Our Father understands that balance. He respects His boundaries and does not push forward to intrude upon our choices. However, He just as loviingly will respond to our needs when we bring them to Him. Part of maturing in Christ is learning this important truth:

6But [as] I told you, although you have seen Me, still you do not believe and trust and have faith.

     ³⁷All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me].

     ³⁸For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the will and purpose of Him Who sent Me John 6:36-38 (AMP)

The best gift we have in being “vested” is KNOWING the plan of God for our lives. His plan is to intervene, upon permission, to meet our needs that His purposes can be fulfilled in our lives and we will gain the true benefits of this life!

Growing in the knowledge of God’s grace and love, being fully committed to His plan for our lives, learning to trust Him through the sunshiine and the rain - THIS IS THE GOOD LIFE!

Grace and Peace to you,

Maria

This week we want to continue to speak to the benefits of becoming vested in the Kingdom of God. Every month like clockwork, I receive a monthly alotment called “my pension”. It was one of the benefits of my becoming a “vested” employee. Had I spent less than the minium time determined by pension rules and regs’ I would not have received the pension before the legal age of retirement. However, because I served the tiime determined, and satisfied the requirements issued by the Pension Board, I became eligible for retirement before the nationally recognized age for retirement. It was one of the benefits to the package that my employer provided!

What I have learned about being “vested” in the Kingdom is that although the Holy Spirit has no “favorites”, nor can you earn seniority rights (remember the parable about the workers in Matthew 20);  however, being vested and not visiting does have some benefit rights:

^11-13Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.

^14-16So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master’s patient restraint for what it is: salvation. Our good brother Paul, who was given much wisdom in these matters, refers to this in all his letters, and has written you essentially the same thing. Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand. Irresponsible people who don’t know what they are talking about twist them every which way. They do it to the rest of the Scriptures, too, destroying themselves as they do it. 2 PPeter 3:13-15 (MSG)

When we study and learn the Word of God, we find ”much wisdom”. We become responsible in the things of God, and with faithfulness comes additional responsibility:

 ^47-48“The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he’ll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities! Luke 12:47-48 (MSG)

There is of course the obvious advantage to learning the “ways of God” – we find repeatedly in the scripture evidence that as we learn what the Word means, and apply those truths to our lives, there is a greater return. Standing on the Word of God, in the midst of “divers kinds of trials” – always brings about victorious results (even if we aren’t able to see them at the onset).

Continued on tomorrow…

Maria

Week One:         God Designed the Family

⁴ Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds
rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.
⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:4-6 (TNIV)

This Week’s Focus: Getting Connected!

This Week’s Scripture:  Ephesians 3:14:21

HeartLife Ministries is celebrating the family! The family was not man’s idea, the family was God’s idea and He placed us in families that we might have our needs met. There are times in our life when we look at the people who are related to us by blood or other relation and we wonder, “Is  this the family God designed for me?” Take heart, what may appear like a piece of rock to you, is really a diamond in the rough.

What changes families is the same thing that changes people, the life-giving, life-restoring power of God which was given to us through the redemptive work of the Cross by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He paid the price for our sins to be forgiven and for us to live a life free of guilt and condemnation – He is the only One who can give us a “Get out of Jail” card for life, now and life eternally.

If you are reading this, you have probably begun a journey on this road of faith in Jesus Christ. One of the first things that new believers desire is to have this same gift that they have received, given to their families.  This is a universal desire across cultures and nationalities. What we must always remember is when dealing with our families is our own journey to Christ. It was probably not the first decision you ever made, and it was probably made after many bad ones. Now that you have come to the “light” of the freedom that exists in Christ, don’t be surprised if everyone is not as excited as you are, and if they not anxious to join you in your walk of faith!

²⁹ Those who bring ruin on their families will inherit only wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise.

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and those who win souls are wise. Proverbs 11:29-30 (TNIV)

If you have a desire to win your family to Christ, and to establish a time of family prayer, always remember applying force, or putting pressure on them is never the answer. Our Father drew us with loving kindness:

³ The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 (TNIV)

Just as God the Father was patient with us, so we must be patient with our family. This “Get Connected” Campaign to restore family prayer is not about forcing people to pray, but to engage our families in a lifetime of “being connected one to another and together being connected to God!”

This week we would like for you to focus on activities that can  help your family “get connected”. Having prayer at meal times is a good way to start. Practically, most families struggle to come all together every day for meals; work schedules, games, classes, etc. make this a challenge. Try to set aside at least one meal where you can all come together and before that meal, ask everyone to say one thing that they are thankful for.

Note: Forcing people to pray when they are not comfortable is never a good idea.

Other activities might be establishing one evening where everyone that can, comes together to share the things that are going on in their life, and how the family might pray for challenges they might be facing.

If there is a birthday in your family, not only celebrate the birthday, celebrate the person by having every family member share one thing that they find special about that person; afterwards say a prayer of blessing for that person.

Scripture Verse For Discussion: Week 1

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 (TNIV)

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you believe the whole earth comes from one family? Why or Why Not?
2. Has Christ living in your heart made a difference in your life? How?
3. Do you believe that God is love? Can love be seen?
4. If God is love, why do you feel there is pain and suffering?
5. Have you experienced the immeasurably more God described in vs. 20?

HeartLife Ministries has established a page on FB that allows you to share your experiences, make suggestions, and ask questions. Please take a moment and let us know how your family “Got Connected” this week

I believe that one of the purposes of our tests and trials is not to try our endurance, nor to “see” who we really are under pressure. I believe that the primary purpose of these tests and trials is to allow us to learn the nature and character of our God. It is easy to say you believe in a God who can heal – yet, if you have never been sick, or watched a loved one sick – it is hard to really “feel” that belief. It is another story when you know that the situation is identified as impossible, possibly terminal, and the God of the universe steps in and in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye – reverses the report! You then not only know of a God who can heal, you come to KNOW THE GOD WHO HEALS!  This can be said of every kind of test we encounter - if we walk it out, and allow the Holy Spirit to have His Perfect Way – we become VESTED in the things of God and in the God of things!

I can remember so well, even though it has been probably over 35 years ago, the day I realized that there was NO TURNING BACK! I came across a scripture in 1 John that spoke to my heart in a way that I still marvel at: 1 John 3:13-15 (AMP)

¹³Do not be surprised and wonder, brethren, that the world detests and pursues you with hatred.     ¹⁴We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death.     ¹⁵Anyone who hates (abominates, detests) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding (^]persevering) within him.

I have discovered over the years that I was not the only one who had that misconception. In our zeal to get people to the blessings of salvation, there is sometimes a tendency to romanticize what the Christian life will be like. In retrospect, I’m not sure that this can even be avoided, because of our sinful nature we  hear through carnal ears and see through eyes of clay.

If you’ll permit me, I’d like to take a walk down memory lane for a moment. Each of us in our life, experience good days and bad days and the lingo of the church world gives expression to life’s challenges as tests and trials. For many years I heard people testify that we are either in a trial, coming out of a trial, or entering a trial. Not being raised in the church, I began to wonder what kind of life was this supposed to be – if your whole life you are going through trouble. What was the point? To say the least, I was terribly confused. I searched the scriptures to try to make sense of what was happening in my life, and quite frankly trying to discover if there was a way around this cycle. My mind told me, certainly this could not be “all” there was to the Christian life – trouble and more trouble, even if the goal was to show that God could make good out of the trouble. (Can somebody out there agree with me that I was suffering from  ”bad theology” ?)  What I experienced for many years as a new believer was that I was “taking a walk” trying to figure out how to make this Christianity work for me, rather than coming in relationship with the One who had all the answers. Eventually I found someone in the Bible who seemed to be having a struggle too:

^14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.

^17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. Romans 7: 14-20 (MSG)

To Be Continued,

Maria

Few of us when we are young spend a lot of time thinking about long-term investments. Those who do, are usually in some way connected with these kinds of things through interest or employment.  There are also those because of life’s circumstances that are brought to a sudden understanding.  Such is the case with my nephews who recently loss their father. They now have to look into a financial sector that they previously had no experience with. The Holy Spirit took this thought a bit further, allowing me to understand that there are some Christians who, by reason of experience, are “fully vested” in this walk; and there are others who are just “visiting” – they are just “taking a walk”!

The Free Online Dictionary defines vested:

vest·ed (vstd)adj.

This week we have had the privilege of looking at Grace from an entirely different perspective. I don’t know about you, but I have thoroughly been inspired by the insights Bro. Glenn has revealed to us of the provisions that our Father has intended for us. Delving into this study of Grace has caused me to see how great the Father’s love is and how complete the work of the cross was on our behalf.  Because of the redemptive work of the cross all that we have need of in this life is available to us, if we can receive it. When we are going through various trials of life we sometimes forget that not only does God know the way out of the trial, but He wants to bless us through the trial:

¹⁰And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.1 Peter 5:10 (AMP)

It takes a while to ingest this and get it in our spirit, but if we can receive it…

“the God of all grace” -

 our God does not pick and choose whether He will bestow grace, whether He will

 ”impart all blessing and favor’ -

 this includes

all and everything -

 taking every trial, every test, every thing that comes our way -

and the love of God and the blood of Jesus makes us

 ”complete…and what [we] ought to be”.

Our Father takes every thing we suffer and uses it to

 ”establish and ground [us] securely, strengthening us and settling us.”

What good news! What a great Savior! What a wonderful promise!

And this is for a “glorious eternity”!

Maria

Just as Joseph’s brothers didn’t deserve the grace that Joseph gave them, we don’t deserve the grace that Jesus gave us. But that’s why it’s called grace – because we cannot earn it or deserve it by anything that we think, say, or do. We simply receive it by faith in the One who loves us and did it all for us!

Because of His love for us, Jesus took our place so that we could take His place. Throughout the Bible, there are numerous verses explaining the details of this GRACE EXCHANGE! Jesus died, so we can have eternal life! (John 3:16) Jesus became sin, so we could become righteous! (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus became poor, so we could become rich! (2 Corinthians 8:9)

That’s GRACE!

Now, let’s read a few more verses from Genesis to see the grace that Joseph showed his brothers. Pharaoh told Joseph to tell his brothers, in Genesis 45:18-20 (NKJV):

 18 “Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.

19 Now you are commanded––do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come.

20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.”

Here are two more PROMISES of PROVISION that we can believe and receive as we look to Jesus as our Provider:

(6) Jesus Promises to Provide Us With Unmerited Favor

In verses 18 & 20, the words, “…I will give you the best of the land…” and “…the best of the land of Egypt is yours”, indicate that Joseph is giving them unmerited favor over others who may be more deserving. So, because of God’s grace, and because Jesus IS our Provider, we also can expect to receive unmerited favor!

(7) Jesus Promises to Provide Us With Restoration of Health and Strength

In verse 18, the words, “you will eat the fat of the land” require closer scrutiny. The word translated “fat” in verse 18 is the Hebrew word ‘cheleb’ (khay’-leb). Cheleb can also be translated “richest or choicest part, best part, abundance (of products of the land)”. Understanding that there is a relationship between food and health, eating the choicest produce of the land would result in the restoration of their health and strength. So, because of God’s grace, and because Jesus IS our Provider, we also can expect to receive restoration of health and strength!

In our next post, we’ll focus on two remaining promises of provision!

Glenn