BLOG: God’s Word for Today

The Holy Bible provides us with this important information:

“… The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience [or longsuffering], kindness [or gentleness], goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. …” (Galatians 5:22-23)

If you call yourself a Christian, does this kind of fruit reflect your life? If you are not a Christian, wouldn’t you like to have this kind of fruit?

The first fruit is love. “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1)

Do you love God first and foremost? This is required in obedience to Him, but not from your lips – from you heart! Do you love your neighbor as yourself, as God commanded?

I used to love my parents so very much that when I read the scriptures that say to love God above all, I found it very difficult, at first. Yet, we are to love God first, with all our heart, all of our mind, all our soul, and all our strength. (See Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27)

After thinking about this for awhile, I had to admit to myself that it was God that created my parents. Without God, I would have no parents. For that very same reason, I was able to realize my love and respect for God must be first. I must love my God, my Creator, more than any other, even my parents! We should realize that God created us in love. He created our parents and everyone else. He must be our first love, not out of obligation, but because we realize who He is and we love Him from our heart. We must love the Creator, our God, more than His creation!

The Holy Bible taught me many things that changed my life in very good and positive ways. This can be the same for you. Simply start by reading The Holy Bible! Then you may believe.

The next fruit is joy. You will receive the joy of God by having a close relationship with His only begotten and beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior, and by having the Holy Spirit come to live within you when you are saved. (Please see the blog entry on “Salvation.”)  In reading the Holy Bible, and in communion with our Creator, we can have a true joy that comes only from God. This joy is wonderful and no matter what happens, beyond any and all circumstances, this Godly joy can always be with you. (See James 1:2)

Joy also comes with peace, another fruit that is given to us from God Himself. We can have the peace that passes all understanding. (See Philippians 4:7)

Patience is a fruit, but sometimes we struggle to keep it. The best way to be patient is to believe that God is on our side. When we wait with faith, we can trust that God knows best while we’re waiting on Him to act on our behalf. God wants our trust and a close relationship with Him. Through longsuffering, we find the ability through God to wait patiently. Just as we see that Jesus suffered greatly, particularly when He was falsely accused, we can also endure anything with patience. He is our example and our strength to be patient.

Kindness, gentleness, and goodness come from living in truth with Christ-like behaviors. Although there are certainly nonbelievers who are kind, they do not have the same traits of the Holy Spirit that a true Christian displays. A Christian’s heart flows with love for others with kindness, goodness, and gentleness that comes from within the Holy Spirit dwelling inside. A Christian’s kindness, goodness, and gentleness can easily be seen as a beacon of light.

When we are faithful, without doubt, the Lord blesses. Without faith, we won’t be able to accomplish much for His Kingdom. We must depend on God for our success to lead others into His loving arms.

“… It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Meekness is living in peace with others. A quiet and gentle Christian nature, not wanting to argue with others or resent them either. Meekness is also displayed by modesty; especially today, as a Christian, we should desire to dress modestly.

Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. We control anger before it can get ahold of us. We live wisely, with faith, love, and patience, and we endure with godliness. We do not slander others. We forgive others. We love what is good.

Overall, the fruit of the Spirit will show others who we are as Christians.

Jesus told those listening: “You will know them by their fruits …” (Matthew 7:16)

Our life is like a seed that can grow into good fruit. Only by first being saved by God, and then by growing in maturity can the seeds of our lives yield fruit producing a crop of 30-, 60-, and even 100-fold. (See Mark 4:8 for this specific reference.)

It may seem strange to speak of knowing someone by their fruits! Aren’t fruits a type of food we eat? Yes, but Jesus is speaking in parables. He speaks of us as trees. We can be seen as trees that can produce good fruit or bad fruit.

“… Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” (Matthew 7:17-18)

“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

In fact: “Every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7:19) – This reference is to the nonbeliever and those who reject God who will be thrown into hell.

Therefore, a true Christian is productive. If we are a follower of Christ, it will be evident by our fruit. A true Christian’s life will be viewed by their fruit and it will be plentiful. If you take time in getting to know someone, eventually, you will see their true fruit or lack thereof.

A true follower of Jesus Christ bears fruit by having a personal relationship with Jesus. The follower gets to know who He’s following. Just like you, my readers, are getting to know me by reading my blog.

We will begin to understand what it is that God has purposed for our life. We will find the area in which we are gifted, and we will use the gift(s) to glorify Him. The fruitful life is full of abundance in the gifting that Father God bestows on the follower. Each person is gifted to bear fruit in various ways. God will show us how to live a true Christian life and how to serve Him, as we bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus tells us: “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” (John 15:8).

As Paul prayed for the Philippians, I pray for you [my readers] that you are: “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which [are] by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:11 – bold my emphasis)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: Jesus said, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set in italics and quotation marks.

Many of us have heard the following phrase: “Keep your eyes on Jesus.” Do we really know what it means? How do we keep our eyes on Jesus if we can’t physically see Him?

We have an example to follow. Jesus Christ is our example by His life, death, and resurrection. We are to walk in His ways. We are to live to please God.

First, we need to recognize the difference between living in the Spirit and living in the flesh. “That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature [who] are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8). Our sin nature abides within our flesh. When we are saved, The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. Then our life can be different. “You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)” (Romans 8:9)

So, how do we keep our eyes on Jesus? We do so by daily crucifying our flesh and living in the Spirit. When we die to sin, we can be resurrected to a new life in the Spirit through obedience to God.

How else do we keep our eyes on Jesus? By reading His Word, the Holy Bible, daily, mediating on it both day and night, and obeying it. (Joshua 1:8). It is equally important every day to: “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Is there more to keeping our eyes on Jesus? Yes! Of course! See Deuteronomy, Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the Bible for how important it is to always love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. In the New Testament of the Holy Bible, we also learn that it is equally important to love our neighbor as we love our self.

We also need to daily obey God by seeking Him to fulfill His purpose for our life. We may need to pause to forgive others and ourselves (when we slip up). Our focus should be to “seek those things above” (the eternal). (Colossians 3:1)

In keeping our eyes on Jesus, and living by His example, we will glorify God and His peace will rule our hearts (see below).

“… [Jesus] Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us [who are saved]. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” (Colossians 3:11-15)

Most importantly of all, it is by faith that we can keep our eyes on Jesus and believe that He is the Savior of the world. He is our Savior because we have believed, repented, and accepted Him into our hearts through faith.

“It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the One who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27 — my emphasis in bold)

“… I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.” (Hebrews 12:1-4 — my emphasis added in bold)

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set in italics and quotation marks.

Considering world events across the globe, I am writing this blog post in memory of all persecuted Christians everywhere, especially those who have been brutally murdered for their faith.

Please excuse me for missing a month’s blog post, as I have been attempting to continually blog at least once per month. However, as I contemplated the horrific news that has been spreading across the world, I could not continue with my normal blog post last month or this month either. I knew I must pause and pray.

This blog entry was difficult to express, but I hope it will bring you comfort in the face of evil.

I am dedicating this blog in memory of every Christian everywhere who has ever been under persecution or is under persecution right now, and to every Christian everywhere who has ever died for their faith.

The most recent shocking news of the children who have been murdered for simply being Christians is appalling. The methods of those pursuing the Christians are so savage and so wicked that we can’t help but be in shock, to say the least.

Please pause with me in memory of all persecuted Christians everywhere, particularly those who have lost their children to death.

Now, let’s not forget the brutal death that Jesus Christ endured to save each of us. Yet, we can also rejoice in His victory over death through His resurrection.

If we are not aware of this Bible scripture, we need to be now. God’s Word tells us that “… we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:2)

Our enemy is “… The prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2)

The “children of disobedience” are those who have been taught from a very young age to persecute and murder those who follow Jesus Christ and the Jewish people. Yes, these children are now adult enemies of God, and some probably not yet adults. They believe they are doing this for their god, but their god is certainly not our God.

Although our God does allow evil to exist, even to the extent of these brutal murders of Christians around the world, please don’t let this turn you away from God. For God has warned us that:

“… The time will come when whoever kills you will think that he is doing God a service.” (John 16:2) – Although the first part of this scripture (that I did not cite here) also includes that people will be put out of their synagogues, in reference to the Jewish people, as with most scriptures, I believe this also applies to the Christians.

The Bible also reveals to us that there will be the “… souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast.” (Revelation 20:4)

We need to know that all Christians who have gained salvation may have lost their lives here on earth, but now they have gained eternal life with God in His amazing peace and love.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Now, may we have some comfort in knowing this.

We must pray for the persecuted Christians who are yet alive, particularly refugees who have lost everything. Please pray for them to find their strength and comfort through God.

For we need to know: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or [the] sword?” (Romans 8:35)

“As it is written: ‘For Your sake [God’s] we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:36-39)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Titus 2:12)

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set in italics and quotation marks.

“If we don’t have a purpose or a direction in our life, we may be floundering like a fish in the sea.” I wrote this sentence for a book I’m writing. Will you please pray for me in this endeavor? God provides us with talents to give us purpose. Mine is to write about Him in service back to Him and to others.

Do you believe that God has a plan for your life? Do you believe He has a plan with purpose for your life? You should because we all have a purpose.

God had a plan and a purpose for His own son, Jesus Christ.

The purpose of God was the plan to have Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, take on all the sins of every person in the world and die for those sins and be raised from the dead to offer us forgiveness and salvation.

Believe in your heart and accept that: “… According to the eternal purpose which He [God] accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:11) — For “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)

Among all of us who call ourselves Christians, I must ask: How many of us have read the entire Bible? I know of many who have not. So, if you have not, you should ask yourself “Why?”

If you are not a Christian, may I encourage you to read The Bible? I guarantee you that if you read The Bible and let God work through you, your life will change for the better and it will be so much more rewarding.

The Bible is also called The Word and it is alive! “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

We need to have good intentions of our heart and determine our purpose in life. We need to purposefully begin by reading our Bible every day. Pray that God will reveal your God-given talent(s) to you and seek His power to know what your purpose is to be able to fulfill it.

Because “… We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

When I was old enough to reason (to begin to understand), I questioned the reason for living. I began to wonder what my purpose was here. I really had no idea what it was or how to accomplish it if I did know it.

Eventually, we all begin to think about our purpose in life. So why in the world are we here? There must be a good reason.

Although some people believe we live and then just die and become nothing, there would be no purpose in that. Don’t fool yourself or let anyone deceive you into thinking there is no purpose. Why would people question it so much if it weren’t so?

When I was younger, I asked my mother the question as to why we’re here. I asked her what her purpose was in life. I figured she’d have a wise answer for me. She just told me that she believed her purpose was to be a mother and a wife. My parents did have six children, but I thought to myself: “There has to be more.”

I remember learning that no snowflake is ever alike! If we can just compare ourselves to snowflakes for just a moment, then we can realize that we are also very unique, and yet we are also very alike in many ways. There is no one else exactly like you or me, but we are similar.

Because “… God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God, [He] created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

Although God created us each differently and yet similar, he had a purpose in doing so. We were each created to find and fulfill our purpose in life. What is that purpose?

I questioned this for a long time, until I read the whole Bible! I pray that you will read the whole Bible, too. I promise you that if you let God, He will transform you into a Christ follower and reveal His purpose in you. It is unique, just like you because only you were created for a time such as this.

Let me say that every human being has three basic purposes of God, and then we have our own individual purpose in life.

The first basic purpose of all mankind is to realize that God loves you so very much that He wants you to receive His love and salvation, and He wants to receive your love back. “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 John 4:16)

“ ‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)

Just think, when someone loves you they hope you will love them back. God loves you. He wants your love back, too, but He won’t ever force you. So, the first purpose is to realize how much He loves you and accept His free gift of salvation, and then love Him back. (Please see the previous blog entry titled “Salvation.”)

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8).

The second purpose for all mankind is to love others as you love yourself.

“… ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)

The third purpose for all mankind is to spread the Gospel (that is, The Bible), the truth of God and of Jesus Christ for all to be saved!

“And He [Jesus Christ] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

Finally, we need to find our own, individual purpose. The reason you are here on this earth is to use the talent(s) God has provided to you to help others see Jesus Christ: the truth, the life, and the way.

For Jesus said, “I am the truth, the life, and the way.” (John 14:16)

God gifts us with various talents to serve Him. I hope to begin discussing these talents or gifts in the next blog posts to follow. God’s purpose is to use us. We are His vessels when we allow His power through the Holy Spirit to work through us to bring others to Him.

Seek God for your purpose! We all have a purpose! Fulfill it with everything that is in you!

God is waiting on each of us to fulfill our purpose. How long will you make Him wait?

Just ask God and seek Him, and you will find Him! “If you seek me, you will find me if you seek me with your whole heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set in italics and quotation marks.

First, let me say that I’ve had my share of trials and pain. I’m sure you’ve had your share, too.

In fact, I’ve endured plenty of trials and lots of pain, but they haven’t stopped me from living and gaining wisdom. In fact, wisdom is what God provides if we are open to Him and His Word (the Holy Bible).

As difficult as it was going through a divorce for me, even though I had not really started reading the Bible, I recalled this scripture song and began singing it in the shower every morning, forcing myself to believe it: “This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. This is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day, that the has made!”

I began to feel better as I knew that God was going to be there for me, and I began to read the Bible with open eyes. No longer were there contradictions everywhere. No longer was the enemy able to keep me from sticking with it. This was the day I could begin to rejoice through trials and pain.

There are several reasons why we must endure trials and pain in this life. One reason alone is that it can bring us to our knees so that we will call upon the Lord and seek Him. (Please see my first blog entry called “Are You a Christian?) — The evil that exists in this world causes pain. This is a lack of God in our lives, and it is the results of free will. Yet, God provides us with free will to choose Him or not, and to choose to reciprocate His love or not.

Trials come in all sizes and in all kinds of packages. We may find ourselves in deep pain when they occur. It’s what we do with the trials and the pain, and how we respond to them. This is what is most important.

God watches us to see if we are open to His work through us in these times of brokenness. He sees all! How will we respond?

Escape is not the answer to pain. Facing it head on will get you through it, but you cannot do it alone. We were not meant to handle it all alone.

Trials are certainly not enjoyable, but if we are open to having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and if we allow Him to be our Savior, we can get through any trial here on this earth by leaning on Him through His strength. We don’t have to understand why at the moment. In fact, we may never know the reason for the trial, but most times we will discover the reason later on because it will help us for the future.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

When problems come, and they will, who do we call on? Do we call on our friends first for answers? I used to do that. The better option, that I do now, is to reach out to God first. Who do you think is better equipped to handle your problems? Is it the Creator of all? Or do we possibly think that other frail humans like our self are better able to help us? Do we really think this? Who do you think can pull you up from out of the depths of pain the best?

It’s God! He really is the only One who can do this best. He knows best what we need, and we need Him! He will hear us and help us.

“… I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.” (Psalm 77:1)

Problems that are difficult to solve cannot always be resolved by humanity. We must turn to God for resolutions, and one resolution may be to just get through it stronger. Then the enemy cannot prevail.

The Bible tells us that: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.” (Romans 5:3-5)

What an amazing God we have to help us. Wow! Why wouldn’t you want Him in your life? Because you think you can do it yourself? Because you think He is a crutch? What is the reason that we don’t come to God through Jesus Christ?

It’s really very simple. God does not make it hard to accept Him.

The Bible tells us that: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:6-8)

Did you know that?

I finally called on God in a very different way than in the past. This time, I was willing to learn about Him through His Word (The Holy Bible) and follow Him, too.

So whether we are broken and finding God for the first time in our lives, or if we are coming to a better understanding of knowing Him, we are going to be tested. God will build our character until we come into the light of His love and go out and share that light and love with others.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach [disapproval or rebuke], and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:1-9)

So, whenever we face a trial, we must remember that the test or the trial (that God allows into our life, and He does and will allow it), will cause us (if we are a Christian) to have to put our faith into action with God to get us through the trial. But while we’re in the trial, and while we are waiting, our faithfulness in God helps us gain endurance to get through it. We have to pray about the trial, put it in God’s hands, and leave it there. We have to have the faith that He will take care of it (whatever it is) and keep us strong while we wait. Then as we show that we have faith in God to handle the test/trial, we gain greater faith as we go through it until the trial is over. The hardest part of the trial is leaving it in God’s hands and not taking it back. The other difficult part of the trial is to have strong faith and not doubt that God is handling it on our behalf. However, we should be in obedience to God all the while that we are waiting to get through the trial.

God’s Word tells us to: “… patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.” (2 Corinthians 6:4)

It’s inevitable for us to receive God’s truth. The result afterward: We can’t contain ourselves until we share God’s great love with others!

Do you really think God would leave us broken and in deep pain. No way! As long as we don’t reject Him, He will be there to help us.

All we simply have to do is call out to Him. In truth, it’s God that actually does the calling! “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One [God] who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3 — my addition in bold, too)

In living a godly life, we won’t concentrate on the temporary pain or trials in this life. No, we can concentrate on the hope of Heaven, knowing that once we have received Jesus Christ into our heart, we won’t be so consumed with this earthly life. Instead, we should be doing what God tells us to do in His Word:

“Set your mind on things above, not on the things on this earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

Even “the righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” (Psalm 34:19)

I tell you the truth that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father, unless it is through the Son of God [Jesus Christ].” (John 14:6)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself. (Now maybe my line here makes more sense!)

God’s Word for Today: “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So that after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” (1 Peter 5:10)

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set in italics and quotation marks.

“Behold, now/today is the day of salvation [to be saved].” You have no promise of tomorrow here in the land of the living on this earth. For you do know not when you will breathe your last breath and die. God breathed His life into us in the first place! He also gave the life of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ for us.

There is only 1 Savior! Jesus Christ is the 1 and only Savior who gave His life for you to receive forgiveness and for you to be saved. Saved from what? From Hell! From everlasting separation from our Creator!

Jesus Christ took on all the sins of everyone, and ultimately, He rose again to live. Who other savior is there? Do you know of any other who has risen from the dead? What religion or spirituality offers a confidence of salvation? There is none. There is no religion that can save you. There is only a relationship with the true Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Father God.

As we are given in The Bible: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) — “… Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

If you have not received Him into your heart, I pray that today — now — you will accept His love for you! Then you may realize that there is purpose in this life, and it’s all worth it in the end!

I’ll take the risk that you may reject this message. Instead, I hope you’ll embrace it if you haven’t already done so. I am praying for you and sending you my love, in Christ, Patty

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.” (Psalm 35:9)

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set in italics and quotation marks.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

As Jesus Christ was sitting on the mountain teaching the crowd of people, He explained that we must forgive others so that our Heavenly Father God will forgive us.

So why is it so difficult to forgive others? Most of the time, it’s because we’ve been deeply hurt, whether we’re on the receiving end of words that cut deep or experience rising anger. It does not matter what the circumstances are when we feel we can’t forgive someone. If we believe the other person is guilty of wrongdoing, even if they are not, we need to forgive them — always — no matter what!

Your life will wreak havoc if you don’t forgive others. When we hold back our forgiveness for another person, we can become sick, we may remain in pain and anguish, and/or we are stuck with an inability to move forward. Forgiveness is actually more for us than it is for the other person.

How many times do we get hurt, upset, or angry? How many times do we hurt someone else (whether or not it’s intentional)?

What’s going on? It doesn’t matter!

Plain and simple, we need to seek our Heavenly Father God. We need to call on Him for help. We need to forgive others as soon as we possibly can (immediately is best). We can always forgive through the power of God. He will help us.

In fact, we ought to stop right now and pray to God for His help to forgive everyone of everything, and furthermore seek God’s help to remember everything at this time. We need to forgive everyone right now with the power and strength of God!

We may find out, as I did, that we still don’t recall everything. There are time frames of “as soon as possible” or “immediately” that don’t always happen when it comes to forgiveness. Sometimes, we seem to simply forget all about forgiving someone. We may be still holding onto “unforgiveness” in our heart against someone and not even realize it until something changes.

In my case, just a couple weeks before I received the news that my aunt was suddenly dying, I was confessing my unforgiveness to her son. Wow! I didn’t realize that the incidents in which she had hurt me were buried deep inside of me. I had actually thought that I had said a prayer to forgive everyone of everything and asked God to reveal it to me at that time, but I realized that I had still forgotten this. I now needed to forgive her — immediately — and I did. Thank God it was prior to the news of her impending death.

It would certainly be best to forgive a person immediately, and seek humility and forgiveness from Jesus Christ for ourselves! If it is possible, we need to forgive quickly and forget easily. We need to be right with God at all times.

The simplicity in our being able to forgive others, and even ourselves, is that no matter what the offense is, whether it’s anger and/or pain we have endured, or it’s our own regrets, it will never, ever be comparable to what Jesus Christ did for us.

Jesus Christ endured a horrible, extremely difficult, and nearly indescribable road to death. He suffered beatings, whippings, excruciating pain, and humiliation on the way to and on that cross, as the Son of God in the flesh. Why? To take on all the sins of all the people everywhere (yes, each and every single offense past, present, and future of each and every single person of all time from the beginning and until the end of time as we know it), and to offer forgiveness to each and every one of us for each and everything, with only one exception, and that is, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. This sin is the only sin that is never forgiven, with an unclean spirit as the cause.

This is a warning with severe consequences. You will not be forgiven if you hold on to unforgiveness for someone else, and you may even suffer the worse kind possible (in an eternal separation from God)? Is it worth it? No! So we must forgive and forgive now. Why wait?

Pray to God and seek His healing by quickly forgiving others always!

I don’t know who said this, but when you forgive, you don’t change the past, you change the future! Let’s move on and truly be the best Christians we can be by giving our best to imitate Jesus Christ and follow Him.

Two more things, I must share. First, I received an e-mail from someone (after 4 years of silence), asking for my forgiveness. Funny thing is that I had already forgiven that person long ago. God is so good to us!

Second, we must forgive because if we don’t and we should die, we won’t have another opportunity to be forgiven by God. It will be too late!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: [Jesus Christ said], “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal condemnation.” (Mark 3:28-20)

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

“Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things that He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8)

Have we learned obedience to God from own suffering?

We will suffer, too. This can develop our obedience to God or it may cause us to be bitter. It’s our choice to decide how we will respond. It’s our choice to learn discipline and obedience or to suffer in vain.

Humanity is strengthened through suffering or broken down until we may or may not learn that discipline and obedience are actually for our own good.

Jesus Christ is our example. If we want to know how to live a Godly life, and how to discern the truth to know what is right, we must follow Him.

If we can obtain a Holy Bible (and for anyone here in the United States, there’s simply no excuse not to do so), then we must actually read it, too!

How many people in the world would be so very grateful to receive a Holy Bible that would get thoroughly read? Just some food for thought, as I am encouraged by my readership of this blog from all over the world. Thank you very much and may God richly bless you with salvation and the joy of the Lord.

We will find everything we need to begin to learn discipline and obedience written and printed on the pages of The Holy Bible.

Growing up, most of us received discipline from our parents, and they would punish us if we did not obey them. However, some parents did not discipline their children or teach them to obey at all.

The reality is that kids really want their parents to discipline them. Without it, they flounder like a tiny fish in a huge sea of water and they suffer even more. (No pun intended with the word “flounder,” but it is interesting that I chose that word!)

The Word of God instructs parents to: “Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.” (Proverbs 19:18) — This scripture is very clear, isn’t it?

“Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.” (Deuteronomy 8:5) (emphasis in bold, my addition.)

God loves us enough to discipline us. This is true love!

For the children: “A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline; a mocker refuses to listen to correction.” (Proverbs 13:1)

God disciplines us as adults, too. He is our Heavenly Father who loves us dearly.

“But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.” (Job 5:17)

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7)

“People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.” (Proverbs 10:17)

Even when we are being obedient to God, sometimes we may still suffer. At times this cannot be avoided. Why? I believe it is the result of the evil and disobedience of others who reject God and live in sin.

God is just. There will be fairness. It may not be during our lifetime, but it will certainly occur someday.

Try to picture a loving and honorable Father who wants the best for you, then you can imagine the Heavenly Father, God, loving us dearly and wanting us to obey Him. We must see that suffering is not always bad because at times it leads to goodness and humility, and ultimately it honors and glorifies God.

As we obey God, and as we seek discipline in our walk with the Savior, we will see His goodness.

Jesus Christ became man in the flesh for us to be saved and to be reunited with God. We were born of God, and if we choose to honor Him, we will be reunited with Him someday.

Ultimately, Jesus endured suffering and felt severe pain in His flesh. He felt human emotions, and He knew what it was like to have choices.

Our choices can be good or bad. We can make excuses and justify our actions, but they will lead to death. We can make good choices and our actions will follow that route and lead us to eternal life.

Don’t we realize that we have moral codes and commandments from our Heavenly Father who loves us enough to show us the right way to live?

The Ten Commandments were set forth by God. Not one of us has been able to follow them without breaking at least one. Not one of us! We are all sinners.

For me to realize my disobedience, it took understanding by reading the Bible, and it took the realization of how much God loved me. The truth set me free. I began to seek His discipline and desire obedience to Him.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3)

Oh, how our hearts can become hardened. Don’t let this happen. We must recognize sin for what it is and stop disobeying.

Seek God to teach us to obey and to desire His discipline. Seek God to walk in the ways of righteousness. Seek God through His Word, the Holy Bible for understanding and application in life. Seek discernment. Seek God’s power to be strong to live for Him. Seek the presence of the Heavenly Father. Seek to hear Him and to follow Him. Seek your purpose.

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which you have not known.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

This entry is slightly different than the other blog posts. I believe that the recent decision to write this particular post was led by God, and now is the time to publish it!

So, Christian, are you willing? Are you willing to truly be God’s own?

Believer, will you stay true to God, even when you are persecuted?

Are you willing to take up your cross to follow God?

If you believe in God, and if you call yourself a Christian, you must think about this:

Jesus said, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, [then] you are not worthy of being mine.” (Matthew 10:38)

No one said that being a Christian was going to be easy! In fact, it can be quite difficult at times. It’s going to become very critical soon. Persecution is knocking at our door. If you haven’t already experienced persecution to some degree, you may be caught off guard.

Yet, God gives us the strength to be worthy of being called His own. He is mighty to give us the power to live in obedience to Him.

Jesus tells the disciples that the only way to follow Him is by turning away from their selfishness.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

When Jesus spoke again, not only to the disciples, but to other people as well, he added that we must even “deny” ourselves.

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, ‘Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.’ ” (Mark 8:34)

When Jesus fed a huge crowd of people (numbering approximately 5,000), he blessed a mere five loaves of bread and two fish that were miraculously multiplied until the 5,000, or so, had eaten until they were completely full. Afterward, Jesus spoke to the crowd:

“Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’ ” (Luke 9:23)

The difference in this passage of scripture is that Jesus is saying we must take up our cross daily. Yes, He said daily!

What do you do daily? Brush your teeth? Comb and/or brush your hair? Eat? Of course! Yet, do we start every day with God? It is essential to be close to Him always! If you should find yourself lacking or far away from God, wake up! Get right back to Him! This should be the most important decision of our life every day! C’mon! We don’t forget to eat every day, do we? We must be willing to follow our Savior with enthusiasm, with passion, and with great love, and we should be eager, not just willing. We need His direction daily!

A willingness to take up our cross means that we must agree to do so, and continue to do so. We must agree to take it up daily. We must turn away from our own selfishness. We must deny ourselves. And we must follow Jesus Christ.

Being human, we can certainly tend to be selfish. To turn away from our selfishness, we must go against our own flesh. We must learn to live in the spirit to be holy and to do what is right.

Are you willing to take up your cross daily? Can you do it? Of course! It’s a choice.

We must! God requires each of us to be willing. He will help us, but we must be willing to submit our will to Him, and follow His will for our lives.

Certainly, there are distractions in life. We may be on the right path, taking up our cross daily, turning from our selfishness, denying our own will, and submitting ourselves to God by following Him in obedience. Then, suddenly, we get off track. Something or someone pulls our attention away from God. Someone or something tempts us to turn away from the path we’re on.

We must get back on course — the right course! The view on this course sees the cross by seeing exactly what Jesus did for us. We have been offered salvation. God deserves our all.

“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in His steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

I could write so much on this subject, but I must keep this blog post short.

I strongly urge you and encourage you to read The Holy Bible and discover the truths available to you. And pray, pray, pray!

This is a warning from God! God is love, but He is also just. We need Him. Call out to Him today and do not lack in doing His will. Are you willing?

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21)

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

As I share my experiences with you, please know this, I am freely opening up my heart and my life to you in the hope that it will help you with yours. This is a journey of faith, but it requires prayer, and prayer is precious.

When I was a child, I believed that prayer was something that had to be learned. I was taught specific words that needed to be memorized. Once I had learned them, I could easily recite them over and over again.

If I didn’t learn the written words of a prayer, then I couldn’t pray.

For many years, I truly believed this was the only way to pray by using someone else’s words or prayers. But the prayers were stagnant, and I got very bored with them.

In fact, as I would repeat the memorized words (whether aloud or not), my mind would always drift away. I’d find myself thinking about everything else, except the prayer!

My prayers had become automatic, and almost robotic! Let me emphasize again, this was my experience growing up. What was yours?

I always thought that God was not too happy with me because of my mental drifting while praying. I didn’t do it on purpose. I couldn’t seem to stop it! In fact, this still occurs at times. I believe it’s inevitable in our busy and noisy world. But back then, I believe it occurred moreso because the prayers didn’t real mean much to me.

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I grew up, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)

As a young adult, I began to wonder if I could learn to pray on my own — differently — but I didn’t know how. So I looked for books on prayer. I found a book at the time that had prayers in it. They were different than the prayers I knew, but they were still someone else’s written words or prayers.

I continued to wonder. What if I could use my own words to pray to God? Was it possible? What would I say? What could I say? I didn’t know.

It’s quite ironic now, as I write my own words in my attempt to share with you why prayer is so very precious. I’m much older now, and hopefully much wiser!

When I first heard someone pray aloud in their own words, it was actually quite startling! It was very foreign to me. This was different — altogether different.

To me, this prayer was obviously coming from a place of sincerity, yet it was so strange to hear it. The prayer was being expressed from their own thoughts into their own words.

In that enlightening moment, my understanding of prayer began to take on new meaning. I realized that I could pray in my own words, too! I could also express my thoughts into words to pray to God!

All I had to do was convert the thoughts from my own mind, from my own heart, and express them into my own words! How novel!

Prayer no longer needed to be a certain set of words written by someone else!

I realized that prayer was simple and honest. At some point, I also realized that prayer was not just about making my own personal requests to meet my own needs and desires. I began having a desire to pray for others, and I also began to see the positive results of those prayers being answered.

I even began praying for God’s will in my life, instead of my own selfish desires. I wanted to praise God and worship Him, as I had never done before.

Prayer is so very precious! We are to pray to the Lord with sincerity and humility.

For: “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” (Psalm 145:8)

When we call on the Lord, we begin to pray. Honest prayers come from truth and a heart that seeks God. Truth, along with the grace of God, gives us the ability to talk to Him, even when we feel we don’t deserve it. Come as you are right now to God. Praying is simply talking to Him!

I discovered that prayer is a huge part of having a relationship with God. I could spend time Him, the King of the world! I could actually be in His presence. We could spend time together!

Our Creator wants to spend time with you, too! God also desires our heart. He created you and me to be in relationship with Him. A precious time of prayer and communion with our Savior fills us with joy and peace, and purpose.

As we open our heart and our minds to God, He fills us with the words to speak. Can you believe it? You don’t have to try to figure out what to say, as He will provide everything! He changes us slowly, but certainly. All we have to do is be willing.

God fills us with the desire to thank Him, to praise Him, and to know Him.

Do you love God? He loves you dearly!

For: “God is love.” (1 John 4:8; 1 John 4:16)

We all want to spend time with those we love. You want time with those you care about — your parents, your spouse, your friends. God loves us and wants time with us, too! He wants your love as well.

Time with God gives us the strength to walk in His ways. The Word of God, the Bible, guides us.

His Word reveals to us that we are to: “Look for the Lord and His strength. Seek His face always.” (1 Corinthians 116:11)

How? By actually seeking Him and His will in prayer. By spending time with God. By making time to do His will and determine our purpose to fulfill it — for we all have a Godly purpose.

God is not some far off King in His royal kingdom. No! God wants us to come into fellowship with Him — to be close to Him. God is our Heavenly Father who wants us to know Him by seeking Him daily, by studying The Bible, and by praying to Him.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is our Savior. We can call on Him to help us to be obedient to Him through prayer. We can choose to give Him praises and be thankful.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful to Him and bless His name.” (Psalm 100: 4)

Prayer really is quite simple. There’s no need to make it complicated.

For if: “We confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

No matter what we’ve done wrong in our life, we can confess our sins to God and ask for His forgiveness through prayer. Although, we must repent, which means to turn away from the sin we’ve committed and turn our heart toward God, He gives us the strength to be obedient. It may or may not be overnight, but God begins changing us from the inside out, creating holiness within us through His sanctification process (see previous blog entry on “Sanctification”).

The Bible is clear: “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

Did you read that? The prayer of the righteous “man” is “powerful and effective.”

We need to seek God through prayer for empowerment. Man is referring to all mankind — all people, both men and women.

Prayer can be continual, all day long. We can talk to God any time, or all the time. We can tell Him everything. He wants to hear from us!

“We are to pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

We must also learn to be still for God to communicate with us in His own special ways, whatever they may be. We need to read the Bible, pray for guidance, and we can expect God to give us His direction.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord,and wait patiently for him to act …” (Psalm 37:7)

“Be still, and know that I am God! …” (Psalm 46:10)

To follow Him, we must listen in love for His leading. We need to stay on His path and in prayer.

We are to: “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” In other words: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2 and 4:6, respectively)

Patience in all things, especially prayer is a true blessing, while always thanking our Heavenly Father.

“Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and humility, and with earnestly request and, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) – Everything means everything! We need to pray about everything in our life.

We can certainly make requests from God, but they should be asked with humility and seriousness. We should be thankful in advance of our request. We need to learn patience in waiting for God to answer. We must have the right motives with our requests.

Because: “When you ask, and you don’t receive, it is because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your lusts (those things that will give you pleasure).” (James 4:3)

Yet, Jesus Christ said to those who don’t believe in God, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)

Therefore, “If you ask the Lord with the right motives, and your heart is pure, He will answer [your prayers]. If you seek Him with all your heart and soul, you will find Him.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Prayer is precious. Pray with faith. Pray without doubt. Pray for the right things and your prayers will be answered.

Jesus said, “You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:22)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.” (1 Peter 4:7)

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia Shehan

I wrote this blog entry on New Year’s Eve.

On this New Year’s Eve, I contemplate what the New Year will hold in the future 365 days.

Will I continue to hear His name taken in vain over and over again, even more than last year? Is that even possible? I surely hope not, and I pray not, too!

God’s name has been used in vain repeatedly by His own creation on a daily basis. It’s absolutely horrifying how many times God’s name is spoken as profanity. It is blasphemous. It is abuse.

“And you shall not swear by my name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:12)

Where is the respect for the One who created you? We did not just evolve. That is impossible and ignorant. Look around! Man creates beautiful things because our beautiful God created us!

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities — His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:20)

I hear the disrespect all the time against His great name. I hear it everywhere. I’m sick of it! I can’t even imagine how God feels each time His name is repeatedly used in vain. No regard is given to the words being spoken.

The great name of God (the Father) and the name of Jesus Christ (the Son) should both be treated with honor, respect, and holiness.

The third of the 10 Commandments sets forth God’s law on this subject:

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7 — [my emphasis in bold])

If those who speak these phrases, using God’s name in vain, do not seek to be forgiven, their offense will be held against them. If one does repent (ask for forgiveness and stop the offense), then one can be forgiven.

However, if one speaks this offense against the Holy Spirit, the Bible says that one may never receive His forgiveness.

“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation — because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” (Mark 3:28-30)

Jesus Christ humbled Himself in such a way that He was no longer or barely recognizable after all the horrible and excruciating agony He endured for each and every one of us to be eligible for eternal salvation.

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 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 shall 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)

The great name of God, the name of Jesus Christ, “the name above every name,” the name of the Lord is to be exalted.

His name is not meant for graphic disrespect in swearing and demeaning ways!

God warns us that we will reap the consequences of our speech and what we sow. For we all sow, whether good or bad.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galations 6:7)

God’s name is great, holy, righteous, and good. He is our mighty strong tower. His name is beautiful, great, mighty, and wonderful. His names are forevermore eternal.

There is love, healing, joy, and great gain in the name of the Lord. There is eternal life of peace and everlasting joy in speaking His name. The future is bright and great in His great name.

“Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed…” (Acts 3:16)

“… Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” (John 16:24)

Why would you want to display your unrighteousness when using God’s name in such a way that is disgraceful? Think before you speak. You will be held to a higher standard than you ever thought possible.

“But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36)

“God is love” (1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16). Why would you speak against pure love? Don’t! Speak in love and respect His Holy name!

“I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: God says, “So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” (Ezekiel 39:7)

Copyright © 2013 by Patricia Shehan

As I write this on the eve of Christmas Eve, I remember my childhood dog. I also had her when I was an adult. One night — on the eve of Christmas Eve — my dog was let outside, as usual, but she never came back. She had always come back before. Why didn’t she come back this time?

Did someone steal her? Did she go into the woods to die? She was getting quite old. No one knows. It’s a mystery to this day. But I’m sure God knows.

It was very difficult to lose my childhood dog, especially without ever knowing what happened to her. I was very sad.

They say that a dog is man’s best friend. Even though having a dog can be wonderful, and losing a dog can be horrible, we need to know who it is that can truly be our best friend.

It’s Jesus! Jesus Christ came into the flesh (born of a virgin) to become our Savior and our best friend.

I’m recalling the lyrics to a Christian song called, “Friend of God” by the artist Israel Houghton. Part of the song goes like this:

“Who I am that you are mindful of me? That you hear me when I call. Is it true that you are thinking of me? How you love me. It’s amazing. I am a friend of God. You call me friend.”

Considering just how much God loves us, His desire is for us to be His friend — His best friend.

We all want to be close to someone. We all want to be loved. We all want a best friend. These are normal human desires.

Yet, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:13-14)

Jesus Christ tells us in this scripture that He died for us and provides us with forgiveness of our sins. He is our friend. He wants us to do His will.

In the Bible it says that: “…there is a real friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24 — NLT)

This is our best friend who is “the way, the truth, and the life” —  Jesus Christ, our Savior!

“The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.” (Psalm 25:14 — NLT)

“… the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God.” (James 2:23 — NKJV)

“And the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do.’ ” (Genesis 18:17).

Of course not. Instead God made Abraham “the father of many nations.”

A Christian man by the name of Henry Walker states: “Friends confide in one another. Abraham was called God’s ‘friend’.” (See Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23).

Walker adds, “Now, because of Jesus’ atonement [for our sins], we are called friends of God. Jesus was crucified so that the blessing of Abraham, part of which was friendship with God, would come upon [us]:

So “That we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14).

Another man who was greatly blessed by God, and who was also a close friend was Solomon.

In a commentary by Charles Spurgeon, it is written that when Solomon refers to “his friend” in scripture, he means “the Most High, the secret dwelling-place of God, in the person of Jesus, the Son of God, the Friend of sinners.”

Is Jesus your friend? He can be your best friend. He wants to be your friend and your Savior. I pray you will open your heart to Him today.

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends [Jesus said].” (John 15:15)

Copyright © 2013 by Patricia Shehan

I was at a Bible study when we were reading the scriptures and came across the word “sanctification.” I had to admit that I didn’t know what the word meant.

No one could explain it clearly, so we stopped and looked up the word in one of those old, huge dictionaries. Now that’s my kind of dictionary!

Sanctification is described as follows: to grow and change by a process of holiness; the stripping of self while being filled by God with godliness; a changing process; gaining freedom from sin; being set apart, renewed, and purified; and being converted into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Yes, this sums it all up. But how does it happen?

If we believe in Jesus Christ and what He did for us, we must ask our self if we have truly given our heart to Him. If we haven’t done so, then we are still behind the driver’s seat of our own life. We need to allow Him to steer our life’s path for our conversion (or sanctification) to take place.

This change is different than anything else you’ve ever experienced. I know because it happened to me!

I could almost feel the changes. For example, I began caring for others more than ever before! In the past, when someone would ask me to help them, I was usually reluctant and maybe even unwilling. Now, when I think there is a need, and I know that I can help, I will offer, even before being asked! Now that was a big change in me!

To be truly saved, we must surrender to God and allow Him to sanctify us by renewing our mind and changing our heart for Him. We have to be willing to follow God and allow Him to change us through the sanctification process.

This process begins with our obedience to our Heavenly Father. He changes us to grow in godliness. He shows us how to follow Him by guiding our path. As we our changed, our focus will be on God.

We will see things differently when we have God’s perspective rather than our own selfish view. I can testify to the outstanding beauty from His view! Nothing looks the same anymore. Everything is so outstanding and beautiful, and even miraculous! The details are more intense. Can you see it yet?

When we accept the grace of God through our repentance of sin, a divine growth begins to take place within us. Now we avoid sin and turn away from temptation.

We were all created in God’s image, and sanctification is what purifies us to be Christ-like.

We must read the Bible to know God. We must spend time with Him in prayer. He fills us up with His joy, His love, and His peace, and He creates in us a “newness of life” (see Romans 6:4).

I remember so many times attempting to read The Bible and so many times, I would stop. It was one excuse after another. But when I stuck with it and made it into a habit, I could understand God more and desired to serve Him.

This new way of life is satisfying, unlike the fleeting happiness we may find in things and sometimes even in people.

You will find great joy in the Lord if you simply say “yes” to him.

When we allow God to sanctify us, we let Him guide our future plans. He will work them out for His glory by setting us apart in holiness. Patience is required!

“You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for Himself…” (Psalm 4:3)

God has created us for “good works” in advance (see Ephesians 2:10). God’s sanctification process creates a desire in us to accomplish these good works.

Living life set apart from the world is still living in the world, but it’s living with Godly goals and Godly obedience. It’s living with love and peace. The life of Jesus Christ, whose life in the flesh here among mankind, is our example.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

“Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21. — Please read more of this chapter for further understanding.)

Changes begin from the inside out. A true Christian’s life will not merely display something on the outside that does not reflect the “inner man.” Only hypocrites display an act on the outside that is not reflective of the inside. (See Matthew 23:25-28 and Matthew 7:20-23).

We must love and forgive. God opens our hearts to His love, and His sanctification process causes us to want to share the Good News of the Gospel (The Bible) and God’s love through His free gift of salvation.

The path is not always easy. Yet, God’s sanctification (change, growth, filling, renewing, and purifying) process is the only way. Only He can transform us. He imparts His strength in us to be holy, to think His way, to respect life, to desire goodness and truth to prevail, and most of all, to truly love Him and one another. God does require our willingness and our obedience.

Amazingly, from God’s sanctification process, we can, in turn, sanctify Him!

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (1 Peter 3:15)

Once you are saved and sanctified, sharing the hope of glory (Christ in us) will become easy, and you will have the answers to be able to share God’s love for mankind!

“… God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

I realized I was being sanctified when I no longer had the same desires or thoughts for my life. Think of how most everything in life has a place, for example: first place, second place, third place, and so forth. With me, God is #1 now. He has first place in my life, and everyone and everything else is in second place, third, … Make God #1 in your life and He will sanctify you by changing you into becoming His follower, and He will cause you to live a full and satisfying eternal life!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

Copyright © 2013 by Patricia Shehan

I used to have this scripture written on a piece of paper hanging near the computer in my office, so I’d often see it:

“Faith* comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 – NKJV)

The problem was that it never made much sense to me. Why? Because I was blind to the truth, even though at that time I wanted to convince my self otherwise.

The lack of reading or hearing the Word of God was like a dry field with no rain. How could anything grow if there was no seed and no rain?

My understanding came after I received my salvation. The springs of the well of my heart were overflowing with living waters.

I had begun reading the Bible and listening to preachers speak. No longer would I be hindered by only hearing a few repeated scriptures year after year. That lack of knowledge had left me numb and unfufilled.

Now my eyes had begun to open to see the truth, and my ears were opened to hear the truth, too. My heart was now being filled with the love of God, and I wanted to give Him all my praise. Now, I wanted to honor Him with my life.

The Bible tells us that “…the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7 – NKJV)

I began to understand what it meant to have faith in God. I realized how much God truly loved me, and that I could completely trust Him.

In Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) of the Bible we find that: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

God allows us to find Him when we truly seek Him. Once we accept God’s free gift of salvation, our faith grows through a confident trust, and we want to please Him.

“Jesus said to them, ‘… for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’ ” (Matthew 17:20 – NKJV)

I believe the miracle of moving mountains by faith, which was proven to me again in my life in July 2012. I had prayed with faith for God to sell my house and be able to simultaneously buy another, less expensive house at a new location. I told others that I believed God would do this for me. I knew that He would because of this confident faith I have in Him. All this occurred in an economy when most houses were not selling. In an economy in America comparable to the Great Depression, God answered my prayer of faith. Although doubt would arise, trust would be released to God with greater faith restored, as the mountains moved.

As children of God (saved believers), we can move these mountains with confident trust and faith in Him: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 – NKJV)

*All words emphasized in bold are my addition to make the word(s) more noticeable.