A place to find Hope

Category: Bible (Page 2 of 5)

6 Ways to Cope in This Not So Friendly World

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I am going to concentrate on you and I today and not the rest of the world. There is just too much turmoil to deal with out there.

Why do we get sucked into fear? Why have we allowed negative thoughts to enter our minds?

This is something we need to deal with. We need to look at the days in a different way.

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Here is what I am trying to do to cope in this not so friendly world:

  1. You have heard that we need to live one day at a time. Well, in this day and age we have to live one minute at a time.
  2. Stop watching the worldly news.
  3. Concentrate on your family and friends.
  4. Go for long walks, and do not think of anything negative. You will come home refreshed.
  5. Read positive books. The Bible is a good start.
  6. Never say, “There was nothing I could do.” There is always something you could do.

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Of course, we always need to lean on God for His help. He is there for us wherever we are and even knows the hairs on our head. Lean on Him for strength.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Wars and Rumors of Wars Are Frightening, in the End, We Win.

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What a world we live in! Wars and rumors of wars. A pandemic taking many lives. A severely divided country, and much more. God has it all planned, and all the worrying we can muster will not change that.

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I would rather take care of those around me. I have reached an age that is getting difficult, but I will not waver until my last breath!

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The war in Ukraine is devastating, and horrific. However, what it has done is united many countries together. This is the most unity we have had in years and years.

This could be God’s plan for us. The Bible refers to the great enemy of Gog. Today that would be Russia. According to that same Bible they will be destroyed.

Worrying should not be in our lives. Things will be amazingly wonderful in the end. The shortest verse in the Bible is, FEAR NOT!

Cling to God’s promises and be strong!

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Great Faith is Believing We Are Not Worthy

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You look at that title and go WHAT? If I am not worthy, how can I have good faith? Read on.

Jesus had just finished His sermon on the mount. It was grueling and long. He was very tired. As He was heading away, a Centurion came up to Him and begged him to help his servant who was very ill and about to die.

This doesn’t sound like a true Centurion. They were ruthless. They found joy in torturing people. They killed many.

Jesus stopped to listen. He then said, “I will come and heal you servant.” The Centurion told Him. “I am not worthy of you to come to my home. Just say it and he will be healed.”

Jesus was astounded by this man’s faith. He told every one about him. A man had such strong faith that He knew that Jesus was capable to just saying his servant was healed that it would happen.

The Centurion thought he was not worthy and yet he had great faith.

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More thought on great faith…

  1. Great faith looks beyond ourselves to help others.
  2. Great faith asks for less.

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Do you have great faith? Do you know Jesus can do anything in your life? Be strong and rely on Him to walk with you and guide you through this not so friendly world.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Ukraine Needs Our Prayers and Love to Sustain Them

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It has been very frightening for the people of Ukraine. They have a huge Army trying to defeat them. So far they are hanging tough, but there are thousands of Russian military heading for the capital.

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It is easy to sit here in the United States and think, I feel badly for them, but I am safe here. We should never forget them. There are thousands of Christians there that will severely be persecuted and killed.

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Pray for God’s intervention. Pray that He will protect the people of Ukraine. We may have to defend our own country some day.

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How is your world turning? Do you want it to stop so you can get off? This hotel called earth, is become very hostile and sad. Many would want to check out.

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Rest on the love of God. He knows what is happening. He knows our fears. The shortest verse in the Bible says, “Fear not!”

Don’t let the dark side overcome you with fear. God is in charge. We just have to be faithful and abide in Him.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Worry is The Dark Room Where Negatives Develop in Our Lives

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I promised you an excerpt from my first book, which won a national award from the Reader’s Choice Awards. It is called, Signs of Hope: Ways to survive in a Unfriendly World.

Here it is…

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Chapter 12

Worry Is the Dark Room Where Negatives Develop

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

I had a real dream the other night, and it was a western. It had me tossing and turning until the outcome unfolded.

The wonderful thing about dreams is that no matter how terrifying they are in the beginning, they almost always turn out for the good in the end. You notice that you never quite get caught by the monster that is chasing you. Isn’t it fun when you are flying and you can see everyone below you? I just flap my arms, and I fly. (OK, I know you’re thinking, This guy is crazy!)

How about the fact that you are the hero and you always save the day? Everything is wonderful. That is how life can be if you follow God. It doesn’t pay to worry, have anxiety and be full of fear. It doesn’t pay to be full of shame. It doesn’t pay one cent to be gossiping all the time. My dream is an example of that.

The characters:

The good guys: Matthew, Mark, John

Stranger on a white horse

The bad guys: Anxiety, Gossip, Shame, Death

Matthew, Mark, John and the Stranger—the four good guys—were riding on their horses through Sin City towards the Not OK Corral. Hiding from them were Anxiety, Gossip, Shame and Death—the four bad guys. They didn’t want the good guys to find them and stop the harm they were doing. They had control of all the people in the city and they wanted to keep control. Matthew, Mark and John were riding on brown horses because that was what they rode in those days. The Stranger was riding on a white horse.

The good guys were not gunslingers; they were Bible-slingers. The good guys got down off their horses and went searching for Anxiety, Gossip, Shame and Death.

Matthew found Anxiety leering around a corner trying to see where everyone was. Anxiety had a worried look on his face. He kept looking everywhere in fear—in back of him and in front of him. He didn’t know what to do.

Anxiety (aka worry) can be caused by a doctor’s appointment that holds the results of a blood test. It can be wondering if you can pay this month’s bills. It could be from a dispute you had with your wife. Whatever the case, from stage left comes Matthew, who says to Anxiety: “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for what He has done” (taken from Philippians 4:6).

Anxiety felt like a ton of weight had been taken off his shoulders, and he left the Not OK Corral much happier. Anxiety was gone.

Mark was looking for Gossip. When he found him, Gossip was talking so fast Mark couldn’t understand him. Gossip said, “Did you see Clem at the Horse’s Breath Saloon? He said he would never take another drink, and I just saw him walk in there!”

Gossip can ruin a person’s life. Talking about someone behind their back can only spread hurt and can cause unwanted hardship.

Mark put his hand over Gossip’s mouth and said: “As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Proverbs 26:21–22).

Gossip was dumbfounded and was unable to speak further. He went away with a swollen tongue and was gone. There was no more gossip.

John found Shame hiding in a closet because he was so ashamed of what he had done all his life. He didn’t want anyone to see him this way.

Shame is often the last fatal nail in the heart of a person who is hurting from something they did in the past. Turn anything you are ashamed of over to God, and He will wipe it out of His books.

John felt pity for him and said, “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:16).

Shame rose and came out of the closet. He was a different man. He felt self-worth. He felt he was loved. He wanted to learn more about God. After this, Shame was gone. There was no more shame.

Then the Stranger went right to where Death was, for He knew where everyone was, and what they were doing every second of the day.

Death was a hideous creature. He was caring a sword and had a look on his face that would melt anyone who looked into his eyes. He really was the leader of this gang. There was fire coming out of his ears, and he laughed a chilling laugh. (This is the part where I was tossing, and turning!) He said, “You may have calmed the rest of my gang, but you have no power over me. Everyone has to die, and I will wait until they come to me.”

Yes, death will happen to all of us, but if we are under God’s protective wing, we do not have to fear death. It is just a stepping stone to be with our heavenly Father. You can be assured that the angels are waiting for the moment you are ready to be with the Lord. It is like a parent anticipating a newborn. The angels will say, “Cool, here comes another one to be with us in heaven.”

The Stranger took off His cloak, and uncovered his head. It was Jesus. Jesus walked up to Death and said, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Death spun around in pain and, weaker but still standing, turned back toward Jesus.

Jesus said, talking to God: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (from Psalm 23:4).

Death began to wither and fell to the ground. He had no more power over people any longer.

So there was no more anxiety, no more gossip, no more being ashamed, and most importantly, no more death.

God is the final power. He controls all things. We can stop worrying about anything. Worrying and fear does not gain us one more minute in a day—and it saps our strength. Turn your anxiety, gossiping, shame and the fear of death over to Him, and He will send them on their way.

The four horsemen got on their horses and headed to the next town to see what gangs might have settled there. As they rode into the sunset, they all sang praises to God and worshipped Him.

That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory,

honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

Romans 2:7

Further Adventures

Have you had one of those bad guys come into your life? Have you been faced with anxiety? Has someone said something about you to someone else that wasn’t true? Do you live in shame for past sins that you cannot get out of your mind? Have you lost a loved one? Always remember that God is always there. He knows what your anxiety is. He knows about the gossip that has been spread about you. He wants you to throw away your shame, like it was a broken toy.

And remember that death has no power if your loved one was a Christian. God is the final Word. He controls everything. Lean on Him through whatever trial you are going through. You will have some storms come into your life, but God is there to help calm them for you.

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says?

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There will more in the future. Keep coming back to check them out. Better yet… God to the top of this page and click on “Subscribe.” When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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February is the love Month and Today is the Love Day

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Do you seem to walk around lost? Are there many days you would rather stay in bed?

There are many others just like that. They stumble through life without any purpose.

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Let me share this with you. The life being offered to you is better than the one you have now.

God loves each of us as if there there was only one of us to love.

St Augustine

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John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to provide us with internal life.

He allow His son to be put to die out of love for us.

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February is the love month, and today is the love day. Love conquers all, and we should use it all the time.

Today, reach out to your loved ones, and tell them you love them. Call your neighbors and tell them Happy Valentines Day.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Who is Your One For You to Reach Out to?

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In the Bible it tells us about the importance of one. Jesus had two parables to describe this:

  1. There was a shepherd tending his flock. He counted them and there was suppose to be 100. He found one was missing. He left the 99 to search for that one lost sheep. When he found the sheep, he rejoiced because he saved that one sheep from the wolves, and other animals.
  2. There was a woman who lost one of her coins. She left to rest of the money to search for that one coin. When she found it she rejoiced and let everyone know she had found it.

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What I have learned from this is that I need to seek the ones who are lost and tell them at the good word of God. While we are doing this we are to seek the one-Jesus Christ.

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I heard the lyrics from a song that said, “I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin on that cross.” Very profound and direct.

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So, who can you reach out to? Who is that one? It could be that neighbor who feels lost and depressed. It could be the man seeking money at the corner. It could be a member of your own family.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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God is Speaking to You. Are You Listening to Him?

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It is the new year. A new beginning, and we need to forget the negatives from the past.

Have you planned your new year? Are there things you want to change? I have a long list of I want to do. I know I will not be able to do them all. I made the list very long to push me hard.

The first thing on my list is to read the Bible again. I have done it several times, and I have always learned something new everytime I do.

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I remember back when we didn’t have cell phones. It was very hard to get help when you were stuck on the road, and had a flat tire. You had to walk to the nearest phone booth and call for help.

No communication!

Think about this…God’s Word to us will never go away. Not even technology can get rid of God’s words.

God speaks to us through His Word. Are you listening?

This year we ALL need to feed on, delight in, learn from, grow by, stand upon the unchanging life, transforming Word of God.

To truly know God, we must know His word.

God spoke, and it was written down by Moses, the prophets, and disciples. God’s Word is pure trustworthy, and each Word will guide your life.

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I am announcing that with the with the next post there will be changes. You need to come back to see what those changes are. I think you will delight in the new formatt. To make sure you find out what it is, go to the top of this page and click on “Subscribe.” When you do all future posts will come directly into your inbox.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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How Do We Handle the Stress of the Holidays?

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It is the stressful time of the year. Rushing to buy presents. Getting that tree up. Planning the dinner for a gathering of family. The list goes on. How do we handle all of this stress?

I have come up with some thoughts on that:

  1. Stop and take a deep breath. I find that when I do that I feel much more relaxed.
  2. Sit and think quietly. Do not think of anything that needs to get done. Veggitate! : )
  3. Read a soothing book. (Yes you have time.) The Bible would be a good choice.
  4. Call a friend and just talk. Not about any rush, just talk.
  5. Go for a walk. This one helps me a great deal.

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I am sure you have your own list, but use it if you need it.

My greatest suggestion is to seek God’s comfort. He is always right there for you. Never let stress overcome you. Give it all to Him.

God loves you and even made you in His own image. Trust Him to guide you down the right paths.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Sometimes When We Try to Defend Ourselves We Get in Trouble

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I have found that I often get into more trouble when I fight back. Sometimes we are so quick to defend ourselves we don’t stop to consider how those who are attacking us are seeing things.

If what they say true, then we have to have a listening spirit not an angry spirit.

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In the Bible they tried to attack Jesus. They tried to make him angry. It didn’t work. He loved everyone, and treated them with respect. He went all they way to the cross loving people and died for us.

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Take inventory of the past where you were attacked. Was it justified? Did you react with anger yourself?

We need to stop and “Count to ten,” when we are being attacked and let it settle in first. Then, with a clear head we can react in the proper manner. I never meant to say you should NEVER fight back. If you are right and it is the right idea, make your stand, because you are on the right side.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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