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Hearing The Shepherd’s Voice – Episode 173 Have you struggled in your relations with God? Is hearing the Shepherd’s Voice too faint? Sometimes in our humility, we believe we are too sinful to ask to be in the presence of the Almighty. In this episode, we explore that the voice of God is a whisper away. For immediate download: A Few Minutes with God plus study guide Truth Seekers Mystery Series – Entire Set and Study Guides One More Child: Book Is it true that we are not worthy? Yes, and yes. But isn’t it also true that by the death and resurrection Jesus set us free, saved us from our sins, and has welcomed us with open arms to everlasting life with Him? The Scriptures are filled with the invitation from the Almighty to grow closer to Him. Why do we struggle to hear Him? There are too many reasons to list but the biggest is we can’t get past our own sinfulness and believe that God actually wants to speak to us in a personal way. I’ve spent the bulk of the past several years on this podcast sharing with you all the ways to be open to the voice of God, to understand His love for us is beyond measure, and to explain that He is always waiting for us. But all of these words will fail to convey the depth of His love for us because we do not have words sufficient in the entire world to do it justice. How can I a mere creature explain God’s love to you? I can’t. Only you can experience it in a personal way but it takes humility and an openness to understand that we hold the key. Yes, God has given us the ability to go to Him or to turn away. We are so busy with the nonsense of this world that we won’t even stop for five minutes a day and just listen. Sure we pray, we talk, we may even witness to others, but do we listen? So many of us are truly sincere and want to do God’s will, and I do not doubt that for a minute. But, we go on our own steam, using our own wants and needs and prioritizing the “have-to-do list,” first. When you think about it, what is more, important on any list that would supersede time with God? Recently I listened to one of my favorite priests on YouTube, Father Goring. He gives short homilies and teachings and one recently was about hearing the Lord and doing His will. He explained about a man who was healed miraculously and then went to the hospital and prayed for the sick wanting them to explain the same miracle of healing that he experienced. The results were a failure and when the man cried out to God asking why, the Lord answered, “I didn’t ask you to do this.” In our inexperience, we want to help save the world, but that is not our job. What is our job? For each of it is different, but can you imagine working in any job with any boss and not waiting for instructions before completing our tasks. We’d be fired on the spot. In a sense, our Creator gave us a manual, and it is filled with examples and verses that show time and again that God desires a covenant with man. What is this and how do we achieve this relationship with God? By spending time with the Lord and praising Him, and accepting what happens in our lives. Yes, this is easier said than accomplished, but I for one am blessed to offer you the podcasts on this network as a labor of love. From me to you, as we continue on the road least traveled.  Hearing the Shepherd’s Voice John 10:11-18 states: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. But what does Jesus do? He lays down his life for the sheep, and why is that? What did we do to deserve this type of unconditional love? Nothing. Not. One. Thing. But, Jesus gives it anyway. The ways of God are not anything we can possibly understand and so it is very often something we justify away. My kids use to say I expected too much every time I asked them, “What would Jesus do?” and the answer was, I don’t know because I can’t be Him. As Christians, you are given the spirit of the Almighty and it may be deep, buried in your hearts. As a Catholic, I have received the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, and Communion as well as Confirmation, my yes to God to be a soldier in His army, to commit to Him, to accept Him into my life as my Lord and Savior. It is more than just a one-time commitment. It is a daily yes, a waking up and recommitting my life to Him again, and again and again. The thief on the cross is an example of what is called a Baptism of desire when he asked to be remembered. Luke 23:39-43One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us! But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom Hearing God means making a commitment to Him, to repent and sin no more, and to follow His ways. Asking to sin no more takes a grace from God, we can not do it on our own. When we listen to that prompting in our spirit, a leading that seems to come from nowhere, a push if you will to do something outside of our comfort zone, that may be the Holy Spirit. It is the idea of going right instead of left, the idea of talking to the lady who seems distraught in church and asking if you can pray for her, the idea to give of yourself in some small way for another. When we do what is right and just what is our reward? Hearing the Shepherd’s Voice How do we hear the Shepherd’s voice? If we are expecting a booming voice that shakes the foundation of our home we may be disappointed. The Lord speaks to us in many ways, and you can ask Him for a word, or a sense of His presence. It is the burning in our hearts that He is present, and an overwhelming sense of peace. A joy that surpasses all understanding, a knowledge that you know that you know that He hears you and is present. Are you welcoming or are you putting up barriers? I’m not good enough. No way do I hear God. He can’t be talking to me. I never hear God. We have a book of thousands of words that Christ spoke and these are not just for the people of the day they are for you, and for me.  It can be when we are lead to read a particular Scripture verse, or during our time of prayer when we stop and listen. Is the Lord leading you to write something down? It can be when we really want that snack and decide to forgo it and pray for those without. It can be a time when we are lead to pray for someone that keeps coming to mind, it can be reaching out to others outside of our comfort zone and inviting them to church. It can be in praising God daily, it can be in focusing on the positives in our life or it can be in the small success of practicing self-control. In all of these things, we praise God and ask Him for his help! Dear Lord, we want to do your will and we want to hear your voice but we need Your help and grace to do this. Please, dear Lord, we want to follow your ways. I repent from any way I have sinned against you and I ask for your mercy and your forgiveness. Thank you for dying for my sins, Lord. Please expand my time and give me the burning desire to spend time with you in silence. Open my ears to hear your voice and help me in my everyday walk with you. I ask for the following needs:  … and I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen! The post Hearing The Shepherds Voice appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Presence of God – Special Replay For a Christian, the presence of God is an amazing feeling and even without that feeling, we have faith that God is with us always. How do we understand God’s presence? We will look at the Scriptures for clarification during this episode. Thanks to our sponsor, Media Angels, Inc. check out the latest book One More Child on Amazon, to receive a free chapter check out MediaAngels.com for more information. The ascension of our Lord is talked about in the Scriptures and often we don’t give it more than a passing thought. Yes, Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead, yes Jesus ascended into heaven after forty days – yet this was the first time after the birth of Jesus that the presence of our Lord was no longer physically present. His apostles felt what we feel today – we can’t just turn around and say, “Lord, what do we do?” We have spent our entire life in this way. Each one of us has a different story about how we came to learn about God. Maybe you chanced on listening to this podcast and you don’t really know God or believe if He even exists. Maybe you learned about God from your parents and are not sure He is real enough to you – maybe you believe but still, have many questions. Each of us didn’t know God at one time of our lives – we all began one day at a time, one Bible story or Scripture verse or someone sharing the God news about God that really loved Him and wanted to share what God had done in their life. Faith is a gift if you have faith never discount it or consider it unimportant – you have faith because God has called you by name. You grow in your faith because you take the time to pray, spend time with God in quiet, read the Bible, go to church, surround yourself with Christian readings, or podcasts. You grow your faith by believing but also by doing something about your belief. Think about this – our lives even those who are not Christians surround two major Biblical events. Christmas (the birth of Christ) and Easter (the resurrection of Christ). Even if the world has tried to secularize these holidays (Winter Break, Spring Break, etc.) we Christians really understand the meaning and significance. Our lives have been impacted by these events and especially the ascension of Christ into heaven. I’d love for you to Read Acts 1 yourself – especially Acts 1: 1:12 The power of the Holy Spirit was poured on the apostles in order for them to be given the strength to be witnesses at a time that being a Christian was a death sentence – but I love this part when the Angels – two men in white garments questioned the apostles and said, “Why are you looking at the sky?” – in other words, get going you have work to do! They carried on their mission. Do we carry on our missions in the same way – do we make haste as those in the scriptures do to share the words of everlasting life? They were like us – men and women living their lives, eating, sleeping trying to make the best of things. They had the one advantage over us – they had witnessed Christ in their midst! Yet, we are just like them in many ways. We have our doubts, our trials, our problems that bog us down daily. But we also have hope and without hope, the human condition is doomed. We have hope for a better tomorrow, hope that everything will work out fine, hope that God is with us today – He is here in this present grace-filled moment to give us encouragement and the blessings to face even our harshest challenges. We are called in our baptism to be the witnesses of Christ’s love and providence. We are in a time that shuns all that is holy – a time where evil is called good and good evil. Now, friends, it is our time to be that light for a hurting world. Call To Action: Spend time in prayer and quiet with the Lord. Seek the Word of God – fill yourself up with the wonderful words of the Bible each and every day. Ask the Lord how He wants to use you each day. Is there someone lonely that needs a smile or a helping hand? All little things are mighty if they are done with a spirit of love and humility for God. Some people just look at things as in the “what is in it for me,” and never try to look at how they can bless others. Maybe your burdens are too heavy right now to care for others – but if that is the case, that my friends is how the Lord is using you – to minister to your needs or those of your family. Selfishness is never a right but it can be changed and it happens slowly and with purpose. Sometimes we get complacent, God doesn’t need me He has so many others so much more capable (friends, this is what goes through my head when I get ready to sit down and podcast). Why am I doing this – I am no one – why me Lord, why me? And, the answer I get is that He asked and I said yes. What are you saying yes to? Have you prayed and said, Lord how can I help, or are you standing around looking up into the sky and wondering where are you, Lord? He is here. He is now. This my dear friends is a grace-filled moment… understand it and believe. Dear Lord, I thank you for all that you did during your time on earth so that your actions, your words, your miracles, and even your death and resurrection could be read about so many years later. I thank you for the gift of faith, for ascending into heaven so that through not only Baptism of water but also of the Holy Spirit we can be filled with the grace to share the good news with others. Dear Lord, I ask you today how you would use me, please Lord help me to understand your will for me and the ways I can let others know more about your goodness and mercy. Dear Lord, I pray for the following intentions … please hear my prayers and help me in the answers, and I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen. The post Presence of God – Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Sign of God’s Love – Episode 172 Do Christians act any different than non-believers? If not, how can we see the sign of God’s love in them? We can’t. In this episode, we will explore the idea that God’s love is all around us, and within us if we have eyes to see and ears to hear! For immediate download: A Few Minutes with God plus study guide Truth Seekers Mystery Series – Entire Set and Study Guides One More Child: Book Being a Christian means giving up something, right? I mean all this sacrifice and for what? A possibility of eternity with God. Who is God and why should I care? That is what it looks like from the outside, and when we act like just like everyone else in dress, word and deed we can see that professing to be a Christian alone is not enough. So many times, people look at us as an example and yet the example we show falls short, way short. Our pastor once told us that he was highly offended by off-putting jokes and he would walk away, and sometimes these were told by people he held in high esteem. And we wonder why the churches stand empty. What do you expect when you go into a church? What do we expect from the Almighty God creator of the heavens and the earth? When we look only for signs and wonders but miss the obvious love of God’s that right in front of us! What is this sign, you may be surprised. The very fact that you exist is a sign of God’s love. The people God has brought into your life the lifestyle you live … I’m not talking about extravagance here, I’m talking about a warm bed, and food, clean water, and a place to call home. I’m talking about the way that things no matter how horrible at times of our lives seem to work out in the end. Death and taxes are the two things that we are told we can do nothing about – but the most important of our lives is the thing we neglect the most. We are all searching for love because the Almighty when He created us put this into our hearts. And, where do we seek this love? Sometimes in the wrong places. And the search for love and the sale of love in the sense of movies and books is big money because we are seeking a love that can never quench the fire in our hearts. Something is missing. The Lord our God has given us the greatest gift and that is deep within us, it is to know, love, and serve God. This is something that every Christian school kid was taught at an early age – and Catholics especially memorized in the Catechism. We were even quizzed on this. How many memorize Bible verses and can quote chapter and verse? But, do you really have and understand that this, this gift is a sign of God’s love? If we know God, if we trust that His love is never-ending and if we serve the one true God that made heaven and earth, that gave us His only Son in selfless love to take on our sins and die for us so that we might have eternal life and, as if that is not enough… gave us His Holy Spirit so that we could actually feel the love of God – well, then. If we do this, we will live forever in the next world. We know things about God’s love intellectually. We know there is hope and power in the love of God by the very fact that He gave us His only begotten Son to take our sins and die for us. Not for our neighbor or that sinful person we see on television – no, for us. When we can personalize this love of God we have a new insight into His love for us but still we struggle. And, we look for those signs. Lord, I need this or that. Lord, can you please? Lord, are you listening? Is it bad to ask for a sign? Well, we know that the Old Testament is filled with signs of God’s love and His just judgment. And, the same in the New Testament. God showed us in John 10: 31-42 that it was important that we could see in Him the Father’s love because of the works He performed. Let me read the passage: (on the recording) They had Jesus in the flesh, He was performing the signs of the Father – and they said, sure, yes we see those signs and that is not why we are stoning you… it is because you say you are God. What a contradiction. The truth is that even if the Almighty comes down from heaven and shows the world signs and wonders for most they will not see it. And…what about us? How many things have you seen in your life that would be considered miraculous? Have you seen someone healed or perhaps an answered prayer that you never thought would be answered? We’ve heard about atheistic doctors who have witnessed someone dead who has come back to life and while they did not deny it was a miracle, they did deny it was by God. The only thing that is blocking the love of God and the sign of God’s love in our lives is us. God is waiting with His arms open and we are too busy. So even if there are miraculous happenings all around us we will still not see or appreciate it and call it what it is – God’s love for us! The truth is we equate the love of God with getting what we want and our prayer is please God I need this or that. But to see the hand of God and His love clearly, the only way is during a time of persecution, and only then can we see it clearly. When we look into the face of evil and we sadly do not have to look far, it is all around us, we will clearly understand that evil is devoid of love. A pastor said the opposite of evil is not God – God is so much greater than evil. But the opposite of evil is love. Evil is ugly, evil is lies, evil wants to condemn and evil wants to kill. God is beauty (look at the world around us to see the beauty of God), God is truth, and God wants to redeem us and God wants us to live forever. When we look at salvation history – which is the story of the Bible – the beginning of creation to the end in Revelations, this book shows us that during certain times where there was extreme persecution there was an abundance of signs showing the Almighty hand of the Father. What was happening during those times? Persecution. Terrible persecution with temples destroyed and those of faith being persecuted and put to death. Sound familiar? Oppression is happening all over the world and we do not see it… and if we do we think we can’t do anything about it. Well friends, stay tuned. I believe God’s hand will be shown and evil will not triumph of this I am sure. It is like reading the best story ever written and knowing the ending.  Spoiler alert! God wins! Let’s pray and pray this along with me – it is in the first person, and I want you to think about these words and make them your own! Almighty God and Father, Creator of heaven and earth, I pray that you give me an infilling of the Holy Spirit. An abundance of your love and grace and joy. I ask you my Father that you fill me to overflowing… I ask that you give me the grace to say yes when all I want to say is no, do not abandon me in my time of need. I ask that you help me to see your love and to give this love to others who are hurting and in need. I ask God that you hear my prayers, and answer these prayers if it is in accordance with your Holy will…. And I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen. The post Sign of God’s Love appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Transforming Faith Do you have a transforming faith? A faith that withstands persecution or a faith that would leave everything behind to follow God? We have many excuses for following God The disciples left everything, family, and home to follow Jesus. In this episode we will discuss following God will transform us. Sponsor! Overcomer Movie Trailer URL for Overcomer Movie:  Site URL for the Overcomer Movie Friends, let’s be real here – we are attached to the things of this world, our homes, our sense of security and of course comfort, and every technological toy that helps us in our daily lives. And, why shouldn’t we be attached? We are living in this present age, right? We should have the things we need to survive. In Matthew 8:20, Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus left home to preach, teach and heal. He was sent by the Father. He called simple men to follow him, and they did. Once the men followed they changed, they learned, they became transformed. Faith will transform us! We see it in the lives of the disciples, and that God equips those He calls. Did they get it right the first time? No, it was over and over again. What hits home is when we read that not all those who were called followed. Why? Some had good reasons – one had to bury his father, one wants to say goodbye to his family, and we know the point being made is that follow Jesus requires total commitment. Like Elisha Jesus’ disciples are called to leave everything behind – even home. In Luke 9:60 we read – Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” We are asked to leave everything and follow him. The question is can we? The next question to ask is do we follow him in our daily lives? Friends, when I think about what the disciples went through I am amazed and in awe, but then I remember, again that God equips those He calls. Luke 10:3 – Jesus sends his disciples “like lambs among wolves.”  Jesus asked the disciples to depend on the kindness of strangers, as they travel without belongings or money. If people did not welcome them they were to dust off your feet their feet – Luke 10:9-11  Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ So many people think that Christianity means, “what you give up.” No. This is an untruth. Christianity is all-inclusive, it is about redemption, but remember it is about the cross as well. Faith in the power of the cross, the redemptive power of Christ’s crucifixion for our sins – not the sins of our neighbor’s but our sins. How can you thank someone who died for you? For the sins that you committed yesterday, today and tomorrow? We become new with our Christian faith and it is transforming faith. The door is open and everyone is able to receive salvation – yet are we willing or do we have excuses. Yes, we can be laborers for the kingdom, this means to our neighbors to our friends to those who have hurt us the most. We forgive as we are forgiven. We are transformed. Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for today, for all the blessings and for those blessings that are yet to come. I thank you your provision, for keeping us safe, for protecting marriages Lord, for coming against the evil one who wants to harm us and to break up marriages. I thank you for all the things you have done that I do not know about…and Lord I ask that you give me transforming faith, the faith that allows me to leave behind the old creation and become a new creation in Christ. Dear Lord, I ask for the following prayers … please, Lord, I ask that you help those I pray for that you help me and I pray this in Jesus, Name. Amen. The post Special Replay: Transforming Faith appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Fearless Faith Journey How do we have a fearless faith journey when our lives are fearful and full of confusion? In this episode, we will discuss how our journey should be one with hope instead of fear, and we should not be afraid. Sponsor Media Angels, Inc. – One More Child book — A Few Minutes With God Our fearless faith journey looks different depending on where we are in our lives. If we are young, our journey has just started and as we age we are wiser (I call wisdom learning from our past mistakes and making an oath not to do them again!) And, in the sense we now see this journey with a rearview mirror and some of us like what we see and the others want to forget. There are some things that keep us pinned down unable to move forward in our faith journey. These things are: Fear Regret Paralysis Many people base their feelings on emotion and what is happening in their relationships but if our relationship with the Lord is on a solid ground out a relationship with our loved ones, our friends will all fall into place. (Podcast on Relationship with Christ here) Life is a journey and so is our faith. We plan for our lives, our retirement our vacations. We plan for futures but we don’t look at our faith the same way. For some, it is a one-time acceptance. I’ve accepted the Lord Jesus as my Savior, I have repented of my sins and I promise to sin no more, Amen. And that is it – then they live their lives as if they don’t have a care in the world and no outward sign to others of what they have been given. A gift of eternal life. How can we not want to shout it from the rooftops? “JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!” This is a precious gift that some have accepted on their life journey and they don’t ever tell anyone about it! We begin as baby Christians on a path where we don’t really know what we are doing or what is expected of us. Many think that Christianity is a list of what we need to give up! In fact, the list is more extensive the more someone has lived. God doesn’t say, don’t have fun and live your life in sackcloth and contemplation of your past sins. No, Jesus has died for our sins and all we need to do is release them. Fearless Faith Journey Faith is freeing and sin bogs us down, it gives us anxiety it makes us feel horrible. We are built with a conscience whether you like it or not. Let’s say you steal and you are not caught, how does that make you feel? If you have a well-formed conscience you will feel horrible. Picture this, a clear glass that is brilliant and multi-faceted. The light that is pure can flow through the glass and in the glass. Now put the glass in a pit of mud, and what do we have … we have glass that is dirty and the light filters through there and there but mostly is blocked from entering. That is the state of our souls when we sin and have an absence of God – and for many of us, we don’t even see it. Lying. Gossip. Anger. Self-Righteousness. Stealing. Killing. and so forth. When we see rioting or looting we think, “How can people do this?” We see evil for evil. We see good for good. Others may not see this as clearly or if they do, they chose evil. Our faith journey has ups and downs but that happens when we forget that Jesus is Lord and God reigns. We forget and we become sad or despondent. We take the cross of illness, anxiety, stress, and allow it to bog us down to the point that we are indeed paralyzed and fearful. The question is how do we get past these roadblocks in life? Write them down. Right now. Stop this audio and write down what is preventing you from your travels, your personal life journey. What are you holding on to? What can you not let go of? What fear is overwhelming you? What is the issue in your life that has no solution? Our fearless faith journey begins with these five point: Remember that we have been redeemed by the Lord ~ Revelations 5:11 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 2. Jesus has already died and paid the price for our sins – do you believe, truly? If so, why are you fearful? 3. God the Son, the eternal word became flesh and dwelt among us in order to share in our life in all things except sin. Have you given your life to Christ and invite Him to walk alongside you? 4. Every issue in life has a solution, but sometimes the answer is not we want. 5. Our hope is in the Lord and in no other. Recently I heard a sermon and it was beautiful in that the Priest reminded us that our hope is in Christ he talked about praying and I felt that sometimes when we pray we can use different words. We can learn so much from the Scriptures – what did Martha and Mary say to the Lord when their brother Lazurus was sick? “Lord, the one that you love is sick.” Take those words and apply them to your own prayers – Lord the one that you love is fearful, Lord the one that you love is worried, unemployed, hurt by the words of someone they love…” We can use these words as we pray and the needs in our life and the needs of others. Our journey in life should be joyous and fulfilling. It should be rich with the knowledge that we are not going it alone. Who do you have in your life? Even though I can not see you I know that you are listening and I have so many of you in my life, I pray for you and you pray for me. It is a journey we are talking together. This journey of life is not lonely if we have the Lord. It is full of richness and love, a love that flows our of us and can’t help but spill onto others. I pray that your journey begins to improve that those uphill battles begin to even out, that those dips in the road become filled with the sweetness and joy that comes from knowing that God has not forsaken you, and He is right there alongside you – only if you have asked Him to come into your heart and onto the road of life. Let’s pray: Dear God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – thank you for filling me with joy as I teach today’s session and I ask that you allow this joy to filter through the airwaves to those who are listening. Give them a sense of you alongside them on this journey of life, allow them to see your hand in their lives and be thankful. Dear Lord help us and come with us as we continue on toward the journey of life and our faith journey. Allow it to become deeper and deeper with more of you and less of us. I pray for the following intentions: And, I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen. The post Special Replay – Fearless Faith Journey appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Faith Tested By Fire Episode 170 We all want faith, but our faith must be tested. Faith tested by fire withstands as we have seen through the many examples of the goldy mean and women who have gone before us. In this episode, Felice discusses that trials do make us stronger and what we should pray instead of, “Lord take this cross away.” For immediate download: A Few Minutes with God plus study guide Truth Seekers Mystery Series – Entire Set and Study Guides One More Child: Book Faith is not faith until it is tested. 1 Corinthians 13:12 I head a sermon this weekend that changed the course of today’s podcast. I wanted to talk about faith as we are in a season of our Lenten journey as I record this we are walking toward the time of celebration and Easter, but most of us do not feel like celebrating because we can’t help to focus on the day to day goings on in our world. We have faith, and yet for many, our faith withstands but by the grace of God. It is often tested and we are in a sense of working within the will of God. It is amazing to think that faith well freely given is something we have to work through. For anything worthwhile in this life takes work. Jesus reminded us that faith is not faith until it is tested. Jesus reminded his apostles of A time when he would be sacrificed for us the disciples did not want to hear this and Jesus this response was frightening to us get behind me Satan. Why is this? Because the enemy does not want us to have faith because true faith cannot be broken. I think one of the things that really has an impact on me the most is when I think about the disciples who walked with our Lord, who experienced the miracles of Jesus, who saw in him neon The Almighty. And yet during the time of his passion, they deserted him! If those who had experience Jesus fully did not know God, how can we? The only way is through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Unless God opens in aluminates our minds we cannot experience true faith. We are tested every day there are obstacles in our life there are tragedies in our life we have disappointments in our life and we often ask where is God? But what we always see in the Scriptures is that God transforms evil into God. Even in the worst evil, we can see the greater good. Jesus talks about refining us just as the finest gold must be fired so that the impurities can be taken out. – Zechariah 13:9 1 Corinthians 15 reminds us without the cross and crucifixion there could be no resurrection. Verse 50-52 states…  Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. I think one of the greatest things that we as Christians have the help of the Almighty and the Hope that is in Christ, and without hope we would be despondent. If we know that God and only in Him and His infinite wisdom and mercy knows what is best for us–and remember, He knows every hair on our head … if this is that same God then, of course, we have the confidence to believe that He knows what we need in our lives. We think we know better. We don’t. I often find myself in situations that are of my own doing. I often find myself saying yes before really thinking things through and when things fall apart, I always wonder, Where is God? But God hasn’t left, He is at the same address, he is there waiting for me, expecting me to go to him in prayer, and truthfully maybe I did, but I’m not even sure. And, in the quiet, in the silence of our heart, we hear Him and He says, “Did you?” No condemnation just a simple question. That dear friend only we can answer ourselves. Today our focus as our faith is tested by fire is that instead of asking that our cross be removed, we what our Lord for the grace to face the difficulties in our lives so that we too may be winners and survive the trial. We should pray that while we believe in faith that God is there and always hears our prayers, that we pray that we can feel the hand of Almighty God around us, holding us up when we are too weak to do it on our own. In this way, our faith will be purified through trial and fire but God, while allowing these tests also allows us to have a deeper understanding of faith! Let’s pray: Dear Lord Jesus, I praise you and I think you and I ask my God did you send me the tools I need to withstand the evil one that you help me in my every day to focus on you on the greater good and eternity instead of the here and now. I know God you are here and today not asking my God to be with me in every step on me to shine a light before me so I know which steps to take. And I ask for a blessing on the following people that I pray for in my life and I pray this in Jesus precious name amen! The post Faith Tested By Fire appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Asking God – Episode 107 Thy will be done in heaven as on earth is a form of asking God in prayer to guide our life. But is it that simple? Welcome to A Few Minutes with God, where we delve into the scriptures in a practical way. Thanks to our sponsor, Media Angels and the books A Few Minutes with God and One More Child. You can find more information about both titles on Media Angels or Amazon. So many times we begin the day with our to-do list running in our heads and frantic with all the things we need to do each day. I found myself in this mess in the not too distant past and I finally had to reevaluate my life as I found myself unintentionally clenching the insides of my mouth as I silently stressed over things I could not avoid and had no control over. As a Christian, I carried on the guilt that I was not living up to the ideal. All Christians are happy they walk with inspiration from the Lord and have a ready smile for all they meet. Sure, that was me on occasion but more times than not I hid behind the discontent. I was frankly too busy. Well fast-forward to today and I am still extremely busy but guess what, I’ve learned from my past mistakes the biggest one? I forgot to ask God. I forgot to ask God if I should take then next big project. I forgot to ask God if I should implement the “great idea” I had about work. I forgot to ask God about the little things as well as the bigger things. Friends, you have often heard me say, “Pray about this, or pray about that…” and now I am reminding me and you that this is necessary! I’m sure I’ve mentioned James 4:3 before, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Or James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” We all know talkers, and I am one of those, but if we don’t do what we recommend then we are as bad as those who do not believe. Many people want to say that faith is a one time commitment to the Lord and a one time decision, and to some extent it is, but if we do not walk in faith or do the good works that the Lord has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10 -For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.) then we are talking the walk and not walking the talk. James 4:7-8 is another wonderful example of asking God. Friends, study James there is so much wisdom in that book as well as all the books in Scripture – it is not only for teaching but for blessing us and bringing the Christian faith to us in a very real way. Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, please remind us daily to ask you for our daily bread, our daily needs and to test all things first through you. Dear Lord, we humbly come before you and ask that you use each one of us as you have called us to be lovers of the word and to increase our faith each day. Pour out your blessings upon us and upon those who we now pray … I praise you Jesus for every great thing and I pray this in your blessed Name, Amen!   The post A Few Minutes with God – Special Replay: Asking God appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Kindness with Words and Actions ~ Episode 169 How do we speak with kindness? How do we use our words to bless others instead of joining in heated conversations that can only hurt? In this episode, we will discuss using the beautiful gift of communication to uplift others. For immediate download: A Few Minutes with God plus study guide Truth Seekers Mystery Series – Entire Set and Study Guides One More Child: Book Can we show others kindness with our words and dare I say our actions – can look at you and say, wow, that person must be a Christian because of the way they act? In this episode, we are going to talk about how the world really, really needs our Christian example, because friends our world is hurting right now. No matter where we are in history our world has always been hurting and it will remain hurting and why is this because we are in a state of sin when we are in a state of sin we are going to mess up and they were going to be problems and not to mention all of the things that are happening in our world that are out of our control. How do we deal with ourselves and how do we deal with those who have opposing views especially the views that are going to affect our everyday lives. As Christians shouldn’t be an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth? Should we call them out on Judeo Christian principles question? Should we look at this world and be disciples of Christ? First, we can’t call people out in a way that would be displeasing to the Lord. Remember the old saying which is still a current saying, what would Jesus do? While the Lord is loving and forgiving and has mercy beyond measure, the same is not true for us: Read Mark 8: 36. Tips: Do not react quickly. Wait for a leading from the Lord. Ask God what to do whether to respond or not. Even if I can win the argument With words, my Christianity was not really showing. And above all, we want to focus on ourselves on our families and our Christian example which brings me to verse 5:22 in Galatians. Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirt is love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness, goodness, faithfulness – Was I showing that with showing love to my brothers and sisters was I helping them to have joy and peace without being patient and kind did I show goodness and faithfulness sadly the answer is no. So I decided that I would just pray specifically for situations that the Lord would put in my path and then I would answer those and I would take a deep breath and say Lord help me or some quick prayer and go forth and do whatever it is I wanted to say or do. We must stand up for truth but we must do it with kindness we must be examples of God‘s love and God‘s mercy Proverbs 21:21 – Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. I want that for me I want that for you. What is it going to profit me to win an argument and lose a friend? My job is to show the love of Christ my job is to raise my family to love the Lord my job is to walk in righteousness my job is to lend a hand to a friend my job is to be uplifting think about this when you talk to your husband when you talk to your kids when you talk to your grandchildren when you talk to your friends do you lift them up? Or, to do you praise them do you find something that is good do you encourage them do you love them? We love conditionally we love and we look at things and say what’s in it for me. Unfortunately, we live in a narcissistic society we live in a place where people only look at themselves and what they can gain out of things instead of what is right and true and just. We look at our media and we see that fear and discourse are being sowed so would we do the opposite. In a sense, we let go and we let God. It is ultimately up to Almighty God to make the right wrong. Do we still stand up for ourselves of course do we still protect our integrity absolutely do we still pushed back if we are unjustly accused of course we do but that doesn’t mean we do it with harsh words or in a way that would be displeasing to our Lord. Friends, ultimately we need to be kind and loving not only with our words but with our actions as well we need to show the love of Christ our world needs us it is hurting it is crying out and it doesn’t know where to turn. We will help them why are examples and point them upward to Almighty God who IS ALL love, joy all kindness, and every good thing that is lacking on earth is fulfilled by his love. Let’s pray. Almighty and just judge our Lord Jesus Christ I praise you and I thank you and I ask you, Lord, for that gift of discernment to know when I should speak and when I should stay silent, I pray for that gift of knowledge Lord to know what to say when you call me to speak I pray for those who are hurting for those who do not know you for those who are seeking but do not know what they are seeking for and I pray that by my example by my walk by my words I will leave them to you my God and I pray for the following intentions… Job 6:14 – He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty     The post Kindness With Words appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Stress and God Episode 168 What happens to stress when we let God in? Well, when we stress there are so many things that happen, and sadly none of them are helpful to our mental or physical help or our lives. In this episode, I discuss the root cause of stress and how you can make changes for the better in your lives, with little steps. For immediate download: A Few Minutes with God plus study guide Truth Seekers Mystery Series – Entire Set and Study Guides One More Child: Book Why do Christians have stress when they believe in the Almighty and that His hand is on the universe? There are so many reasons for this and while I can give you all the platitudes, it’s okay and God’s got this, for many of us it falls on deaf ears. Why do we worry? Why do we care? Does worry help you? Does worry make things better? Does complaining? I love Luke 12:22-31 – here is the first admonishment from the Lord… For life is more than food and body more than clothing… of course, we must provide for our families but often we get caught up in the external to the detriment of the internal. Where is your heart? Where do you store your treasures? Is it in the things of this world? I have to admit that I don’t like the way our world is headed and for me and my house we will serve the Lord, but unless I put my faith into action, it is only words. We must love others and focus on our own families before we try to fix the world. Everything sadly does not have a solution. God has His hands around us and we know it and we need to make that connection between our minds and our will. We let our minds take control, we let our fears run rampant and we worry about the future. How can we change our fear into praise? It is easier than you think, make a decision where you are fearful to chose God, and here is a brief plan on how to do this. First, we have control over our minds, we can allow garbage in watching videos that put us on edge and rob us of our peace. Do you know what I mean? We can allow this information into our minds and therefore it tends to put us on edge. Just as we turn things on we can turn things off, and it is time to turn off the stress. Quit watching the news, quit watching those videos, and work on your relationship with the Almighty God. Do we trust God or not? Maybe this is a time of chastisement, maybe this is a time when everything we hoped for will not happen, and maybe it is a time of new beginnings. Sometimes things have to burn to the ground in order for new growth to occur. And this is a time to pray. We as Christian people have been comfortable with one foot in both the secular and the other in the spiritual world. The word of God never changes, but the other is fraught with uncertainty and change. And, when our foundation is shaken we fall in a heap of despair. But our God is God of the Universe and in His permissive will, for the benefit of our eternal soul He allows our lives to hit those bumps and what does that do? It makes us open our eyes and see that only our eternal souls are what is important. Relationships come and go. Money comes and goes. But our Lord, He loves us no matter what, and no matter how much or how little time we give to Him. Where is our hope? Our hope is in Christ. I pray that you continue to put your hope in Christ, delve into the word and pray. Yes, cry out the heavens, for our world is desperately in need of a revival. Let’s pray. Dear Jesus you know our hearts, you know how terrible the world is right now, and like the cry of the people in times past, we cry out to you! Your will Lord, Your will… please let me see your hand in my life, in those little and big things. Give me discernment in what I should look at and what I should spend my time and focus on, and all the rest let it fall to the wayside. I love you Lord and I ask a blessing and protection on my family and those needs I pray for now… And, I offer this up to you, Almighty God, Amen. The post Stress and God appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Clear Choice For Christians Episode 167 The clear choice is obvious for a Christian who is faced with obstacles, debates, and sadness that threatens to push us into depression. What can we do? The choice is clear. Listen to this episode of A Few Minutes with God. For immediate download: A Few Minutes with God plus study guide Truth Seekers Mystery Series – Entire Set and Study Guides One More Child: Book The noise is deafening all around us. There is an upheaval that is unparalleled in my lifetime and people are asking, “What is happening to our world?” The short answer is when you take God out of the schools and you secularize life, you end up with godless people who are easily swayed by thoughts of free money and government handouts. The long answer is that it is way more complex. A familiar scripture is, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” And the clear choice is to follow Him and to imitate Him. How do we do this? There has always been and will always be until the end of time a conflict between good and bad, right and wrong, evil and righteousness. When things seem unfair we can look to the cross and see the ultimate injustice upon a sinless redeemer. The end of the story is that God wins. All the time. And that is our hope and where our salvation rests. We see the hand of the Lord in every day in our lives. In the beautiful weather, or after a rainstorm when we see the glorious rainbow. Or where I live we see those beautiful sunsets. What is robbing you of your peace? Think about this and jot down those things that make you anxious or angry. Here is a quick list: The news. Social media. Turn it off. The latest text, or email. Wait to answer it. Set times when you do this and keep to schedule. Lack of time in prayer with the Lord. Prayer works. I promise. In real life, it isn’t practical to believe we can be peaceful twenty-four-seven, yet when we are stressed we should be able to take a deep breath and regroup. In the night if I wake up I begin praising God, simply saying, “I praise you and I thank you, Lord God. Jesus I trust in you.” Or something similar to this and it calms me and soon I am back to sleep. The level of anger and helplessness felt in the lives of many the past few months has been overwhelming. This past year in fact has been one for the history books. And so many have fallen prey to depression and anxiety. In fact, for a time I personally pulled away from social media and all news, except for short recaps on a news outlet I follow online. With so much disinformation — a word we barely used a few years ago, who knows what to believe. And it is best to continue on with my work and to focus on what is important in my own life. We see family members at odds. Friends at odds. And it seems to only get worse every day. Who profits from this anger? No one. In fact, my next podcast is on that very subject. How to talk to people who are at odds in a way that is befitting a Christian! Kindness with Words. As a Christian, the choice I make every day is very clear. I chose Christ. But for those who are lost who do they choose? I meet people on occasion that are confused, sad, and frankly, scared. They are worried about what is happening in our world. And the news sensationalizes it all to keep us in a state of fear and panic so we are glued to the screen to see the next latest greatest word. Believe me, I’ve been there. But now. I chose God. I chose peace. I chose joy. As I write this it is a new year and the calendar has turned. Our life is a choice, our free will is in force and our free will is a gift that is given to us, that no one can take away. But what does that mean, “chose God?” My definition is very simple. It means to allow God to work in our life by giving Him our will and asking for His. About ten episodes or so ago I titled a podcast, “Knowing God’s Will,” Which even by my own admission is a very bold statement. The way to know God’s will is to give God our own, and in doing so we will know if we listen to our conscience the right path to take. Do we go left? Or do we go right? Or do we stay right where we are? Perhaps things of this world can be taken away. But our faith can never be taken away. Mark 8:36 states “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” The things of this world remain behind when we die. We should not put our faith in things, in man, but in the Almighty because only the Almighty God will not let us down. Maybe you do have faith but it has been shaken lately. Remember what I said about choices? Habits are formed by doing the same thing over and over again, and if we make a decision to chose God, daily (it is a daily choice), this will become a habit. It is faith in action. The choice gives us a sense of peace that transcends all that is happening around us. It allows us to focus on the task of the day whatever that is in your life. Even the mundane, doing the dishes or fixing a meal can be joyful and give us a sense of peace if we thank God for those little things. Let us pray and ask that the Lord helps us to show through our actions that He is indeed Lord of all! Dear Lord, I praise you and I thank you for all that you have done in my life each and every day. While the choice is clear we need your help, we need your help my God to follow you to open the door to make the path straight. Dear Lord I ask you to help me each and every day. Please help me to find the peace that surpasses all understanding today and all the days of my life. I pray for the following needs:   And, I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen. The post Clear Choice appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

New Year and Faith – Special Replay Beginning the new year with joy and a plan of focusing on increasing our walk with the Lord in the best way possible is the topic of today’s podcast. A simplified approach is the best for busy people, and here are some pointers to help you. Rejoice in the Lord always – Philippians 4:4 Gratitude – 1 Thessalonians 5 — Be thankful for the small things and the big things be grateful for the faith Focus – on one thing — what is the one thing you can do to increase your faith? Your prayer life? Begin anew. Something you were doing but stopped? Journaling? Reading the Bible? Praising God each day? Attitude recheck. Are you upset or depressed? Give it to the Lord  — Philippians 4:6-7 A prayer to help you in the new year: Dear Lord Jesus, I love you very much and I thank you for the simple message today to refocus and renew my love for you, for all things that are good and holy and let the rest drop away. I ask that you infill me with your Holy Spirit, that you give me the wisdom for the things I should do as well as those things I should not do. I ask that you bless those who I pray for now …. Dear Lord thank you for the gift of faith and the opportunity to praise and rejoice in your goodness. I ask you to bless us as we prepare for a brand new year and give us the fortitude to do your will. I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen. The post New Year And Faith appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Rejoice In All Things – Episode 166 Can you really rejoice in all things when everything seems to be falling apart in your life and all around you? Yes, you can. And in this episode, I will share with you the secrets of Christian living. Sponsor Media Angels, Inc. – One More Child book — A Few Minutes With God  TruthSeekersMysterySeries  Oscar Wilde is said to have said, and I am paraphrasing here, but that Religion was a fashionable substitution for faith. When we focus on what we are to do and not do we can become bogged down. When my children were little we would read the books of the saints and we loved these stories. They depicted young men and women who loved the Lord and though example, even in the toughest times and situations always showed the love of the Lord to others in their lives. They were wonderful stories that were true of heroism and virtue. Oh, to be like the saints. But, my young daughter said, “Mom, I love reading about the saints but the books are so sad because they always die at the end.” Out of the mouth of babes, right? Yes, they die at the end after living heroic and virtuous lives. Yet, to us death is sad. This year my husband lost his parents, both of them, I lost my inlaws, and my children lost their grandparents. We think about the loss instead of the joy. They are in a place that knows no pain or sorrow. A place that is what we strive for all of our lives. As we live our lives we must seek God while we can and rejoice in all of the glorious things that happen. To rejoice in all things can easily be explained like this, “Make lemonade out of lemons.” How can you apply this principle in your life. God’s ways are not our ways and if we are striving to be more like Him I want to remind you – as I forget to do this daily like I want to and that is to give your will to God each and every day. Lord, I give you my will. Please give me your will. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven! It is a reminder of the Lord’s prayer that we too should pray each and every day. God said follow me. When you find yourself saddened or miserable think about who you are following, or what are you following. Is it the news, the events of the day? It is best to turn it off! The only way we can rejoice in all things is to think about today. Not yesterday with the should-have-could-have or tomorrow with the what if this or that happens. Just today. Focus on today. In Isaiah 25:9 we read, In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” and in Isaiah 29:19 we read: Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Think about these passages and realize this is the Old Testament it was foreshadowing the coming of our Lord and Savior. We celebrate Christmas once a year – the birth of the Savior and we celebrate Easter once a year, the resurrection of our Savior, but what do we celebrate daily? Are we rejoicing in all things? Put a smile on your face each day and ask the Lord for that grace to be joyful and appreciate the things that are the most important in your life. What are the graces you need each day? Is it the grace to go to work, to do the things you must do for yourself or your family? Very few people love their jobs and yet they get up daily and go to work so they can support their families, and even in this very act of giving they are an example to others. With our actions, we are a greater example than all of the words we can use. Let’s pray! Dear Lord, help me to have the gift to be able to rejoice in all things. Give met the gift to focus on today on the here and now. To think about each of these things and not worry about the other things that might or might not happen. Dear God I want to praise you each and every day and I ask for this gift. Dear Lord, I pray for the following needs in my life, and I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen. The post Rejoice In All Things appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

 Amazing Grace – Episode 164 God’s grace, HIS Amazing Grace is a gift that just keeps on giving. In this episode, Felice shares how the grace of God is all you need during any time of your life because you can be sure HE is always there for you. Sponsor Media Angels, Inc. – One More Child book — A Few Minutes With God Other episodes you may enjoy: Thanksgiving and Faith  Thanksgiving and Trust God’s grace is amazing and it is free. Every time you go to the store to buy food or other necessities it seems as if the prices have gone up, and sometimes it is truly a struggle to get the things we need when we need them. But, with God, His grace is there for anyone who is open to it! It is here today. Right now. God is a generous God and there is no way we can ever outgive His grace and providence – His provision for us. And, that makes me think that I am so blessed knowing and loving God, but it also calls to mind a time when I thought that if I followed all of God’s commands, that would be too much! I was much younger and in college at the time and I remember having some friends that were what I would consider very holy. And, it appeared to me that God gave them more than what they could handle in that so many things I considered bad happened to them. For example, one friend finally got a car to drive and within a week it was totaled. She was okay but not her car. And, I thought why would God do that to her when she loves Him so much. I later learned that the grace God gave to her in that moment to deal with this crisis in her life was not the same grace He gave to me as a concerned friend. This incident didn’t happen to me, I didn’t need to deal with it, she did and God gave her an abundance of joy over the fact that she wasn’t hurt badly and it was only a “thing.” That my friends is what God does in our lives. He give us the grace, the Amazing Grace to deal with our burdens and our issues when they happen in our lives. We do not have the grace to deal with problems that are not our problems. What an amazing gift that is when we really take the time to think about it. Many people think that Christians have to give up things in order to get their heavenly reward. They think it is a bunch of thou shall nots rather than do-whatever-you want. Now, think about this. If a good person — and this is just a general person out there, not necessarily a person of faith. Let’s say this person wants to run a red light or steal something from their neighbors home, or do something else that is against the law, they know that the punishment will be bad if they get caught. So, they will abide by the traffic lights and driving laws, and not break other laws that could land them in jail. This is following the law and everyone agrees it is a good thing. So, why would following God’s law be so difficult? Almighty God realizes that we are frail human beings. We can cling to our anger and have thoughts of revenge or we can be hateful to others and wish them harm. But if we feel this way we are no better than those that do not believe. We are called to be the light of the world, to show the light of Jesus in our lives. How do we do this? For Christians, forgiveness is not an option. The life of a Christian is one that begins by showing charity to others, loving our enemies, being good to those who hate you, not being judgemental, condemning, or gossiping. How can we love our enemies or those who have hurt us? It is a decision of forgiveness and I have several podcasts on A Few Minutes With God Podcast that deal with those topics. We are called to reflect on all that God has given to us, and that isn’t always easy but it is truly the right thing to do. Recently I did a podcast for children on being joyful and we talked about the things that bring a child joy, and all of those things, if they are being honest are things that center around what they want whether it is a thing or something they want to do. When we are honest with ourselves we will realize that we can never outgive the abundance of gifts that God has given us, for one thing, our very lives. How precious are we that the Creator of the universe actually cares about us. In  2 Corinthians 13:14 – the scripture reads: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. It was a greeting of the early Christians to pray that the fellowship and love that comes from knowing the one true God resonates not only in our lives but in the lives of others. To be a Christian, to have that joy that surpasses all understanding, to live the life fully that God has called us to have in Christ is a gift that no other gift can ever surpass. The song Amazing Grace is one that is sung in churches all over the world and this song is one that should resonate in all of our lives. We once were lost but now we are found. May the grace that surpasses all understanding be in your lives today and always. Let’s pray: Jesus, I come humbly before you as a sinner and I know that you hold the keys to the gift that is the only gift I should want while on this earth and that is the gift of faith in you. Dear Lord, I renounce sin in my life, and I rebuke the enemy, I believe in you, my God, and my Savior, Jesus Christ. You have the gift of eternal life, and I ask for the grace and the blessing of faith. The faith that surpasses all understanding and the grace that is freely given if I ask, and I ask this now. And, I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen. The post Amazing Grace appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

True Meaning of Christmas – Special Replay The commercial aspect of the holidays almost destroys the true meaning of Christmas. In this episode, I want to share an easy way to bring Jesus to the front and center where He belongs! Thanks to our sponsor to learn more and get today’s show notes to visit AFewMinuteswithGodPodcast.com. And, please share this episode with a friend, that is one of the ways that you can spread the word! The beautiful decorations and lights are uplifting to our spirits and the idea of gift-giving is symbolic of the gift that God gave to us by the birth of His only Son. Yet when we get distracted by all the symbolism that is a time to recall the true meaning of Christmas. Here are three very easy ways to keep our focus on Christ. Take time each day to read John 1 Spend time with God. Just a few minutes each day. Close your eyes and listen. If you have a journal take some time and write your thoughts. How do you feel? Are you excited or do you lean more toward depressed? Christmas can be a time of anticipation and excitement but it also tends to be a time of disappointment and depression. Especially if we dwell on the past or on what could have been. Or if our expectations surround materialist things. We feel that we are not doing enough or perhaps can’t afford the things we want. But that shouldn’t be the focus. Life happens each and every day and we can look at it as what we have or don’t have or we can look at each day as a blessing from God. Recently two of my friend’s husbands died suddenly of heart attacks. Both were robust and active. Both full of life. Only God knows the reason for taking them home. Only He knows the time and place when we too will be called home. I think it is especially difficult during the holidays to lose a loved one, but I also know that the Lord is not surprised by any of it. These families need prayer as well as all the families who are saddened or struggling during this time. It is hard to be joyous when we struggle with loss. That is why the Scriptures are so inspiring. They speak to that part in us that longs for relationships and what better relationship than with God? I want to read part of John 1. This is one of my all-time favorite Scriptures and it is the one I always read at the beginning of Advent – the days leading up to Christmas. John 1: In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. Just stop and think about these first sentences! The Word – which is Scripture is also God! And the Word was there at the beginning. Imagine! This really helps us to understand and put into perspective the mind-blowing aspect – and that is, God and Jesus are one … it is one of those verses that give us a glimpse of the deeper mysteries of faith. It is also one, that for me is so uplifting it gives me joy and it gives me a deep abiding hope. And it goes on… In him was life and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. True Meaning of Christmas Jesus is referred to as the light of the world – the fact that God became man was an act of humility! He came as an infant to save us – to give us eternal life by his life, death, and resurrection. We should rejoice because we know the end of the story – the Scripture tells us, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – the darkness, the evil in this world is uncovered for what it is when you shine the true light – the goodness of God upon it, we find that we, who are called by name can not turn our backs upon what is right and good. When we feel down when we feel depressed when we don’t feel we want to get out of bed and face the day we have only to look at the Word of God for our inspiration. Write out the words, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” What joy those words give us! Our focus is not on the glitter or the gift-giving, or even the baking – which I love! The focus is on Almighty God who came as a babe to conquer sin and set us free. Friends, Christianity is a joy! It is not what those who don’t believe say, “Oh. My. Gosh. You Christians are so boring. You have to give up this and that.” Friends Christianity is freeing because of the joy of knowing that I am living a life without regrets. I am not giving up anything. I am gaining so much. Think of it this way. In fact, close your eyes for a minute. Imagine a gift that is so amazing – take a few minutes and really think about this gift. What would you do with it? How would you share it? Now – consider this. God gave us a gift that is so much greater than anything you can imagine! It is 100 thousand times greater. How could I not want to go to church and thank him, and worship Him? Isaiah 9:6 (read) How can I not want to live a life that is pleasing to God? How could I not say thank-you Lord, each and every day for the gift of life – yes, but everlasting life? I will live my life on earth but will have full confidence that I will live a life eternally with Him! This time of joyous celebration that comes around every December reminds me that the real meaning of Christmas is to give all the honor and the glory to Jesus – the Divine One. Celebrate with your family with your friends but know that the opening of gifts is a small symbol of the greater joy in the gifts that God gave us. This joy of giving gifts to those who are important to us is a symbol of our love for them and their love for us! God gives us an abundance of love and it flows from God – to us to them! Allow the Lord into your life today! John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. Let’s Pray: Dear God the Father, thank-you so much for gifting us with the Son, and then leaving us with the Holy Spirit until the end of time. Thank you for helping me to understand the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you for allowing me to understand that the truth of the season comes in the love that is shared from you to me! Dear Lord Jesus, today I ask you in a deeper way to come into my life. I repent from the sins of the past and ask for your forgiveness. I choose you, my God. I choose you today, and tomorrow. I ask you, Lord, to bless me and cleanse me. I ask that you fill me to overflowing with joy and your love. Help me to sin no more. Help me to follow you in all of the ways that are pleasing to you, my God. Thank you, Lord, for this gift that is more precious than any gift I can imagine. Dear Lord, I ask you know for these specific prayers for those I pray for now… Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayers and for answering them and I pray this in Jesus’ precious Name. Amen.   The post True Meaning Of Christmas appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Generosity and Faith ~ Episode 164 Some people are just naturally generous and in this episode, we are going to talk about generosity and faith and a way to deepen your love for God which in turn will translate into your love for others. Sponsor Media Angels, Inc. – One More Child book — A Few Minutes With God Other episodes you may enjoy: Thanksgiving and Faith  Thanksgiving and Trust Recently I was thinking about the book the Five Love Languages. In this book, the author, Gary Chapman discusses the different ways that we say I love you, and this is especially important for couples.  I’m going to share just two with you that actually apply to my life and that of my husband. My husband‘s love language is to spend time with me, he thinks that expresses his love for me and he does this with something he considers valuable, and that is his gift of time. My love language is to bake you something or to give you something I am a gift-giver I love thinking about what will make someone else happy whether it’s something that I put effort into in making or something that I buy. As you can see these two things are different. And as my husband likes to say isn’t it wonderful that God made us so different. That definitely is a positive spin to what could possibly be a difficult situation. But when I think about generosity it comes in all different shapes and sizes. When we look at each other in the human sense generosity comes from something that we personally think is valuable or important and often if we are honest it is something that makes us happy. So, it that really being generous if we get something out of it? That is food for thought. But, when I think about generosity as a focus of faith it is so much deeper. When we look at our lives objectively we can see that often we gather things that we can’t possibly use. Have you ever cleaned out a closet of clothing? Have you ever looked at things that you may have purchased for your children and more than half of the things were never worn? We gather these things so many of which we can never use. But the gift of faith the gift that God has given us? That is the gift that just keeps on giving. Let’s look at just one tiny aspect of the generosity of God and that is faith. Faith is freely given to all, but few accept it. If you are thinking, Felice you are wrong! My church is huge, many accept the gift of faith–then, my question is where were all the faithful when they shut our churches down? We hid in our homes afraid. I was one of them. However, if I told you in January of 2020 that our churches would not be at full capacity by November 2020 when I am recording this show, what would you say? You would have a hard time believing me. I am not condemning you -or me, it is just what happened in our lives and some of our church leaders and pastors are now in court suing for the constitutional right to worship, freely. This is a gift of the generosity of our faith that we took for granted. Never again will we do this. So, back to faith–yes, it is freely given by God but what do we do with this gift? I personally want a deep sense of faith, and I am going to pray this for you. 1. The faith of knowing that God is in charge of our lives. 2. The faith of knowing that the Lord will never leave us. 3. The faith of knowing that God is in the here and the now. 4. The faith of knowing when we are weak that Almighty God is strong. 5. The faith of knowing that the battle against evil has already been won by the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. If we know these things we will have a deeper sense of the generosity of the gifts God has given us and the truth that these become in our lives. God’s gift to us can never be repaid and that is another thing that is different about the gift of faith. Usually, if someone gives us something we can gift them with something back. In a way, it almost negates our generosity. And if you give with the thoughts of what you were getting back, that further dilutes generosity. Generosity from the Lord is in the fact that he died for our sins, that he gave us everlasting life. Look around you, is this all there is? For those who are Christian, we believe there is more. This world that God has given us has its ups and downs and many of the ups are from Him and the downs are from things and choices that we make. The saying that “God is good all the time and all the time God is good,” is a refrain the Christian say, but the question is do we believe it? If you have strong faith the answer is yes, and it’s not because we say it over and over again so that then we believe it. No, it is because we truly believe in our hearts that God can only give us things that are good. Do bad things happen in our lives? Of course, they do, because God has also given us free well. Another amazing gift of the generosity and love of Almighty God is the gift of free will and how that allows us to do what we want in our lives, and that want can include the love of our Lord, but we love the Lord because we want to. We can choose not to do that. That is also part of our free will as well. Whenever I have a hard time grasping the concept of the free will that God gave us I think about forcing someone to love me. We all crave love in this life. We want people to like us and those close to us, to love us. However, we want this freely, right? We don’t want this to be forced and so it is with Almighty God. We can never understand the mind of God all we can do is strive to do the best that we can do each day. As the holidays are coming up as I record this show, I think about all of the things that I will do soon and maybe you as well. I will shop, I will bake, I will buy or make some gifts, and I will be with those I love. But what will I do as a gift for Almighty God? The one thing I want to share with you again and again because to me this has been an a-ha moment and one gift that we can give Almighty God is to give Him our will. Why? Because we have the free will do to this and HE gave us free will, so we can give it back to Him as a form of humility. Do this takes deep faith. Do you have the faith that surpasses all understanding? Philippians 4:7. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Friends, that is what I’m going to pray for you during this season. To have faith to have trust in Almighty God and all that he will provide for you! Let’s pray Dear Lord, I praise you and I thank you and I give you all of my will to do with as you please help me my God to understand the gift of generosity, to understand the gift of faith, to understand the gift that you have given me and allow me my God to be aware of these gifts. I ask my God, for the prayers that I have in my heart for those I love in my life and for myself… and I praise you and I thank you in Jesus’s Name. Amen. The post Generosity and Faith appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Mercy and Thoughtfulness – Special Replay This is a time of mercy and thoughtfulness because with both of these items there is hope. It is almost like a math equation. Mercy + Thoughtfulness = Hope, but more than that God has an abundance of both. Show Notes: Mercy and Thoughtfulness Who else but the creator of the universe considers the sinfulness of man yet gives us mercy to overcome thought His ever-present Spirit and His love for us in the small and simple things. When you think about the things that bring us joy on an ongoing daily basis it isn’t looking down on your fingers and a piece of jewelry you are wearing, or admiring a handbag – or if you are a guy, success in business, being a good provider or perhaps winning at a game or having a team win or something similar. The things that give us joy are those things that are fleeting like family, friends, love, and those more everlasting like faith, and hope. God thought of everything. God is thoughtful! God is merciful and God is truth – God is everything that is good. But do we realize this in our everyday life or do we allow our situations to get us down? If you look up the word thoughtfulness in the Bible you won’t find one entry – try it! But we do know by definition the Lord is thoughtful because He has provided for us in so many ways that we can never thank him enough or repay him! Mercy and Thoughtfulness takes grace from God! I love the Book of Proverbs because if you want to see morsels of truth you should read it end to end. I’m going to read you some wisdom from Proverbs 18 – just a few verses because I invite you to read it for yourself in your quiet time and meditate on the words… Do we have the heart to discern – to acknowledge that God is the seat of mercy and thoughtfulness for our lives – that we want to seek out the wise and not the foolish. SO many times friends we are wiped out because of something we have no control over. Think about it: Are there things in your life you are holding on to that you can not control? Are there people in your life that bring you down to your knees? For all of those things, we can not control that hold us bound – put them on paper and release them to the Lord. For all those people who upset or bother us – pray for them. In fact, I am taking my own advice and some people that I do not know personally but are upsetting to me are going to be the recipient of my prayers starting today! The human spirit in Proverbs 14 talks about how we can overcome illness but our spirits become crushed by so many things in this world. Our spirits are our reasoning powers – they consist of the ability to make decisions, have insights and judgments, to reason and understand, to be aware and have feelings, emotions – and passions! But our souls – our souls will not die. Our bodies will die and our spirt might be crushed but our soul, if we are a believer will rest with God – and that my friends is the goal of my life to do everything I can each and every day to be held to account by a merciful God. Do you praise God for His Mercy – for His thoughtfulness – for His creation? Remember this when we are down or “crushed” as Proverbs reminds us by the weight of the world. God is the giver of all gifts – as I record this we are coming into the time of Thanksgiving and Christmas times that either bring you warmth and joy or make you sad. Why are we sad? Usually, it is for things we can not control, such as the death of a loved one or someone we are missing. And, yes – we remember as we should and keep those we love close to our hearts but not to the point that we can not move forward and be present for those who are here and need us. Every single one of us is needed – do not let the enemy rob you of your joy and peace. We are needed as prayer warriors as those who help our families, those at church or our neighbors. Ask the Lord each day – how do you want to use me today, Lord? Proverbs 18:16 says a gift opens the way – who is not receptive to gifts? But, maybe you are like me and like to give gifts rather than receive? Interesting side note here – the Lord taught me that it was okay to receive gifts. There was a time when money was tight and I could not give as I wanted and someone gifted me. Instead of being grateful I was horrified and wanted to refuse the gift! But, then a wise pastor reminded me that in time past when I gave the recipients were grateful. The gift was ultimately from God. God knows our hearts and He does provide – not always as we want but as He wishes. If we are filled by God’s love we can’t help to be overflowing with love for others. Think about it. God’s love spills over on us and it gives us so much joy we can not help to share this joy with others. Let’s Pray: God you gift us with so many things but your mercy and thoughtfulness for the little and big things in our lives often go unnoticed or overlooked by us. You are the author of life. You are the giver of every good thing. During this time of giving thanks, we ask you, Lord, to help us to remember those who are less fortunate, and to bring to mind people you want us to pray for on a daily basis. Dear Lord we pray for these people right now, and those near to our hearts … Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with your love, your joy, and your mercy. And I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen! The post Mercy and Thoughtfulness of Our God appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Thanksgiving and Trust – Episode 163 When we give to God all that we have, we will find ourselves filled with thanksgiving and trust that all things work for good for those that love and serve the Lord. Romans 8:28 – of course, this is a paraphrase of the scripture in the Holy Bible, but nonetheless, it is a scripture that speaks to my heart. Sponsor Media Angels, Inc. – One More Child book — A Few Minutes With God Other episodes you may enjoy: Thanksgiving and Faith    Years ago I began keeping a prayer journal, but this one had a twist. Instead of a prayer request journal that I’ve had for many years, this one contained something different. In my prayer journal, I would petition God and put my laundry list of needs down many of them heartfelt and many of them answered prayer However when I began this other journal it was at a time that was actually a very low point in my life and I realized that I was focusing on what I considered the insurmountable problems in my life. Instead, when I prayed I felt a strong sense that I needed to be thankful. Why did I need to be thankful? Because I had nothing or I thought I had nothing to be thankful for. So many things were going wrong in my life and they were disrupting my trust in prayer. What were these things? They were a mix, some included health issues with members of my family, financial issues, and of course many things breaking down that were costly within our home. So many issues in such a short amount of time and I felt they were all insurmountable. What happens when you feel like you are in the “debts of despair” to borrow a phrase of one of my favorite movies, Anne of Green Gables. Well, when you feel like that you can be sure that it does not come from God. So, it is time to pray and change the way you pray — at least that is what I did, and truly it helped me to praise God with heartfelt thanksgiving and trust came right alongside this decision. One of the first times of awareness of what I should be thankful for was on my way to Mass one morning. I remember driving in my car on one exceptionally beautiful day and marveling at the beauty of the sky. Living in Southwest Florida we have flatlands and a big sky. And I realized at that point in time that some of the most beautiful things that I should be thankful for were free! Do you think that only money or security in someone or something can bring you the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7)? No. That is not how it works. While we need finances to get along in this world, financial security is NOT what we need to be happy. I know some very wealthy people who are some of the most miserable people in the world. We’ve heard the saying that money does not buy happiness. However, if you don’t have money that is a very hard concept to buy into. No pun intended! So fast forward why should we be thankful? Why should there be praise and worship on our lips, because we have been made to love and to serve the Lord and if you’re not a Christian this is such a foreign concept. We think in our humanness that we should love and serve our families our friends and even our fellow man, but for many, an obscure God that very rarely answers our prayers even when the prayers are sincere and heartfelt seems like a far off concept. But it’s not. So many things are happening in our world today and I believe that many of these things are a result of mankind turning our backs on God. Many self-sufficient people feel they don’t need a Lord because they can rely on hard work, or their jobs, or their family. We truly are creatures of comfort, and anything that is outside of our comfort zone is something we dislike. Extremely dislike. What is outside of your comfort zone when it comes to faith?  Is it standing up for your faith? Is it wearing a cross or some other type of Christian jewelry? Is it a pro-life sticker on your car or license plate? You won’t know which direction to take if you are not … do you know what I am going to say? It has something to do with spending time with God… that is right! It is time to spend a few minutes with God, in prayer, and in quiet. Many of us do not have that sense of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Recently I heard a talk from a charismatic Catholic priest who also added that he was a conservative and then he jokingly said, “wrap your mind around that one.” He talked about how he was astounded that at one time the charismatic renewal was everywhere and people had a renewed sense of faith. And he wondered about where this infilling of the Holy Spirit was now, and how so many of us were drifting and appeared lost. We have lost our sense of the holiness of God and that connection to God. God requires nothing of us other than being open to his will. Being the wonderful father that He is, He wants what is best for each one of us. We are reminded that God will provide for all of our needs in Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” Are you not much more valuable than the birds, the Word of God asks? So what do you have to be thankful for? Has the enemy robbed you of your peace of mind? Do you have a sense of hopelessness? Well, today is the last day of any of that. Today is the first day of a renewed sense that God is in control. Today is the day to make a choice of good over evil. Today is the day to decide to find something to thank God for each and every day, multiple times a day how about that for a novel idea? We can begin our days with praise and Thanksgiving or we can begin days with heaviness which will you choose? The choice is really yours. We are given free will we are given choices: 1. You have the choice to be sad to be despondent and to focus on everything in your life that is falling apart. Once we do that even for a brief second time our minds to be taken over by doubts and insecurities. Remember God is in the now for us God is in the present. When we worry about things in the future when we worry about things that we cannot control when we worry about things that are insurmountable in our own minds we are setting ourselves up for failure. 2. The second choice is to choose to praise God in thanksgiving we lift up our voices. If you sing, sing your favorite hymn or praise and worship song–what will it be? What do you have to be thankful for? The air that you breathe, the fact that you have food to eat today, shelter, and people, like me who pray for you and with you each and every week during these broadcasts! When we are thankful we allow the Lord to work in our lives and then we will see that we have trust in the outcome no matter what happens. Did you hear that? We will have trust in the outcome no matter what happens. Either good is good and bad is bad and God is in control. If we do not feel like God is in control then we need to make a decision and in prayer give our will to God. It is a simple prayer that I taught you in a past broadcast: Knowing God’s Will God, I give you my will. Please give me your will. Thy kingdom comes thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The ending of that prayer is the Lord’s prayer that Jesus gave us when he was asked, how we should pray. If we give our Lord the will we have we are going to be in union with him and then, what happens? Miracles! Which will you choose today? The choice is up to you. Let today be the last day of feeling despondent and the first day of praise and thanksgiving and what will come next? That’s right trust in the Lord. Let’s pray: Oh Lord, I praise you and I thank you and in praise and thanksgiving, I ask you to give me an infilling of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Before you rose into heaven you said you would not leave us alone, but send us your Spirit. I ask for this in a deeper way today. Please fill my heart with the joy and love that only comes from you. Allow this to overflow into everything that I do. I ask You to help me with all that I have to do in my every day, the details Lord but allow me to see the big picture.  I am not too proud to pray, to be aware of all the things I should thank You for and I ask that you show me the things that I should be thankful for in my life. Help me to begin each day with the words of praise and worship on my lips and I ask this in Jesus’ Name. I also offer up prayers and petitions for those in my life, but Lord I need prayer for myself as well. There are many injustices in this world my God and I have no control over these things so I give them up to you. And I praise you and I thank you for all that is good and holy, and I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen! The post Thanksgiving and Trust appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Thankful All The Time – Special Replay Don’t you wish we could be thankful all the time? Especially in this time of joy sometimes we can’t see because we are covered with the business of every day. In this episode, we will discuss ways to keep thankfulness at the forefront of each day. Colossians 3:15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Can we be called to peace and thankfulness – of course, Scripture command it but without the love and providence of Almighty God we can’t do it alone. If only we have time, right? It is always about time. It is the one thing people say to me over and over again. I have not time to pray. I have no time to listen to podcasts. I have no time – no time – no time. In fact, I bought into the no-time lie for so many years that I am not a time hoarder – I hate to waste time! I am serious about this – but God has shown me that HIS ways are so much greater than my ways. I thought that someday when my kids were grown I’d have so much time. You know I use to worry that I would be lonely, and I would have nothing to do – whatever would I do if I wasn’t being a mom to five and helping my husband with his business as well as working on mine – in my spare time? Well, fast forward and I’m here! I’m in an almost-empty-nester home and have so many projects underway that I forget the main thing I want to focus on this time of the year and that is being thankful, not only each day but all the time. Why? Because it reminds me that my heritage is not here on earth but above. I am reminded that when I am weak He is strong. I am nothing without God in my life. Nothing, not even chocolate makes me happy the way God does! I have a glass paperweight that says “We do not know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future.” Who holds your future? Is it your accomplishments? Is it the people you love in your life, your family? Your friends? The future is not only now and if we can think “be thankful all the time” even in the midst of hardship, but we do have a slice of heaven with us each day. How do we grow for the better? Usually, it is after overcoming a hardship in our life. We can have a wonderful testimony at the end and always point to God. In fact, have you ever looked back to a particularly difficult time in your life and seen the hand of God? I have and then I’m sad that I was not more thankful for the situation. I’m reminded of this wonderful scripture – Hebrews 12:28  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe The song 10,000 Reasons, “Bless the Lord oh, my soul, worship His Holy Name.” When we play praise and worship music it is easier to be reminded of the ways we should be thankful all the time. Sometimes we just need to write the ways we are thankful. I am so thankful for you my, God. I am so thankful for the family you have gifted me with. I am so thankful for my Christian friends. I am so thankful for my non-Christian friends because you have put them in my life for your Divine purpose – not mine! I am so thankful for the air I breathe, for the day you’ve given me, for the way you love me, for the grace you’ve given me for continuing each and every day. Add your own ways to be thankful! Funny story – I’ve always avoided exercise and I married a man who was not only a stellar and decorated athlete – but he was a Physical Education major and my children are almost all athletic. Why avoid exercise – oh, we don’t have enough time for me to share all the reasons. But, what am I most thankful for now – the fact that my husband purchased a treadmill for me! Yes, I am making the time for walking each and every day and I have used this time to pray – to listen to podcasts and to read, all while walking in my own home. Who would have thought! Friends, the strangest things happen in life – and they are mostly wonderful! So, I praise God for the gift of time to walk each day. Ephesians 5:20 2 Timothy 1:7 Let’s pray: Dear Lord Jesus, I worship you and I love you – You have given me a spirit that is not timid – a spirt that give us power, love and self-discipline and I chose you Lord – 1000x a day I chose You! I come just as I am and you know all of my faults, I come to you with an open heart – I come asking for the spirit to be thankful all the time and joyous! I ask you, Lord, to bless those I pray for now … and I thank you, my God, for all the wonderful blessings ahead of time because you are an awesome and righteous God! I praise you and I thank you, Amen! The post Special Replay: Thankful All The Time appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Thanksgiving and Faith Episode 162 Thanksgiving and faith go hand in hand even when our faith is always being tested by the forces of this world. Even if everything in your life is going well, or as well as can be expected, it is as if we have one eye looking in the rearview mirror just waiting for something to happen. Maybe, however you are an optimist and you look at things as being in God’s hands, a very good place to be… and for us as Christians there is a very simple lesson and that is to get our priorities in the right place. Where are your priorities? Your family, your immediate needs, maybe you are struggling with an illness and your priority is to get better. We must get our priorities straight and that includes thanking God in all things, having faith when faith seems distant, and looking at our lives as a temporary place yet, somewhere the Lord wants us right now. Do you remember, some time ago (for those of you who have listened for a while) I did a show on being in the present moment? When our peace is robbed, it is because we are looking too far in the future. Today, focus on today. And, as you are focusing on today—what are you thankful for. As I record this it is a time of difficulty as well as the holidays around the corner. And truthfully, many people might feel like there is not much to be thankful for…however, that is never true. As disciples of Christ, we have so much to be thankful for! Gratitude is something that is innate for some people, it comes naturally—yet, for others it is difficult. Being grateful means we see the little things, the things often overlooked by others. We see the it in the sunset, in the time with family or friends. We see it in the ability to go to church and praise God. Without gratitude, we have no hope. Without hope we have no future. Where is our hope? It is with the Almighty. Lately, the news has been dire. And when you listen to the news you hear doom and gloom, yet when you open the Bible, the Word of God is encouraging for those who love and follow the Lord and His commands. Remember the children’s song, based on scripture? This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad? Psalm 118:24 says, The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. But what about verse 25? Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Remember success varies, and what you consider success is not what I consider success. For some success translates into money earned, and for others, success is in the smile of a child or a sunset or sunrise. Thanksgiving doesn’t depend on success. Thanksgiving takes a conscious effort of determining that you will be thankful…why? Why not? What is it in your life that you can praise God for, and mean it? Take some time to think about this. I see people post things on social media that show a sense of hopelessness. There is a sense that things are all bad and there is no redemption, but those people have not only lost a sense of hope and dare I say, faith. If we have faith—the faith that surpasses all understanding we have hope. And, if we have hope – we are thankful. Why is it that it is easy to list all the things that upset you? If I gave you five minutes to list all your grievances you could probably fill a sheet of paper, but if I asked you to list all the ways you are thankful and have hope, what would your paper say? The enemy does not want us to have hope and he has robbed a society glued to social media and television of hope. Do you have the weight of the world on your shoulders? Do you feel defeated? Think about this: Here is what we know. God is the victor, and to Him goes the glory and honor. You are a child of God. Remember that. Unite your will to God’s every day – Lord I give you my will, please give me your will. Thy kingdom come thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. In God there is hope. Never forget that. The battle is not for us to fight, but the battle is for us to prepare for (Ephesians 6:10-18- put on the armor of Christ: –because once again the battle has been won. Let me remind you what this amazing scripture says: Ephesians 6:10-18 New International Version The Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. How can we be vigilant? By praying dear friends, praying to our Lord because only God and God alone can change our hearts from being burdened to overflowing with Thanksgiving and hope! Let’s pray. Dear heavenly Father, I praise you and I thank you for everything. For the sun, the moon, and the stars, for the mornings and the evenings. For giving me the breath each and every day to not only survive but to thrive and to praise YOU who are worthy of my praise. I love you my God and I thank you, only YOU are victorious against the enemy and I thank God the Father for sending His only son that we can not only be saved but to be healed and to be joyful and hopeful people. Dear Lord, I pray for the following needs:   And I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.             The post Thanksgiving and Faith appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Take Jesus With You – Special Replay Many times people feel alone and forgotten but you can take Jesus with you each and every day. In this episode, we are reminded that God is always with us until the end of time. We are not alone! So, how do you take Jesus with you and why is this a strange concept to so many? We learned as children that Jesus is always with us – we are told in the Scriptures after Jesus resurrected that the disciples were asked to go to the mountain in Galilee where they found the Lord – and he instructed them before he went to heaven. This is known as the “great commission.” Matthew 28:16-20 The eleven went to find Jesus Some doubted The great commission – make disciples of all nations The Trinity: Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Teach them to obey …I am with you always, to the very end of the age Jesus is with us … always … to the very end of the age… We should be shouting and rejoicing in the streets – hallelujah the Lord is with us – He is here – He is always beside us. OR… if we are not sure of our relationship with God it may be a little bit intimidating. Each of us has a different relationship with the Lord. We worship in our own way. Some in private, other’s in the community, some lifting their hands and worshipping in song and others on their knees in the privacy of a church chapel or home. Yet we should work on our communication with the Lord. Is Jesus with you each and every day? Is he right Dear Jesus, thank you for always being with me, until the end of time – thank you for giving me the grace to believe you are here – that you are with me. I repent of any way I have not allowed you to work in my life, anything I have done that is not pleasing. I ask you, Lord, to come into my life in a renewed way – to see your hand in the little things in my life, to honor my prayers and to go with me, wherever I go. I praise you and I thank you, Lord! Thank you for answering the prayers that I ask of you now… You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and I give you all the honor and praise as the one true God and I pray this in Jesus Name – Amen! The post Special Replay: Take Jesus With You appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.