Lord, Please help me overcome these old habits that jump up to haunt me. I want to be clean and pure in heart and life. I want my thoughts and actions to glorify you and to be a witness to your power and love. Thank you for hearing me and touching me with your power and grace. Through Your Holy Spirit, I will overcome. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Ps 13:1-2).

Have you ever heard someone jokingly say, “It’s not easy being me?” This expression is poking fun at their unique personality or challenges they face in life. Well, it wasn’t easy being King David.

His life was a life of extreme highs and extreme lows. He was a shepherd, a political leader, a builder, a prophet, a businessman, a warrior, a lover, a giver, a murderer and a worshiper. He must have been criticized by others as being hypocritical in his early career. In each of these roles he achieved things for God but he also failed God on many occasions. He had a creative-type personality, which is often very passionate with many mood swings. We see this side of him when he unabashedly danced before the Lord in front of his subjects almost naked (2 Sam 6:14).

When David wrote his psalms he was honest about what he was feeling. When he feared his enemies he expressed it. When he could not understand why God was silent, he expressed it as in the psalm above.

However, David never stayed in the place of despair. He often ended his psalms like this one. “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me” (Ps 13:5-6).

David chooses to focus on what God has done for him, not what He has not done. If you are waiting for a breakthrough with God, be honest with Him about your hopes and dreams. However, also affirm your faith and trust in Him to accomplish His purposes through your life. Be an overcomer.

Dear God, Sometimes I feel like I have poured myself into something or someone, and worked and fought for a cause, only to see no fruits for my labors. It all seemed in vain. But I know that You can work in all of that to fulfill a greater purpose. Please, don’t let the labor of my heart and hands be in vain. I pray that all I do would be as unto You and for a good purpose and eternal value. Please bless the works of my heart and hands for Your glory. Please empower me with wisdom and insight through Your Holy Spirit. Please guide me every step and every day, to have a part in reaching this world for You and ministering to those I love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When hope is deferred, the psalmist says, the heart becomes sick. During these seasons, we can only do one thing. We must hang onto whatever faith we have to get through each day and entrust our lives to Him. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes in vines, though olive crop fails ans the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Hab 3:17-18)

When faith doesn’t see results it challenges what we believe. We must pray as Job prayed: “Teach me what I cannot see” (Job 34:32). God says there is a purpose in everything we go through.

“God is going to reveal things this season of adversity that we would never receive had we not gone through this. This is a part of our calling even though Satan is the instrument. God is always bigger than Satan’s afflictions.”

Our greatest tests come when we cannot see positive results from our faith and obedience. In such cases we must die to our expectations and entrust them to our Lord.

Have you ever been filled with despair?  Like for example, you’re running out of time in your thesis and you fear that you won’t graduate on time.

A number of circumstances can cause despair: financial ruin, joblessness, personal failure, sickness, loneliness, and a hundred other things. Almost everyone has experienced despair at some point.

In the second book of Chronicles, Chapter 20, we read that Judah was surrounded on every side by armies that wanted to destroy them. The situation seemed hopeless, and the people were filled with despair. The scriptures tell us that although their leader was terrified, he didn’t let despair paralyze him. Instead, he “begged the Lord for guidance.” Miraculously, God saved Judah. The opposing armies fell into confusion and ended up killing each other before they attacked Judah.

Christians, no matter what your present situation, you can find hope in the promises of God. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he writes, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies”(2 Corinthians 5:8-10 NLT).

Take heart, Christians. You will never, ever be abandoned by God! Meditate on the Word of God, and remember that even when you feel surrounded by enemies on every side, there is no need to despair. God will see you through.

It’s hard to be joyful when you’re going through a trial, isn’t it? Yet the Bible tells us again and again that we should “count it all joy” and “be patient in affliction.”

We all have struggles and trials, but the good news is the labor is God’s. All we have to do is say yes to Him and submit our lives and plans to Him. We may say we don’t have joy in our hearts, but God says, ‘I have it for you.’”

If our heart is purposed towards God, we will let Him lead and direct our path, knowing He does have a plan, even in longsuffering, His ways truly are higher than our ways; we don’t understand why things happen the way they do, but God does have a plan. All we have to do is say yes to Him, and through the Holy Spirit we can have His joy and peace in us.

I know i need you
I need to love you
I love to see you, but its been so long
i long to feel you
i feel this need for you’
and i need to hear you
is that so wrong?
oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh
now you pulled me near you
when we’re close i fear you
still im afraid to tell you
all that i’ve done
are you done forgiving?
or can you look pass my pretending?
Lord i’m so tired of defending
what i’ve become
what have i become?
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh.
i hear you say “my love is over,
its underneath, its inside, its in between
the times you doubt me, when you can’t feel
the times that you’ve questioned ‘is this for real?’
the times you’ve broken, the times that you mend
the times you hate me and the times that you bend
well my love is over, its underneath
its inside, its in between,

these times you’re healing
and when your heart breaks
the times that you feel like you’ve fallen from grace
the times you’re hurting
the times that you heal
the times you go hungry and *are tempted* to steal
in times of confusion and chaos and pain
im there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame
im there through your heartache
im there in the storm
my love i will keep you by my power alone
i dont care where you’ve fallen, where you have been
i’ll never forsake you
my love never ends, it never ends
mmm, mmm
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh

Love your enemies… and pray for those who… persecute you.

Matthew 5:44

Prayer is the best response to spiritual opposition

“Lord help us not respond in kind

To those who hate and turn from you;

Instead, help us to love and pray

That someday they’ll accept what’s true.

People may mock our message but they are helpless against our prayers.

I’ll admit, the first time I read the passage above, I had some crazy ideas about how it would look and feel. I imagined a mysterious, cool calmness flowing through my body. It was probably the color blue. This “peace of God” would wash over my mind, and a gentle voice would tell me everything was going to be all right. For a long time, I felt disappointed that I never experienced it. And no, it still hasn’t happened.

But what has happened is something better and more practical. Through life’s ups and downs, I’ve learned to trust God. I’ve trusted God with little things, and He came through on them. I’ve trusted God with big things, and He came through on them, too. Granted, God hasn’t given me everything I’ve asked for. But He’s given me what I need, when I need it.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

So often, when something goes wrong in our life, we worry and fret over how we can fix it. When the solution is beyond our understanding, any sense of peace we could muster up vanishes. But you know what? God’s got this. He has every resource in heaven and earth at His fingertips, so you can rest assured that He is more than able to take care of you.

When I reflect on God’s faithfulness to me and rest in His provision-even when I can’t yet see it-I experience God’s peace. The kind that surpasses human comprehension. And that, my friend, is even better than the color blue.

What’s your anesthesia of choice?

I’m not talking about aspirin for a headache or getting gassed before surgery. I’m talking about anesthetizing behaviors we engage in to relieve emotional pain.

Everybody has emotional pain or suffering of some sort. Maybe it’s your financial situation, your relationship issues, your micro-managing boss, your self-centered teenager, or your fears about a biopsy.

Are you being pressured in your work? Studies? Do you wonder if your boyfriend or girlfriend is cheating on you? Did you make a really big mistake and you’re wondering when you’ll be exposed?

Like me, I am always pressured by my studies that I came to the point that studies became my first priority in life. I trust my own capabilities, I had set my mind that I don’t need nothing, no one, just me. I can do it alone. But then, I was wrong. Everything went wrong. And that’s the time I realized I cannot do it alone. That I need to trust someone bigger than me.

I tried some of these anesthetizing behaviors… drinking to excess, shoe shopping, chain smoking, sleeping around, gadget-buying, video gaming, gossiping, excessive exercising, talking endlessly about your problems, overeating, undereating, and thrill-seeking … these are just a few that come to mind. Any of those ring a bell?

If you’re doing any of those things to relieve your pain, I have bad news for you: You’re looking in all the wrong places. You’ve rightly assessed that you need peace; you just don’t know how to get it deep inside your soul, where it really matters.

The Bible gives a simple, four-step plan to peace in Philippians Chapter 4, verses 6-7:

1. Stop worrying.
2. Pray about everything.
3. Tell God what you need.
4. Thank Him for all He has done.
The Bible says that when you do that, “you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand” (Philippians 4:7 NLT).

Try it. Do the four steps. Then repeat. It can’t hurt, and it just might work.

The moment I knew that I’ll be the one who’s going to give a message, this topic came up immediately in my mind,

Studies vs. Church.

I’m still searching for some “RELATED STUDIES” for this topic. So that I can give examples and make them understand this easier.

Well, I know lot of them will relate on this topic even my ates in church will. And even myself! I don’t know. I’ve encountered this a loooot.

SO please God help me.

Give me wisdom Lord to deliver it and to say the right words that You want to tell and that will serve as a mind opener for all of us. Okies?

Much love from me.

In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh computer in a splashy Super Bowl commercial. The award-winning advertisement showed hundreds of robot-like people entranced by a “Big Brother” presence on a giant screen. Then, a woman comes running through the theater. Her presence is striking compared to the drably-dressed robots. She wears bright orange running shorts and carries a sledgehammer. All of the sudden, the woman swings the sledgehammer around and flings it at the figure on the screen. The robot-like crowd awakens with a start.

In this culture where independent thinking reigns supreme, it’s tough to admit we could ever succumb to robot-like behavior. But spiritually speaking, many people today live under the control of sin. They are trapped in slavery to sin and self.

Most people want to be free, they just don’t know how. Some try to fix themselves, either through false religions or through a concoction of philosophy, psychology and man-made ideas. Others chase after that one thing they think will make them content, whether it’s money, fame, prestige, relationships, or approval. Still others are lost in the day-to-day struggle for existence, and fail to look beyond themselves and their current situation.

But God has called you to a life of freedom. You don’t have to try to fix yourself. You simply need to rely on God and the grace and mercy He offers you through Christ.

Now that you know the truth, you’re like the woman in the commercial. Will you keep this freedom to yourself, or will you share the Good News with others?

I love to worship You my God

Who doesn’t love to worship our God? Uh, He’s powerful, magnificent, He’s our everything! He deserve the highest praises.

Holy Spirit come in power 
Change my heart 
I want to live for You my God 
Let Your Spirit come in power 
Change my life 
That I may live for You my Lord 
Fall on us Lord 

When Jesus ascended to heaven, God sent His Holy Spirit to us that if the Holy Spirit lives in us, God is with us. I’m always asking God to change my heart through His Holy Spirit. He’s the only that could change my heart.

I still have many flaws in life, I still fall on sins, but every time I will think of that cross, the One who was nailed on that cross, the One who died for me, for us, it’s like I’ll have spiritual breakdown. At first I feel ashamed, because I was guilty. I feel like I don’t deserve any of His goodness. Because sin serves as a divider between us and God.

But as He died on that cross, like what He said, “It is finished..” Our debts had been paid by our Lord Jesus Christ! Through His grace, He loves as even in our worst and gives His all though we really don’t deserve it.

Let’s continue to ask God to change our hearts, that we will live like Christ, so that we can conquer this world for the glory of His name.

I remember as a kid hearing the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. The hare challenged the tortoise to a race. During the race, the speedy hare was so far ahead that he thought he had time to take a nap. But as he slept, the painfully slow tortoise, who was focused on the finish line, passed him up and eventually won the race! The Apostle Paul also used the idea of a focus when he compared the Christian life to a running race. As he explained, athletes train long and hard for their event. They don’t let anything trip them up as they run, and they don’t become complacent or lazy. They concentrate on the finish line, and nothing can steal their focus. Focus is also a key theme in the Old Testament stories about Judah and Israel. The kings of these two nations were judged as either “good” or “evil” in the sight of the Lord. How did they earn these critiques? The good kings tore down man-made idols and focused on worshipping God. The evil kings allowed their people to worship false idols and didn’t set their sights on the One True God. Focusing on Christ and the “finish line” of our spiritual journey is critical to our personal relationship with God. But focus is also essential to successful teams. Too often projects fail due to a lack of focus. Teams can get lost in details or allow personal issues to affect their cohesiveness. Good leaders guide their team away from these roadblocks and keep them focused on the task. Good team members eliminate distraction, avoid trip-ups, and fight the urge to become complacent or lazy.

How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you honestly didn’t know what to do?  Maybe an important relationship was on the rocks, a work problem seemed impossible to solve, or you ran out of money before you ran out of month.

In those moments, most folks resort to one of two routes. They either run to their friends for advice, or they withdraw to their shell until they figure out a solution. Unfortunately, prayer is often a last resort. King Jehoshaphat of Judah shows us a better way.

Jehoshaphat was in a true conundrum: He received word that a huge army of foreigners was on their way to invade his country. Though he was terrified, the king needed to act quickly and decisively.

The Bible says the first thing he did was “beg the LORD for guidance.” He didn’t consult advisors. He didn’t mobilize armies. He didn’t sequester himself behind palace walls. He didn’t fret. He begged the LORD for help, and he instructed his people to do the same.

As he gathered the people, one of the men received a word from the Lord: “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. …But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory.” (2 Chronicles 20:15-18 NLT)

And so it was as it had been predicted. The Lord threw the opposing armies into confusion, and they ended up killing each other before they even reached Judah!

King Jehoshaphat didn’t know what to do, but he kept his eyes on God. He made going to the Lord his first resort, not his last.

Jesus said that he was the greatest of all who ever lived (Matthew 11:11), but what made John the Baptist so great? Was it his taste in coarse camel hair clothing or his special diet of locusts and wild honey? Probably not.

John loved God. Even from the womb, John leapt when he heard Mary, the mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:41). John’s love led him to lead an uncomfortable life, wearing rough rags and eating only what God provided through nature. John’s love for God led him to become a prophet, the most hazardous job in thekingdom of heaven.

John didn’t follow the traditional route of religious leadership. As the son of a priest who served in the Temple, John knew the ins and outs of the Judean religious system. Instead of following in his father’s footsteps and serving there, he bucked the legalistic religious system. He even called the most religious Pharisees “a brood of vipers” (Luke 3:7). You probably won’t find that in a book on how to win friends and influence people.

Most importantly, John accepted his role, from start to finish. When asked whether he was the Messiah, he said he was only making a straight path for the Lord (Luke 3:4). When the Spirit of God came down on Jesus, John loudly proclaimed the coming of the Lamb of God. When he received word that Jesus’ ministry had taken off, he humbly declared, “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30 NIV)

Without a good public relations agent, John attracted people from all over the countryside. In his eyes, no man was higher than another, and all needed to repent. His simple message and his deep love for God won many over for the Messiah that was soon to come.

In Luke Chapter 15, we find a parable about a man and his son. The son, a prodigal, has everything a person could ever want, and yet he throws it all away. He demands his inheritance-before his father has even died-and takes off for a life of licentious living. Before he knows it, he has lost everything on his wild lifestyle, and he hits rock bottom.

Sometimes we squander the “inheritance” God has given us-the talents, gifts, and resources with which He’s blessed us. We may be called to a particular task, but we get distracted and don’t complete the mission God has for us. Simply said, we don’t get things done the things we’re supposed to do.

Getting things done in an efficient and timely manner is an essential ingredient to good leadership. Darlene Kostrub, an advocate for literacy, is a perfect example of this. Darlene is a “no-nonsense” kind of woman. This petite blonde may not be tall in stature, yet she’s a force of nature when it comes to staying on task and campaigning for a cause she’s deeply passionate about. Because of her tenacity and diligence in fighting for a thriving literate society, many lives have been transformed.

Yes, being an effective leader requires self-discipline and self-control in order to stay on task. And self-discipline and self-control requires intervention from a God whose mercies are new every morning. If we’ve squandered our gifts and talents and become distracted with the task at hand, we can start afresh with God. Just as the Prodigal Son turned his heart toward home and was welcome home by a delighted father, so our Father in Heaven is delighted when we turn our hearts and lives toward Him.

Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth. Proverbs 3:5-6

You prayed that your husband would get the position, and after the third interview, it seems that hes got it wrapped up. Then at the last minute, a local man shows up, one who can be hired for considerably less money. He gets the job. Your husband gets a polite Thanks, but no thanks phone call.

You desperately want a child. You believe that the God who opened the womb of Hannah and gave her a son long ago is still in the business of hearing the heart cry of a young woman who wants a baby of her own. You and your husband traipse from doctor to doctor, from cure to cure, hoping, praying, planning. But nothing happens.

What you want, what you pray about doesnt always happen? So what do you do? Change companies? Turn your back on God and quit? Hang in there, but put prayer on the back burner of your heart, reserved only for times of absolute desperation?

Now if you are expecting me in the next two minutes to come up with a few neat cliches or soothing words, giving you all the answers, forget it. Ive spent a lifetime trying to understand some things, but I have come to some conclusions. Such as? Try the following:

1. You dont give up on God when He doesnt snap His fingers and make everything happen at your whim and cry—at least, not if youre wise. I serve and worship the Almighty because He is sovereign and Lord, because He is God, not because of what I get out of the relationship. Its the relationship of trust which Solomon talked about which, at times, runs contrary to logic and what I think is right. Solomon wrote, Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth (Proverbs 3:5-6). The whole idea is that trusting Him, no matter what the outcome, is the way which makes for the smoothest path in life.

2. I have had to learn that ours is an imperfect, broken world. Of course, I dont understand everything. There is no logic to the fact that one girl aborts an unborn child when her neighbor would give almost anything to conceive. It doesnt make sense that a mother of four young children dies with cancer, when her blasphemous great aunt, who smokes cigars and drinks like a fish, lives to be 95. Of course I am repulsed when the son of a rich family gets the appointment to the Olympic team when better qualified individuals from a poor family get ignored. Of course it is not right. Thats when we learn to mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). But I still believe that God has His payday someday.

3. When things dont always come together, I remind myself that God has a plan and purpose far beyond that which I can see. We give up far too soon, and place far too much importance on the immediate—something that you cannot always understand when you are young. Ive also found that the promises of the Book bring comfort when I lack understanding, because Gods nature is goodness and love. Ive also learned that impatience is not a virtue, and most of my mistakes in life have been because I gave up on Gods doing something and decided to do it myself. 

4. I have also learned that when doors close, it may have nothing to do with my ability to get a job done, so Im going to keep on trusting God and doing my very best. The path to the top is not a straight line, but when my goals are what I think God wants done, Im going to keep on knocking on doors, making calls, and keep on believing in God, myself, and my friends. I believe Solomon was right when he affirmed, He will direct your path. 

Resource reading: Proverbs 3:1-12

by Dr. Harold Sala

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1

Waiting seems to be such a waste of time. Do something, we think, because doing something—almost anything—is better than the inactivity of just waiting. Most of us—myself included—are not very good at waiting. As I pulled out of a parking lot recently, I noticed that a young man in front of me had placed his glasses on the top of his truck before he opened the door. Forgetting that they were there, he unlocked the door and drove away. Seeing the glasses roll off the top of the truck as he turned the corner, I got the young mans attention as the traffic stopped and told him of his loss, but before I could roll down the window and tell him about his glasses, a driver behind was angrily honking his horn. 

Forget about patience! David, the shepherd boy of Israel, learned to be patient the hard way. I waited patiently for the LORD, he says, adding, he turned to me and heard my cry. Hold it for a minute. What taught David to be patient? Trouble! Difficulty!

After Samuel anointed him to be king, things started going the wrong way. Instead of making him an understudy, Saul sought to kill him. For seven long years David had to flee for his life. Twice he had opportunities to kill Saul, thus settling the score, but he refused, saying he would not touch the Lords anointed.

In Psalm 40, David continued, saying, He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth.

What might have happened if David had not been patient? Who knows? But as the result of his patience, four things happened: 1. He heard from God. In no uncertain terms, he knew that God—not chance, not a government program, not good luck—had been the answer to his need.

The second thing that happened is that God brought deliverance. He, contended David, lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. Then, says David, He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Though you may have never thought much about it, you cant fight very well when your feet are on the sand, or when you are mired in muck. Youve got to have your feet on solid ground if you are to defend yourself. Its true emotionally, physically and physically.

When you are standing on solid rock, you can do battle with the elements that would destroy you; but even then, David says God did an internal work in his heart. He put a new song in his heart, a hymn of praise and thanksgiving. Wow! A song of joy within, giving him strength without.

A closing thought: Gods timing is so different from ours. We want instant fixes, immediate deliverance and help following a phone call or quick prayer, but God doesnt always do it our way. He chooses to answer His way. Thank God that He spares us from what we often ask for. Overcome impatience by the strength of knowing that waiting is worth the emotional effort. Remember the sequence which David experienced—the result of waiting patiently for Him? 1. He heard from the Almighty. 2. He experienced the firm hand of God as He was lifted out of the pit of despair he was in. 3. His feet were placed on a solid rock; and finally God put a new song in his heart.

Inactivity while waiting on the Lord is never wasted time. When you think nothing is happening, believe me, something is happening. The firm, sure hand of God is preparing the answer so that you know it was He—not you, not clever manipulation, or personal strength—that brought help and deliverance. May God teach us the lesson David learned long ago.

- Dr. Harold Sala

But wait a minute. Something is wrong. You can’t seem to control your thoughts. The people around you are getting into your nerves, you’re clenching your fists until your hands hurt, you’re out of control, you can’t find anybody. Then you suddenly asked, “God, where are you?”

Pride. It always presented a very different problem between God and us. Depression makes us feel abandoned by God, pride always make us feel like we don’t need God. This trick of Satan makes us believe we are capable of controlling our lives.

We don’t feel that we should be held accountable to God or anyone else. Why would I pray for someone? Why bother? Somebody else will do it. Don’t misunderstand what I said. They are not intended to be sarcastic in any way. They are valid examples of how I felt during relapses and when I was much less interested in my relationship with God.

Lie. Satan uses this to bring us into sin. The most ludicrous lie of all is that we do not need Jesus in our lives. But wait, God has not abandoned us and He still calls. His Word is still valid, His love is still available and He is waiting. He is our hope. There’s this time that my mind has been so confused with thoughts that all I could do was cry out, “God help me”. He always did. He uses people, His Spirit and yes, even medication.

Relationships are complex and simple, difficult and easy, fun and boring, average and life-changing. Pick an adjective, and you can label a relationship with it. We are connected to and interact with the people we love-and with others we barely know. God created us to have relationships with each other and with Him.

Unfortunately, we humans messed it up from the very beginning of our existence. Adam and Eve had a beautiful relationship with each other and with God. Then sin entered the picture when they chose to listen to Satan, and everything changed. Trust was instantly broken, and a perfect relationship was ruined.

Could a righteous and holy God ever again be in a relationship with people who had disobeyed, dishonored, mistrusted, and lied to Him? We have all been in situations where we have been betrayed or we have been the betrayer. Sometimes those relationships can be restored and made better. Other times the offense is greater than our human ability to forgive, and we need an intercessor to help with reconciliation.

The truth is, we’re imperfect creatures and will never stop doing things that offend a holy God. We need a way for God to have a relationship with us. The only way for human beings to be restored to that original relationship with our Creator is through an intercessor-a perfect human being. There has only been one: Jesus Christ.

God sent His own Son to become a man so that a sinless human could live among us, sacrifice Himself for our sins, and through Him offer us reconciliation-the opportunity to walk with God as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.

“There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship.” (Unknown)

One of my all-time favorite TV shows is I Love Lucy. I enjoy watching the antics of Lucy Ricardo and her best friend, Ethel Mertz. If you recall, Lucy and Ethel were inseparable…until one of the ladies would offend the other, and their friendship would hang in comedic balance.

But just before the pair would call it quits, Lucy and Ethel would realize how much they treasured their “BFF.” The offender would ask for forgiveness, and the other party always willingly obliged.

Conflicts are an inevitable part of relationships. In Paul’s second letter to the Church at Corinth, he addresses a problem they were experiencing with a man who had caused trouble in the church. Apparently the man had shown remorse and sorrow for his wrongdoing, yet some people were still holding it against him.

Paul’s advice is three-fold. First, he says to quit punishing the man, that he has been punished sufficiently. Second, he urges the church to forgive him and comfort him. And third, he tells them to re-affirm their love for the offender.

Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation. If you do, it may be time to release the person of his or her offense-especially if the person has sought forgiveness and has shown remorse. Be sure the person knows you love him or her, because Satan wants nothing more than for the person to live with constant guilt and condemnation.

Every single book in the Bible examines, mentions, or highlights relationships. We were created with a need for friendship, and the Bible gives excellent advice on how to maintain and restore them when they’re broken. So next time you find yourself in a relationship quandary, consult the ultimate Guidebook on relationships.

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights 
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

This song made me think how God moved in my life. My human thinking capacity can’t imagine how great, how awesome He is. He just moved in His own mysterious ways and I love Him for that. Wow.

Life is beautiful. God made me realized that. Through His words, through His own ways. It is fun and always exciting. Having a real relationship with Jesus Christ makes me feel I’m not alone. Again. I’M NOT ALONE. =)

Whether you are a teenager ready to explore your independence, a seasoned veteran who has lost a spouse, or a young adult checking out online relationships, dating remains one of the most daunting challenges to our spiritual journey. Questions and temptations abound. Should I go out alone with my date? What if he wants to hold my hand? Should I kiss her goodnight? What if he is physically attracted to me?

God’s Word doesn’t always answer those questions directly, and the reason is simple: Dating, as we know it, didn’t exist 2,000 years ago! Sure, there were courtship rituals. But back in Jesus’ day, most marriages were pre-arranged. Although the Bible doesn’t address specific questions like the ones above, there is plenty of great advice on dating found in God’s Word. Biblical principles such as sexual purity, kindness, and respect for others are certainly foundations on which to build your dating relationship. These principles will help avoid dating “landmines.”

Unfortunately, perhaps due to loneliness or an overpowering desire to share our lives with someone, we often fail to maintain the necessary boundaries that God has provided for our protection. We delude ourselves into thinking that we know what is best, or we simply give in to our fleshly desires and make decisions that do not align with God’s Word. And like stepping on a landmine, there’s going to be some damage when that happens…some wounds and scars.

When it comes to relationships of any kind, the most important thing is to prioritize your relationship with God. As the Apostle Paul encourages us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” In this way “all things shall be added to you”…which could very well include that faithful and loving husband or wife that you’ve been praying for.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all?” Okay, so you probably don’t have a talking mirror that will speak truth like the one in Snow White. But you do have friends, and sometimes they are just as good as a mirror.

Let’s face it: There are times when we need to be confronted. Maybe we speak rudely or treat someone unkindly. We don’t do it intentionally, but it does happen. Then there are the times when we flat-out make poor decisions. For instance, we get involved in an unhealthy relationship-or worse, we stay in a relationship that is dishonoring to God.

Genuine friends hold us accountable for our actions. They have the courage to tell us things we don’t want to hear. The Bible says true friends have our best in mind, even when what they say hurts. Enemies, on the other hand, may flatter us with sugary words, but watch out! They do not care about us, and their intentions are suspect.

If we’re hanging out at the shallow end of the friend pool, we’re playing in dangerous waters, for we know that “bad companions ruin good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). On the other hand, the Bible says that by keeping company with the wise, we too will become wise (Proverbs 13:20).

Are you surrounding yourself with individuals who strive to honor God in all they do? These are the people we want to call friends, for when they speak, we can trust that their words are intended for our benefit and growth