…you may like to begin your day with the worship song, “Good, Good Father” (as sung by Chris Tomlin, found on You Tube)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.'” Romans 8:15

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are.” 1 John 3:1

“In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Ephesians 1:5

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We, too, can go from the garden tomb, a place that had seen God’s glory, to tell all the world of what Christ has done–this world’s greatest love story. “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God,” Jesus said.  They’re still words that speak of “Family” to those who’ll believe that He rose from the dead.

Good, Good Father co-written by Pat Barrett and Tony Brown

Oh, I’ve heard a thousand stories
of what they think You’re like;
but I’ve heard the tender whisper
of love in the dead of night.
And You tell me that You’re pleased,
and that I’m never alone.

You’re a good, good Father…
It’s Who You are,
It’s Who You are,
It’s Who You are,
and I’m loved by You.

It’s Who I Am,
It’s Who I Am,
It’s Who I Am…

And I’ve seen many searching for answers
far and wide; but I know we’re all searching
for answers only You provide…
’cause You know just what we need
before we say a word.

You’re a good, good Father…
It’s Who You are,
It’s Who You are,
It’s Who You are,
and I’m loved by You.

It’s Who I Am,
It’s Who I Am,
It’s Who I Am…

You are perfect in all of Your ways,
You are perfect in all of Your ways,
You are perfect in all of Your ways…
to us.

Oh, it’s love so undeniable,
I can hardly speak…
peace so unexplainable,
I can hardly think,
as You call me deeper still,
as You call me deeper still,
as You call me deeper still
into love, love, love…

You’re a good, good Father…
It’s Who You are,
It’s Who You are,
It’s Who You are,
and I’m loved by You.

It’s Who I Am,
It’s Who I Am,
It’s Who I AM…

You’re a good, good Father…
It’s Who You are,
It’s Who You are,
It’s Who You are,
and I’m loved by You.

It’s Who I Am,
It’s Who I Am,
It’s Who I Am…

You are perfect in all of Your ways,
You are perfect in all of Your ways,
You are perfect in all of Your ways…
to us.

Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, ‘Who is on the Lord’s side?’” …from Exodus 32:26 KJV

The one true God is on OUR side,
for JESUS’ BLOOD has been applied.

No good thing will be denied…
for we are standing on the GOOD LORD’S side.

The devil’s power has been defied
through JESUS’ BLOOD-BOUGHT OVERRIDE.

Heaven’s windows have been opened wide…
As we give, every blessing will be supplied.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is our faithful guide
and Prince of Peace–in His peace, we abide.

Sins and sicknesses have been cast aside.
By His stripes, Christ healed His church–His bride.

If the trustworthiness of God’s Word is being denied,
we know and say, instead, that God has never lied.

God’s angels support us, traveling far and wide,
hearkening to His Word, which is their constant guide.

For the persecuted, we pray that God will turn the tide,
bringing daring help and angels to come alongside.

The world hated Jesus, and He Himself warned
that believers, by the world, would also be scorned.

For the enemies of the Gospel, who’ve been deceived,
we pray they’ll find the King, on whom they must believe.

From the Lord’s hand, the born-again believer can’t be snatched…
Eternal life is ours by Jesus’ name and blood, which are unmatched!

P. A. Oltrogge

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” …spoken by Jesus in John 10:28-30 

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11 KJV or Psalm 34:10

“‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.’” Malachi 3:10 

“…it is impossible for God to lie….” (from Hebrews 6:18)

“Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5 

“The Lord executes righteousness and judgment and justice for all who are oppressed.” Psalm 103:6

“Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” Psalm 103:20 

“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” …spoken by Jesus in John 15:18-19 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” …spoken by Jesus in Matthew 3:43-45 

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”  1 John 5:20 KJV

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised…”) Hebrews 10:23 KJV

Scriptures: NKJV or as noted

The poem above was inspired by poetic words written by Trina Hankins in Mark Hankins’ book, “The Spirit of Faith” available at:  http://www.markhankins.org

Be blessed by today’s messages at: http://www.elijahlist.com

If you have made Jesus your Savior and Lord, then, as a child of God, you can make the title, above, your confession of faith over your daily life. I like to emphasize that He is my Good Shepherd… “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (and John, chapter 10, 1-30)

And speaking of God’s mercy, the following is from Faith to Faith, the devotional book by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and is…

Reprinted with permission from Kenneth Copeland Ministries

“I beseech thee, show me thy glory.” Exodus 33:18

What would you say is the single, most outstanding thing about God? What’s His most important characteristic? Some people would say it’s His power. Others, His holiness. But God Himself would give a different answer.

You can find that answer in Exodus 33. There Moses is asking God to show him His glory.

Now the word glory could literally be translated “heavy weight.” It refers to the heaviest, biggest, grandest thing about someone. It’s the sum total of their worth.

So what Moses was actually saying was, “Lord, I want to see the weightiest thing about You. I want to know Your grandest attributes.” What did God say to him in response?

Chapter 34:6-7 tells us, “The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.”

Just think about that! When Moses asked God to show him the most important thing about Himself, God showed him His mercy.

That means if you and I are to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1) we must major in mercy too. Mercy, goodness, forgiveness and compassion must mark our behavior above all else.

Major on mercy and others will see the glory of God in you.

Kenneth Copeland

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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 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. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Psalm 23 KJV

…free to be shared…written by Kim Potter, A New Thing Ministries…

No Harvest

In these days of tough economic times, many people are wondering how they are going to make it through. Grocery prices are crazy and gas prices are even worse, in some states they are approaching critical levels. People are concerned about their finances and I can understand that. 

As Christians, we must remember, regardless of what is going on in the world, we serve a God that has no lack. The word of God teaches us that there is a separate economy based on faith and obedience that never fears a recession.

We are in a different kingdom; we live in the Kingdom of God and His ways are not our ways. His ways are higher than ours. He shows us through His word how to live in an economy that will remain stable as long as we are obeying the word of God.

Sowing and reaping are the supernatural ways the Kingdom of God works. Most of the time it makes no sense, but I can say from experience, it is the only way to live, especially in times like this. 

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. (2 Cor 9:6-11)

God makes it clear that the cycle of seedtime and harvest is how His kingdom works. It also makes it clear that there is no harvest without first planting seed.

We can pray, dance, sing and shout for a harvest but it will not come until we first plant seed. Luke 6:38 says; Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. 

As I was writing this today, I felt the Lord dropped something in my heart and said, “Tell them to try Me.” I laughed out loud.

This takes me to Malachi 3:10.

Now, I know many people do not believe tithing is for today. I have listened to those teachings, and I can see how you feel that way – however, I can only say how I have lived my life and giving is how I have lived my Christian life. Whether you call it tithing or giving, I think we need to obey God and what HE tells each of us to do.  And the truth will always remain; there is NO harvest if there is NO seed. That is just a simple truth.

So, the only time in the Bible I can find where God says test me or try me in this is in Malachi 3:10.

Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

I am not saying you must tithe – that is between you and God, but I am saying, if you want to see a harvest, you must first sow. If you want to see the windows of heaven open over you, you must give God something to work with.

My heart is to see the church thrive. In their health, finances and family. 

That is what I cry out for. That is my prayer for each one of you. 

I don’t want to see anyone lack or struggle to make ends meet and God has provided a way for us to thrive. Today, I encourage you to search through the Bible and find out what God says about prospering and then obey His word. May you be blessed beyond measure as you do.

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Ministries to consider:
your local church
http://www.anewthingministries.com
http://www.ctvn.org (funds needed to continue broadcasting)
ministries previously mentioned on this blog…
or other “good ground” ministries you know of and are blessed by

…as demonstrated through Jesus Christ, His Son….

Evidence of a creative Master is seen throughout the earth;

Jesus, who was called, the Master, came to teach us of the new birth.

Unless you are born again, He said, you can’t see the kingdom of God.

His heart is that of a caring shepherd, who guides with staff and rod.

The beauties and wonders of creation amaze, seeming never to cease;

such things are divine reflections, which point to the Prince of Peace.

Jesus told us to consider the lilies and also the birds of the air—

that they could show us how to serenely rest within His Father’s care.

What a wonderful God we have; He taught us the blessing of serving—

Jesus was our example, sharing God’s love, though we were undeserving.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men—God’s very glory revealed.

We do have a beautiful Savior, who gave us the beauty of the lilies of the field.

P. A. Oltrogge

“All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:3-4 

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 

“Jesus answered and said to him, (Nicodemus) ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” John 3:3 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

“…that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:37-38

“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.” Hebrews 1:1-4 NLT

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 

Remembering the Hymn,
Beautiful Savior

Beautiful Savior, King of Creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee,
Truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown.

Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flowers of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer;
He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.

Fair is the sunshine,
Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer,
Than all the angels in the sky.

Beautiful Savior,
Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration,
Now and forevermore be Thine!

Author Unknown, 1677
Translated by Joseph A. Seiss, 1873

“The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13 NLT

Scriptures: NKJV or as noted