Hebrews 11:6 - "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."


We have to learn to turn away from sin to gain more of Christ.  When we do this, obeying will come naturally.  One, is because our hearts won't be drawn to sin since we will already be satisfied in Christ.  And, two, is because we will have the desire in our hearts to obey him so that we can gain more of Christ in our lives.


This may sound foreign to you, but here's the basic simple truth (from my own experience).: When we have a pure, devoted relationship to Jesus, we communicate constantly.  When we obey what He has commanded us to do, He is pleased with us.  When this happens, power is transferred, and we can do anything through Christ.


Trust in Him.  He has power!  Obey Him and you can have power too!

Galatians 6:10 - "So then, while we have opportunity, les us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."


God wants us to rely on Him.  Fully.  Yes, we all have problems, but if we take the view of using our problems as opportunities to rely more fully on God, we could reach our highest potential in life.


I like this quote by Charles Swindoll - "We are all faced with great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations"


This is so true, but most of us can't look beyond the problem/situation.  We feel defeated and all alone with this difficult problem.  If we stop focusing on 'us' and focus on 'HIM' (God), then we start to guide our minds toward ideas of "wonder how God will turn this around for good?'


Most people are blinded by the glimpse of an opportunity coming from problems.  They just can't see it.


Any conflict can be met with positive focus.  Think of that difficult marriage.  This could be an opportunity to love as one has ever loved before.  Think of that wayward kid.  This could be an opportunity to witness and be a Christ-like example of what it is to have hope in Christ, amongst all difficulties.


Opportunity says that hardships for those of us who are Christians, never come without hope.  


So, yes, it is possible to turn problems into opportunities.  Trust HIM.

Proverbs 28:14 - "Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity."

We all have them.....skeletons in the closet.  Past mistakes, hurts, sins that have haunted us for years.  But, when Jesus came and died for us, he removed those skeletons from the closet.

Refusing to deal with the past robs us of our future.  We have to face and accept the truth and receive grace instead of guilt. 

Remember, these skeletons of the past can be Satan's greatest weapons.  But on the other hand, they can be God's most powerful tools.

Revealing your past can show others that you're not spotless.  You're not perfect.  We're all sinners and yes, some of us have more skeletons in our closets than others, but that's why Christ came.  He came to take away those sins.  He bore the weight of all those sins so that we may be free of guilt, shame and lawlessness.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 - "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."

Do you some days find yourself saying, "If this happens, then I'll do that, etc."  "If everything goes as I've planned, then I'll make the move."

As a Christian, I've learned that I don't design the path on my journey.  It's not up to me if the sun comes out today.  But that doesn't mean that I still wonder why some things happen out of my control. 

I love the verse above, because for EVERYTHING, there is a season.  This may not be your best season you've experienced, but there's a reason that God is taking you through it. 

We shouldn't depend on things to be perfect, in order to serve God.  We should be doing this each day, no matter what the circumstances.  Do you think it was perfect conditions in Jesus' daily life? 

God's timing is perfect. You may disagree, if you want things to happen on your watch, and not God's.  God has reasons for the doors He opens and closes, when He opens and closes them.

So, start living in the present.  Don't expect today to be perfect and go the way you want it to go.  Do the work God commanded us to do while we're here, and live in His presence.

2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

Sometimes when we face difficult situations, we may feel that we are in bondage to our circumstances.  That's when we HAVE to trust God and step out in faith.

There will be times when our situation or circumstances seem overwhelming or even frightening, but the Bible says that God will honor a person who depends on Him to guide and lead them.

Some have a fear of stepping out in faith, because they let the fear of not being in control take over their life.

Step out today.  Take that chance, whatever it may be.  Declare before you even start, "Thank you God for giving me favor in this situation, and giving me the assurance that 'YOU got this!"

When we remember God's faithfulness in our past, we can trust Him with our future.  God will always make a way, when we think there is no way.


Proverbs 3:5 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding"


Trusting is what we do because of the faith we have been given.  Even when the evidence seems to be against us, trust God in all circumstances.  


We need to trust in God, wholly.  Trusting in ourselves is like walking confidently across a rotten wooden bridge over a large cavern, thousands of feet deep.  Disaster inevitably follows.


I can honestly say that because of my history with God, and the past that He's walked with me through, I trust Him totally with my life.


Trust God, and feel the freedom.

I know you've probably heard this at some time during your life, but what does it really mean, especially to those of us who claim to be Christians?


1 John 4:20 - "If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."


As a Christian, it should be our desire to be more like God.  And, the more we understand what God requires of each of us, the more we get this verse (above).


Liars can fool men, but not God.  Hatred is a poison that destroys us from within.  It produces bitterness that eats away at our hearts and minds.  Hatred can also spoil a Christian's witness.


Lying can be as simple as telling someone you will be there, and you're constantly late at appointments.  This causes mistrust and resentment.  


Trust God, follow His commands, love one another, and get along!

John 14:15 - "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."


Obedience is defined as submissive compliance to the commands of one in authority.  We should be obeying Him because we love Him.  


Obedience to God's commands will make us light and salt in a dark and tasteless world.


I've learned that obedience requires faith, even when things don't seem to be going right, or when we're obeying and what we're hoping for is not happening.  Knowing and trusting that God will ALWAYS bless us, in His timing.


Hebrews 11:1 - "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see"


We don't always see the resolution or the ending to a problem, but by faith, we can put our trust in God and obey Him while waiting!