but we also should not fear it.

The gift Christ has given us comes through the grace of God. That grace is boundless and inexhaustible. The forgiveness we have through his grace in the life of Christ is why we are righteous.

I pray we all accept the gift God has given us. I pray we know we can never repay God for his gift. I pray each one of us knows we are righteous because of Christ and God’s amazing grace. Accept God’s gift. Know you are righteous. Trust God’s amazing grace. Thank God for his gracious gift.


Romans 5:17: If, because of the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Accept Life

Have you been lied to? Have you been told a half-truth? How did you find out it was a lie or half-truth? How did you feel when you discovered it? Did you feel betrayed? Were you hurt? What did you do about it, if anything? Are you still dealing with the aftereffects of it?

Being lied to can be frustrating and hurtful. We can experience a range of emotions including anger, hate, frustration, vengefulness, hurt, and even shame. Sometimes, there is no way to reverse the effects the lie had on us. Other times, it may take a long time.

Eve was told a truth and a half-truth by the serpent. He told the truth by saying her eyes would be opened and know good and evil. He told a half-truth/lie by saying she would not die. No, she would die immediately. Yes, she would die later. Also, she would die a spiritual death by being separated from God. Adam was right there with Eve. Both believed the serpent rather than believing and obeying God.

Because of what Adam and Eve did, we all must now die. In fact, we are already dead, unless we commit our lives to Jesus. We are separated from God (spiritual death) until we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have a limited time to choose life—only as long as we live our physical lives. Throughout our physical lives we are given a multitude of opportunities to turn to Jesus. Therefore, no one can claim they did not get a second chance. We can choose the believe the half-truth and lies of this world, or we can choose the truth of Jesus Christ.

I pray we all know this world is full of half-truths and lies. I pray we know that Satan continues to deceive us. I pray each one of us chooses to commit ourselves to Jesus and be rewarded with life. Satan deceives us. Do not believe the half-truths and lies. Commit to Jesus. Accept life.

Genesis 3:4-5 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Temptation and Victory

How strong is your will power? How long can you resist temptation? What is your greatest weakness? Can you resist eating your favorite food? Can you resist adding one more tool to your tool chest? Can you resist buying a new dress? What is your favorite sin?

Temptation overcomes all of us. We all have a weakness for something. It may be a favorite food or drink, buying something for a grandchild, or buying something for us. We may resist for a while but eventually we cave into the craving. The temptation wins.

We like to point our finger at someone else when they give in to their temptation. We especially like to ask why Adam and Eve gave in to the temptation to eat the forbidden fruit. They are an easy target. We blame them for all the sin that came afterward. But how many of us could resist our favorite food…and for how long? Could we hold out forever?

Satan knows our weaknesses. He looks for opportunities to tempt us with them. He will dangle them in front of us until we succumb to the temptation. Then comes the guilt and Satan celebrates and laughs at us. We commit to doing better. We avoid the temptation for a while. But we know in the back of our minds that we will struggle with it again.

What are we to do? Our only hope is to turn to Jesus. He became the perfect Lamb of God to bring us back into a right relationship with God. Without Jesus, we are lost. With Jesus, we are overcomers. Jesus has defeated Satan and we can participate in that victory. We can celebrate that victory. It is by turning our lives over to Him that we can resist temptation.

I pray we all know recognize our weakness. I pray we ask Jesus to help us overcome it. I pray each one of us will turn our lives over to Jesus fully and join in His victory over Satan. Recognize your weakness. Overcome it with Jesus. Commit fully to Jesus. Celebrate the victory in Jesus.

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

Fast to Seek

How long do you think you could go without food? How many days could you fast? How committed are you to a cause? Are you committed enough to go without food as a form of protesting? How committed to God are you? Are you willing to fast to grow closer to him?

Most of us like to eat. We may even like to eat too much. There are certain foods we like more than others. When those foods are being served, we overeat, maybe to the point of being miserable. We don’t often think about purposely missing a meal or fasting.

There are some who have used fasting as a form of protest. They will go on a hunger strike. One hunger strike lasted for 94 days in Ireland in 1920. However, the medical viewpoint is that the average person can only fast for 60-70 days before death occurs. By this point, the person has lost 40-50 percent of their body weight.

Jesus fasted for 40 days. Unlike those who have used a hunger strike as a form of protest, Jesus used His fast to build His relationship with the Father and to prepare for His ministry. Though some may believe there is no way a person could fast for 40 days, there have been several throughout history who have. However, not many have done so to grow closer to God.

Matthew makes perhaps the biggest understatement in the Bible when he says Jesus was famished after fasting for 40 days. Though God desires us to grow closer to him, he does not call us to fast for 40 days. However, it can be very helpful and enlightening for us to fast for a day or two. During our fast, we are to spend time in prayer and contemplation, focusing on God and seeking his guidance. We are to learn to trust and lean on God. It is in our seeking that our relationship with him grows.

I pray we all trust that Jesus fasted for 40 days. I pray we understand that fasting is used to seek God. I pray each of us fast for a short period of time to grow our relationship with God. Trust Scripture. Know fasting has a purpose. Fast for a day or two. Seek God during your fast.

Matthew 4:1-2 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished.