GIVING WITH LOVE

As the Lord showers His blessings upon us, I do not want to forget those that are less fortunate. How often do I get so caught up in my own agendas that I neglect those in need of my help?

Yet God says that we should keep the needy in our minds, and when we do that, He too, shall keep our needs in His mind, and supply them according to His abundant resources.

Therefore,I should develop a lifestyle of giving and help the less fortunate whenever i can. It does not matter how small the act itself might seem, for God looks not at the outside act, but rather the heart through which the act is done.

In fact, 1 Corinthians 13:3 says that, “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing”. This goes to show the importance of having the right motives when helping others.

Indeed, when we give without love, our gift is without substance. On the other hand, when we give a gift out of love, it becomes larger than us, and we effectively become a channel through which God can bless others. This kind of love has a way of coming back to us, especially when we do not expect anything in return. It multiplies in mysterious ways, and fills us to the overflowing even as we are giving it away.

Truly, when i wrap my gift in love, it pleases God, and allows His abundant blessings to flow in me and through me to bless everyone around Me.

That’s what I’m gonna do!

In the Bonds of Calvary,

Five Years!

Five years ago, (April 15) I wasn’t feeling well and checked in at the VA urgent care. It seemed that in just minutes the diagnosis was that I had lung cancer. Within hours I was told that it was “stage three” and that my life expectancy was about twelve to eighteen months.

The next day the oncologist told me that 88-90% die within the first year after receiving this type of diagnosis. My heart was touched by the fact that she lost so many of her patients and I prayed with her.

When the word of my health issue got out, I was suddenly and victoriously covered by the prayers of many, many people. Some that I had never met spent much time praying that God would heal me.

Aside from the raging cancer, there was a battle of denial versus faith going on in my life. Ultimately, I accepted the diagnosis and continued to move forward in faith. I depended on the many prayers that were being offered every day.

I trusted God and promised that I would always give Him the glory for the healing. I am doing that now!

The most recent scan indicates that there is no cancer and there is only a small scar. Well, the doctor called it a scar but I refer to it as the signature of God to remind me that He was here.

The person who most often did my scans during the five years said, “I’m about to start believing in miracles!”

i already do…..I am one!

In the Bonds of Calvary,

 

Never Give Up!

Life is a marathon, not a sprint!

The race doesn’t go to the fastest runner but to those who refuse to give up.

I must be persistent in my faith to deal with setbacks on my journey.
Endurance is the master key to unlocking my dreams and visions.

A Ford motor company employee once asked his boss the secret to success.
Henry Ford replied, “When you start a thing, don’t quit until you finish it.”

There are many obstacles that have come to hinder the completion of my dreams
and visions.
These obstacles include self-doubt, insecurity, procrastination, worry, time
pressures and misfortunes…….
But, if I never give up on the promises of God, My faith will be rewarded!

In the Bonds of Calvary,

WHAT IF EVERYONE WAS LIKE ME?

Without God, there is no right and wrong; there is only preference.

We can say that we prefer something to be or not to be; but unless we
appeal to God, we cannot use the words right and wrong.

If one person says something is right and another says it is wrong, their opinions cancel each other out unless they can appeal to a higher authority.

Mankind needs God not only for salvation but also for the normal functioning
of society.

It is sobering to ask, “If everyone were exactly like me, what kind of
society would we have?”

In the Bonds of Calvary,

SPIRITUAL WINTERS!

YES! We have all found ourselves in a wilderness experience
at one time or another and that is the most difficult place of
all to be; yet, we are not always there because of bad deci-
sions or due to sin in our lives.

There are times we experience the winter simply because the Holy Spirit led us there.

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for a season of tempting, testing and trying.

However, Jesus resisted the devil, thereby teaching us how to show forth endurance through the winter seasons, and how to resist even the temptation of sin.

In the Bonds of Calvary,