“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
 Matthew 6:22-24 
​​

Through His sacrifice, Jesus opened the way for us to have a blessed and victorious life. If we are redeemed from sin and reconciled to our heavenly Father, and we realize and understand what we have and who we are in Jesus Christ, we can reign in life. Those of us who have received Jesus as Lord and live to please God, have everything needed to enjoy life. (If you have not yet experienced being born-again and want to follow Jesus, you can find out more in the "Salvation" section).

• Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

 
When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit he died spiritually and all future mankind inherited his sinful, fallen nature. If death through sin, had such great power to rule over man, how much more true life which comes from God, “zóé,” may make us reign through Jesus Christ! But we cannot reign or rise above problems or circumstances, if we do not understand and receive all the grace that the Lord has for us and know that we are the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 
Only through the Lord's grace, through His unmerited favor for us, can we be righteous. It is a divine righteousness that could only come from the Son of God, who was made sin for us, paying in full for mankind’s sin. Only after we truly understand that because of Jesus we are forgiven and have favor with God, can we fully obey the will of God. Whenever we submit to the Lord, we reign in life as we conquer sin and the many problems and issues we face daily. Our Lord wants us to enjoy His presence and continually communicate with Him, never doubt His love and know that He will always see us through.
 
We reign in life when we live led by the Holy Spirit, fulfilling God's plan for our lives. The more we live pleasing the Lord, the happier we are. When we ask for God's direction and do as the Holy Spirit leads us, we spare ourselves of the pain of bad decisions and sin. Our time is also used more efficiently, and we gather real treasure in heaven, which no one can steal from us.
 
God's sovereignty is often misunderstood. Many errantly say that everything that happens is God's will and He has a reason for all things and that we cannot expect anything good. While it is absolutely true that God is sovereign and there is no one and nothing above Him, He has given us free will and tells us through His Word that His permissive will can be changed through prayer. Would the Lord ask us to pray if He did not want to change situations for us? What good would prayer do if God overrules everything that happens in our lives? The truth is that if what we ask in prayer is according to His will, the Lord does it for us and changes bad situations into something good.
 
The Lord would not say that we can reign in life, if He did not want us to, and He did not equip us with the right weapons to fight against the enemy and all that is evil. To "reign in life" means "to exercise dominion, the highest influence over one's own life." The dedicated Christian is not driven by what happens to him, but through Jesus he has authority over the life he lives on earth. Let us not forget that we can only reign through Jesus, because of what we have in Him and through Him. When we allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit to manifest in our lives, through love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, longsuffering, self-discipline, we have authority and dominion over hatred, anxiety, fear, malice, impatience, lust, and all their bad effects.
 
As we seek "the kingdom of God and His righteousness more than anything else” (Matthew 6:33), the Lord will take care of all our needs. God is full of goodness, faithfulness and truth, and He fulfills what He promises us in His Word. We can be on top of our problems and not under them, when we know that the Lord knows what we are going through, and He has prepared what it takes for us to be victorious. We know all too well that we have never solved any problem by worrying and focusing on the bad that could’ve happened, and in so doing, we only made things worse. But whenever we choose to give the Lord our problems and worries, we can have the peace and assurance that He will solve them in whatever way is best. The real reign of Jesus in our hearts results in us truly reigning in life. As we fulfill God’s plan for our lives, we find the most blessed life and true success!
 
 
Carmen Pușcaș

Whenever we go through physical, mental, and spiritually demanding events during the day, if we fail to really calm down before going to bed, it can be very difficult to have a peaceful night. For some of us it is challenging to stop our brain from processing thoughts to be able to fall asleep. Others may fall asleep much easier and sleep deep, but even for them, life in this chaotic world may keep them awake at times. So, what do we do?

• Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

 
We can have the Lord’s true peace if we give Him our thoughts, worries, anxieties, frustrations, and everything that bothered us during the day and can disturb our sleep. We can sleep better if we make it a habit to give these thoughts to the Lord before bed and take time to read the Bible to feed our spirits and minds with God’s truth. During the deep sleep, without dreams, the brain is cleansing itself of toxins produced by nerve cells as a result of their activity during the day. But for this cleansing process to take place effectively, we need about 7 to 8 hours of good sleep. Lack of sleep makes us grumpy, lack energy, and if we don't get enough sleep for long periods of time, the brain cannot eliminate toxins and we may expose ourselves to diseases with serious consequences.
 
When we wake up in the morning feeling tired, most likely we didn't sleep deeply long enough. Thoughts are formed by connections (synapses) between neurons (nerve cells), which during the night loosen and form other connections becoming dreams. If during the day we think about a lot of negative thoughts, painful and unpleasant memories, the chances of having a restful sleep at night are very slim. Whatever other connections would the nerve cells form between them, they cannot produce beautiful and pleasant dreams, if we do not take the time to cleanse our minds through the Word of God before going to sleep. Jesus tells us to give Him our burdens and even our fatigue and take His rest. When we do everything together with our Lord, following His directions, we are not handling the problems alone, but "yoked" together with Jesus. This means that He will bear the heavy loads for us and teach us how to deal with all of life situations. Also, Jesus is the perfect example of meekness and humility and if we choose to be like Him, we will live better lives and rest better.
 
Sometimes it may be hard to identify if a directional thought is coming from the Lord or not, but we can ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do in my place?” and then act based on what we know the Bible says about God's character. Meekness helps us not to act harshly based on first reactions, and humility helps us not to have a higher opinion of ourselves than we should. When we make decisions calmly and objectively, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can have more peace, and no longer lose sleep over bad decisions or suffer from their effects. When we do everything together with Jesus, respecting His values and principles, it is much easier to fulfill His will, because He is “yoked” together with us.
 
What we think, feel, speak, and decide during the day influences our sleep at night. We were created by God for love, joy and peace. But because we live in a fallen world, more often the natural response to what happens to us is the opposite of love, joy, and peace. In order to change our human way of reacting to negative situations, with the spiritual one, we must be transformed “by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2). A transformed mind will continue to transform a person's emotions, decisions, speech, and even character. The mind is made up of the totality of a person’s thoughts, feelings and choices. We are called to think, feel and choose based on the truth of God’s Word, and by doing so, we can reign in life. A renewed mind changes our character too. Integrity and good behavior increase the quality of our lives and we become a positive influence on those around us as well. The more seriously and deeply we study the Word of God, the more we enter in the presence of the Lord, we hear Him more clearly and as we change, we become more like Jesus.
 
The sooner we get our peace after being disturbed or hurt, the better we will rest at night. The quicker we give our problems and frustrations to God, the less time we will spend during the night being frustrated and searching for solutions.
 
By forming the habit before going to bed of giving the Lord what happened during the day to Him in prayer, we can relax our minds and sleep peacefully, trusting that the Lord will work all things out for good. If you do not know how to pray, you can develop and adapt the prayer below to your situation.
 
Dear Lord, please help me remember what has troubled me during the day and I have not yet given unto You. Please forgive me for... and please show me if there is anything else I have done wrong without realizing it. Please cleanse me of all my sins and help me keep a pure heart and my mind free from bad thoughts. Please help me to recognize the thoughts that come from You and give me the wisdom and strength to follow your guidance step by step. I am giving You my thoughts, emotions, and dreams and please help me rest deep and wake up refreshed. Thank You Lord, for in You alone I can lie down in peace, sleep, and truly rest. Glory and honor to You forever, in the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.
 

Carmen Pușcaș

From Genesis to Revelation, we see how wonderful God's heart is and that everything He asks of us is actually for our good, even if sometimes it may not seem like it. In Genesis 1:31b, after completing the act of creation, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Everything the Lord created was for people to enjoy their life on earth and rule over His creation. There was nothing harmful to man in all that God had made, until Adam and Eve chose to obey the devil, and break the only command that God had given, by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
 
Before the fall, there was no evil in the world, no sickness or suffering, and Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect health. They had no fear of getting sick, because they did not even know what it meant to be sick or to suffer. But after the fall, sin damaged the perfect balance of creation and produced sickness, suffering, and all that is evil. Nevertheless, even if man chose to sin, in His love, God prepared the way to save humanity, as from the beginning He wanted His own special people that would be forever with Him (1 Peter 2:9).
 
In His perfect redemption plan, God gave His Son to pay the penalty for our sins and restore us to what He created us to be in the first place. Everything that Adam lost when he had fallen into sin, Jesus restored for us. We find many examples of healings, miracles and resurrections throughout the Bible, proving God’s heart for us and that He always healed the sick. And towards the end of the book, in Revelation 7:16-17 we read that after we get to heaven we will no longer be hungry or thirsty, “the sun will not strike us nor any heat” and Jesus will lead us “to springs of living water” and “God will wipe away all tears” from our eyes. The Lord has prepared for us a perfect place where we will live the most beautiful and abundant life. We will spend our eternity in perfectly healthy glory bodies, with perfect spirits and souls, free from all that is evil and painful.
 
Jesus went to prepare a place for us, so that where He is, we will be also (John 14:3). There is no evil or sickness and when Jesus gave us the “Lord's prayer,” He taught us to ask: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Lord wants us to have the best while we live in this world and to enjoy health, reigning in life through Jesus Christ. The Lord also told us that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12b). The original Greek word for “violence” is “biastḗs” which means «positive assertiveness; used of the believer living in faith. “God's inworked persuasions” guiding and empowering the believer to act forcefully – i.e. “fired up” by God to act by His revelation.» So this verse says that “believers strive to obtain the privileges of the kingdom of God with the utmost eagerness and effort.” (according to “HELPS Word-studies” and "Thayer's Greek Lexicon").
 
Sustained effort and ardent zeal are necessary for receiving all that pertains to the kingdom of heaven, including entering into the possession of any healing we need because Jesus already acquired it for us in His sacrifice at the cross. Why? Because it is up to us to resist the devil, not accept sickness, not speak words that bring death upon ourselves or others and overcome doubt by knowing and proclaiming the promises of God.

• Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

 
God healed the sick including during the Old Testament times, through His prophets whom He anointed with the Holy Spirit and continued to perform healings and miracles through Jesus and the believers of the New Testament. The Lord has healed and will continue to heal as long as His children are in this world. After we will leave the earth at the rapture, those living and those who died previously in the Lord, will receive glorified bodies and will never need healing again.
 
In His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus saved us from sin, as well as from all sickness and suffering. Jesus does not expect us to have perfect faith and to do everything right, to help us. He knows our hearts and meets us where we are at. That's what the Lord did during His ministry on earth and that is what He does today when we cry out to Him.
 
Whenever we consider and meditate on the Scripture in the four Gospels about the individual healings that Jesus did, we clearly see God's love, mercy and desire to heal the sick. Upon careful analysis, it can be seen that out of the 3 1/2 years of Christ’s ministry, we only have recorded information from a maximum of 27 days, and of those days, none are fully recorded with everything that Jesus did. With Jesus healing all who came to Him including many big crowds and only such a few days recorded, who can know the vast number of healings that Jesus actually did? The truth is that Jesus' life was full of healings and miracles. And since He returned to heaven, the Lord prays and intercedes for us. Can we doubt that Jesus wants us to be healed when we realize what He did daily during in His ministry on earth?

• Romans 8:34b It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

 

• Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 
Jesus is the same, He has not changed and will never change just as our heavenly Father will never change. How wonderful it is to know that our Lord sits at the right hand of our heavenly Father and intercedes for us. Through His sacrifice, He has already done everything for the forgiveness of our sins and of all mankind, the healing of all sicknesses and sufferings, and everything we need to live abundant lives. Since Jesus did miracles and healed all who came to Him, and He never changes, we can know and trust that He does the same. We can have faith our Lord that He wants to heal us if we ask Him to. The heart of our Lord is always full of love because He is and will always be love. Also, His mercy, kindness, goodness and long suffering will endure forever! Hallelujah!

“The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation.” - Exodus 34:6a-7

Carmen Pușcaș

When we understand that our true identity comes from our relationship with Jesus and that it does not change with circumstances, we are successful and prosper in whatever we do. We are who God's Word says we are and not what we feel based upon what we have, where we are at any given time, or what others say about us. The only thing that matters is what God says about us because we are His children and our identity comes from Him.
 
As we find our delight in the Lord, in knowing and understanding His Word, we can reign in life through Jesus and live as we read in the verses below.
 

• Psalms 1:3 He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

 
As we get our strength from the Lord, by having our roots deeply planted in His Word and the Holy Spirit constantly supplying us with living water, we are prosperous in everything we do.
 

• John 7:38-39 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
  

 
The supply of living water our heavenly Father has for us is not limited. He has rivers of living water that never run dry and does not want us to thrive only from time to time. God has given us all we need to be continuously well supplied and hydrated, living in healthy bodies. He wants us to have abundant, fruitful lives and to know that we have a well-defined purpose in this world. When we know what our true identity is, everything will follow that truth, because we are the result of who we think we are. If we know that through Jesus we are prosperous, rooted in the love of the Lord and fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit, meant to bless others, we will praise God more, sin less and be much happier.
 
In God's economy we first give and then receive. Let's not forget that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7b). Charity helps us not to attach our heart to possessions and not to rely on our wealth. If we trust that our Lord is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides, we can give with joy, because we know that the Lord takes care of our needs.
 
God does not simply want us to become financially rich so that we will have more worries, spend all our time making more money and thinking that we are self-sufficient. On the contrary, He wants to teach us to do everything from the position of being His children, who love Him, glorify Him for everything and bless others. God did not create us to dedicate all our time to our career and work, but to be "God's fellow workers", communicating and being in permanent contact with Him. He blesses us and prospers us to live according to His will, fulfilling the plan He has prepared for the life of each one of us. Additionally, when we live under the Lord’s direction, we do what He wants us to do and He helps us finish everything we start. When we are led by the Lord and strengthened by the Holy Spirit we do not waste time, resources or energy, and we can enjoy life to the fullest.
 

• Psalms 128:1-2 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

 
The Bible does not say that blessings fall from heaven while we do nothing. On the contrary, the Bible says many times that Father God blesses and prospers the work of our hands. If we do our part, the Lord does His. The Lord is Omniscient and rewards all that we do for His glory, with the right heart.
 

• Isaiah 3:10 “Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

 
The righteous have their sins forgiven, are clean before God and can enter into His presence. If our deeds are pleasing to the Lord, we will do well, we will prosper and we will lack nothing, as the Lord promises us in His Word.
 

• 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

 
With His death, Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins and to save us from poverty. Jesus became a curse for us on the cross, to free us from the curse we inherited from Adam’s fall. Jesus became poor for us, taking our poverty upon Himself that we might become rich in Him. He took our sicknesses so that we could be healed through Him. He took all our sufferings so that we could live an abundant life through Him. Jesus told us that if we know the Father and Him, we have eternal life, His life, the true life.
 
Being prosperous does not mean that we no longer go through hard times. It means that the source of our strength is the Lord not us. He is a source that never fails and is there to always help us overcome every difficulty and obstacle we face.
 
God sets no limits to our faith or to the infilling of the Holy Spirit. We impose limits by what we believe. God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.” We must allow His full power to work in us without doubt and limitations. the Holy Spirit The more we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, the more He can do for us. The level of our prosperity is relational to the limits we place on the Holy Spirit as well as the faith we have in what God wants for us.
 
 
Carmen Pușcaș

As we pass from one year to the next, it seems natural to reflect on the past year’s achievements and make plans for the coming year. But how much attention do we pay to our spiritual state? Do we think more about material or spiritual achievements? If we are happy in our relationship with Jesus, it means that we had a good year and that all the challenges, difficulties and “light affliction, which are for but a moment, are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," (2 Corinthians 4:17).
 
The Christian life is not without suffering or failure, but if we choose to put things in the right perspective, we can find something good in every trial or pain. There are many verses that urge us to set our eyes upon Jesus, so that we “do not lose heart,” and become discouraged and fall into the trap of the evil one. There are also several verses that show us that the Lord brings something good for us even out of suffering. One of the most wonderful examples is seen in the way Paul talks about suffering, calling it “our light affliction, which is but for a moment,” in the second epistle to the Corinthians. Then to the Romans he wrote “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18). The list of sufferings and trials that Paul went through, from 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 show that he put everything in the perspective of eternity, which means even decades count only as a moment. It was certainly not easy for him, but his love for Jesus and his desire to help as many as possible become saved, made him consider all the achievements and gains of this world as “loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus His Lord.” Then Paul goes even further by saying, that for the Lord “I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
 
When we understand that “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20) we can “set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth. For we died, and our life is hidden with Christ in God.” And by doing so, we can “seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1-3).
 
How often do we get upset, sad, and frustrated by so many things that will not matter in a few months, or sometimes even in a few days or hours? If we get into the habit of thinking that all our frustrations will mean nothing a thousand years from now, we can get over the little things much easier and have more peace and joy.

• 1 Peter 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

 
Our heavenly Father has called us to His eternal glory, through His Son, and to get there He gives us grace after grace. The Lord does not enjoy seeing us suffering, but if we trust Him, He uses any suffering to help us become more and more like Jesus, He establishes us and gives us the strength to handle trials and helps us able to stand no matter what. God wants us to succeed and if we continue the good fight of faith, He helps us finish the race and be with Him forever. What a wonderful future we have waiting for us in heaven and by keeping it in perspective, we can choose to rejoice in our Lord every moment of our journey on earth, even in the hard times. And as Paul says, we know that if we leave this world, we will receive the heavenly, glorious body that is eternal, and we want to be found worthy to be clothed with our “heavenly habitation.” If we are too comfortable in our physical bodies, we are not close to the Lord, because our hearts are full of the things of this world. But if we walk by faith, we are happy and full of confidence, waiting to leave this world to be truly at home with our Lord. The believer seeks to be pleasing to God while they live in this world, in order to arrive where his eternal home is, with the heavenly Father.

• For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. […] So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. - 2 Corinthians 5:1–3, 6-9

 
 
Carmen Pușcaș

There were shepherds nearby at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. And the Lord had an angel bring word to them of the great news.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
Luke 2:13-14

There was a gentleman who lived in America in the 1800’s. He was a writer and a poet in Massachusetts. His name was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The 1860’s were very difficult times. He had lost his wife in a fire and was severely burned himself trying to save her. He said the grief from that alone was enough to put him in an asylum. His oldest son Charles was terribly wounded in the Civil War and almost paralyzed. And the division, pain and suffering from the war, was horrendous all throughout America. On Christmas Day, 1863, Longfellow, the widower and father of Charles and 4 younger children, heard the Christmas bells ringing. His heart was full of despair. He wrote a poem that in time, has become a famous song. In it he penned,

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said:
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

While Longfellow’s heart was deeply hurting, his faith was still in the Lord, He rebounded just like King David did in many of his psalms. Henry Longfellow then recorded the next section of verses:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth He sleep!
The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Longfellow found his comfort in the Lord. He heard in his heart what the Scripture and the bells are all about. The question for each of us, like the song we know today from Longfellow’s poem, “I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day,” is, can you hear the bells and their message?

The problems in this current world, could fill anyone’s heart with despair if we let it. The Lord sent His Son Jesus to be our Savior. His peace is available to all who will receive it. In Christ, we all have a hope and a future, even if the world would grow darker still. We must get our eyes off all the toils and troubles of this world, and on the Prince of Peace. The following are the lyrics to the song. Can you hear the message?

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
 
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men
 
And the bells are ringing (peace on earth)
Like a choir they're singing (peace on earth)
In my heart I hear them (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
 
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
 
But the bells are ringing (peace on earth)
Like a choir singing (peace on earth)
Does anybody hear them? (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
 
Then rang the bells, more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor does He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men
 
Then ringing singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men
 
And the bells they're ringing (peace on earth)
Like a choir they're singing (peace on earth)
And with our hearts we'll hear them (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
 
Do you hear the bells they're ringing? (peace on earth)
The life the angels singing (peace on earth)
Open up your heart and hear them (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
Peace on earth, peace on earth
Peace on earth, good will to men

 
Here is a link to a beautiful rendition to the song by a group called Casting Crowns.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F756Mjxxrvc

This is a collection of thoughts on the life and power of God’s Word for Christians. When we read and take the Bible into our hearts, it is transformational.
 
Faith comes from “hearing” the Word of God. The Lord has said that if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. When we “hear” what the Lord has to say and His Word works in us, we are given more comprehension and as we hear more and apply it, we continue to grow in faith and understanding. This is not just hearing with the outer ear but hearing inside our hearts. (Mark 4:23-24, Romans 10:17)
 
Finding out the true character of God. Most of us come to be Christians with preconceptions about who God is. Only when we grow in our relationship with Him, and read and study His Word, do we find out who the Lord really is. His character, His heart, His ways, His will, etc. If He is to be our Lord, then we must know whom we serve. (2 Peter 3:9, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 4:8, Matthew 4:4)
 
We are to be Christ-like. How can we be like Jesus without knowing who He really is? By reading and studying about Jesus in the Gospels and additional Scripture, we can do our best to please the Father, honor Him and be true ambassadors of Jesus Christ to those around us. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
 
By learning what sin is, we can keep from error. How can we “not sin” if we do not know what “sin” is? Society’s definition of sin is often quite different from the Lord’s. Perhaps we were raised with parents who taught us wrong and unless we realize it, we might continue in something sinful. Learning “what sin is” from God’s Word, is the only definition that can be trusted! (Psalms 119b-11, Hebrews 4:12)
 
God’s Word not only shows us “what not to do,” but “what to do!” We need guidance on the road of life. The Bible not only shows us stop signs but which way to turn and how to proceed. (Psalms 119:130, Ephesians 5:8b-10)
 
Without the renewing of our minds, we would never make it. As Christians, we all have an “old man” that has a “sinful nature.” And being spiritually born-again, we all have new hearts that want to please God and live wisely. By the renewing of our minds, we can overcome that “sinful nature.” The old man has evil thought patterns which were developed in the process of time and are not God-centered thoughts. When we read and apply what we learn from God’s Word, we learn and develop new patterns of thinking with Christ as our center. (Romans 12:2, John 17:17-19)
 
In learning and knowing the truth, we can recognize deception. With the Bible as absolute truth, we can know truth from error. The world teaches tolerance of sin and often wants us to embrace it. By knowing the truth of God’s word, we can recognize the lies. We can love people without condoning or embracing the sin. The truth always exposes what is counterfeit. (2 Timothy 3:13-17, John 8:30-32, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
 
In knowing the Lord and His Word, we can have the courage to stand up for what is right, even in the face of an enemy. There are many situations in life that can make one fearful. But in knowing the Lord and the Bible, we ascertain the confidence to stand strong, even if the price may be expensive. (Ephesians 6:10-11, Psalms 27:1, Deuteronomy 31:6)
 
Through God’s Word, we learn that we have authority over Satan and his demonic forces. By knowing who we are in Christ and the power He has given us, we can stand against all darkness. (Ephesians 6:12-13, James 4:7, Mark 16:17-18)
 
By knowing God’s plan for us, as found in His Word, we can abide in Him and He can abide in us. And in so doing, we can be pleasing to the Lord and even have our prayers answered. (John 15:7, Psalms 91:14-16)
 
Abundant and eternal life are gifts for those who forsake sin and believe upon the Name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Lord provides an abundant life now and eternal life forever. Father God and the truth of His Word, set us free from the bondage of sin and provide the direction to have a blessed life. By knowing and applying the truth of the Gospel, we find true life, now and forever! (John 11:25-26a, John 10:10b)
 
Great benefits of reading and studying the Bible have been presented here, but there are many more. Thank the Lord for so masterfully creating the Bible through so many people and over so many years. As it has been said, many books can inform you but only the Bible can transform you. For those who do not learn and apply God’s Word, they fail to mature in the Lord. Without the truth of the Bible working in their lives, they easily fall prey to the tricks and lies of the devil. By not abiding in Christ or allowing Him to be their true Lord, they miss out on the covenant relationship with God. Therefore, He is not obligated to hear or answer their prayers.
 
Repenting and believing upon the Lord for salvation is just the beginning. Becoming a Christian is not a small thing or to be taken lightly. The word disciple and discipline come from the same base word in Greek. We are to put the Lord first above everyone and everything, including ourselves. It is an honor and a privilege to be a child of God and have His Word to help us. When we realize and learn of the Lord’s love and grace for us, we cannot help but love and seek to honor Him. We find that the Bible is the best instruction manual for life and the standard of measurement for our lives. We are thankful for it and want to grow in it more and more.

In America, Thanksgiving Day is always the fourth Thursday in November. Many want to deny or taint the history that Pilgrims of Christian faith, came to America and that the Indians helped them. In fact, many Pilgrims died arriving in harsh cold weather and the ones that survived, did so by the help of a Native American Indian name Squanto, who had been taken into slavery where he learned English but by the grace of God, made it back home. Squanto was not only able to help the Pilgrims, but he also helped them communicate with other Indians of the area. Estimates vary, but it is believed to be about 10 million of the people in America today, descended from this little colony. On a global scale, they are believed to have about 35 million descendants worldwide. Only 53 of the Mayflower’s 102 passengers and about 30 crew, survived the first winter in America.

In the autumn of 1621, the colonists celebrated their survival and harvest by sharing a feast with some of the local Native American Indians that they had established relations with.This was the first "Thanksgiving," and over time has become one of our biggest national holidays. And while many people all over the world have given thanks at harvest time, the celebration of Thanksgiving in America has been seen more and more by many because of modern travel and communications, and even personally experienced. And in so doing, many others also have started to have their own special days of Thanksgiving and special dinners.
 
As Christians, we must always maintain hearts of humility and thanksgiving. And what a blessing it is, to have a special day like Thanksgiving when we all take the time to count our blessings and work together for a special meal with traditional favorites. No matter how easy it is to get caught up in all the work or festivities, let’s not forget to take time and count our blessings and give thanks to the One from whom all blessings flow. Without the Lord, we would not even exist and without His blessings upon us, life would be unimaginable. From salvation through Jesus Christ, to our skills, talents, opportunities, health, families and loved ones, food and shelter, to waking up to another day, education, churches, jobs, freedoms, transportation, pets, and all the many blessings that surround each of us, we all have much to thank the Lord for.

Eli Cockrell

 
Here are some of the things that we are thankful for in our family:
 
Salvation and being able to pray to a God who cares, hears, and answers in His wisdom
A great Bible in a language we can understand
A great church with a wise pastor and our church family
A cup of coffee in the morning
Sweet tea in the day
Great neighbors
Birth family, married family and adopted family
Chocolate and other wonderful sweets
Not only food in the pantry, but food we like and also being able to eat out
Clothes, not only do we have clothes and shoes, but more than enough. There was a time when some of our grandparents had only two sets of clothes. One for every day and one for church or town. And went barefooted much of the year and then had to put newspaper or cardboard in their shoes until they could do better.
A good toothbrush and toothpaste
Good water, hot and cold water as needed
A loving spouse that loves the Lord too
Wonderful children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews
Great friends
Blessed to be in the body of Christ and the ministries the Lord has me in
Sunrises and sunsets
Seasons including spring and the wildflowers, fall and the leaves turning
Living in a free country
Health
High speed internet
Education, reading, writing, arithmetic and all the extras
Being able to see
Medicines, vitamins
Our pets
Living in the country
Vehicles that not only run and are paid for, but were answers to prayer
Work with income
Instruments and music
Having a Lord so worthy of worship and being able to worship Him alone and with others too
Living in a climatized home
Parents that taught me right from wrong and good work ethics
A sense of humor
Cell phones and computers
And YOU if you are reading this!

Have you ever heard it said that there is a place in all of us that only God can fill? For certain, we all have a void that needs to be filled by the presence of God, via the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives. But it can also be filled with the wrong thing or things. Many of us know from personal experience that when we first become believers, we find pure joy and a peace from the Lord that surpasses any other kind of peace.
 
It is life-changing when we turn from self-lordship and submit our lives to Father God as true Lord. We go from lost to found, from the bondage of sin to freedom in Christ and no longer wanting to sin. We go from hell-bound to heaven-bound! And those of us with this experience, know that in time, if we are not careful, we can lose that wonderful peace and true joy we acquired. The old selfish nature longs to creep back in. And the devil and his evil forces want us to stumble more than ever. The world and the people of it, would pull us back into it with the blink of an eye. We learn that we cannot serve the Lord and this world too. Our hearts, if not guarded, can have less of the Lord in them and more of things they shouldn't.
 
Becoming born-again is just the beginning. We must guard our hearts from the old nature by denying it daily (crucifying it). We must keep our distance from being pulled back into the world and follow the Lord closely, keeping our ears open to Him and shut to the enemy. We have to learn God’s Word so that it can be effective in our lives and so it’s truth can guide us and in knowing it, we can recognize the lies of the enemy.
 
Even though I have been a Christian for many years, I recently fell into a trap of the enemy by allowing myself to become more full of something else than the Lord. As spirit beings, our spirits are invisible. But we are guided by them. If we are in submission to the Lord, then the Holy Spirit guides us from there. If our hearts (which are really the centers of our spirits) can get distracted enough, we can lose that incredible peace and joy we once had and if not corrected, can even go astray. I did not consciously choose to forsake the Lord, but I allowed a distraction in my life that became all consuming. I literally felt like it was trying to take over lordship. This problem is not unique to me. For many, it comes in the form of a cell phone, gaming, Facebook or even something as seemingly innocent as working out. None of these are bad in themselves, no more than my hobby was… until, it became all consuming. I began to work on it in all my spare time or I was thinking about it night and day. Someone else might get carried away by work or ambition. Or perhaps another person, a spouse or love interest. But no person or thing, should ever become more consuming in our hearts than the Lord.
 
In John 15:1-8, the Lord Jesus explains how we need to abide in Him and He will abide in us. He also explains what happens if we do not. He loves us and wants us to find our life in Him. Then He goes on to say more in the following verses.

• John 15:9-11 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

 
We must abide in the Lord. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches that come from Him. I believe the Holy Spirit in us, is the life-giving force we need spiritually, just as a physical vine needs to be alive with its sap and the nutrients within to live. A poor source naturally would produce a poor vine. But a thriving vine, must be thriving internally to be the best.
 
We must have the Holy Spirit in us and be full of Him, and not ourselves or anything else. I like to think of our hearts as having a throne upon them. And the question is always, who is on that throne? Lordship means total submission to whoever or whatever is lord. It could be self, good works, alcohol or drugs, another person, a career, anything, even a ministry. I found out the hard way that even a hobby could become all consuming.

• Jeremiah 2:13 "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns -- broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

 
We must keep the Lord first. It is the greatest mistake and a horrible sin to forsake Him. And as we see in this verse, He is the fountain of living waters. And when we allow anything else to take us over, it is like we choose broken cisterns in place of the Lord, that cannot even hold water. And it is not only bad for us, but it is an insult to the Lord.
 
As you can imagine, I repented and threw myself upon the mercy of the Lord. But my heart had become so dry, I needed a miracle to even start to refill again. Praise the Lord that He helped me even to do that. As I started singing and worshiping the Lord from my heart, I could feel my heart begin to soften and as I yielded to the Holy Spirit, healing and refilling began. Paul in his letter to the Romans said the following to them.

• Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 
We cannot overflow with something we do not have. If we are full of anything besides the Lord, that is what we will overflow with. Jesus said that the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart. Bless the Lord, He never gives up on us. I hope and pray that your heart is filled with the Lord today and if not, that you too would put out anything that has come between you and Him. The greatest peace and joy, belong to those who choose to heed the Word of God and the voice of the Holy Spirit!


Eli Cockrell