The Message in the Message Bible...

Dear Friends-

I hope you are enjoying "Hump Day" and looking forward to a fantastic weekend.

I am so excited about today's Word because it is a familiar passage but from "The Message" Bible. This interpretation gives us a fresh perspective of how Christ saw life on earth. More important, however, this Bible uses modern day language to address everyday concerns, especially if you're not comfortable with the more classic versions of the Bible. Below is an excerpt about why Christians shouldn't worry (Matthew 6:25- 34). Please read it and share with others. You never know what others are dealing with privately and this Word could provide healing.

Also, I will include Matthew chapters 5-7 and ask that you take the time to read it. It's so rich and descriptive that I know you will be blessed by the language. Please feel free to share that as well.

In the meantime, take care, stay blessed and happy reading!

K.

Matthew 6 ^{25 -26}"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

^{27 -29}"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

^{30 -33}"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

³⁴"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 5

You're Blessed

^{1 -2} When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

³"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

⁵"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

⁶"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

⁷"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

⁸"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

⁹"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

¹⁰"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

^{11 -12}"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Salt and Light

¹³"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

^{14 -16}"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Completing God's Law

^{17 -18}"Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures— either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working.

^{19 -20}"Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

Murder

^{21 -22}"You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.

^{23 -24}"This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.

^{25 -26}"Or say you're out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don't lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you're likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won't get out without a stiff fine.

Adultery and Divorce

^{27 -28}"You know the next commandment pretty well, too: 'Don't go to bed with another's spouse.' But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt.

^{29 -30}"Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here's what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile. And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump.

^{31 -32}"Remember the Scripture that says, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him do it legally, giving her divorce papers and her legal rights'? Too many of you are using that as a cover for selfishness and whim, pretending to be righteous just because you are 'legal.' Please, no more pretending. If you divorce your wife, you're responsible for making her an adulteress (unless she has already made herself that by sexual promiscuity). And if you marry such a divorced adulteress, you're automatically an adulterer yourself. You can't use legal cover to mask a moral failure.

Empty Promises

^{33 -37}"And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.

Love Your Enemies

^{38 -42}"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

^{43 -47}"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

⁴⁸"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

Matthew 6

The World Is Not a Stage

¹ "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. ^{2 -4}"When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Pray with Simplicity

⁵"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

⁶"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

^{7 -13}"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

^{14 -15}"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.

^{16 -18}"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well.

A Life of God-Worship

^{19 -21}"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

^{22 -23}"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

²⁴"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.

^{25 -26}"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

^{27 -29}"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

^{30 -33}"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

³⁴"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 7

A Simple Guide for Behavior

^{1 -5} "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

⁶"Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege.

^{7 -11}"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

¹²"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

Being and Doing

^{13 -14}"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

^{15 -20}"Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.

^{21 -23}"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'

^{24 -25}"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

^{26 -27}"But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."

^{28 -29}When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.

A little encouragement for your Monday!

Good Morning Friends!

Today's scripture is a little lengthy but I think we can all benefit from this if we take the time to read this.

Many of us are exhausted because we're trying to maintain our current situations while trying to accomplish incredibly audacious goals. I want to share a word of encouragement with you.

You can truly handle all of the tasks that are on your plate because the Spirit of God is within you!

Prioritize your tasks from most to least important and delegate those least important tasks (if you can).

Put on your armour and attack that list of things to do. Tackle each goal using small steps and stay in prayer so that you will maintain your endurance. You will be victorious in accomplishing all of your goals.

During moments of victory, praise God.

During moments of defeat, praise God (that means he clearing your path for bigger blessings).

During moments of exhaustion, praise God for the victory yet to come (the spirit of exhaustion is a smokescreen to make you believe that you can't accomplish your goals).

During moments of depression and despair, praise God (the spirit of depression is also a smokescreen to convince you that you've already lost and there's no hope. Ask God to rebuke the spirit of depression and show you another path to victory).

Today's prayer:

Father, I thank You for every opportunity You've sent my way and for every door You've closed. Dear Lord, I know that victory is eminent because I am Your child and I have great faith in You. Please walk with me as I seek to accomplish audacious goals. Please carry me during those moments when exhaustion and depression has blurred my vision. Lord, I praise You for victory in advance because I know that through You all things are possible. I am committed to fulfilling Your goals for my life and I thank You for revealing some of the plans You have for my life. I pray that you will (continue to) provide a revelation to my brothers and sisters who are waiting on a word from You.

In Your precious name I pray, Amen.

Stay Blessed,

K.

2 Samuel 22

David's Song of Praise

David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. ² He sang:

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
³ my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
He is my refuge, my savior,
the one who saves me from violence.
⁴ I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.

⁵ "The waves of death overwhelmed me;
floods of destruction swept over me.
⁶ The grave^{[ a]} wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.
⁷ But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I cried to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.

⁸ "Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the heavens shook;
they quaked because of his anger.
⁹ Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
¹⁰ He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
¹¹ Mounted on a mighty angelic being,^{[ b]} he flew,
soaring^[c] on the wings of the wind.
¹² He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.
¹³ A great brightness shone around him,
and burning coals^[d] blazed forth.
¹⁴ The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
¹⁵ He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were confused.
¹⁶ Then at the command of the Lord,
at the blast of his breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

¹⁷ "He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁸ He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
¹⁹ They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord supported me.
²⁰ He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
²¹ The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.
²² For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
²³ I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.
²⁴ I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.
²⁵ The Lord rewarded me for doing right.
He has seen my innocence.

²⁶ "To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
²⁷ To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
²⁸ You rescue the humble,
but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.
²⁹ O Lord, you are my lamp.
The Lord lights up my darkness.
³⁰ In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.

³¹ "God's way is perfect.
All the Lord's promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
³² For who is God except the L ord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
³³ God is my strong fortress,
and he makes my way perfect.
³⁴ He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
³⁵ He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
³⁶ You have given me your shield of victory;
your help^[e] has made me great.
³⁷ You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.

³⁸ "I chased my enemies and destroyed them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.
³⁹ I consumed them;
I struck them down so they did not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.
⁴⁰ You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
⁴¹ You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.
⁴² They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.
⁴³ I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I trampled them^{[ f]} in the gutter like dirt.

⁴⁴ "You gave me victory over my accusers.
You preserved me as the ruler over nations;
people I don't even know now serve me.
⁴⁵ Foreign nations cringe before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they submit.
⁴⁶ They all lose their courage
and come trembling^{[ g]} from their strongholds.

⁴⁷ "The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!
⁴⁸ He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he brings down the nations under me
⁴⁹ and delivers me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.
⁵⁰ For this, O L ord, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
⁵¹ You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever."

A little mistake was made...

Hello Dear Friends-
I was so excited about sending yesterday's message that I forgot to include the most important information.
Yesterday's scriptures can be found in Job 22: 2-30, the New Living Translation Bible.

Stay blessed and have a fabulous weekend!
Love,
K.

For those who want to be leaders...

Dear Friends-
Today's message is in response to some disturbing actions that I have witnessed by "leaders" in certain organizations.
Please pray for those in leadership because when they don't have a "servant leadership" mentality, the organizations will suffer.
If you ever have the opportunity to serve an organization as its leader, please remember this.

The moment you become willing to trade yourself or your values for money (or status), you've become a whore...

Stay blessed and focused!
Love,
K.

2 “Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him? 3 Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect? 4 Is it because you’re so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you? 5 No, it’s because of your wickedness! There’s no limit to your sins.
6 “For example, you must have lent money to your friend and demanded clothing as security. Yes, you stripped him to the bone. 7 You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry. 8 You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it! 9 You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans. 10 That is why you are surrounded by traps and tremble from sudden fears. 11 That is why you cannot see in the darkness, and waves of water cover you.
12 “God is so great—higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars. 13 But you reply, ‘That’s why God can’t see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness? 14 For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.’
15 “Will you continue on the old paths where evil people have walked? 16 They were snatched away in the prime of life, the foundations of their lives washed away. 17 For they said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’ 18 Yet he was the one who filled their homes with good things, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.
19 “The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed, and the innocent will laugh in contempt. 20 They will say, ‘See how our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.’
21 “Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. 22 Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart. 23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored— so clean up your life. 24 If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river, 25 the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver!
26 “Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God. 27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him. 28 You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you. 29 If people are in trouble and you say, ‘Help them,’ God will save them. 30 Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure.”

Afflictions are temporary...

Dear Friends-
Happy Summer!
I hope this email finds you enjoying some fun and relaxation.

As we move closer to the Fall and get back to our usual "busyness", issues will arise and make life more stressful again. We know this will happen, and we should prepare.
No matter what your issue- job search, higher expenses, etc.- remember that it's temporary and God is in control.

Don't let stress dominate your spirit. Pray and meditate on the goodness of God. Then let it go and enjoy what's left of summer!

Stay blessed,
K.

Today's Scripture
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

Aren't you glad we serve a Deliverer today? An affliction is defined as the cause of persistent pain or distress. You might feel afflicted today, but God is working to bring you out of that difficult situation. It may not be in the way you thought, but you have to trust that God has your best interest at heart. I know that afflictions can take on many forms—a sickness or hardship, a temptation, a coworker or family member. There are so many things that can come against us, but God promises in His Word that no weapon formed against us shall prosper! Those afflictions are only temporary. Stand in faith believing that God is on your side. Remember, you and God are a majority. It doesn't matter what your circumstances look like, get up every morning and say, "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." As you stand and trust the Lord, He will deliver you out of all your afflictions, and you'll see His hand of blessing in every area of your life.

A Prayer for Today Father in heaven, thank You for making me righteous through the blood of Jesus. I trust that You have a good plan for me, and that You will deliver me out of all affliction. Thank You for Your strength and peace in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Choose happiness today!

Hello Dear Friends

Happiness and peace are all about perspective.

Wherever you happen to be in your walk, remember that your blessings are within your reach. Don't wait for someone else to make you happy; happiness won't be handed to you. You have make the decision to be happy and do the work to make it happen.

Reach beyond your comfort zone and grab your chance at the life God has in store for you.

Have a blessed and wonderful weekend!

K.

Choose Happiness!

"May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful" Psalm 68:3 (NIV).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

You should live by a simple life motto: "I'm a Christian, so I choose to be happy!" That's right, as a believer you are blessed by Christ, who watches over you every single moment. Happiness and joy are a choice - one that should be easy for a Christian to make. If choosing happiness is hard for you, try this starting tomorrow morning with an attitude of gratitude. Give thanks to God as soon as you get out of bed, before you even leave your bedroom, because God's praise should always be on your lips. Everything else in life is just stuff, but your happiness is based on the fact that God has given you life and spiritual blessings. Be glad before the Lord and choose to be happy each day, and it will become a wonderful habit!

A Prayer for Today:
God, I know You want me to live a life of constant joy and happiness. Thank You for giving me life, love, and blessings to enjoy, so that I may see just how awesome You are. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Don't let a fool separate you from the favor of God!

Dear Friends-
Today's message is a replay of a previous message about fools. I pray that you will find a blessing in this Word. Remain focused and Christian.
Don't separate yourself from the favor of God by becoming a fool.

Take care and stay blessed!
K.

Being a Christian doesn't mean that our lives will be easy or fair.
The following saying was forwarded to me by a dear friend- a real woman who loves the Lord.

"Persons of true godly character are neither optimists nor pessimists, but realists who have confidence in God."

Life is balanced by both bitterness and sweetness. However, life is most full when we don't allow life's bitterness to make us fools. Don't lose control of your tongue just because a foolish person has authority over you. Read the following verses and focus on remaining joyful, grateful and wise. Be well friends- and thank you for the quote KG!

With love,
K.

Ecclesiastes 10 1 As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor. 2 A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one. 3 You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street! 4 If your boss is angry at you, don't quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. The Ironies of Life 5 There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake 6 when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. 7 I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants! 8 When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. 9 When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax. 10 Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That's the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. 11 If a snake bites before you charm it, what's the use of being a snake charmer? 12 Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. 13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; 14 they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. 15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can't even find their way home. 16 What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant,[ a] the land whose leaders feast in the morning. 17 Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk. 18 Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house. 19 A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything! 20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don't make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said.