Monthly Archives: March 2021

Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use it, it will be measured back to you.  (Luke 6:38 NKJV)

We sometimes limit this verse in the church to refer only to the giving and receiving of money or material goods.  In truth, Jesus was referring to all acts that flow from a generous heart:

• If you give of your time to the church or to those who need your help, your giving will return to you, perhaps in the form of increased productivity in your own endeavors.
• If you are a loving person, always friendly and quick to encourage other, you will receive more love than you gave out.
• If you are diligent and always do your best for your employer, you will receive favor and promotion in return.
• If you pour guidance, wisdom, and love into your children, you will receive the joy of watching them develop and grow strong, do good works, and raise healthy families of their own.

If you truly want to be in the full flow of God’s giving and receiving, give generously.  God loves a generous heart.

“Blows that hurt cleanse away evil” (Proverbs 20:30a NKJV)

Some people worry about the black and blue marks of a bruise, but these marks are actually symptomatic of the healing process.  The blue is the rich oxygen of the arterial blood that brings in new supplies and healing materials of the body’s “first aid” kit.  Then red venal blood carries out the damaged cells, refuse, and waste products.

Have you ever realized that Jesus’ blood also has a twofold healing purpose?  It cleanses us of sin and waste, and it also brings the freshness of His love into our lives.

Christ’s blood is one of the most powerful cleansing agents known to mankind!  His blood does more that whitewash our hearts—it purifies them from the inside out.  Christ’s precious blood purifies our hearts so completely that we become temples of God.

When Jesus was confronted with the wrong-doings of the Pharisees, he warned them, “You are clean on the outside, but your hearts are like the insides of tombs—filled with death.”  What do you want to be?  A tomb of death or a temple of God?

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You today for the life of Jesus that flows through us.  We thank You for the dealings of Your Spirit to remove the garbage from our lives; and we thank You for Jesus’ love that brings us freshness.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen.

And God heard the voice of the lad.  Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar?  Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.  Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”  (Genesis 21:17-18 NKJV)

Poor Hagar, the water was about to run out, and she knew death would not be far away.  She couldn’t bear to see her only child die, so she left him under a bush and sat off in the distance, not wanting to witness the inevitable.

But Ishmael had grown up in Abraham’s household.  Ishmael prayed.  God heard, and an angel was assigned to minister to the family.

One of the most important things Christians need to teach their children is how to pray.  Of course, you want to continue to pray for them, but let them develop a prayer life of their own.

I never miss an opportunity to pray with others, especially unbelievers.  When the time comes that they feel the need to call out to God, I want them to feel comfortable turning to Him in prayer.

Do you need the ministry of angels in your current situation?

“When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I”  – (Psalm 61:2b NKJV)

When my husband, Wally, was a child, his sister Shirley was burned severely in an accident.  She died a few days later.  Shirley had been the “baby” of the family, and she was very much adored.  My husband’s father became very bitter, and he spoke harshly against the Lord.

But one day Wally’s mother said to her husband “Albert, we cannot afford to be bitter against the Lord.  We need Him too much right now.”

I believe with all my heart that it was the devil who destroyed Shirley’s life.  But she’s in heaven today, and we cannot let the devil destroy us, too, with bitterness down here.  Bitterness is a poison that can seep into all parts of your body and soul.  It can taint the way you view life and the way that you live your life.  Bitterness can multiply and feed upon itself until it overwhelms everything else.

Don’t let bitterness overwhelm you.  Go to the Rock that is higher than you, and let Him remove any bitterness in your situation.

Father,

We thank You that when we feel overwhelmed by circumstances, Your Holy Spirit will lead us to the Rock, Jesus Christ.

In His Name we pray,

Amen.

The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”  But the father said to his servants, “Quick!  Bring the best robe and put it on him.  Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it.  Let’s have a feast and celebrate” – (Luke 15:21-23 NIV)

The story of the lost son is one of the most beloved in the Scriptures.  God is in the business of bringing families together.  Every day parents are fighting over custody of their children.  In many instances’ children must be forcibly taken from abusive situations or from parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol.  Other families are torn apart by strife, bitterness, and jealously.

Is your family whole, or are you longing for the day when every member will be present at the family reunion?  Is there a son or daughter who seems to have dropped out of sight, as far as your family is concerned?  Why not make a covenant with the Lord to pray each day for the next year for that family member to be reconciled?  God is able to send His holy angels or human messengers along that person’s path with just the right words to turn his or her heart toward home.  The Lord used an angel to bring Peter and Cornelius together, and He can do the same to bring your family together.

And don’t forget, every reunion means a celebration!