“Be Open” This is what I feel the Spirit of the Lord is saying to us today. “Be open to what I am about to do for it may look different than you would expect.”

All throughout scripture we find people having a hard time with what God was doing, why is that? I’ll tell you, it’s because people we’re expecting God to do things a certain way. They had their own preconceived notions of how it would all play out. Think about it:

-People’s reaction to Jesus a carpenter’s boy from Nazareth being the Messiah,

-Peter’s reaction to Jesus as he shared how he would suffer, die and rise again,

-The pharisee’s reactions time and time again to what Jesus did and how he did it

-God’s choice of disciples

The list goes on! So what is God saying to us today? Don’t miss it! Be open to what I have for you because it may come in a way that you least expect.

“God give us eyes to see and hearts wide open to all that you have for us, amen!”

Praying for you friends,

~John

“As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.”

2 Chronicles 26:5

This is one of my life verses! I put it where I can see it all the time both at home and in my office. It’s been with me for years and I believe it with all my heart that if I seek the Lord, He will give me success!

I think it’s a very basic and easy to understand verse but I’d like to unpack it for a minute. It’s referring to King David (and what He did for David He will do for us) and although the verse is very short it uses two different names for God. I’d like to expound on the first one. Lord literally means master.

This means that as long as you or I seek to have God be Lord or master in our lives we will have success. I believe this is a holistic success, that as we seek to please God in every area of our lives we will see His blessing in every area of our lives! We will have success!

So I challenge you today to seek the Lord! Desire to please Him, acknowledge Him in ALL your ways and He will direct your path, He will give you success and you will be blessed!

Be encouraged,

~John

Forget about your failures, shortcomings and sins. You are forgiven! God loves you and desires that you take your eyes off of yourself and your past mistakes and set them upon His love for you!

God’s love for you never fails! Even when you fail, His love for you never fails! As far as the east is from the west he has removed our sins from us! There is NO measurement from East to West! If I start walking east, I can walk east until the day that I die. What does this mean? It mean’s your sins are gone, they are forgotten!

So please do yourself a favor and forget them as well! Look to Jesus and be encouraged! God is not done with you yet! Your past has nothing on your future! God has great things in store for you so stop dwelling on what you’ve done wrong and start getting excited about what God has in store!

Blessings,

John

“One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

My mom taught me this prayer when I was a child:

“Good morning Lord Jesus, this day is for you.

I ask that you bless all I think, say and do.”

Decades later I’m teaching it to my children. It’s truly amazing how much we absorb when we are children and it’s an awesome opportunity for us as parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends to sow hope, faith and love into their hearts.

Ask yourself, “What negative things am I sowing?” Whatever they may be…STOP! Instead share stories and songs of Jesus, teach prayers of faith and lessons of love. When you do you will see the reward both now and later. 

Remember generations will reap what you sow!

Praying for you and your families!

~John