March 30

                        Unending Grace

Joel 2:21, 23

Don’t be afraid, my people!  Be glad now and rejoice, because

the LORD has done great things.  Rejoice in the LORD your God! 

For the rains He sends are an expression of His grace.  (NLT)

     The vast majority of people living on this earth find themselves not only struggling to survive, but a good many of them are allowing their dire circumstances get the best of them.  Christians are certainly not immune to the hardships that that come with living in this fallen world, but the difference between Christians and all others, is that God's children know without a doubt that the Lord is in control and they also know what their future holds.  A Christian knows that no matter what this fallen world does, they are never left alone to fight the battle, because they have the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and His promise of salvation.  Our Almighty God and Savior gives us His Word that He will make all things new and perfect forever for those who are called by His Name. For those who belong to the world, all they know for sure is that their death is imminent and they can only guess at what lies beyond the grave.  

     The world, in its current state of decay, chews its people up and spits them out dazed and confused, but for the chewed-up Christian there is always the hope for a much better tomorrow. This is but one of the reasons that most Christians can rejoice and be glad in their troubles. As new Christians begin to understand their undeserved gift of salvation and eternal life, they begin to focus on the hope they have in the Lord, rather than focusing on themselves and what this dying world can give them.  We live in a dangerous world that threaten us every day, but with Jesus living in your heart, your troubles will not keep you discouraged or fearful for very long, because just as the rain God sends to sustains us, so too, do the everyday miracles of the Lord's gracious favor.

                                A Whisper of Hope

Walk boldly with Me, dear child...for I have overcome this fallen world.  Do not be afraid or worried, because they will take away your joy in living, and the eternal joy to come.   Oh, the plans I have for you, plans that you cannot imagine—plans that have no end!

Romans 8:38

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us

from His love.  Death can’t, and life can’t.  The angels

can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our

worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell

can’t keep God’s love away.  (NLT)

                  My grace is sufficient for you,

  for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

                     (2 Corinthians 12:9)

          Right Living

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does

the LORD requires of you but to do justice, and to love

kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  (NASB)

     What we have in our Creator is a holy and righteous God—a living God who requires people to be holy as He is holy—to be other than that of the world.  He calls us to live righteous lives that are gracious and just and motivated by love.  But because of our fallen nature it is difficult for us to act justly and to always show kindness to others.  We are a selfish, self-centered, and pride filled people. We find it hard to humbly believe that we are not in control and are subjected to a higher being, especially when it comes the living God who calls us to obedience for He tells us to either live His Way and follow His rules or suffer dire consequences.  And until you believe and understand who God is and who you are not, you will live in utter darkness until you wake up in the pits of Hell.  

     It doesn't take a superior mind of great intellect to comprehend the simple Truth of God, it simply takes a humble and contrite heart.  Unfortunately, people who have never accepted the Bible as the inerrant Word of God that is absolute in its truth, believe they are the captains of their souls and in charge of their destiny. But it's the ways of the world that they submit to.  For those who deny the existence of God, it's survival of the fittest that fuels their motivation and unbeknownst to them, the devil is their god.  Satan is the false god of this world and his ways are pure evil and wicked.  He is the most powerful enemy of God, and he is directing most of the people in this sinful world away from God.  Humanism stands against the very fiber of God’s holiness, but when the Holy Spirit of God fills the hearts and souls of human beings, their hardened hearts will soften, and living justly and loving others will be their new way of living—walking humbly with our Lord God and living to please Him.  

                                A Whisper of Hope

Listen closely, dear child...and I will teach you a new Way to live.  For the ways of this fallen world are deceiving in their nature and will rob from you the joy of living.  Don’t believe the lies of the Enemy and his wicked followers, because their lies may sound good in the moment, but they are poison to the mind and deadly to the soul.

2 Chronicles 30:9

“For the LORD your God is gracious

and merciful, and will not turn His

face from you, if you return to Him.”  (NKJ)

               The LORD is righteous in all His ways

                  and kind in all His works.

                                        (Psalm 145:17)

                    Light Rescue

Psalm 56:13

For You have rescued me from death, you have

kept my feet from slipping.  So now I can walk in

Your Presence, O God, in Your life-giving Light.  (NLT)

     What a profound, life-changing revelation this is, especially for those of us who have journeyed down the dark paths of destruction; lost and desperate souls searching for something that would relieve the pain and shame.  Many of us have found ourselves trapped in a world of deception, selling our souls and walking hand in hand with the devil—the destroyer of lives and the killer of souls.  This world is manipulated by the lies of Satan, which he uses to draw us into his web of sin and self-destruction.  Satan has used his power to convince the world that God is either dead or He doesn't care—that this life is all there is, so we must get what we can while the gettin' is good.  But this is not the truth, my friends, for we have a loving and merciful God who knows the mess that sin has created in our world.

     Our Lord God and Savior so loved the world that He left the glory of heaven to save us from the darkness and give us hope for a bright and glorious future that has no end.  He suffered at the hands of mortal evil men and died hanging naked on a tree for the sins of the world.  Christ Jesus paid the full price for our salvation.  Our Mighty God defeated sin and death so we could escape sins deadly sting.  Lord Jesus is the only life-saving light that rescues us from the eternal darkness that embracing this fallen world brings.  By simply knowing and embracing this Truth, my friend, will brighten the path of your life-journey so you can find your way Home.

                                                              

                                  A Whisper of Hope 

I AM, the Light of the World…the only Light that brings life to the dead.  When you walk in My Light, dear child, there is no reason to fear the wrath that awaits those who live and thrive in the darkness of this sinful world.  The Light from Heaven will keep you safe.  My Light is your only Hope!

Ephesians 5:8

For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full

of the light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it.  For this

light within you produces only what is good and right and true.  (NLT)

                     “I am the Light of the world.

                 If you follow Me… you will have the

                          Light that leads to life.

                                   (John 8:12)

                        Victory King

Psalm 44:4, 7

You are my King and

               my God.

You are the One who gives

               us victory over our

     enemies.  (NLT)

     Jesus Christ is the King of the universe and Lord of creation.  And it is our victorious Messiah who gives us victory over sin and death—the two most deadly enemies we have because they take our lives and kill our souls.  When we humbly submit our lives to the care and control of our eternal King, He becomes the Lord of our lives and He not only helps us overcome the attacks of the devil and his evil forces, but Lord Jesus also helps us keep them at bay.  It is through God’s Word that He opens our eyes to the truth about the most deadly of all wars—the unseen, spiritual war against the Lord God and His Church—evil against godliness, sin against holiness. 

     When you combine the infinite Wisdom of God with His Omnipotent Power, Satan and his evil cronies will crumble at the mention of His Name.  But in order to fight the good fight, my friend, and stay on top of God’s Victory Plan, you must join the King's army and draw from His wisdom and strength, rather than fighting bravely on your own.  For when you are one with the King, you will taste victory, for the key to defeating sin and death can only be found in the blood of the Lamb.  But until the King returns to put an end to this war forever, the everyday battles will continue to rage on; battles that must be fought one day at a time with the King of Victory leading the charge and also covering your back sides.

                             A Whisper of Hope

Victory is yours, My child…when you put your life in My hands.  There is no other way to win the battles for your heart and soul but with My help.  There is no One greater than I, for I defeated sin and death once and for all. When you follow the victory plan I have for you, you will be victorious as well.

1 John 5:4-5

For every child of God defeats this evil world by

trusting Christ to give the victory. And the ones

who win this battle against the world are the ones

who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.  (NLT)

                  

           How we thank God who gives us 

             victory over sin and death.

                           (1 Corinthians 15:57)

               One God Only

Isaiah 44:6,10

The LORD Almighty, says: “I am the First and the Last;

there is no other God.”  “Who but a fool would make his

own god—an idol that cannot help him one bit.”  (NLT)

     I believe the first thing we must do in order to find peace, purpose, and understanding about this difficult life-journey that no one gets to volunteer for, is to believe in the only True and Living God who left the glory of Heaven to live and die so we could die and live. Christ Jesus became a man of flesh and blood to become the final sacrificial Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.  God is not the earth or the moon or the sun or the whole universe or anything else in creation or anything we can create with our hands or minds.  Throughout the history of the world, man has foolishly made many different things his god or gods—gods that are all fakes—man made gods that deceive the world in Satan’s favor.  There are many foolish people who try to replace the Living God with the worlds gods, but none of them give us life, nor can they save us from our sins and the condemnation that is due. 

     It is not my objective to condemn people for living foolish lives worshiping false gods, because I, too, was once living this life foolishly drinking and smoking the gods that controlled my life.  Most people who do not know and love the Lord our God and Savior have probably never really heard or understood the Truth and so they view God and His redemptive plan for mankind and the world as science fiction or simply crazy.  Because we love our little gods that give us pleasure, they control the way we live.  And even though I spent most of my adult life indulging in the gods of this fallen world, deep in my heart, I was searching for the truth about this cursed life. It gnawed at my heart and tormented my soul day and night.  The world's gods failed to give me the answers I so desperately hungered for and I, like many, was left empty and hopeless, for there is only One God, One Truth, and One Answer—Jesus Christ!

                                A Whisper of Hope

There is only One God…My child.  I AM He.  And I can tell you that all of Heaven rejoices when anyone comes to understand and believe this essential Truth.  This deceitful world has filled your mind with too many lies for much too long.  But as you learn the Truth, so, too, will you find life in Me.

John 17:3

And this is the way to have eternal life—

to know You, the only true God, and Jesus

Christ, the One You sent to earth.  (NLT)

    But the LORD is the only true God, the Living God. 

                  He is the Everlasting King!

                         (Jeremiah 10:10)

                                It’s True

Isaiah 35:1-10

Even the wilderness will rejoice, in those days.The desert will blossom 

with flowers. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and 

joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as 

lovelyas Mount Carmel’s pastures and the Plain of Sharon.  There the 

LORD willdisplay His glory, the splendor of our God.

 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage 

those who have weak knees.  Say to those who are afraid,  “Be strong, 

and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. 

He is coming to save you.”  And when He comes, He will open the eyes

of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, 

and those who cannot speak will shout and sing!  Springs will gush forth in 

the wilderness, and streams will water the desert. The parched ground will 

become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh 

grass and reed and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.

   And a main road will go through that once deserted land. It will be

named the Highway of Holiness.  Evil-hearted people will never travel on 

it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk 

there.  Lions will not lurk along its course, and there will be no other 

dangers.  Only the redeemed will follow it.  Those who have been 

ransomed by the LORD will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of 

everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be 

overcome with joy and gladness.  (NLT)

The hope and encouragement that this Scripture brings to those of us who believe that the Bible is God’s inerrant Words of Truth is priceless.  Because, in this fallen world that breeds nothing but hopelessness and death, this 2,000 plus year old message from God can light up the deepest darkness and bring life to the dead and lifeless. The Lord our God, the King of the Universe, is coming soon, my friends, to rightly claim what is His and disregard all that is not.  Since God’s Word is His Truth, we have no time to waste in sharing this Good News.   Jesus brings Light where there is darkness, and life to those who are dying.  Christ Jesus is the Hope for everyone who is searching for something more than death, who are struggling just to survive, and hoping for some blessed peace in their life.  This encouraging and wonderful Hope that we find in our Lord God and Savior, is the only Hope that will guide us safely Home with joy in our hearts and a smile upon our faces.  Come Lord Jesus!

                              A Whisper of Hope

I AM the Truth…and when you believe in Me and all that I have written down for you, and when you obey My commands, you will have a glorious new and everlasting life, in a glorious new and everlasting body, in a glorious new and everlasting Home.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-4

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come

unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.  When people are

saying, “All is well; everything is peaceful and secure,” then

disaster will fall upon them…And there will be no escape.  (NLT)

                      

              And He who sits on the throne said,

    “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He

 said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 

                            (Revelation 21:5)

                                Our Provider

Psalm 145:13, 14

The LORD is faithful in all

               He says;

     He is gracious in all He

               does.

The LORD helps the fallen

      and lifts up those bent

               beneath their loads.  (NLT)

It has been said that a Christian’s faith is nothing more than a crutch to be leaned upon or a cop-out when things get too tough to deal with.  What many unbelievers refuse to acknowledge is that we, a very weak and tiny beings, live in a dangerously vast universe so big we cannot even imagine its enormous size and we are extremely helpless and vulnerable when compared to the incredible power it holds.  We are also incapable of defending ourselves against the unseen forces of evil that hate God and want to destroy all that is His—principalities and powers that exceed any and all human ability.  The truth is, my friends, we need some One greater than ourselves, the universe, and Satan if we want to be saved from the destruction that is eminent when we stand alone.  And that some One is our Creator and Savior, King Jesus. 

     The Lord God keeps the entire universe in precise running order by the Power of His Word, to protect our tiny planet that houses the most precious of all He has ever created; human life.  Mankind would not survive for a moment if it were not for our gracious and Almighty God.  We would never survive in this vast universe that is always on the move, nor could we withstand the attacks from Satan’s evil powers when they rear their ugly heads.  As God’s created people, we must depend upon His great power to survive. We need His gracious favor to sustain the bodies we live in, and we need the power of His Holy Spirit to keep our souls alive.  It is only because you have a loving, gracious, and merciful God, that you even wake up in the morning or make it through the entire day.  Our sovereign God, Creator of everything seen and unseen, has carefully and personally designed us with His mighty skillful hands.   The Living God wants only what is best for every person He blesses with the breath of life, and He does this by perfecting in us what we were originally designed to do—to glorify and honor Him by the way we live our lives.

                                   A Whisper of Hope 

You are, dear child…the most precious of all My creation and I will care for you above all else.  But in order for Me to do this, you must trust Me with your life.  Remember that the world hates Me and all those who follow My Way.  But fear nothing, for I have overcome the world and will protect you until it is time to come Home.  I Am your Provider, Protector, and Redeemer.  And even in the midst of your darkest hour, remember; I AM GOD.

2 Peter 1:2-4

As we know Jesus better, His divine power gives us everything we

need for living a godly life.  He has called us to receive His own glory

and goodness!  And by that same mighty power, He has given us all

of His rich and wonderful promises.  He has promised that you will

escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that

you will share in His Divine Nature.  (NLT)

     He Himself gives life and breath to everything,

           and He satisfies every need there is.

                              (Acts 17:25)

                Forgiven and Redeemed

Isaiah 48:17

The LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says;

I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good

and leads you along the paths you should follow.  (NLT)

     The LORD created us so we could come into His Presence at any time, just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. But when sin entered into the equation, the relationship was broken and mankind began to depend on themselves and man could no longer come into His Presence.  But because of God's great love for human beings, He came into this broken world as a man of flesh to cleanse our sins, take our just punishment, and to reestablish the broken relationship.  Our Lord God not only reconciled the relationship so we could enter into the holy Presence of God, but after ascending back into Heaven He sent the Holy Spirit into the world to help guide and protect us while traveling this difficult journey on the road to Heaven.

     When you humbly ask God to forgive all your sins, He will.  When you ask Him to make you a new person, He does.  When you ask Him to be the Lord over your life and will, He accepts.  Christ Jesus chose to pay the ransom that freed us from the power of sin that leads to darkness and death.  When you surrender to the One who created you and also saved you, He removes the blinders from your eyes and softens your heart so you can better see and understanding the world around you.  He teaches you the Truth—what is right and what is not—what is good and what is bad, because the world teaches just the opposite.  And as you trust in the Lord of your life, He provides both the power and motivation to transform your old, sin-filled life of darkness and doubt, into a brand-new life filled with everlasting hope and peace.  Our awesome God and Savior is the Sovereign King of the universe and He invites you to be a part of His holy family as His adopted child, and you will receive the crown of everlasting life, walking and talking with the Author of Life, as you were created to do.

                                 A Whisper of Hope 

My dear child…listen closely for My voice, for when you hear Me calling, follow the path that brings you back into My Presence.  You live in a dangerous world and you need My Spirit to protect and safely lead you home.  Your journey in this fallen world will be hard and exhausting, but your struggles and pain will shape your eternal character and prepare you for a heavenly journey unlike anything you can ever imagine!

1 Timothy 2:5, 6

For there is only One God and One Mediator who can

reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 

He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.  (NLT)

                  So Christ has really set us free.

                                   (Galatians 5:1)

                          Know the Truth

Psalm 139:1

O LORD, you have examined

               my heart

     and know everything about

               me.  (NLT)

     Our Sovereign LORD is as much a personal God as He is Holy and Perfect in every way.  He is not a God who stands apart from His creation, but a loving and gracious God who wants only what is best for people.  It is so amazing that in the scheme of who God is; the Great and Awesome Creator of an unending universe and life itself, that He takes the time and the resources He created to personally reach out and touch individual people so they can know who He is and what He has planned.  He makes every person uniquely different, each with their own personal qualities and purpose—a purpose that is made to fit who we are and what we can manage with God’s help.  The Lord knows firsthand what it’s like to carry the weight of the world upon our shoulders and He knows all of the burdens that we try to manage on our own. 

     How wonderful it is to have an all-powerful God who knows and loves us so dearly that He allowed Himself to be tortured and nailed to a wooden cross by mere mortal men.  The Lord knows our pain and the burdens we bear; even the most secret shame and remorse that we carry deep inside our hearts; things we fearfully keep hidden in a darkness so deep that we think God Himself has no idea what they are.

     You cannot hide anything from the One who created you.  And you should never underestimate His power.  When you exclude the Lord from your life, the burdens you try to hide and carry on your own will eventually become so great that you will collapse under the weight, much like I did.   But as I sunk deeper in my guilt and shame, oblivious to the love and grace of our God and Savior, He reached down just at the right moment and slowly began to remove the burdens that I was not created to bear.  When living apart from God, my friends, it is impossible to bear the burdens brought on by this fallen world; we are not gods, merely mortal human beings touched by the decadence of sin and death.  But we all have the same merciful God who not only saved the world from destroying itself, but also saves us from the eternal consequences of our sin.

                                 A Whisper of Hope

I know you, dear child… better than you know yourself.  I know all the things you try to hide in the darkness and I will forgive you if you ask, for I love you and I want to take your burdens so you can enjoy this life.  You can do nothing that surprises or shocks me, for I AM GOD.  Do not hide in the dark.  Rather, bring your burdens to Me and find My eternal peace for your weary burdened soul.

Hebrews 4:16

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. 

There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace

to help us when we need it.  (NLT)

              Give your burdens to the Lord, 

             and He will take care of you.

                       (Psalm 55:22)

                              God Hears

Habakkuk 1: 2, 4

How long, O LORD, must I call for help? 

But you do not listen!  I cry, but you do

not come to save. (NLT)

     Evil and the decadence it brings is eating the people of our world alive, causing a lot fear, anxiety, and uncertainty about the future.  People are crying out for anything or anyone in this world that would give them some hope.  Sadly, their crying out is futile, because nothing from this fallen world is capable of fixing this decaying world—fixes that are too big for human wisdom or power. Most people of this world are either too busy struggling to survive or they are simply too focused on getting all they can while they can, to know about the only One who can fix the problems that the world faces.  These lost souls don’t know or even seem to care that our Lord God, Jesus Christ, will come again to clean up the mess caused by thousands of years of sin and rebellion against the living God.  The King of the universe will return with fire in His eyes to destroy all that is evil and those who oppose the Word of God.  King Jesus will then rule and reign on Earth where people will live in peace and prosperity.  There will be no more war or sickness, life will be good for the first time since our falling away from God.

     The lost and desperate souls of this fallen world don’t know God's Plan because the devil and his loyal followers have distorted the Truth so much that most people don’t know what to believe; they simply go with the flow, live for the moment, and hope for the best end result.  The devil has convinced the world that God is not gracious or merciful and that He doesn't care what happens to us. Many believe that God is off doing other God things and has a deaf ear when it comes to our desperate cries for help.  This is not so, my friend, the Lord hears your every cry and He knows how you suffer in this fallen world that groans to be fixed.  Our loving Creator cares deeply about each and every one of us.  We have a Savior that has defeated death for us.  We have a Redeemer who hears our every cry.  And one day soon, He will make all things new and right, and no one shall ever suffer or cry again!

                            A Whisper of Hope

I hear you…My child and I know your pain and fear, for I see and hear all things.  I came into this fallen world to save my people and give them hope.  I came to save you!  I AM God your Redeemer and you must trust the plans I have for you, for they are good and true.

Romans 8:21-22

All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s

children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 

For we know that all creation has been groaning as in

the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  (NLT)

                       “Fear not, I [God] will help you.”

                               (Isaiah 41:13)