Mid-Week Encouragement 5/4/16

I shared the following with my prayer group and wanted to fwd to you also. 

Blessings,

Michael

Hello Brothers and Sisters, 

God has equipped us uniquely to build each other up (Eph 4:12), I pray this word encourages you also  and pray your week is blessed. Praise the Lord for His goodness! 

  Yesterday I found out my credit card number had been stolen and used to make several hundred dollars worth of purchases. I called my credit card company and they told me they'd take care of the fraudulent charges and send me a new card. What a blessing and relief! 

  But in Christ I know I've been forgiven a much greater debt of "purchases" that I can't blame on anyone else - yet when we were still sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8).  God is our shield, fraud protection can make you feel safe, but only God can save our souls and offer hope that won't disappoint (Rom 5:5).

I'd like to share with you some portions of my journal from this morning with a friendly reminder to be a Berean and check everything against the Word of God (Acts 17:11). 

God is with us as He's promised (Matt 28:20). He has so much good in store for us (Ps 31:19), from all His promises, see how He fights for us to have the life He's promised (John 10:29) & abundant (John 10:10). He course corrects our paths to bring us into His hope (John 15:2). He is faithful to His word and all His promises (Deu 7:9). He will refine us for maturity, to hold on to what He's given us to make us the blessing He's promised and to be ready to move as He calls us. He reveals His plans to us (John 15:15) and calls us to be part of them, active - and He is not a burden (Matt 11:30), but He shows us how we can be part of all He is doing. Don't be afraid to love in His Name, but trust Him for strength and for the outcome, and don't give up hope - we don't see the end, leave that to Him (Is 46:10), He moves pieces we aren't even aware of for His purposes (Is 55:8-9), so let us play our part in love and trust Him for the results - and love each other - that's why He has us together - to experience His love and to share it with each other (1 John 4:11). Think of each other first and build up (1 Thess 5:11), lift up, seek to bless and know in this God too is blessed (2 Cor 9:10-14). He equips us with everything good for doing His will (eg creativity, energy, desire, will to accomplish what He's called us to) (Heb 13:21), even greater love. He hears our prayers and is actively at work (1 john 5:14-15), don't worry its not all up to us (Matt 6:25-34), it will be Him moving, that's how we can have peace, because we know its Him from the start  (Phil 1:6). So hold on and don't give up, trust in Him to guide us (Prov 3:5-6), trust He hasn't brought us this far to drop us (John 10:28). Keep praying. God is merciful (Deu 4:31) and He takes action, so be grateful, He moves in power (Josh 4:24).  

I pray you'll find encouragement in our Lord Jesus, King Faithful, God's one and only Son who came as a man, died for our sins and was raised to life and who is seated at the right hand of the Father (He 1:3). 

Blessings,

Michael