Always on His Mind

"How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!"

(Psalm 139:17, NIV)

Always on His Mind

Have you ever had difficulty receiving from God because you thought, “God has better things on His mind,” or “This isn’t that important to Him”? It may be tempting to let your mind wander in that direction, but the truth is that nothing is more important to God than you are! Every detail of your life matters to Him. Scripture tells us that He even counts the very hairs on your head. He bottles your tears and holds them as precious. You are important to Him, and nothing that concerns you is too big or too small for God! Today, if you’ve had those discouraging thoughts come to mind, replace them by declaring the truth of God’s Word. Declare, “God’s thoughts are precious toward me. I am always on God’s mind. He loves me, and I matter to Him.” As you begin to replace the negative thoughts with the truth, your life will begin to change. You will see a transformation in your thinking. You’ll feel His love like you never have before; you will know Him in ways you’ve never known Him before, and you’ll experience His goodness and grace all the days of your life!

A Prayer for Today

"Father God, how awesome You are! How great is Your love! Help me to receive Your love so that I may know You more. Thank You for perfecting everything that concerns me as I daily cast my cares on You in Jesus’ name. Amen."

Happy Easter - He Has Risen!

Matthew 28:5

5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay. 7Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ See, I have told you.”…

Speaking the Blessing

“The tongue has the power of life and death...” (Proverbs 18:21, NIV)

Have you thought about how the people in your life need your blessing? They need your approval. They need to hear you say, “I’m proud of you. You’re going to do great things.” That’s speaking the blessing. When you say to the people you love, “I’m so glad you’re in my life. You mean the world to me,” you just gave them the blessing. When you tell one of your employees, coworkers or a student, “You amaze me with your ability. You have such a bright future,” those are not just nice compliments. When you speak the blessing, you’re releasing God’s wisdom, protection, favor and abundance into their hearts. You can literally help shape their destiny. One word of encouragement, one word of approval can be what helps someone step up to who God created them to be. Today, choose to speak the blessing. Sow good seeds into the lives of the people you love. Remember, what you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. Sow blessing and reap blessing and experience His favor all the days of your life!

Promotion from the Lord

I know a single parent mother who was working hard, raising her children and trying to make ends meet. Every month, she barely had enough to pay her bills. She told how she dreamed of taking a vacation, but every time she saved up extra funds, something would break that had to be repaired. She was being her best, but couldn't get ahead. It seemed like she would struggle her whole life. But when you keep doing the right thing and keep passing the tests, you're going to come into this anointing of ease. God is going to make things happen that will lighten the load. He's going to take the pressure off.

One day, this lady's supervisor unexpectedly took an early retirement, and she was given a promotion. With it came a significant increase in salary. She was very grateful. Several years later, her manager, one of the vice- presidents of this large company, suddenly resigned, and she was given that position. Today, she makes more than ten times what she made when she started. She doesn't live under constant pressure. She can take vacations whenever she wants. She supports other single parent families. She said, "Joel, I don't really know how this happened. Everything just fell into place, and here I am." What she's really saying was, "That was easy."

I believe that's what God wants to do for His people. I believe He has increase in store for you. He's going to put you at the right place at the right time. He's going to open doors that no man can shut. He's going to cause people to want to be good to you. You may be struggling in some areas, but don't get discouraged, that is not permanent. Ease is coming. Get ready because promotion comes from the Lord!

"But you, LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high." (Psalm 3:3, NIV) Pastor Robert Paul~

Newest As We Gather Worship Service Link

The apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that we would be “rooted and established in love so that we would have power together with all the saints.” When we choose to walk in love, we have the power of God in our lives, as well as healthier relationships.

Take a look at our newest As We Gather Worship Service and Baptism/Communion held last week. Your comments are appreciated. Grace & Peace, Pastor Robert Paul~

https://youtu.be/xUhNdDOV3DE  

Keeping Connections Strong

Healthy relationships take intentional investments. I find this to be even more important as time goes by and you become more comfortable with the people in your life. Even though Joel and I work together, minister together and constantly see each other, we are intentional about making time for one another outside of our daily obligations. We love to take walks together or ride bikes. Sometimes, we just get in the car and go for a drive. We make time to join our hearts together without distractions. Because we spend quality time together, I know what to expect from Joel, and he knows what to expect from me. We make sure we connect on a personal level which keeps our relationship strong.

I believe we also have to be intentional with our children. We can't always be "on the job" as parents. We need to see their gifts and talents and share their ideas. We need to create personal connections with them and enjoy them as individuals. I enjoy my children as much today as I did when they were little. I learn from them and appreciate their ideas and feedback. 

I believe that one of the easiest and most profound ways to connect is by sharing a meal together. It doesn't matter which meal, but studies show that sharing at least one meal a day builds a bond of trust. Children who share meals with their parents are more confident and less likely to fall into peer pressure. Always remember that the seeds you plant into your relationships now will develop into a bountiful harvest in the future. Sow good seeds into your relationships and always keep the connections strong!

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:3, NIV)

What Are You Tending To?

At some point in life, most people take a look at their circumstances and think, "If only… If only I had a better job…If only my spouse were like so-and-so…If only I had gone to college…If only I had the opportunities so-and-so had." We look around and think everyone else has it better than we do. But I believe comparison is just a trap of the enemy to get us off course and keep us from God's best. Comparison is the thief of joy, and if the enemy can steal our joy, he has stolen our source of strength.

There's an old saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side." But I don't believe the grass is greener on the other side; I believe the grass is greener where you water it. In other words, we have to tend to the things that are important to us if we want to see those areas of our lives blossom and grow. If you want better relationships, you have to invest in the people around you. If you want a better job, you have to invest in your skill set to qualify for that job and then go after it.

We all have the capacity to come up higher. God has given us all tremendous opportunities, but if we are focused on what everyone else has, we'll miss out on what God has especially for us! 

Today, instead of comparing, decide to cultivate the dry, fallow areas of your life. Begin to water and invest in the areas in which you want to see change. Let God give you a new vision for your life. As you take responsibility and tend to what the Lord has given you, I believe He'll pour out His blessing. I believe you'll see new life and flourish beyond anything you could have ever hoped or dreamed.

"The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit…" (Proverbs 27:18, NIV)

Don't Lose Your Shout

In scripture, Joshua and the people of Israel took over the entire city of Jericho when they obeyed God. Just like He said, they marched around the city for six days and then shouted praises on the seventh day. At the moment they shouted, the thick walls of the city came tumbling down.

Now maybe you've heard this story before, and if you haven't, I encourage you to read Joshua chapter six. Maybe you've been feeling like the people of Israel walking in circles for days. Maybe you aren't exactly sure what's going to happen in your circumstances, so you are just doing everything you can to keep going. I'm sure some of the people doubted. I'm sure they were tempted to quit. But they didn't. They didn't speak against their hope; in fact, they didn't say anything until they lifted up a shout of praise.

I want to remind you today that praise precedes the victory. Just like Joshua and the battle at Jericho, when you lift up a shout of praise, the walls and barricades in your life will come tumbling down. Those walls at Jericho were not small. They were so thick and strong that people lived inside the walls of the city like apartments. Maybe you feel like you are up against some tall, thick walls today. Let me tell you, those walls are no match for Almighty God! When you lift up a shout of praise, that is your battle cry! When you worship Him, He inhabits your praises; and when God shows up, every enemy must flee!

No matter what your circumstances look like, don't ever lose your shout. Don't ever lose your testimony. Don't let the enemy distract you from your mission. Keep pressing forward. Keep believing. Keep hoping, keep praising and keep shouting because there is Victory for all who call upon the name of the Lord!

"And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, 'Shout, for the Lord has given you the city.'" (Joshua 6:16, ESV)

It's a new day here in Michigan and with the help of Jesus the Christ this Blog will once again start spreading the word of God for the benefit of both mankind and our animal friends.  Pastor Robert Paul

Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received - only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage. Francis of Assisi