Friday, December 20, 2024

What Is God Challenging You to Change in Your Life?

Making the best of any significant change is one of life’s greatest challenges. It’s important to believe change can be a friend rather than an enemy. God designed his people to change, to walk a different pathway that was never considered.

What is required is opening your eyes and mind so you can see and understand the way God intends for you to live at this time in your life. This is God’s world that you can enjoy, where you can blossom and grow in ways that please him.

What does God want you to change with his help? God’s plan for you is to be teachable to what he wants you to do now as you go forward to celebrate the coming of Christ Jesus.

Jesus challenged his listeners and us with these words: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Ask God for a special vision and good hearing so you will be alert to do what counts for this moment and for all eternity.                                 

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For if anybody is in union with Christ, he is the work of a new creation; the old condition has passed away, a new condition has come.

~2 Corinthians 5:17 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

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On Saturday, December 21 through Christmas Day, blogs will be posted each day to coincide with KHCB radio's special music and short devotional programming, "Five Days of Christmas".  

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

How Does Faith Give Promise of a New Day for You?

So many people are extremely sensitive about their age and try to hide growing older with all kinds of disguises. However, what creates a crisis far more severe than the inner tensions that accompany just getting older are the worries and stress that are produced.

Dissatisfaction and disappointments are a common part of life but are capable of producing good, provided the right attitude is present. Fear, anxiety, and worry are the usual triggers related to the stress of aging.

What helps us navigate through each stage of life is simple faith that there is positive significance for me in getting older. Faith is God’s gift and comes with assurance that life can be good even though there may be a dark night of the soul somewhere in the future. Faith in Jesus Christ brings light to darkness along with the promise of a new day awaiting me in the future. 

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So let us come boldly to God’s throne of love to get mercy and find love to help us when we need it.

~Hebrews 4:16 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today
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On Saturday, December 21 through Christmas Day, blogs will be posted each day to coincide with KHCB radio's special music and short devotional programming, "Five Days of Christmas". 


Monday, December 16, 2024

How Are We Empowered to Do God's Work?

A crisis doesn’t usually happen without some advanced warning. A prelude to a health crisis is often pain at some level. Relationship troubles usually evolve over time as a warning that changes need to be made.

A series of events that determine the future can be the introduction to possible trouble ahead for a person or a relationship. On a positive note, indications of trouble can be the time for making corrective changes to intercept possible trouble. It’s comforting to know that God observes with compassion each person’s pain and potential suffering.

His Word assures us he knows our sorrow and opens his heart to those who seek comfort and healing. One gift God offers us is strength to endure trouble that’s unavoidable. 

Our part is to activate changes the Holy Spirit empowers us to make. Christ Jesus is honored as we comply.  

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Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!

~Hebrews 4:15  Contemporary English Version

 

…I, the Lord All-Powerful, will be here to help you with the work… Don’t worry. My Spirit is right here with you.

~Haggai 2:4-5 Contemporary English Version

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On Saturday, December 21 through Christmas Day, blogs will be posted each day to coincide with KHCB radio's special music and short devotional programming, "Five Days of Christmas". 


Friday, December 13, 2024

How Does Each Stage of Life Present Opportunities?

The aging process cannot be avoided, as it involves moving progressively to another age bracket. How a person feels about getting older determines whether each stage in life is greeted with enthusiasm or dread. The signs of aging are connected to changes in body features and physical endurance.

For many individuals this natural phenomenon creates anxiety or even panic. Perhaps it’s equating happiness and acceptance with being young, strong, and energetic. A life crisis is often precipitated by thinking one’s youth has slipped away so the future lacks promise.

This attitude falsely concludes happiness is impossible. The solution is believing God intended for each stage of life to present opportunities for fulfillment

God helps us grieve and let go of what cannot be held on to. Grieving promotes godly healing, which enables us to see clearly God’s plan for our future. 

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That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are [changing daily and] wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 

~2 Corinthians 4:16 God’s Word Translation

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024

What Determines Whether We Win or Lose in Life?

Life periodically delivers up disappointments, some insignificant and others very significant. Disappointments cause us to examine what really matters in life, including the talents God so graciously has given us. How we manage disappointments determines if we go forward or become fixated in failure.

Whether we win or lose in life is not necessarily dependent on performance, but on conditions and circumstances beyond our control. Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, developed stomach cancer and died at age 50. Apparently it was difficult to please his father, who made life stressful for Edsel.

Living on the edge can create emotional and physical crises, as experienced by Edsel Ford. Pleasing God should be our highest priority, and this is possible when we love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength

That’s asking a lot, but not too much for you and God.   

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For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!

~Deuteronomy 20:4 New Living Translation
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Monday, December 9, 2024

Is It Possible to Keep Faith Active and Alive?

What do you want to do with the remaining time God has given you to live? What often sparks a crisis is feeling life has become so predictable that you’re stuck with monotony. If this attitude persists for an extended timeframe, it can create sadness or even depression, often defined as an emotional crisis.

God intended for most people to reevaluate how they derive meaning and purpose for life. Reevaluation is required when a person reaches the point where life takes a turn toward uncertainty created by loss of a job, an illness, or just getting older.

Our faith is sometimes tested as we search for what would honor and please God. Listen to Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” So what changes need to be made now that would please God? As you reflect, consider what God has called you to be at this time in your life.  

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…Keep on building yourself up on your most sacred faith. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and keep yourself in the love of God, as your wait for our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life.

~Jude 20-21 Good News Bible
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Friday, December 6, 2024

Is It Possible to Renew Deferred Personal Dreams?

Investigations into how to use the life you’re given actually begin in early adolescence. What a young person thinks may be a perfect choice will predictably be modified as maturity evaluates other possibilities more suitable to their personality and interest.

Enquiries concerning the reason for making an earlier choice may surface periodically to clarify apparent confusion. What influenced a choice may or may not be obvious, but being thankful for what God has given you is a privilege to explore.

Adulthood can be the time to rediscover a personal relationship with God that was shelved earlier because of distractions. Now you can return to the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to 1 Peter 4:11: “Whoever will serve, let it be as one who serves by the strength God supplies in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” What is more important?   

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Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change or shadow.  

~James 1:17 The Living Bible
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