Leap Day

Beth Patch , author, cbn.com

Every five years, my husband and I travel somewhere new for our anniversary. So far, we’ve gone to Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon and the Mall of America. Our next plan is to see the Northern Lights from Alaska.

Each trip is enjoyable, memorable, and not long enough!

“Let’s stay one more day! We can call the airlines and change our flight,” Joe said when it was time to leave the Grand Canyon. We were captivated by its beauty. Of course, staying longer cost too much – changes in flights, car rental, and hotel; we couldn’t, so home we went.

Oh, the desire to have one more day. It doesn’t only happen with nice vacations – also with loved ones who have passed, dad or mom leaving for deployment, spending time alone with a close friend, etc.

Once every four years, the whole planet gets an extra day. It’s today, Leap Day!

I believe God’s a fan of having one more day.

“How’s that?”

“Earth is still here and we are still on it.”

God’s been watching this planet and all its activities since He created it. He created man in His image and desires for all people to willingly choose Him and His ways instead of the world’s. He’s been patiently waiting. He’s given us many extra days. But the Bible says one day it’s all coming to an end – no more days.

A few facts:

• The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with a fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10-13).
• It will be just like the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39).
• Ungodly people will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:7).
• It will be dreadful for pregnant women and nursing mothers (Matthew 24:19).
• Jesus will be seen coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).
• Not everyone who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21).
• A mighty trumpet sound will blast and God’s angels will gather those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from all over the world (Luke 13:29, Revelation 21:27)).

Almighty God alone decides the day (Matthew 24:36), and He has held it off for one reason only – He loves us and doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants everyone to turn away from their sins and turn to Him (2 Peter 3:9).

I must admit I have mixed emotions. I’m elated because Jesus has finally returned and believers will be in heaven with Him forever – free from society’s injustices and immorality. Free from our own inability to live totally sinless lives. But, on the other hand, people we know and love who never believed in Christ are out of chances. They will suffer worse than anything we can imagine and be cut off from God. My soul despairs when I think of it. But, my human heart doesn’t even compare to Father God’s heart. He loves mankind! He gave us Jesus Christ! He had mercy on us. Untilthis day.

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)

We are never guaranteed another day on this earth. The most beautiful hope we have this day is that so far we’ve all had one more day to make things right with God and one more day to be bold witnesses of His life-changing power, available to all.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NLT)

Oh Father God, thank you for your mercy. Each day you delay Jesus Christ’s return is another day names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Help us all to be ready for your return. Amen.

Keys to Powerful Living: Love

From: cbn staff writers, cbn.com

It’s something each of us wants, but many never find: genuine love. All around us we can see an endless pursuit of love. We look for it everywhere: in our homes and families, friendships, dating relationships, marriage and religion. But what is love, and where can we go to find lasting love for our lives?

What is Love?

Love is often described in terms of feelings. But true love — what the New Testament writers called agape love — is not based on feelings at all. Agape love can change your life and set you free. And it all begins with a decision you must make.

Agape love is a decision to consider the needs of others ahead of your own needs … to live sacrificially … to give without demanding a return … to overlook an offense. Most of all, agape love is a decision to receive and respond to God’s love. For all our efforts to love others will not bear fruit unless we are responding to His love. As the Bible says, “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Thus, our understanding of love begins with perhaps the most frequently quoted verse in the Bible, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

This is what the Bible calls being “born-again” or born from above.” In this new-birth experience, God reveals His incredible love to you. This miracle will produce in you a new nature that will allow you to love others like never before — regardless of their response to your love.

New birth is just the start. To grow in love we must continue receiving God’s love and forgiveness (see Luke 7:47). Listen to the apostle Paul’s prayer for the Christians in Ephesus: “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to al the fullness of God: ( Eph. 3:17B-19).

Not only do we need to be “rooted and grounded” in God’s love for us, we also need an ever-increasing comprehension of His love toward us.

As we experience God’s love and respond in love, we will be transformed into His image. We will also be fulfilling His greatest command: to love God and our neighbors (Mark 12:29-31). This love must inevitable overflow into actions (1 John 3:13). Ultimately, the verifiable witness of our love for each other will prove to the world that we are truly disciples of Jesus (see John 13:34).

While agape love is not based on feelings, the feelings of love will often follow true expressions of love. As our lives begin to demonstrate the “fruit of the Spirit: (love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control). our emotional state will undoubtedly change for the better. But we must not seek after the emotions. Instead, seek first His kingdom and “all these things: will be give to us ( Matt. 6:33).

Overcoming Barriers to Love

Even with an understanding of love, we often find it difficult to overcome barriers to love. These barriers often arise from our experiences in the past: the hurts, wounds, rejections and disappointments that left us unable to give or receive true love.

The key to overcoming the barriers of the past can be summed up in one word: forgiveness. By asking the forgiveness of those we have offended — beginning with God — and then forgiving those who have offended us, we move beyond the cycle of bitterness and enter into the realm of God’s agape love.

Our own self-centered desires — pride, envy, jealousy and conceit — often separate us from God’s true love. This barrier of self can be overcome only through repentance, by turning away from sin and asking God’s forgiveness for selfish desires and actions. As we humble ourselves before the Lord and receive His forgiveness, we will find freedom to look beyond our own needs and reach out to those around us.

Finding True Love

The search for love begins with our relationship with God. If you are looking for true love, open yourself up to the One who loves you more than anyone else in the whole world. God loved you so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus. Call upon Jesus Christ now. Allow Him to reach out and touch you with the agape love that comes from the heart of God. Repent and ask His forgiveness and receive it in faith ( Romans 10:13; 1 John 1:8-9; John 1:12). Ask Jesus to baptize you (fill you) with the Holy Spirit ( Luke 11:13).

As you grow in your faith, let God unfold His great love for you every day. Then, reach out in the practical ways to those around you — family, friends, co-workers, neighbors — and thereby demonstrate the love you have received from God.

Finally, pray and ask God to fill you with a new understanding of love: “Father, I believe You love me. The Scripture says I can love You because You first loved me. I thank you for Your love. Fill my heart in a greater way that You ever have before. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and love. Help me to grow in Your love and let me show Your love to people all around me. Thank You, Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

God’s Word on Love

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” ( 1 John 4:7-11).

Changes: God’s Opportunity to Bless

Martha Noebel, Author, cbn.com

We all have changes in our lives. From day to day we need God to help us get through whatever may come our way. Some days we may be shouting, “Praise God!” while other times we may be crying out, “I need a miracle!” Whatever the day may bring, changes will come and we need to have a godly mindset in order to handle them.

I was in a chapel service recently, and I kept thinking about all the changes that were going on in my life. Between the daily challenges that my husband and I have in our home with raising two teenagers, the constant transitions with our jobs, and the world around us in general — they all speak of changes.

As I thought about it, I felt God drop this pearl into my heart. It is the acronym for the word changes:

Christ
Has
A
New
Gift
Each
Second

Wow! We can look at each new day and even each second as an opportunity for God to bless us! Each moment contains a gift from God if we want to look for it. It can be in a smile from someone at work, an encouraging word from a friend, God’s Word speaking to our hearts, or a pat on the back from our bosses. The list is endless. Let’s not overlook the obvious ones like a promotion, good report cards from our children, a Sunday school child who calls us his or her hero, an unexpected financial blessing, a whole week without something breaking in the house, and good health.

In Malachi 3:6God says, “For I am the Lord, I change not.” Isn’t that comforting? With all the changes, there is one thing that cannot change — GOD. This includes His great love for us.

He also says in His Word,

“So God has given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence”Hebrews 6:18

What has God promised you? He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you, no matter what.

“For the Lord will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His inheritance” Psalm 94:14

“…for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Hebrews 13:5

So let the changes come. We will not walk in fear, but in faith! We will trust God with all the changes, and know that He is more than able to help us and that He even has plans to bless us.

Every second, if need be, we can find a blessing. Changes can be our friend. Let’s look for God in them.

Can God change your life?

Lent: What Is It Good For?

Hannah Goodwyn, cbn.com. Author

The days of Lent are marked as a time of faith-filled meditation, fasting, and repentance from Ash Wednesday (today) until Easter. With Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection in full view, observers, in a sense, put a real focus on waging war against their human desires that may be contrary to God’s Word.

For 40 days and nights (not counting Sundays), Christians around the world take on a mantle of spiritual discipline as a way of deepening their faith in God. Observing Lent looks different for every believer, though fasting is usually a major factor. Some choose to fast in the traditional way, giving up a meal or certain types of foods. Others, after evaluating their lifestyle, determine to give up luxuries in order to focus more on their walk with our Heavenly Father, such as turning off the television or radio for Lent or cutting back on their sleep to devote the early morning hours to prayer and Scripture reading.

The options are endless. The important thing is to be obedient to the moving of the Holy Spirit and follow through on exercising self-control in the area God is touching His finger on in your life. Whatever you decide to give up make sure you are in line with what the Bible says about fasting. In the book of Matthew, we are encouraged to fast in “secret”.

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18ESV)

Be careful that your motivation for fasting, and observing Lent for that matter, is to honor God and not to stoke your self-righteousness.

Just as the Son of Man resisted sin in the wilderness, purpose in your heart to remain steadfast during this time of consecration to God. Temptations come each day and will continue through this season, as it did during Christ’s wilderness testing, as recorded in the New Testament book of Mark.

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the Good News.” (Mark 1:12-15 NRSV)

The Bible records many times when Jesus went away by himself and focused his attention on His Father, in Heaven. Lent is a set aside time for us to do the same. As we fast and meditate on God’s Word, take hold of Joel 2.

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. (Joel 2:12-13 NRSV)

Fasting is an integral part of observing Lent. For us, our self-pleasing nature will wage against our desire to deny ourselves. Stay strong to the calling you have in this season. God’s blessings are greater than the momentary pleasures we are giving up.

Mourning is part of the process as we remember Jesus’ death on the Cross, but it’s also a joyous time as we reflect on His resurrection. Our joy is found in Him. Let that be the lesson we all learn during this time of consecration.

Lent, what is it good for? Absolutely everything… that matters.

God’s goodness is better than what our human minds and hearts could ever imagine

How to Discover God’s Abundance When You’re Broke

Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com

Financial pressures – from unemployment to unexpected bills – can cause a tremendous amount of stress in your life. When you don’t have enough money, you’re not just broke, but also broken from the stress of living in a financial crisis.

Something surprising can happen when you’re broke, however. When you seek God in your brokenness, you can find riches that go beyond money, enriching your soul even if your bank account runs low. Here’s how:

Look beyond how God answers your prayers to his presence with you.

Although God may not be answering your prayers for financial provision the way you’d like right now, you can count on the fact that God is with you nevertheless. Make an effort to notice the various signs of God’s constant presence in your life. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you sense God’s presence with you so you can feel comforted by it.

Discover the meaning of praying for daily bread.

You may think about the famous phrase “give us this day our daily bread” from the Lord’s Prayer when you’re praying for God to provide the money you need to live each day. Realize, though, that praying for daily bread isn’t so much about receiving the actual thing you need – money – as it is about deepening your trust in God, who faithfully provides whatever you need. By inviting God to meet your needs rather than trying to meet them apart from God, you’re building a closer relationship to God that will lead to blessings you couldn’t imagine asking God for, but which he gives you unexpectedly as rewards for seeking him.

Embrace the mystery of how God works.

God may not choose to tell you why he has allowed you to go through a financial crisis, or when or how he plans to lead you out of it. But if you embrace the mystery of your situation, you’ll be motivated to keep seeking God, and in the process he will strengthen your faith.

Be open to make whatever lifestyle changes God calls you to make.

If you sense the Holy Spirit’s nudging to do something specific that can significantly improve your financial situation – such as selling items you don’t need, switching your kids from private school to public school, or taking on a side job to earn extra cash – be ready to say “yes” to whatever God calls you to do.

Confess and repent of your financial sins.

Honestly consider how you’ve made mistakes or been selfish with financial decisions that have impacted your current financial crisis. In prayer, confess any sins that have affected your finances, and repent of them by committing to change your habits as God leads you to do so (such as cutting back on the amount of money you spend each month, or creating a plan to pay off your debt).

Learn from the suffering that God allows you to go through.

Trust God to redeem whatever suffering he lets you go through while you’re broke to accomplish valuable purposes in your life. Let your pain lead you to contemplate the Cross, where Jesus’ sacrifice for humanity’s sins showed how God’s love redeems all suffering. As you pray to Jesus for wisdom, you’ll learn whatever God wants to teach you through the suffering that your financial crisis has brought into your life.

Participate in generous relationships with other believers.

When you’re broke, allow yourself to receive help from your brothers and sisters in Christ if God leads them to help you in any specific ways – from giving you grocery store gift cards, to passing along job leads. When you’re past your financial crisis, respond to God’s leading to help other believers with their needs. As you give and receive through relationships with those in your spiritual family, you’ll represent Jesus to one another and see God’s kingdom at work here on Earth.

Choose to believe even when you can’t sense God how God is working in your situation.

During the times when you don’t notice any evidence of God’s work in your crisis, let your mind be the place that clings to God by reminding yourself of His promise to always be with you – and trusting that he is faithful to fulfill that promise, even when you’re not faithful to him or can’t sense him with you.

Let yourself be dazzled by sacred serendipities.

Expect that God may surprise and dazzle you by giving you some unexpected blessings in the middle of your financial crisis, just because he loves you. If that happens, don’t dismiss those blessings as mere coincidences, but recognize that God sent them into your life to encourage you.

Pay attention to your imagination.

What you imagine about your financial future reflects the desires in your heart, which God has placed there. Pray about those desires and ask God to grant them at the right time, in the right ways.

Be open to whatever God wants to teach you in the different seasons of your journey with him.

Whether you’re experiencing a season of financial poverty or financial riches, God is with you and has something to teach you. Ask God to reveal what he wants you to learn in every type of financial circumstances you go through.

Never stop giving.

Don’t let any financial crisis cause you to stop giving to support your local church, charities that help people in need, and any other ways that God leads you to give to others. Even though you’ll have less money to give when you’re in a crisis, it’s important to still maintain the habit of giving, because that’s a way of worshipping God and deepening your trust in Him. God wants to know that you love him more than your money, and when you show him that by obeying his command to give as generously as you can in all circumstances, he will enrich your soul by transforming you into a person who grows more like Jesus every day.

God’s Truth Sets Us Free

Glynnis Whitwer, author, proverbs31.org

“To the jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31-32 (NIV)

The accusations were unsettling – the suspected infidelity of a husband, who was also in full-time ministry. Some called for his resignation, while others stood by him – his wife, Trisha*, was one of them. She chose to believe her husband when he denied the rumors.
The controversy swirled, no proof was ever uncovered, but this man stepped down from his position. His wife, although eaten up inside by the turmoil and suspicions, continued to support her husband. She refused to believe the rumors and stood firm on what she believed to be true about the man she had committed to love and honor so many years before.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t long after he resigned, that Trisha’s husband claimed to have lost his love for her and moved out. Divorce papers followed a few months later.
Confused and hurt, Trisha sought answers in prayer and God’s Word. She wanted to know the truth and asked that God bring it to light. She read the Bible with a revived hunger and wrote down Scriptures that brought peace and hope. She printed them out on index cards and carried God’s Word with her throughout the day. Although her heart was heavy with grief and filled with questions, my friend chose to turn to God for comfort. God was faithful and filled her with peace.
Trisha accepted the situation, but continued to pray for truth to be revealed. It bothered her to not know the whole truth of what happened, until one day when God spoke to her through John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” In the quiet of her heart, Trisha realized that God had been showing her the truth all along – only it wasn’t the truth about what happened, it was His truth.
With each Scripture she read, God planted His truth in her heart … truth about her value, God’s character and His great love for her. God’s truth was setting Trisha free from the bondage of needing to know the truth about her husband.
There’s so much we may never know for sure in this life. Worry and fear can hold us captive. Yet Jesus promised freedom when we know the truth. In order for that to happen, we have to read God’s word for ourselves and allow God to plant it in our hearts. Then, like my friend Trisha, we can move on in life, free from the bondage of uncertain circumstances and standing firm on the rock of God’s truth.