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The magnitude of God's love.
As high as the heavens are above the earth! THAT, is how great God's love is for the believer.

The infinity of God's mercy.
As far as the east is from the west! THAT, is how far away our sins have been sent.

The intensity of God's compassion.
As a daddy has compassion for his children! THAT, is how gentle His tenderness towards us is.

To the believer;
His love is immeasurable, His forgiveness is unspeakable and His compassion is tender, kind and gentle. His mercy is in endless abundance. We fear Him in reverence. We respect His authority. We are not afraid of Him. We have NOTHING to fear. He said, fear not for I am with you.
(Isaiah 41:10) "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

To the unbeliever.
Fear is your only option as long as you chose to deny Him.
(Matthew 10:33) "But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."
But it doesn't have to be that way. You too can bask in the freedom and joy that this infinite God has already laid out for you.
(Matthew 10:32) "So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,"

I came across this while doing my research. This woman was a staunch atheist who was looking for something more than to "just believe." She wrote this incredible article that I recommend for reading and passing on to others who may be sceptics.

The quote below is from her article.

(Is there a God? By Marilyn Adamson)
"There is no program without a programmer.
As you may know, a computer program is made up of ones and zeros, like this: 110010101011000. The way they are arranged tell the computer program what to do. The DNA code in each of our cells is very similar. It's made up of four chemical units, called nucleotide bases, that scientists abbreviate as A, T, G, and C. These are arranged in the human cell like this: CGTGTGACTCGCTCCTGAT and so on. There are three billion pairs of these letters in every human cell." (https://www.genome.gov/human-genome-project/Completion-FAQ)

3 billion, with a 'B' in every human cell.

Another excerpt is as follows.

(Is there a God? By Marilyn Adamson)
"The human brain processes more than a million messages a second." (The Wonders of God's Creation, Moody Institute of Science (Chicago, IL))

Perhaps there was a big bang! But if it was, God orchestrated it. Scientists are proving more and more that all that exists, had to have a beginning and if so, how? We know!

Why do you love God?
Is it because of what He has done for you?
Is it because Jesus died for you?
Is it because with loving Him comes eternity with Him?
Is it because He makes you feel good?
Is it because with Him you have hope?
Is it because life is easier to navigate when He's in control?
Is it because with Him you have purpose?
Is it because you believe His word?
Is it because He listens to you?
Is it because He meets your needs?
Is it because of His promises?
Is it because ...........
Or, Is it, all of the above, because He loved you first?

Jesus' response to Bartimaeus, a blind begger, is so simple but so profound! Bartimaeus knew that Jesus could heal him if he could only get His attention. You have His attention already.
Here's a suggestion. Make a list of what you would like Jesus to do and put the days date on the list. Then pray about it through the heart of thanksgiving, then when you get an answer, mark down the date you receive your answer.
This exercise will strengthen your belief. You will be amazed.
Jesus wants to know what we want. Here are a couple of examples to pray for. And make them personal.
I would like wisdom like that of Solomon.
I would like healing from..........
Please help me to minister to a lost soul.
Would You bring my son/daughter/ect. to accept You.
My car is on its last leg, here is my list of what I would like to replace it.
Any number of requests. Be bold, to the point, then trust.

We all walk the path that the Father has designed specifically for us. No two paths are exactly the same. Don't desire someone else's path and don't think your path is more important than another's. Your path was forged with your best interests in mind. God yearns for us to draw close to Him, lean on Him and completely depend on Him because He loves us so much and wants to spend time with us. He desires for us to be just, show mercy and be humble.
Father, to be your chosen child is the pinnacle of our existence. We owe You everything because we belong to You by Your divine mercy. Help us to act justly, show love and mercy and proceed with humility.

After spending some time pondering this verse, it came to me that there are people who do things without love. Some do things with a self righteous attitude. Some, self serving, even some, a sense of duty. The one thing that I have seen that doesn't seem to fall into this issue, is giving to the homeless. Those who step out in blind faith to serve, house, minister to and feed the homeless are filled with a special love. It doesn't seem probable to me that a self righteous or self serving person would want to mingle with them, but then again, I could be wrong.
I just happen to know quite a few people who work with the homeless and each person has a genuine love and concern for them.
(Deuteronomy 15:10) "You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake."
Did you know that Jesus was homeless?
(Matthew 8:20) "Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'"
Even Paul was homeless.
(1 Corinthians 4:11) "To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless."
The Lord was speaking to the religious people, saying that they were hypocrites.
(Isaiah 56:6-7) "“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
In the end, if there are those who serve with the wrong intentions, at least, God can use the devil himself to accomplish His goals.

So, it was a long day! I pray that everyone is safe, rested and blessed from a joyful time of family, friends and fellowship. God gives us so much to be thankful for. Everything we receive comes from Him. Continued blessings on you all.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone!

It is time! Time that we put our best foot forward. Time to make grandma's best recipe. Time to try something new. Time that we make an unbelievable meal that will take more than a whole day (or three) to put together. A time of joy and relationships. A time to share our very best. It is time. That one day a year where we make a special effort to invite someone who might otherwise be alone. That one day a year where we go all out for family. It is time. Time to stop and breath and give thanks for all that God has blessed us with.
Interestingly, did you know that most people don't give thanks for their food? Yet on Thanksgiving, they make a point to say grace?
However you celebrate Thanksgiving, may only the joy of the Lord be allowed to surround and permeate your home and gathering. For those of you who must work, may God's blessings fall on all those you touch and serve, and you, be prepared to reap a joy unspeakable. For those who are alone, you are NOT alone. I pray that your day is like no other. A day full of good memories and cherished thoughts. A day where you feel the loving arms of Jesus. And for those who can't celebrate because of a recent loss, I ask for gentle healing. May you feel the peace that passes all understanding. May you be reminded that you too are loved deeply with a love of infinite proportion by the only one who can fulfill all your needs. And may we all remember to give thanks to a God so generous, loving and compassionate that He gave His only Son, Jesus to die so that we might have eternal life. Because in the end, our glorious eternity with Him is all that matters. Blessings my brothers and sisters!

It may not seem like it now but Israel will once again celebrate their thankfulness to God with song. It is in my understanding that this verse is prophetic regarding Israel coming to the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah. This will happen after great turmoil, such like hasn't been seen. Much like what is happening now.
(Jeremiah 30:14) "All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many."
However, once God has punished them for their idolitry, He will bring blessings and healing to them.
May I entice you to read Jeremiah 30. It is prophetic and exciting as we see the end times being fulfilled. Jesus is coming soon to collect His bride.
This my friends should excite you into thankfulness and praising God. Are we thankful for what we have? Are we thankful for the solid rock of the word upon which we stand? Are we thankful for a God who loves us and is going to bring us into eternal fellowship with Him? You bet we are! This should make you want to break out into song.

Praise and thanksgiving! They go together like bees and honey. You almost can't have one without the other. Did you know that God considers our praise to be a sacrifice?
(Hebrews 13:15) "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name."
Being thankful to God continually, strengthens our knowledge that everything we have, no matter how little or how much, comes from Him. Gratitude is pleasing to Him and helps to keeps our attitudes in check. The one that says, "I did it myself."

Christ is enough! Walk like He is! Give Him thanks for everything in your life. The good, the bad and yes, the ugly. Why? Because for the children of God, ALL things work together for good to them that love the Lord.
You are not defeated my friend. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able. And He will rescue you .
(1 Corinthians 10:13) "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."
Keep your faith and know that He is Lord and give Him the thanks that is due Him!

When we reflect on this verse, it's normally on the part that says be anxious for nothing. But I love how Paul takes it so much deeper. He says, in every situation! Not once in a while but every time. Then he adds by prayer which is the key but then he adds, with thanksgiving! This means that we ask the Father then immediately thank Him. We don't wait till it happens, we thank Him right now, right after we ask. This is faith. Believing that once you give it to Him, you have nothing else to do but say thank you. He's got you. Be thankful, your requests have already been answered. Thanksgiving, such a time for us to really think about all that He has done for us.

In the OT, there were laws that prevented you from eating certain foods. But this was no longer the case. Remember Peter's vision where God showed him it was ok to eat all food. He showed Peter three times. The second time, when Peter said no to Jesus, he said:
(Acts 10:14) “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
Then the Lord replies:
(Acts 10:15) "The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
God has made everything, not just food, but everything and it was all good!
I believe when we pray over our food, it becomes consecrated by the word of God and by prayer. This means that we acknowledge that it all comes from God and we are giving Him thanks for His provision to us.

In the midst of complete and utter darkness, inside the belly of a large fish, Jonah cried out with a voice of thanksgiving. In our darkest hour we can still cry out to the Lord with sorrow and pain but also thanksgiving. We must remember, God is Good! God gives and God takes away, blessed is the Name of the Lord.

Prayer is not only for an appointed time. Prayer is a continuous conversation with our Lord.
(1 Thessalonians 5:17-18) "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Even though we are told to pray and be thankful, again, it doesn't seem to me to be an act of a command as much as a great privilege. Do we comprehend that upon the death of Jesus, (which was no little thing) the veil in the temple was torn in two, opening up to us, direct access to our heavenly Father? We don't have to take a young Lamb or goat to the church so that our high priest can sacrifice it and pray for our sins. We can simply call on the name of the Lord! How thankful should we be to Jesus?
During this season, let's think of how many things Christ has done for us and let us lift up our hearts in thanksgiving. Honest, heartfelt deep gut wrenching thankfulness.

Have you ever really thought of being thankful as a sacrifice? A sacrifice is something we offer up to God. So we offer Him our appreciation in the form of being thankful.
In the OT, sacrificing of first fruits and perfect animals was the norm but that had special significance for that time in history. Jesus, as we know, became the final sacrifice once for all. Now we have that one to one relationship through Jesus Christ. God the Father is very relational, that's why He sent Jesus to bridge that chasm so He could have interaction with us on a very personal level.
Our sacrifice should be very personal. I've always thought of being thankful as a privilege. Why? Because if we have food to eat, a roof over our head, an ability to make an income, health, family and freedom to worship, we are privileged and should be thankful. We should never take these privileges for granted. God has promised us food, clothing and shelter but we were born in a country of great wealth. Our veterans fought for our freedom. We have so much to be thankful for.
Be thankful, for even the very breath you breath. This is the very least we can do, for a sacrifice, to a God who has given us bountiful blessings beyond measure.

10 days till Thanksgiving!
Don't you just love people like me who remind you of how fast the year has flown by? Me neither, lol.
Just the same, let's take this time we do have, to focus on being thankful.
One of my favorite verses, gives us the impression that David is dancing and singing praises to the Lord He loved so much. David had no inhibitions when it came to delighting in God.
(2 Samuel 6:14a) "And David danced before the LORD with all his might;"
Let also remember that there are those around us that have much less then we do. Today especially, I think of the veteran. I challenge all of us to find one such person and offer them something that would make this time a special event for them. Think of someone then take that person to Jesus in prayer. Ask Him to open your heart to what you can do for them.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
Jesus Christ
and the
American Soldier.
One died for your soul, and the other for your freedom."
(Author Unknown)
Jesus willingly laid down His life for our freedom! So does the American Soldier. The veteran is worthy of our deepest gratitude. The ones who came back afflicted, need our love and compassion. They need to know that they are everyday heroes. May God have a special crown for our departed and afflicted veterans. They made the ultimate sacrifice for us, those they don't even know.

Harmony! Ahhhhhh, the soft rhythm of a babbling brook, the sweetness of a Robin chirping at her babies, the whispering rustle of the breeze through the trees! The sounds of harmony!
A couple strolling on the beach at sunset, a baby cooing as she recognizes her mother's face, a boy and his dog! The sights of harmony!
The smell of the air after a rain, the salty air of the sea, a flower, newly mown grass! The scents of harmony! Your first cup of coffee in the morning, a decedent desert, snowflakes on your tongue, a cold drink of water on a hot day! The tastes of harmony!
The touch of your spouse, the softness of a babies skin, the soaking in a bubble bath, a deep massage, sifting sand through your fingers! The feel of harmony! We know well, what perfect harmony is. Why can't we seem to put it into practice in our relationships?

God is Love! All He asks us to do, He asks us to do it with love. The whole Bible is about His love towards us. If we could put our own selfish desires aside for a moment and just put everyone else first! Not an easy task but it can be done with Christ's power in us.
The feeling we get when someone hugs us, when they smile towards us, when they try to meet our needs, can be duplicated and spread outwards. How much better it could be. There are so many teachings in the bible about love. Here are a few.
Proverbs 10:12
1 John 4:19
1 Corinthians 13:13
John 13:34-35
Colossians 3:14
1 Peter 4:8
1 John 4:7
1 John 4:8
Romans 12:10
Ephesians 4:2
Ephesians 4:32
John 13:34
1 John 3:16-18

Just in case, like me, you might need a check list for your attitude during any given day, here we have the Do's and Don't's of love.

The Do's:
Love IS patient,
Love IS kind,
Love always protects,
Love always trusts,
Love always hopes,
Love always perseveres, and
Love rejoices with the truth.

The Don't's:
Love does not envy,
Love does not boast,
Love is not proud,
Love does not dishonor others,
Love is not self seeking,
Love is not easily angered,
Love keeps no record of wrongs, and
Love does not rejoice in evil.

If your desire is to be more like Jesus, these are what you need to emulate. I must constantly check my attitude. I don't always trust, I find myself being proud and self seeking, and then there's that old, all too familiar one, road rage! None of these bad habits exemplify Jesus' love. You may have your own set of 'Don't's', but don't despair! We seek to glorify our Father every day and we have His Word in our very being. We continue to strive for that perfection that awaits us. And in the words of that great British Statesman, Winston Churchill, in his speech in 1941, he said, "Never, never, never give up!" Jesus, never gave up, neither should you.

All the heroes we have read about throughout the bible, where do you think they got their courage? The apostles, all lived and died for Christ. Do you suppose they did this of their own volition? We sometimes compare ourselves to them thinking we could never do that! And that's true. WE could never do that. But, God can. Remember, it is God who gives you the desire. It is God who enables you. It is God who empowers you.
Think about Saul. He certainly didn't look to become the most amazing proponent of Jesus. And Moses, the reluctant prophet, tried to get out of going to Egypt. Don't forget Jonah. He ran from God. All of these people were simple human beings. Yet God did a great work in them that empowered them to do mighty things to fulfill His purpose.
If we want to truly follow Jesus, we need to but ask for Him to fill us with the desire. He will, and will do much more in us. Because He is love.

Back in the late 1800's, a great man by the name of A.B. Simpson had this to say about the dangers plaguing the church.
""The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down. Our Master expects us to accomplish results, even if they bring opposition and conflict. Anything is better than compromise, apathy, and paralysis. God give to us an intense cry for the old-time power of the Gospel and the Holy Ghost!" ~ A. B. Simpson
These problems that arise in church history are not new. In Revelations, Jesus spoke against apathy. Those who are content to sit and enjoy their existence without making a difference.
(James 4:17) "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."
Don't be afraid to turn the world upside down! They are going to perish if we don't! Don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe.

What is the meaning of life?
An age old question that philosophers have been pondering since time began.
I came across an article written by Neel Burton MD. I'm not sure what his point in this article is but he makes a statement that reflects worldly thinking. Here's what he says: "But even if God exists, and even if He had an intelligent purpose in creating us, no one really knows what this purpose might be, or that it is especially meaningful." (Psychology Today 3/3/18)
The meaning of life is to love and serve others as Jesus did, with the purpose of spending eternity with Him. Yet the world finds this so hard to grasp.
With all of the erroneous rhetoric spouted by "educated" thinkers, looking in all the wrong places, it's no wonder that people are confused. There is no end to their search.
Friends, the bible is the only book we need to find the meaning to life. God has exhaustively and comprehensively given us everything we need. We must follow Jesus.