GOD-fident!

#jesus #race #endurance Finish Well One of the most important parts of running a race is keeping your eyes on the finish line. If you happen to look at the other competitors, it can ruin your focus, causing you to slip up. Staying focused is crucial. The writer of the letter of Hebrews uses this same idea when talking about our own spiritual lives. The writer encourages his readers to keep their eyes focused on Jesus while running the race of life. When we keep our eyes on Jesus and our thoughts focused on Him, we are reminded of His great love and goodness. Keeping our eyes on Jesus helps us to not grow discouraged. When we take our eyes off Jesus, we can lose focus on what really matters. We can become fixated on the priorities of the world around us rather than the mission of God. We can also lose our sense of value and worth if we lose sight of the love of God. One of the reasons the author encourages his readers to focus their eyes on Jesus is because Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. He is the reason we have faith, but He is also the one who continues to sanctify our hearts and strengthen our faith. Jesus endured the pain of the cross with joy because He kept His own eyes on the finish line—sitting in a place of authority next to God the Father, and achieving salvation for His followers. We now experience the benefit of salvation because of His endurance. Jesus’ example allows us to run the race of life with endurance and focus. So if you find yourself tired and wanting to give up, take some time to pray and think about Jesus who gave everything for you. Ask God for endurance so that you can continue to grow in your faith, and finish well. #faith #dontgiveup https://www.instagram.com/p/CpGStrIuOIx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Thi I felt it in my heart to share these organizations with you. Earlier last week, we talked about loving each other & love requires giving. Each of these organizations are showing love in their own way by help those in need. We can help them by donating & by sharing these links. I pray as you go out today let your acts of love include giving to these orgs. Give through prayer, thru donation, or thru sharing a link or ALL of the above! God bless u for giving today in Jesus Name! #amen #give #love #pray https://partners.uhrelief.org/campaign/ameer/FUNVUNVXZEP/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=19648384771&utm_term=&utm_content=647136743437&placement=youtube.com&cid=Cj0KCQiAofieBhDXARIsAHTTldp25pubKdw72Xy88yaghsk2Xm6b_UBDzUDbK_S0XxAGd99juy6AjMMaAjk6EALw_wcB&gclid=Cj0KCQiAofieBhDXARIsAHTTldp25pubKdw72Xy88yaghsk2Xm6b_UBDzUDbK_S0XxAGd99juy6AjMMaAjk6EALw_wcB https://www.ketto.org/stories/savenikesh?utm_source=external_Ketto&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=V11_9020_SALE_VID_CL_ALL_CPA_USA&utm_term=CL003_AG_1865_USDonors_List&utm_content=savenikesh_VID02_CN_AP_ENG_30s&utm_placement=youtube.com&gclid=Cj0KCQiAofieBhDXARIsAHTTldoyenHxSYoECO0yXIAq487n1X_o_Nj8n-AA3MJjSQ4wvFldfqFIrqkaAhgDEALw_wcB&payment=form https://partners.uhrelief.org/campaign/mujahid/FUNPCDQNEAR/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=19682797197&utm_term=&utm_content=648284722481&placement=youtube.com&cid=Cj0KCQiAorKfBhC0ARIsAHDzsltY-lLasJZIi5wnANahTKjMcvkAUMV8qQ8gbEng-gpMb8JSqmXWg2gaAnaLEALw_wcB&gclid=Cj0KCQiAorKfBhC0ARIsAHDzsltY-lLasJZIi5wnANahTKjMcvkAUMV8qQ8gbEng-gpMb8JSqmXWg2gaAnaLEALw_wcB https://help.rescue.org/donate/syria-crisis-web https://www.instagram.com/p/Co0Qc8luJOB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus #livingwater #water PART 2 Desiring God’s Presence Take a moment to think about your desires in life. Make a mental list of all of the things you want to accomplish. Think about your top priorities and where you think you should spend your time. Now, go back over your list and consider how many of your desires included spending time with God. Did any of your accomplishments require being in God’s presence? The writer of Psalm 42 compares himself to a deer that is longing for water. The deer is weary and parched without it, and so all it wants is to find a stream to drink from. In a similar way, the Psalmist is weary and exhausted from life. He is under pressure and growing tired. And yet, his innermost desire is for God. Just like the deer desires water, the psalmist’s soul desires the presence of God. He knows that the solution to his problems is not more accomplishments and praise—it’s spending time in the presence of God. It’s not wrong to have desires and goals in life. But our foremost desire should be for God, because true satisfaction is only found in His presence. Because God is not limited to a building or a location, we can be with Him any time we want. God is Spirit and He exists everywhere at any time. He is present right now with you. All it takes is your desire and commitment to spend time with Him by reading His Word, talking to Him through prayer, or reflecting on His faithful character. As you draw close to Him, He is ready and willing to be close to you, and to restore your soul. Spending time with God is a basic spiritual need of ours, but it is a powerful time that can change the course of our life and the center of who we are. Take time to be with Him now, but also come up with a plan that helps you continue to seek God every day. https://www.instagram.com/p/Co0LmNvOy4i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

PART 1 #water #jesus #livingwater Why does a deer pant for water? 1)) Obviously if there’s a drought & water is scarce a deer will desire it more & more. 2)) If a deer is running from a hunter, from danger, it will begin to pant because it’s energy is worn. It needs to recharge its strength. 3)) When a deer is injured. It drinks water to regain strength & may bathe in a stream to heal itself. Similarly we desire God in all those situations too. When our resources are scarce, when we’re fleeing from the enemy, when we’re hurt, we seek God in the same way. Good News is God is right here with us. We don't have to travel anywhere. Simply close the outside world out & seek His face. Open your heart’s door and let Him in. May we receive His overwhelming Presence today with Grace & surrender in Jesus’ Name. https://www.instagram.com/p/Co0LXRYuKxB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus You were created for community. When God designed humans, He made us with the intention of placing us within a loving family. Today, we call that family the Church. God's original intention was that we would exist within a family of other believers. He didn't intend for us to exist in isolation or separated from other people. Life was not meant to be lived alone. Regardless of what your family experience was like, God intended for His family to be loving and caring. And it's the qualities of God's family that Paul is writing about in Romans 12. Paul says to be devoted to one another in love. That means that we are to walk alongside other people through the various seasons of life. We should never abandon people when life gets hard. Paul also encourages us to honor others. Instead of seeking self-recognition, we should honor and encourage each other. Instead of pursuing what seems best for us, we should seek the good of other people first. Devotion and honor are just two aspects of loving people well, but Jesus said that the world will recognize us as His disciples by the way that we love. This means that we have to genuinely love others-not just pretend to love them. And the place we need to start showing genuine honor is within our spiritual family. Rather than letting self-promotion divide the family of God, our goal should be to honor those around us. If we won't learn how to love people who follow Jesus, then we won't know how to love people who don't. That's why we should frequently pause and take an assessment on how we are doing at loving others. So take a moment right now to think about the ways in which you loved and honored people this past you loved and honored people this past week. Write down two or three things you can do to continue to show love to those in your life. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY #happyvalentinesday #valentine #iloveyou https://www.instagram.com/p/Coqo6l2oh_d/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus #love #holyspirit #peace PART 2 The Holy Spirit is ALWAYS with you. Not sometimes or rarely. Always & Forever! The Holy Spirit TEACHES you. The HS will reveal things while you study God’s Word. It’s called Illumination. The Holy Spirit also reminds you of things that you once learned. The Holy Spirit gives you PEACE. The Holy Spirit points to Jesus. The HS is not to make you look like a SUPER Christian. He was not sent to Earth to draw attention to you. He brings attention to Jesus. True acts of the Holy Spirit brings attention to JESUS! The Holy Spirit convicts you of sin. Sometimes Christians will take that role upon themselves. Sadly, it convinced the outside world that Christians r judgmental. We should stand up for the Truth. We shouldn’t avoid it. We ALSO will ALWAYS do it in Love. Our goal is for lost ppl to come & FIND Jesus, ALL of them. The Holy Spirit guides you. Think of a GPS. You trust it’s navigation system. In the same way, The Holy Spirit gives you direction. It will let you know where to go. God doesn’t disagree with Himself. He’s not going to tell something that disagrees with the Word. Access to the Holy Spirit is gained through a RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS! That begins with a decision to believe in Him & FOLLOW His commands. You may have already made that choice but you haven’t been listening. Let’s stop what we’re doing & take time to listen today. https://www.instagram.com/p/ColAzSQOnIm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus #holyspirit God the Father, Jesus the Son, The Holy Spirit. Not many know much about the Holy Spirit. Think about Google. Google gives you access to information. It might not always be correct but it’s an answer. The Power of the Holy Spirit is more AMAZING than Google. Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit. It was a major focus of some of His final teachings. There are a lot of different opinions about the Holy Spirit. We’re going to look at the basics of today. Jesus sat down with His disciples in the Last Supper. He told them He’d be leaving soon. The disciples were sad & anxious upon hearing this. Suddenly the troubles & upcoming persecution seemed too big to handle…Alone. In the middle of their panic, Jesus comforts them by introducing the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit (HS) is your Gift from God. You don’t have to fear gifts from God. The HS isn’t scary or weird. God doesn’t do things accidentally. The Holy Spirit is your advocate. A person who publicly supports someone/thing. They stand up for someone/thing who can’t stand on their own. Jesus was the disciples’ advocate in His time on Earth. Jesus taught, helped, & comforted. However His ultimate objective would be gained through His sacrificial death on the cross. God knew that for His disciples to make it through life without Jesus they’d need a new advocate. Another advocate of the same kind as the first. The HS advocates for us just as Jesus did. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cok_6CxurFj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus David, who was Israel's king around 1000 BC, is the contemplative soul who wrote our verse for the day: "…. even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:10 ESV Note: Any time a verse seems to start mid sentence, it's wise to investigate the broader context of the story. In this case, David is exploring the mind-blowing fact that he can never escape God's presence. David realizes that it doesn't matter if he's sitting down or standing up, traveling abroad or resting at home, up in heaven or down in the grave, speaking his mind or keeping his thoughts to himself, or even if he somehow ends up next to the most remote ocean on earth. It's then that David continues: “.. even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me." Even there, even here, even everywhere God is always present to LEAD and GUIDE, to STRENGTHEN and support. The Greek word for “lead” here, nacha, means to lead tenderly someone who is lost or helpless. Even if we try to avoid God, or run from His calling on our life, He's patient to pursue us, to correct us, to direct us with a tender heart. One thing is certain: He will NEVER leave us. So, when you're scrubbing dishes, scrolling on your phone, or sorting through a difficult decision; when you're hard at work, lazy at home, or soaking up time with the people you love; when you're heartbroken, when you're joyful, when you're doubtful, when you're hopeful, and even when you've made a horrible decision… ".. even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me." Wherever you find yourself today, know that you're not alone. You're not stuck. You're not without someone who cares, and who's able to save. Thank God, there's no escaping His presence. 😊 #eventhere #lead #guide #hold #holdme https://www.instagram.com/p/Coh-ZX0uAvY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus #god #pray #stayclose Hold Tight to God The letter of Jude is a short letter that covers both warning and encouragement. Jude is writing to a group of believers, and he is warning believers that there are some ungodly people in their midst. Some of these people are teaching false doctrine and leading others astray. Jude warns them to be confident that they are grounded in the truth of God so that they won't be affected by those who seek to slander or divide them. Part of his encouragement is to remember the words of Jesus (Jude 1:17). His readers need to continually remember what Jesus said as a way of remaining faithful to that message. He also encourages them to remain faithful to the things they believed about their own faith, and to continue praying in the Spirit. Reading Scripture, praying in the Spirit, and remaining faithful to God are all critical elements of living a mature Christian life. That's why in Jude 1:21, he tells his readers to keep themselves in the love of God as they wait for the day when Jesus will return to make all things new. God's love isn't something we experience once it's something we continually encounter and participate in. Jude's words are relevant to anyone who believes in Jesus. We all need to be engaged in Scripture so that we have confidence in the truths that we believe. As we do that, we should regularly have conversations with God. The more often we do this, the more we are immersed in reminders of His great love. Take a few moments to think of how you can deepen the time you spend with God. Write down a few steps that you can take to engage in your relationship with Him in new ways. https://www.instagram.com/p/CogWIASNPWs/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus #word #holyspirit #prayer #righteous #pray Notice the last part of today’s verse says “Keep yourselves in God’s Love as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ”. As a Christian, one of the most beloved Promises of God is that He’s coming back. Now we don’t know when but it’s happening. It could even be within the next hour. It may not feel like it or seem like it but God IS coming back. Todays scripture says that until then we must KEEP ourselves in GOD’S LOVE. Salvation is a free gift from God but we still have a huge role to play. Keeping ourselves close to God & walking with Him is one of them. If we woke up today thinking this is the day Jesus returns, our actions would be more motivated & pure. Verse 20 gives us two ways we can stay close to God. That is, according to the New Living Translation, building EACH OTHER up & PRAYING IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Following Jesus, you learn pretty quickly: It’s not all about me. The way of Jesus is serving, helping, LOVING others. Look for opportunities where you can love others today. Praying in the Holy Spirit gives us power. As scripture says, “The EARNEST prayers of the righteous accomplishes MUCH” (James 5:16). Let us pray HONESTLY & EARNESTLY. Not just for ourselves, but for others. When we do these things, good things happen. We grow closer to God & His Love leaves a deeper mark on our hearts. God bless u & God LOVE you today in the fullest sense possible. In Jesus Name. #love #godsplan #godslove #godlovesyou https://www.instagram.com/p/CogV5ebNzF8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#love #god #jesus #faith #trials #joy #peace #hope #perseverance #patience #keepgoing James is writing to a group of believers that were facing trials & temptations. In this verse, he reminds them that these challenges are a NORMAL part of the Christian life. & that they increase the strength of their faith. Now this does NOT mean we should be happy about the trials we’re in or seek out suffering or that it’s easy to find Joy in our trials. Rather, we can find joy in the fact that these trials STRENGTHEN our Faith & produce perseverance/patience. Trials are not easy though they make it easy to feel discouraged & want to give up. But we should not give up. James clearly writes that this is to be expected in our Christian life. But why? Well, think about a blacksmith. In order to forge weapons, trinkets, furniture, they have to heat the metal to incredibly hot temperatures. Or jewelers have to heat up impure gold so that it can be pure gold, which has a higher value than impure gold. God uses adversity to shape you & me into people who r more like Jesus. Remember: God is WITH you. He is using the trials to mold you into the person He wants you to be—a person that’s more like Jesus. I pray you trust Him today & see the rewards of your perseverance. Find Joy in this journey, knowing that He is working ALL things for your GOOD! https://www.instagram.com/p/CoLCRrkONLO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus #impossible #possible #faith #itaintover YOU CAN HAVE A BRAVE, BOLD CONFIDENT FAITH IN GOD The Lord put this verse on my heart at the beginning of the year and it still holds true, even after all we've experienced this year. More than ever before, God wants you to expect Him to do great things in you and through you. And I want to encourage you to have a brave, bold, confident faith in Christ to step out and do whatever He calls you to do, especially when you don't understand everything He's doing. It's easy to say, "All things are possible with God" but that doesn't mean we can just sit back and do nothing while we watch God do a miracle. We are partners with God. Our part is to believe what He says and do anything He asks us to do to cooperate with His plan. God's part is to do what you cannot do. James 4:2 says, ...You do not have because you do not ask God (NIV). God wants you to be confident that you can come to Him to meet your needs and give you the desires of your heart according to His will (See Psalm 37:4). If you ask in faith, God hears you and He will give you what is best for you. But as you wait on Him, you must resist the temptation to become lazy in your faith. Hebrews 6:12 says that you'll inherit all of God's promises through faith and patience. So no matter how long it takes for your dreams and desires to be fulfilled, be determined to trust God and pass the test of faith! 🙏🏿 https://www.instagram.com/p/CoGPVA7O8Vj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus #impossible #possible One of the things I love about this verse is the setup to the statement. A lot of times while reading God’s Word, we go straight to the statement & ignore the setup. Here, it says, “Jesus looked at them”. He sees you. Jesus sees you. Not from above or below, but face-to-face directly. In the greater context, Jesus was teaching a crowd of people about the rich man entering the kingdom of God. He compared this entrance to that of a camel fitting through a needle. Yet, His statement rings out that ANYone can come to God. No matter how much of a long shot it is, for God can do the IMPOSSIBLE. Putting a camel through a needle is impossible, but not with God. Same goes for a rich person, or a person addicted to drugs, or even a person who’s killed. All things are possible with God!! Jesus looked at the crowd. He looks at you. He sees your position, what you’re up against. God wants to say to you, it’s possible to change your perspective. In other words, we walk into every situation thinking either “I don’t think so” or “I don’t know how, but I believe”. What this verse is offering us is encouragement to have the latter thought. He wants us to walk through the door, not with happy, sappy, spiritual slogan, but with a DEEP-ROOTED assurance & Faith that no matter what we face, GOD IS GREATER! I pray this takes hold in your mind. Ponder it over. Recite the scripture out loud. Memorize it in your heart so you can face challenges ahead of you. Let your first thought be “This is hard. I don’t know how I’m gonna do this but with God, ALL things are POSSIBLE.” In Jesus Name 🙏🏿 https://www.instagram.com/p/CoGPCCOO87Q/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus #help #god Help: to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; contribute strength or means to; render assistance to; cooperate effectively with; aid; assist This word was spoken to a people in exile. God’s first statement was to not be afraid. Why? BECAUSE He IS with them. What this tells me is that the antidote to fear is the Presence of God. The second statement says not to be dismayed. Dismay, in Hebrew, meant to look around in fear/anxiety. Why not be dismayed? Because God is OURs! Possessive, He belongs to us & we BELONG to Him. We are His children, His servants, His people. So His umbrella covers us. Then He says “I will strengthen you & help you. I will UPHOLD YOU WITH MY RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND.” What a beautiful image that is! I imagine a giant hand reaching down & picking me up. It’s holding me securely out of reach of the enemies attacking as well as negative thoughts. This verse is reassurance to us, STRONG reassurance that God IS helping us. Therefore, we have NO reason to fear or be anxious. This is one of my personal favorites to recite out loud. It’s simple to repeat yet contains a powerful promise that God will aid us. I put up a definition of Help to define what exactly God promises to do. I pray this gives you reassurance as well & the courage to brave your troubles. Look to the Lord! From Him comes ALL your help!!!!!! https://www.instagram.com/p/CoEExBfo787/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#lovegod #love people #love #goodworks I made a commitment in my heart to love and serve them; because they are the family God has called me to, I decided to be a blessing to them. I do this not because I want to earn God's love, but because knowing He has first loved me enables me to love other--loving others is an expression of my love for Him (1 John 4:19-21). I don't always do this perfectly, but this is something I have committed to grow in. I'm understanding more and more that going to church and cell group gives us an opportunity to grasp the greatness of God's love for us and to mature in our unity and love for one another (Ephesians 4:1-6). But I've learned through firsthand experience that it is possible to go to church and not grow in one's relationship with God and with people. Therefore, rather than merely committing to go to church, let us remember that we are the church. This paradigm enables me to be a blessing to others with a joyful heart. As Jesus Himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). I am blessed by giving to others as well.-Raphael Zang #give #encourage https://www.instagram.com/p/CoBAlrPOMgZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#blessed to be cooking with Daddy Ford. Love ya pops ❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜🥰✨🥘🔥🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯 #eggrolls #cooking #bonappetit #daddyslittlegirl #iloveyoudad https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn-xKt7tnuu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jesus #plan #trustthelord #god Sometimes, we think we need to make a huge change or do something dramatic. But many times, all we have to do is take one step at a time. Sometimes, we try to take every step on our own, and forget that the Lord is the one who establishes our steps in the first place. Proverbs 16:9, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." When we walk with Jesus daily, it changes the way we live, how we make decisions, and ultimately how we love others around US. God is writing our stories in a beautiful way, but sometimes we can miss it. Even if we do, he is faithful. Seasons change, people change, but Jesus remains the same. Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." It doesn't mean life will always be easy; life will always have ups and downs. What it does mean is that following JESUS is worth it 'Every Step of the Way' So what is it that you ultimately need to surrender to the Lord today? Where is it that you need to trust him every step of the way? Is it finances, relationships, anxiety, depression, fear of the unknown, disappointments, physical pain? Whatever it is, give it to GOD, and know that he is - and always will be - faithful. REFLECTION • Take a moment to be still. Write down what you need to surrender to God, in order to freely walk step by step with Him. • Put what you wrote down in a place where you will see it every day, and make a commitment to read it every day as well. • Then let this be a reminder that you can go to God, and that he can help you let go of the past. Trust God with your future, and in every step that you take. "God, I surrender my fears, failures, and everything in between to you. I know that this life is better in your hands than It could truly ever be in my hands. Teach me what it means to walk with you EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. AMEN." https://www.instagram.com/p/CnsApkFuTpJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=