Not because we are good!

"He doesn't love us because we are good. He just loves us. Period!" 

May we rejoice that God "sees our past and love us;" sees our present, who we are "now and love us;" and He even sees who and "what we can become, and love us!" "He doesn't love us because we are good. He just loves us. Period!" 

 May we fall into His big and wide and open embrace and live loved, beloved and full of joy!  

Let us be people of prayer who pray to be people of God

Lord Jesus, please help us "to be pure and undefiled followers" of Your will, Your Word and Your way! Lord Jesus, please help us "to be people of integrity, who know that we have been redeemed and bought at a price." Help us to live with rightful awe and worship, declaring the beauty and majesty of Your Name, the glory and power of Your Salvation, and Your goodness and love of "to every nation, tribe, language and people."

This is what we are praying for today

Lord, we want to slow life down and feel the weightlessness that comes from casting our burdens on You and taking up Your yoke instead of the heavy weight and burden of the world. 

This is what we are praying for today, Lord, to receive the soul healing, heart mending and mind regulating peace, hope, and love of Your presence and salvation. 

LORD, our Lord, give us the peace that passes understanding, and the unspeakable joy of being with You and knowing that You are in us.

Hope when fear has become your strange bedfellow

"In our deepest, darkest moments, when it seems God is absent and unaware," when our prayers feel like they've fallen on death ears, and doubt and fear have become our bedfellow remember His Name and His promise. 

He is the God who sees (El Roi), the God who is with us (Emmanuel). He is the One who has promised to never leave us or forsake us, and to be with us even until the end of the ages.

May we come confidently to "the One who loves us and listens to us," and sees us, and believe that He will help us through every season and situation of life—today and tomorrow and forever.

Despite what’s happening to us, His presence with us is sure!

May our love for God grow stronger, bolder and be more determined. 

May our faith in God's hope, joy, strength and encouragement be renewed day after day till it reaches full maturity and perfection in Christ Jesus. 

May our prayer life grow more vigorous, increasingly stronger, more consistent. 

May God's word and our voracious appetite for it become the bedrock for our days and the light that guides our path. 

May our lives be spent experiencing the love of God and rejoicing in the hope that "despite what's happening to us, His presence with us is sure!" 

May His promises strengthen us and His ever present love give us hope and joy.

The word for the weary is come!

When words like exhausted, weary, tired and anxious describe how we feel and resonate with us, God has a word for us— come! 

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] (Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬ ‭AMPC‬‬)." 

 May the LORD our God ease, relieve and give us rest from anxious thoughts, troublesome worries and our heavy burdens! Let's receive His help and hope and make it a great day. Love you—Cassius

No trade... no equal

Small gods, the idols of fame, success, money, power and sex, can't do what our big GOD does with just a word— water into wine, blind eyes gaining sight, captives going free, bodies made whole, crimson sins washed white as snow, and the dead (physically, spiritually, and emotionally) raised to new life! 

Do not trade the real life and amazing blessings of the Only Sovereign and True GOD for the trinkets and traps of this world's shucksters and tricksters.  There is no equal to the God we serve!

A new day and God is still with us

Happy Monday! 

It’s a new day and the God of abundant and eternal life, light and hope, grace and mercy is with us. It’s a new morning and the One who is our help and salvation, who daily demonstrates His faithful love for us— our God, the LORD—is here with us!! 

May the God of peace and comfort, the God of eternal love and everlasting joy, send us every grace and kindness, every blessing and mercy, and every encouragement of His Spirit so that we are strong enough for the day and so that our day is vibrant, and full of His glory. 

Love ya—Cassius

God, just give me one glimpse of hope!

“God, just give me one glimpse of hope!”

There have probably been many days, months, even years, when we have felt the sting of discouragement, felt excruciating lows, exhaustedly cried runny nosed and blurry eyed prayers, and fought with every fiber of our being not to give up and give in to hopelessness. In these moments, we long for God to give us a sign, even a single glimpse of hope or anything else that would let us know that He sees us, knows our desperate state and hears our prayers. 

We cry, “God, just give me one glimpse of hope!”  Just one! 

It is in these moments, of agonizing desperation, that God reminds us to look at Christ, remember Calvary, and trust that He is still working things out for us.  To remember that Jesus is our help and Jesus is our hope. But also, to remember that He is more than just one glimpse of the goodness and steady faithfulness of God. 

Jesus is more than a glimpse and glimmer of hope and help and love. He is an ever present help, to help us continue to experience the exhilarating highs of life. He is an everlasting love that is able to cheer, soothe, comfort and encourage our souls to weather the excruciating lows of life and enjoy the highs that are yet to come. Jesus, He is more than the glimpse we prayed for, more than a glimmer of God’s faithful love, and so much more in power and might and grace than we could ever dare dream or imagine. He is the fullness of God’s glory, light, hope, salvation, love, mercy, forgiveness, righteousness, peace, comfort, and wisdom. 

 So let us keep looking up to Christ so that we catch more than a glimpse. Let us keep looking to our Good Shepherd and keep our eye on Him so that we remain in Christ and remain fruitful, hopeful, and readied to make a difference! "Keep praying. God is always working."

—— 

Apples, oranges and beans

Jane has two apples. Sue has four oranges. And none of that amounts to a hill of beans if you're hung up on what they have despite the fact that you’re supposed to be making peach cobbler. 

 
Let’s quit wrestling with the infamous green-eyed monster, cease listening to the shadowy, raspy voice of petty thoughts and selfish feelings, and kill the comparison. 

Let’s walk with God and embrace the path that the Good Shepherd leads us on, choosing to trust and believe that the same Jesus who blessed and gave someone else a breakthrough is preparing a beautiful, unique, amazing, and perfect future for us too! 

Keep being the blessed, amazing and wonderful creation of God and have a great week.

Praying that God would

Praying that God would

Praying that God would destroy all the snares and traps lining our path, sweep away the obstacles and chaos in our way, and protect us from dangers and harm so that we have life and joy, and reach the shores of victory, success, and life everlasting!

Praying that God would move in fantastic ways in our lives, creating a torrent of blessings for us, and showing us the glory and beauty and love of the gospel.

Praying that God would give us "opportunities to slow down, and taste and see that the [He] is good" so that we would love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Praying that God would "lead us to the places where He is at work," and equip us to be His hands and feet, sharing the excitement and intimate love found in the good news of Christ

This is the ultimate reality— God is God!

Our physical reality, full of problems, disruptions and troubles, will often hijack our thoughts and emotions, and threaten to wear us out with worry and doubt. 

But our spiritual reality, as children of God and coheirs with Christ, reminds us that no matter what we experience “God is good, God is good to [us],” and God loves us. Our spiritual reality keeps our souls anchored to the truth that God is still sovereign, still in control, and still good at being God!

May the Truth of God’s Word, and His victorious and life restoring love, reshape and redeem and reform the way we see our physical reality, so that even in the most difficult circumstances and seasons we are able to abound with hope and live with joy. 

Praying that today was a great and Happy Monday.

Part of the beauty of God's grace

Part of the beauty of God's grace— in His word He tells us what to do to enjoy life and have good success, but He never forces us to do it. 

Instead, He loves us deeply each and every day, leads us in good paths and is gracious to us despite our poor choices, calls to us and runs to us the moment we finally decide that we do want to live the blessed, loved and unstoppably victorious and abundant life He promised through Christ! 

 May we join our plans to His and give Him our lives— heart, mind, and soul!

Much more impressive—

Much more impressive— 

ESPN said that Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets was great, impressive, in the first game of the NBA Finals, noting that Gordon played "old-school bully ball" against Miami's mismatches and smaller defenders, setting a "physical tone" early that helped the Nuggets win.

Now just think, if reporters and writers believe that we should be impressed with Gordon's ability to impose on smaller players in a game, then how much more should we be absolutely floored, in awe of, and amazed by God. Unlike Gordon, with God every obstacle, difficulty, opposing foe is smaller, a mismatch to His power and strength, and completely and utterly incapable of stopping His plans.

The Nuggets won one game in a series, and who knows they may very well win every game on the way to a championship. But only God remains undefeated in every battle, test, trial and season. Only He is able to beat back, back down, and tear through any obstacle, beat up any enemy, and break every opposing force in a multitude of ways.

Never forget that God has unlimited weapons at His disposal, infinite wisdom upon which to draw upon, unrivaled, unlimited, and unbeatable power in the tips of His hands, and so many countless, different and multifaceted ways to accomplish His plans, bring victory, and help us overcome our challenges.

Aaron Gordon was good, the Nuggets were good, but God alone is much, much more impressive in all things and at all times!  

It was because of His death and resurrection

They were not all learned and trained scholars, or stalwarts of faith. They were zealots and rebels, soldiers and thieves, the unlearned and over educated, women with sketchy pasts, men with skeletons in the present, the helpless and hopeless, seekers and doubters, fence riders and deniers, and an vast assortment of other political, religious and social outcasts. 

But they held Him, touched His robe, saw Him work miracles and signs and wonders, heard His voice, felt the strength and power of His grace and forgiveness, received His redeeming love, and saw His resurrection— *and* they were changed!  His death and resurrection made them new— faithful, compassionate, righteous, and courageous; brave enough to live, faithful enough to die, and loved enough to do either for the sake of the Good News. 

It was because of His death and resurrection, the eternal prof of His love and their salvation that they became Apostles, stalwarts of faith, the cloud of witnesses, and the people who are called by His Name. 

May God transform us, who are just like them— outcasts, misfits, desperate rebels, people in need of a Savior— into worthy disciples who hold steadfast to the hope of eternal life, and are truly, fully, finally and eternally alive in the love and the joy of the Good News of Christ!  

Grace and peace to you—Cassius <*}}}>< 

Open our eyes to see

Too often we we languish under the world’s labels, limits, and misrepresentation of our worth, value and identity. We seek after the wrong approval, try fads and follow fantasy and fools, all in hopes of figuring out who we are, and so we fall for lies instead of accepting the truth of who God says we are. 

The truth is: we are far more amazing, precious, chosen, gifted, special, beloved, loved, beautiful and wonderful than we often know or realize!  

May God bless us to see ourselves the way He sees us, and to know how deeply we are loved so that we can live a life of faithful love and humble service to Him, and faithful love and just compassion to all.  

Because of those days…

"It is the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus that provides hope for every human being (Nicky Gumbel)." 

Because of those days, Good Friday and Easter morning, and all of His days from everlasting to everlasting, we have hope and help for our every situation, circumstance, and season!

May we live, strong and confident, in the shadow of the cross and in the light and glory of the resurrection, striving to "live wholeheartedly for God, [making our] obedience to Him [our] lifestyle (Joyce Meyer)."

Time to get dressed

"Does Bruce Wayne ever put on the Batman suit without the Joker (Anonymous)?

Not every difficulty is meant to break us, some are made  to make us into the hero and warrior we were created to be!

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬).”

Time to get dressed for victory!  

God’s Guarantee

God “has never guaranteed that we will avoid valleys,” skip through days of heartbreak and times of illness, or live without seasons of setback and hardship. 

But God does guarantee “that we won't walk through [the valleys] alone.” 

David said, “Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me (Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬).”  Even better than David, Jesus said, “lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age (Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭20‬ ‭AMP‬‬).”

God is with us!  

May the God “who willingly chose to enter into our pain by becoming human, give us His [promised, steadfastly loving, sovereign, and] faithful presence every step of the way!” 

Quotes by Jennifer Dukes Lee's, Devotional Dear God, I’m not ready for this,” March 31,2023

Busted brackets

No one is perfect!  So, the next time someone makes you feel that they know it all, have made all the right choices, and have never failed— ask them to show you their 2023 men's NCAA bracket! 

Remember, only God is always perfect in all His ways and selections. God alone is perfect wisdom. God alone is perfect love. God alone is perfect salvation. Everyone else has a bracket full of busted choices. 

 Live in His grace and abide by His teachings and wisdom and live well.

Dear Lord, please!

Dear Lord, please help us “slam shut the doors to all the [places and thoughts] that threaten to steal our joy,” and rob us of our hope and peace.

Dear Lord, please “capture each thought that tries to pull [us] back into ungodly, ghastly and destructive sadness, and [help us] run headfirst into joyful and happy thoughts."  

Dear Lord, please help us focus our hearts and minds on You and on uplifting and “fond memories, special occasions, special people, special times” and on those who are a part of our loving family and inner circle of friends. 

Dear Lord, please help us to focus our souls, minds and our hearts on the thoughts of Your God given and “God-ordained blessings and abundance,” and on faith in Your goodness and Your good plans for both what’s now and next. May thoughts of Your love and joy and goodness win out over all else. 

In Jesus Name. Amen!  

Quotes from Tracie Miles, "The Rooms Your Thoughts Need To Visit", March 21, 2023

It is right and good and joyful—

For the “zillion diamonds [that] sparkle against the velvet [night] sky”, for the beauty of sunrises and the majesty of sunsets that take our breath away, for the “over three billion times our heart beats in our chest,” and for the incredible and incomprehensible power of our brains the supercomputer that regulates our muscles and organs, thoughts and emotions, and conducts traffic for the superhighway of our bodies nerves, fibers, neurons and synapses— “thank you, God!”  

It is right and good and joyful for us to give Him our thanks and our praise!  

In this moment

Gaze into this moment and realize the privilege we have of seeing the eternity and majesty and beauty of God. He is the sovereign Creator who causes the sun to rise, the seas and oceans to flow and this….

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Whether life feels good or otherwise, God is good—

God is good!  

Whether we are deliriously happy and experiencing zero stress or anxiousness, or we are smack dab in the middle of some really difficult things that are “making life feel impossibly heavy,” let us ask God to help us see and understand His love, goodness and nearness. May we remember that God is good, ever present and full of steadfast, loyal faithfulness. Let us “make His goodness the starting place” of our perspective, His nearness and faithfulness the foundation of our hope, and His love the refuge where we await the triumphant culmination of His good plans for all of our life’s moments— good or otherwise. 

Questions and Reflections

Question 1: Who has God purposefully put into your life to help you thrive?  

Question 2: Who do you need to purposefully ask God to remove from your life because they are keeping you from thriving and receiving God’s blessing and best for your life? 

God help us to have a thriving community of friends and family that helps build us up in the faith. God surround us with people who will encourage us to walk in an intimate relationship with Christ Jesus and fall hard in love with Him. God, deliver us from evil and keep far from us those who strive to prevent us from seeking after You, who want to block us from enjoying Your Kingdom life, and who want us to stray from the path of eternal life.  

May God purposefully arrange the people in our lives so that we thrive, prosper, bring about good and give Him glory!  

Love you—