Does the title of today’s Thought surprise you? One day in the office, a co-worker said to me, “I hate religion.” He was surprised by my response when I said “so do I.” Knowing that I am a Christian, he naturally assumed I was “Religious.” I told him that “Religion” is just “Man’s” way of understanding or attempting to connect with God. Unfortunately though people are hurt and oppressed by “Man-made” rules and then they blame God for what people say or do to them. Mark Twain once said:
That is so true! He gets blamed all the time for what people do in “His name,” but what God really desires is to have a personal relationship with us, through His Son Jesus, where we include Him in all aspects of our life. I truly believe that you can “Hate Religion” and be a Christian too! Or maybe a better way to describe myself would be a “Christ Follower.” I may say that I am a Christian, but above all else, I desire to be more and more like Jesus and that only happens through me pursuing a relationship with Him and God daily. Hence the name of this blog…“Daily Dependence.” I read somewhere this amazing quote that expresses how I feel perfectly…
So the question I have for you is…
Do you have a “RELIGION” or do you have a “RELATIONSHIP?” There is a huge difference!
This contrast between religion and a relationship is critical to understand. Don’t miss what God wants to speak to you today!
Click here if you would prefer to listen to the Podcast of this blog post.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NLT) of the Bible, The Apostle Paul talks about what Jesus did to have a relationship with us, he said,
“For I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.”
God’s rescue plan for you and I was to send Jesus, His One and Son just in case we would decide to have a relationship with Him. Imagine getting this text from God?
It would be pretty great huh? But I would submit to you that we have that in the form of the Bible which is God’s love letter to you and I. He desires a relationship with us not empty religious rituals or just following some “made man” rules. When you have a relationship with someone it is out of love not coercion or obligation. And to prove how serious God was to have that relationship with us, He sacrificed His Son as payment for our sins, who He then rose from the dead 3 days later (which is commemorated on Easter Sunday,) so that IF ANYONE believes in JESUS they will be saved from the consequences of their sins and will have eternal life in heaven, (see John 3:16).
Romans 10:9-10 (NLT) says:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
The relationship I have can be yours too, all you need is to pray a simple prayer and ask for forgiveness and acknowledge that you are a broken sinful person (which we all are, especially me!) And then tell God that you accept Jesus as the payment for your sins; or another way of saying it, that you accept Him as your savior. If you are ready to start a relationship with the God, our Heavenly Father and His Son, below is a prayer you can pray to start you on the journey. The words you say really don’t matter, there is nothing special about them, but the emotion and belief in your heart does. Make this your prayer today:
God take this broken, sinful person and change my life. I confess I have made mistakes and acknowledge that I am in need of a Savior. I want a relationship with you. Please forgive me. I believe that Jesus came to die for my sins and that He is the bridge that brings me to eternal life with you forever. Today I accept the free gift of eternal life and know that I can never do enough good deeds to earn that salvation. In Jesus Name I pray! Amen!
If you earnestly prayed that prayer you are a new creation, (see 2 Corinthians 5:17!) God will honor that prayer of surrender and will do incredible things in your life!
Please contact me DailyDependence@gmail.com if you have any questions about your new life in Jesus Christ, I would love to discuss your decision more. God Bless!
If you are interested, here is another post that further develops this Thought called:
★ “Back to the Basics” – I Hate Religion and I’m a Christian…Part 2 ★
“Always be joyful. 
of April 30, 2022, we paid off the mortgage! There is nothing greater than seeing “PAID IN FULL!” Without a mortgage, we started saving money like crazy and paid for our two kids to go to college in cash, (the last payment was made just recently on January 7, 2024) PRAISE GOD! He is so good, so faithful and yet I doubted that this could have happened, ugh! The key is following what the Bible says, and instead of going to God for our greeds, go to Him for our needs. The bridge is a grateful heart. Psalms 100:4-5 (NLT) says, 
“What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?” 
“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.
“Do not be anxious about anything [or you could say Persevere through everything,] but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 
“Always be joyful. 
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 
God bless me indeed so that I can be a blessing. Enlarge my territory, have Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” 
Last night my wife and I were at Cycle class and the instructor said, “Welcome to 2024, New Year, New You.” Then quickly said “No, it’s still the same old you, but will you choose to push through to make a change.” That put a fire in me, and I left it all on that bike last night. Then this morning I decided to get going on the post I teased you about 3 days ago. We are starting a series today called 
“Always be joyful. 
“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening — it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.” 
“And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. 
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT), the Apostle give this encouragement:
What does the current heat wave, moving the lawn, Sister Wynona Carr and the Book of Hebrews chapters 11 and 12 have in common with one another? No, there is no punch line, just my stream of consciousness and the Holy Spirit working through the mundane to speak into my spirit! According to the Dallas Morning News, Dallas-Fort Worth has seen 29 days of at least 100 degrees, (starting on June 25). Honestly, I was shocked it has been less than a month of this sweltering temperature, feels more like 290 days; but then my wife reminded me we had a day or two of 99 degrees which broke the streak. I thought this was hysterical from this morning’s weather report, take note of the headline…
“SOUTHWEST & SOUTHERN STATES 
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
“Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 
both good and bad. It is funny that I had today’s post almost completely done back in January, but the torrent of events tore me away from this post that was so important to me at the time. I am saddened to think of how I have deprioritized God these past 11-1/2 months and allowed the things of this world to choke out my love of studying God’s Word, writing, and even praying to the One who can change the circumstances! So, without further ado, I will pick this post back up and bring it to completion in the hopes that the encouragement that I have so desperately needed over the past year could be obtained through the message the Holy Spirit was trying to speak to, and through me back in January. At the time, I had been studying the Book of Acts with my Monday Virtual Bible Study and in my own personal devotional time. I was planning to wrap up our 
We are first introduced to Barnabas in Acts 4:36-37 (NLT) which says…
In these two passages we learn a lot, Barnabas…
“The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: 
Reminds me of what Charles Stanley once said:
But with all good things, their partnership came to an end. Acts of the Apostles 15:38-40 (NLT) proves that no matter how anointed you may be with the Holy Spirit, personal feelings can cause division between believers, resulting in the separation of the dynamic duo of Paul and Barnabas.
Happy New Year! I hope that you are doing well, I know it has been some time since I have posted anything. Life has been exceedingly difficult with much spiritual warfare that has kept me away from my keyboard to share the goodness of God. Unlike other posts, this one is going to start off a little bit rough but if you bear with me, I promise it will turn around. I don’t know what it is about New Year’s Eve, but I have never been overly excited about going out to celebrate the ending of the year and the beginning of a new one. I know metaphorically it is an opportunity for a clean slate or “do-over,” but I guess with all that our family has gone through this year, and the grim reality that the Omicron Variant has brought hospitalizations back to levels that we saw at the peak of Covid in 2020, I really have been struggling this year to be excited about flipping the calendar to 2022. I know I am killing the GOOD VIBES of NEW YEARS DAY, but I have always tried to be genuine in my struggles and the reality of spiritual warfare. Jesus said it Himself in John 10:10 (NASB1995) that:
“The thief [or devil,] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
This year’s Word — “Renewed Thoughts & Attitudes” which came from two passage of scripture. If you are new to our site, each year I wait on the Holy Spirit to reveal a “WORD” or phrase for me to stand on for the upcoming year.
“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”
In James 1:2-4 (NLT), the half-brother of Jesus gives this warning:
In just the last year*, there have been: 
“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!””
“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.””
“Serving enables the Word of God to move forward.” Ross Appleton
“The idea behind full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom is that these men were to be both SPIRITUALLY MINDED and PRACTICALLY MINDED. This can be a hard combination to find.” David Guzik
“People don’t accidentally love people; we must be intentional.” Ross Appleton
I will forever beat the drum that “context is everything.” I truly believe that we do a disservice to ourselves and to God when we just à la carte the Bible, cherry-picking verses to build our theology upon. So, in keeping with that, let’s look at the events of when this word of encouragement was spoken. The nation of Israel was at a preverbal crossroad in their history. They had just finished (40) years of wandering in the wilderness because of their lack of faith that God would deliver them. For those who may not know or remember. Moses has sent 12 spies into the Promise Land to see what the land was like. After 10 of the 12 spies gave a bad report about how hopeless their odds were to actually overcome the giants that lived there, the people rebelled against Moses and his brother Aaron and as a result God punished them, (see 
“No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.”
“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command — be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
“Do you have ‘fair-weather faith’ or ‘faith that can weather when life isn’t fair?’” 
“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.” 
Jehoiada is the epitome of the second half of the Galatians passage 6:8b-10 (NLT)…
Today marks my 7th “Word for the Year” post. If you are new to our site, each year I wait on the Holy Spirit to reveal a “WORD” for me to stand on for the upcoming year. Past Words or phrases have been:
““I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”
“The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” 
“We want success without sacrifice, but life doesn’t work that way. Success will not be shortchanged. You have to pay the price, and it never goes on sale. The best decision you can make for yourself is making decisions against yourself. You have to discipline yourself to do the right things day in and day out, week in and week out, year in and year out. And if you do, the payoff is far greater than the price you paid.” From the 
The seemingly futile ministry of Jeremiah and Ezekiel to the people of Judah to bring His people back into right relationship with Him. In the sermon called 
“And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
As I looked at the list of scriptures I found it interesting that in the Old Testament Book Jeremiah, the phrase “They will be my people, and I will be their God” is mentioned (7) times, the most than of any other book!! I think since Jeremiah was left behind in Jerusalem after King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the Holy City and exiled the people to Babylon, he had a unique perspective of the events. I recently discovered this one from Jeremiah 32:37-41 (NLT) that beautifully displays the amazing grace of God who promises to restore the people once again to the land even after all the hurt they have inflicted on God!!
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
“STUDY this Book of Instruction CONTINUALLY. MEDITATE on it day and night so you will be sure to OBEY everything written in it. Only then will you PROSPER and SUCCEED in all you do.”
We kicked off the series discussing one of my favorite Old Testament characters Daniel and how he overcame adversity through the strength of his character and his faithfulness to God’s Word. The consistency of which was so strong that his life impacted the whole world (see 
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
we as Christians need to have…
Now of course the number one name that should be on the list is Jesus which Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) proclaims:
“STUDY this Book of Instruction CONTINUALLY. MEDITATE on it day and night so you will be sure to OBEY everything written in it. Only then will you PROSPER and SUCCEED in all you do.”
First, I am a firm believer that God will equip and promote you in His timing. In Daniel 1:17 (NLT) it shows that God blessed Daniel, and his (3) friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (also known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedego) mightily with various gifts.
Like with King Nebuchadnezzar (in Daniel 1:18-20) and then King Belshazzar (in Daniel 5:29), Daniel was promoted by the third King to rule over the land, Darius the Mede. Daniel 6:3 (NLT) recalls that:
Daniel overcame adversity through the strength of his character and his faithfulness to God’s Word was so strong that his life impacted the whole world! Consistency is key! I will close 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT) which says:
“After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.”
Now that may not be much for you, but for a 46 year man who did not exercise regularly before 2020, that is amazing for me and something that had I not been consistently exercising throughout the year, training my body I know that I probably would have given up as a result of the resistance and turned back towards home after the first mile. And when I got home and saw the stats of the bike ride, I realized that not only does CONSISTENCY COMPOUND, but that there is REWARD TO RESISTANCE! This was without a doubt the hardest one I had ever been on in my life and one that I will never. As I pedaled and pushed past the exhaustion, the wind whipping against me no matter which direction I went, the story that followed the “Feeding the 5,000” came to mind. It is covered in 
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”
Marketers want us all to pressure so that we get out there and spend our money. This amid a worldwide pandemic, political division and social unrest. My wife sent me this meme which I thought was hysterical…
…and underscores how this year has been like nothing we have seen before. Without a doubt, the past 275 days since the mandatory work from home began, we have all had to handle stress and face things none of us have had to before. Recently I went through my photos on my iPhone to do the 2020 year in review challenge. As I scrolled, the evidence of how we have been handling the stress. There were lots of shots of walks and bike rides with my wife and daughters trying to make the most out of this crazy time. We had some big moments like my youngest daughter buying her first vehicle, a used Ford F150 and graduating high school a year early; as well as celebrating 21 years married to my best friend! There definitely have been some scary moments as well…My father-in-law falling face first into the pavement causing stitches, a broken nose and fractures in his neck. And most recently my oldest daughter testing positive for Covid. I am happy to report that both as recovering well and in fact she was home for our very quiet Thanksgiving celebration. We also had a heart wrenching moment too as my neighbor and close friend just passed away two weeks (11/25/2020) after losing his battle with cancer. Today my youngest daughter received her test results that she is positive for Covid. It has been a challenging year, and as many people have wished 2020 to be over with, as I reflect upon it, I find keeping things in context is important. This will not be a surprise, but it is important to remember that we live in a fallen world in which our loved ones get injured, contract diseases and pass away. We are not promised tomorrow, in fact Jesus’ little brother stated in James 4:13-14 (NKJV) this sobering reality:
I pray that my words are coming through clearly and that the enemy is not able to twist them as you read this post that you are offended instead of encouraged. I know 2020 has been a year of destitution, distress and death and I certainly am not making light of all that is going on in the world as unemployment soars, all-consuming fear fills the minds of people on how to put food on the table or the reality of the empty chair at the dinner table. But I do think when we change our perspective and fix our eyes on Jesus that we will see a difference happen in how the storms of life affect us. I shared about this in the post called 
I shared this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer that captures this perfectly:
As you can see, I have been ticking away the days wondering will it ever end. The past (4) months have been a bit of a blur and definitely an unusual time for all of us to develop some patience. Early on in my walk with Christ, I remember a friend of mine telling me that I should never pray for patience because God will give me “opportunities” to develop patience. Now you may be reading this and be in total agreement with my well-intentioned friend, but I do not believe that is at all what God desires; after all…patience is one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit as Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) tells us:
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
“A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves you a thousand moments of regret.”
“GOD BLESSES those who PATIENTLY ENDURE testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.”
“Did you know that Pentecost is a Jewish feast that celebrates Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai?” Robert Morris 
John 4:24 instructs us…
“The day of Pentecost was the first time since the Fall of man that the Holy Spirit empowered men to live righteously. We know Jesus’ death and resurrection have put us in right standing with God, but the Holy Spirit actually empowers us to live according to that righteous position.”
If I call, will You come
the excuses have been kicked to the curb, and especially over the past 65 days I have been more consistent then ever! I hope you will not think me to be bragging, but I wanted to share this with you from my Fitbit app exercise tracker that shows I have consistently exercised for an entire month straight!! First time ever in my life doing this!!
And one final benefit has been having breakfast and lunch with the family every day which in the past was only possible on the weekend. Oh, and probably the highlight of the past 65 days was this past Saturday when my oldest daughter cleared out her bedroom so we could have a “Family Dance Night Surprise!” Yesterday I felt so sore from all the dancing…hahaha!
“Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.”
“O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.”
“Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy on them. YES, TURN TO OUR GOD, FOR HE WILL FORGIVE GENEROUSLY.”
“BUT IF we CONFESS our sins to Him, He is FAITHFUL and JUST to FORGIVE us our sins and to CLEANSE us from ALL wickedness.”
Your forgiveness
“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.”
“The faithful LOVE of the Lord never ends! HIS MERCIES NEVER CEASE.”
LOVE, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”
since many areas including where I live have not reached the peak. Today marks DAY 55 since my family and I have self-quarantined, so like everyone else I too would love to go out on a date with my wife and get back to living but we are being cautious as this is a critical decision which should give us pause especially since the news is reporting that many states that have started re-opening are seeing a spike in cases. Even though the state is starting to “re-open,” our family is keeping the shelter-in-place status quo. I consider this virus and the decision of when, and how to reopen the country to be quite important, but I would like us to refocus and consider what truly is significant. Many things are believed to be significant, BUT only God truly is. EVERYTHING else pales in comparison to our Father! If God did nothing more for us other than sacrificing His Son to rescue is from the punishment our sins deserve, He would still be worthy of our devotion and worship! The key is to have the right perspective. I love what Psalms 86:10-13 (NLT)
And Psalms 150:1-2 (NLT) says:
David Guzik had this commentary on Philippians 4:8:
“God created human beings in His own image.”
“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities — His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
So in closing the loop, I wanted to swing back to my theme verse, and close with this final thought that if we want to experience this attribute of “Sufficiency,” we must accept God’s Grace and understanding that when we are weak, if we go to the power source, we will receive all that we need because He is strong!
Hosea 10:12 (NLT) is a passage in which God was pronouncing His judgement because of Israel’s sin, and gave this instruction:
“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
ve you a NEW HEART, and I will put a NEW SPIRIT in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”
“For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.”
“Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”
“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 
thought from James 1:5 (ESV) says:
““Every part of this plan,” David told Solomon, “was given to me in writing from the hand of the Lord.” Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.””
““Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?”” (Job 38:4-5 NLT).
And if that were not enough, in Hebrews 11:10 (NIV) is also shows that God is the Architect of Heaven as well…
Psalms 145:8-9 (NLT)
Here’s a fun fact for you: The Gospel of John covers the last year of Jesus’ life, while Matthew, Mark and Luke cover first (2) years of Jesus’ ministry. Did you know that there are very few things that are covered in all (4) Gospels? In fact, there are only (4) stories in common:
“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord — glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?”
“The camp must be holy, for the Lord your God moves around in your camp to protect you and to defeat your enemies. He must not see any shameful thing among you, or he will turn away from you.”
You know when God repeats something (4) times, you best listen up!! These words were recorded thousands of years ago and they are just as true for us today. How do i know this? Well I am glad you asked. The Apostle Peter made a call to “Holy Living” in 1 Peter chapter 1. He starts off in verses 13-14:
In 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NLT) he continues raising the urgency:
Psalm 139:17-18 (NLT) says:
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. BUT GOD showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 
“News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to Him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed — He healed them all.”
“Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
I will close with this beautiful proclamation of faith that the Prophet Jeremiah offers us in the book that bears his name. Jeremiah 17:14 (NLT) says:
Before His death, Jesus said in John 14:6b (NLT):
I was just watching the sermon 
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
In these crazy times of sheltering-in-place orders, endless newscasts of COVID-19 infection/death rates all around the world and the uncertainty of the future, isn’t it great to know that God IS all-knowing! Even though the world has been completely blindsided by this pandemic, NOTHING is a surprise to Him! Psalms 147:5 (NASB) says: 
“Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.”
“Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand.”
“The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.” John
“And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””
I know I am not worthy of the gift of salvation and yet God sent His Son to die for my sins even though I was living in complete rebellion from Him! 
“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.”
“The Holy Spirit wants to pull the curtain back so that you can begin to see God more clearly.” From the YouVersion reading plan ‘The God I Never Knew.’ (
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”
anniversary of an amazing answer to prayer. On April 15, 2006 my wife and I went to a Couple’s Breakfast in which the topic was “Reaching for Financial Freedom.” At the time, we has credit card debt, student loans, a minivan car payment and a ridiculously large mortgage payment we could barely afford. After hearing the husband and wife speakers speak on the provision of God, we prayed that in one year’s time we would be debt free. Exactly one year later, we were on a flight to Texas having that prayer answered! As a result of leaving NJ to TX we were completely debt free (excluding the mortgage).
Philippians 4:19 (NLT)
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. 
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”
Besides the religious significance, this week according to the Surgeon General “is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment.” As I turned on the TV this morning, news report after news report warns that the USA is facing the worst week of the Covid-19 outbreak. As we have been “social distancing,” (which I have to say I cannot stand hearing that phrase, I prefer “physical distancing” but I digress), the most repeated thing that I have asked, or have been asked, is “how are doing in quarantine?” So, I will tell you, I am doing good. Like so many, it has been (3) weeks now that we have self-quarantined. In these difficult and confusing times, it’s been comforting to be with my wife and (2) daughters, facing this together. Each of us have been “finding our new normal.” I have commandeered the dining room as my work space, while our daughters have each found their own place to attend classes online. One blessing of being quarantined with my family is enjoying having lunch together and then 3 pm coffee time with my wife. I think the most interesting change is that I am now the one hitting Costco, Kroger or Walmart just trying to find the essentials. As I got ready yesterday and folded up my bandanna with some of my wife’s hair ties to create a makeshift mask, I felt a little like this guy…
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
“Breaking the authority established by chaos.” 
When I think of “compounding,” my 401k comes to mind, and how the interest on the money over time gains momentum and produces a good return on my investment. Well the same is true when you consistently apply yourself in an area of your life, whether that is committing to a daily quiet time with God, scheduling time at the gym to stay healthy or being intentional with cultivating genuine community with the people in your life. It all comes down to discipline! Something that I struggled with for most of my life, but I have come to realize that it is absolutely necessary in order to be consistent. As Hebrews 12:11 (HCSB) reminds us:
“No discipline seems enjoyable at the time but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
“Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” John Maxwell
“Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!”
“Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.”
“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Robert Morris made this great point…
Have you ever questioned the validity or truth of God’s Word? Now don’t be hasty and give the “Christianese” answer, be honest. We all have at one time or another questioned the goodness of God, and whether the Bible is true or not. Many people find the Old Testament confusing, and question how can the God who seems to be doling out vengeance left and right, be the same God who is all about love in the New Testament. Truth be told, though it may appear that the two don’t align, I assure you that God is the same in first book of the Bible (Genesis) as He is in the last one (Revelation). The problem is a lack of understanding and knowledge of both the Old and New Testaments. You may be wondering what does this matter? I saw this graphic that was illuminating…
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
“For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us. Do not disgrace your own glorious throne. Please remember us, and do not break your covenant with us.”
If you were like me, and grew up with the classic TV show “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” an image of Linus with his security blanket may come to mind. Or maybe you may be thinking about the 
Instead of staying in bed with his Mommy, he grabs the blanket and goes back to his bed smelling it all the way. While I could write about either one of these, the inspiration came from my “four-legged son” Jake, who like the frightened young boy, is also terrified by thunderstorms and goes running to his “Mommy.” We always know when a storm is coming because Jake starts shaking like a leaf and incessantly panting. And last night was no different, he was a mess and would not calm down. I remember one day, my wife sent me these photos because Jake was freaking out so bad that he pushed his way into the shower and then tried climbing onto the bed.
Comfort which typically is not a blanket or ThunderShirt but rather something that comes from a bottle, prescription or something altogether illegal. Comfort items that before I came to Christ, I tried to fill the void in my heart but to no avail! Depression, fear, anxiety WILL NEVER BE CURED with another drink, pill or _______ (fill in the blank.) If only I knew the truth of Philippians 4 back then!
on) Jesus made this promise…
God is always speaking to us; the question is are we listening? Just like God had promised Israel that He would bless them if they would obey, the same is true for us. In Joel 2:12-13 (NLT), the prophet gave A Call to Repentance…
“‘In the last days,’ God says,
Not sure why, but I started thinking this year about things that I have not done before like taking off for my birthday, growing a full beard and really wanting to go to Colorado to escape the oppressive heat Texas has been under for the past few months. Well the first 2 can be checked off so I guess 2 out 3 isn’t bad.
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
that regardless of whether you want God in your life, He wants you! If you want to learn more you can check out this post called 
“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions.”
So when I see the words “Be Strong and Courageous” I am stretched today! Our family is going through a lot of “firsts” with our daughter this past month…first prom, first high school graduation, and now today the first flight alone in which she is travelling 719 miles away from home. As I type this, my baby girl is at the 683-mile mark…thanks to to the Flight Tracker, hahaha! For months now we have surrounded this trip in prayer and fasting, trusting that God will take care of the details but now that it is here I am struggling a bit, which is normal.
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
“This is my command — be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
I could not help but feel that this was God’s way of reminding me that my Mom is right there with Him and Jesus! Now you may say, well it is Springtime so of course it is in full bloom, but my impression is that my love Heavenly Father wanted to give me a sign. As life is springing up anew from its winter slumber all around, Christians paused on April 19 to remember the day that Jesus paid the ultimate price and surrendered His Will and allowed Himself to be crucified up on that cross, see 
Romans 5:1-8 (NLT) says:
In John 11:25-26 (NLT) it says:
We have been in a series unpacking the significance of the Holy Spirit, The Unsung Hero of the Trinity. If you have missed the previous posts you can start here 
“There are three baptisms in the New Testament:
I will close with this prophetic passage from Joel 2:28-29 (NLT) about The Lord’s Promise of His Spirit which was penned 800 years before Jesus was born:
Galatians 5:22-25 (NASB) says:
What do you think? Do you believe 2 out 3 is enough? 
reation! And then in Genesis 1:26a (NLT) it says:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
“For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So, all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
I saw this infographic from the book called “12 ways Your Phone Is Changing You” by Tony Reinke that I thought was quite revealing. Our phone is an ever-present part of our life and can adversely affect our relationship with God if we are not careful. And it got me thinking how are we stewarding the time with our device? We hold more computing power in the palm of our hand then it took to land a man on the moon back on July 20, 1969 and yet I dare say if we are being honest, most of the time we don’t really use it for anything of lasting value. From Twitter/Facebook to Netflix to YouTube, we spend hours upon hours absorbing useless information or gossip or mindless videos. Now I am not saying if you have those apps on your phone, that you don’t have a good relationship with God, (for I have all 4!)…But what I am saying is that if they are used to the extreme, we could end up pushing aside what is truly important like our relationship with God, our spouses, our child(ren) and/or our friends. We live in a time when we are “more connected” through our devices and yet study after study shows that we are “more disconnected” from others then at any point in history. And for those who call themselves Christians, that phone in your hand offers access to thousands of resources at your fingertips. From blogs to podcasts to live streaming of church services across the world, the potential to grow deeper with God is greater today in 2019 than in any previous generation and yet Bible literacy is at an all time low.
Simple enough right but there is so much misunderstanding about the Holy Spirit and “fake news” that is demonically inspired to keep you and I from truly flourishing in our walk with God. So what are you plugged into? Do you think that you are operating at full capacity in your walk with God? Paul continues to explain the need to rely on the Holy Spirit in verses 13-14 of 1 Corinthians…
When we do we will have peace that transcends understanding and joy in midst of trouble. That is of course if you are pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ. (If you don’t know what that means check out this post called…
Three years ago God placed on my heart to study the Christmas Story in greater detail than I have ever done before. It led me into a 
In preparation for this post I stumbled onto this TIME Magazine Cover with this Tagline: “Why Mom Liked You Most” which I think many people could resonate with. I know I always thought my brother and sister got the biggest slice of cake! Hahaha! In the post called 
Hahaha! Now I did not grow up with the Messiah, but I am all too familiar with growing up in my big brother’s shadow. He was always the life of the party, the one that was the center of attention. Now I may be dating myself here, but have you ever seen the TV show “Everybody Loves Raymond?” 
Although Raymond was the younger sibling, the comparison is identical to how I felt growing up, that my brother was center of our family just like Raymond was the center of the show. But in that conversation with my brother I discovered how wrong my perspective was. Though I believed that he was Raymond and everybody’s favorite, he believed that the opposite was true! His view of our family dynamic was that I was the favored son of our mother. Guess sibling rivalry is alive and well. But that fateful day just a little over 2 years ago changed our relationship forever! I am reminded of a quote from Steven Furtick’s book “Crash the Chatterbox”:
he future you experience.” 
What do you think? Do you think that He values some people over others? Romans 2:9-11 (NLT) gives some insight…
and be with Him in heaven for all eternity. So if we go back to verse 11, it cannot be any clearer… “For God does not show favoritism.” Besides not picking and choosing a couple of scriptures to form an opinion from, I also was reminded that before I start down a “rabbit trail” of thought, I must look at the Bible in totality – BOTH Old and New Testament to see what the entire book has to say. I recently heard Robert Morris say:
This was a turning point for Peter as 
Anyhow that has no bearing on this post, just a random tangent…hahaha! In a recent post called 
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.””
Daily Dependence 