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Another summer has almost come and gone! I don’t know about your summer, but mine has flown by and it is hard to believe the scent of fall is already in the air. Have you heard the saying, “the older you get, the faster time goes by?” It sure seems true in my life, and I have this increased desire to make the most of my remaining, fleeting days on this earth. I don’t want to be on my death bed and have regrets regarding all the missed opportunities to live life reflecting the fullest glory of my Savior. Lord, please help us to make the most of our numbered days here. From Nourishments: MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR DAYS Ephesians 5:15–20 (NLT) So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 34:5 (NLT) Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. Are you drifting through life weak, confused, empty, and without a plan? Today is the day to rejoice! God has made this day; He has kept you on earth because He has plans to use you and prosper you (Jeremiah 29:11). You must take great care with each day God gives you because you do not know what tomorrow might bring. Seek His will for you by asking Him to direct your every step and then give Him time to unfold His perfect plans for you. Do not trifle with God by squandering your days partying or complaining as the world does. Don’t anger Him with an ungrateful attitude. Sing praise songs to Him; you have so many reasons to praise Him! The Lord will work everything out for your good (Romans 8:28); just bring all your troubles to Him (1 Peter 5:7). Remember to thank Him continually throughout the day. Live knowing God is always by your side, always looking out for you.  Psalm 90:12 ESV
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Do you believe Abba Father loves you to pieces? God’s love for us is one of my favorite topics to teach and I will never forget teaching about His love and watching tears drop from several faces in the audience. One lady said to me after the teaching, I have been a believer for many years and I have a hard time believing God really loves me because of all the hardships I have faced in my life. The enemy; who is the father of all lies, will constantly whisper in your ear that Abba Father is not intimately involved in your life. He will make you doubt Abba’s love because of past hurts, past disappointments, your past sins or sins others have committed against you. I think many Christians believe God is good; they just have a hard time believing He has been good to them. Let’s unpack this together. First of all, despite many false teachings within our American church that if we follow Christ we are promised health, wealth, prosperity and nothing but sunny days, Jesus reminds us in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus is telling us we are going to have troubles. Of course we are! We are not perfect and no one in our families is perfect and those we work with and do life with are not perfect, therefore, trouble is going to happen. The real question is what we will do with our troubles; we either allow them to be destructive or redemptive. Will we as followers of Christ believe He is truly on our side and our greatest Advocate ready to work everything we take to Him out for our good? Will we let our troubles be destructive or we will give them to Him and allow Him to make them redemptive? He is the One that can bring beauty from ashes.  “BreakPoint” recently had an excellent article about Larry Taunton of the Fixed Point Foundation who asked students on college campuses why they don’t believe in God. He was surprised by the level of interest demonstrated by the student’s responses. The article highlighted that "instead of would-be Richard Dawkins", the typical respondent was more like Phil, a student Taunton interviewed. Phil had grown up in church; he had even been the president of his youth group. What drove Phil away wasn’t the lure of secular materialism or even Christian moral teaching. Phil lost his interest in both the church and God when his church hired a youth pastor who was more concerned with entertaining the youth than teaching them about the word of God. Moreover, many students shared that their pastors and teachers offered trite and superficial answers to life’s most difficult questions instead of referring to the bible where they supposedly put their faith and trust. One student even expressed to Larry Taunton that “Christianity is something that if you really believed it, it would change your life and you would want to change [the lives] of others. I haven’t see too much of that.”  Greetings friend!
Why write a blog and why should you read this blog? A blog is a fun and free way for us to sharpen one another and grind out life issues as Christians. It is an interactive format where comments and questions can be added by you. The entries are viewed in reverse order in which they are received. Blogging is about more than just putting your thoughts on the web. It's about connecting with and hearing from anyone who cares to respond. Let’s encourage and educate each other during these turbulent times. Iron sharpens iron and a blog is an easy tool that allows us to have a conversation, ask questions, share insights and even post anonymously if the desire is to keep the matter private. |
AuthorDeborah Buckingham is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ who lives her life for Him, her family and her great America. She is an activist at heart and is always looking for opportunities to advance the Kingdom of God by sharing truth and love to any who cross her path. Her other passions include politics, health and fitness and hunting down great recipes to share with family and friends around the dinner table. Categories
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