In Acts 2:8, Jesus told the disciples to wait until they received the Holy Ghost who would give them power (ability, efficiency and might—AMP) to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. They would take the word of salvation and wholeness to nations.

The Holy Ghost was sent so we could be witnesses to the power of God’s love toward man, His ultimate creation.

Unfortunately today, many people put so much focus on the love of power that they forget about the power of love. Jesus never intended for us to focus on the “power” or the spectacular that so many thrive on. He wanted us to realize that we witness the supernatural because of God’s unending passion for mankind.

The gospel is the power of this love, working together with the Holy Ghost, to lead people into “sozo” (salvation and wholeness in every sense of the word).

The gospel is the good-news message of the finished work of Jesus Christ and everything it accomplished for ALL men for ALL time because of the free gift of the grace, goodness, mercy, love and forgiveness of God.

I am reminded of a part in the movie Iron Man II where the main character is watching a video recorded before his father died. The young man had always believed he was a failure and couldn’t meet his father’s expectations. But in the recording, his father tells him he is and always has been his father’s GREATEST CREATION.

This is such a great picture of mankind today. Too many people feel they have failed God and don’t measure up.  The gospel is the good news that YOU ARE AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN GOD’S GREATEST CREATION. Because of that, the cosmos was created and He has done everything needed for your salvation!

The whole salvation plan depended on God’s agape love for mankind.

My favorite definition of agape love is: In my worst hour, God sees me as precious, valuable and to be highly esteemed. God doesn’t see who we are in our worst moment. He just loves us with all the agape that He is. God IS love and that love springs FROM Him. “…  for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love (I Jn. 4:7-8).

Love is who God is, not something He possesses. He cannot be separated from it—ever. When we understand and receive this love, we receive HIM. Love is brought to completion and perfection through our union with Christ.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (I Jn. 4:16-17)

If we don’t keep God’s love for mankind first place in every Bible conversation, we will end up arguing about pointless things. We can only help others if we keep the power of God’s love in the forefront of our hearts and minds. Once we open our eyes and hearts to the power of love, it is almost impossible to misinterpret God’s Word (I Tim. 1:5).

I Corinthians 13 is an awesome discovery of God’s love for mankind, but I Corinthians 14:1 goes on to read: “Go after (this) love as if your life depended on it—because it does” (MSG). We need to know God’s love as much as we need to breathe. Nothing life can throw at us can change or remove the power of this love (Rom. 8:35-39).

Jude 21 reminds us to stay where the love of God can reach and keep us (TLB). The only way to “get out” of this love is to believe the lies of the enemy and our own thoughts and perceptions of life. Our circumstances NEVER change God’s love for us! We cannot allow circumstances to draw us out of the awareness of this love. “God so loved the world that He gave His son so we would be safe and sound in Him” (Jn. 3:16 AMP).

Jesus provided safety—the provision of security and protection, free from the feelings of risk or danger. Andsoundness—a state of being healthy, whole or complete. Not diseased, damaged or inferior.

You’re ALWAYS safe and sound in the power of love. No matter what life throws at you or how you feel, the power of love will keep you safe and make you whole. It will NEVER fail you!

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As a Christian, I often talk about God’s blessings and the wonderful things He’s done for our family. I’m not ashamed of His goodness to us and I love to share it.

But at times, I’ve been told I live in another world—not reality! When someone dear to me accused me of this, I was upset. After some real soul-searching about my life and how God has led me over the years, I decided: They’re right! I DO live in another world!!

It’s a world where there’s hope, love, peace, assurance and goodness in EVERY situation—a world where Father, Son and Holy Spirit are my best friends and care about what happens in my world.

It’s not always sunshine and roses. I have issues in my world too, but the outcome is always to my benefit, and the peace I have leaning on God is worth more than anything!

On one hand, with all our traditions and reasoning, we’ve separated “God” or “church” from our everyday lives. We’ve been taught and demonstrated that church is “spiritual” and that “spiritual stuff” only happens in certain places—special buildings or gatherings on Sundays.

We’re taught there is certain behavior that goes along with these times and if we don’t conform to that, we are “upsetting God” and limiting His favor in our lives. Many times, the joy is gone from these meetings and evaporates when “spiritual people” visit our homes, parties and picnics.

On the other hand, we have “real life” involving things like windsurfing, snowboarding, picnics, fishing, movies, biking, motorcycles, sports or whatever is fun with family and friends. Through the years, we’ve somehow been taught that this life is “outside” church, God or spirituality.

But shouldn’t everything that pertains to my life involve God? He is the creator, not me.  It’s HIS life IN me that gives me passion and love for things. Why then would I want to separate myself into compartments?

It doesn’t make sense, but that’s what we try to do. We separate our lives into “real life” and “spiritual” segments, and then we can’t understand why we feel disjointed and unhappy.

I heard a preacher call this full, complete life in God “The Great Dance” and I love the idea. The illustration he used was Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in a circle, living in absolute harmony and peace, full of happiness and goodness.

Then they decided to share this wonderful, all-encompassing LIFE with man and creation. Jesus was the “gate” by which this life was shared with mankind.

In the dance, they opened their arms and said, “Come, share and enjoy life with us.  Enjoy our life, your existence and being part of a precious family!”  What pleasure God took in making this happen!

Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he (God) had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love…he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.  —Ephesians 1:4 (MSG)

This was God’s plan from the foundation of the world. It’s not a repair job because someone messed up. Father, Son and Holy Spirit wanted us to share in THEIR life from the very beginning.  And it’s easy to take hold of and believe we are part of this wonderful, amazing family.  Knowing that we belong gives us an awesome sense of self-worth and a feeling of acceptance.

Let’s take this message to everyone. No one has been left out or excluded. Telling someone good newsmakes them feel valuable and wanted and they begin to change into the person they are declared to be!

News is something that has happened already! Good news sets us FREE to be alive, happy, and enjoy every aspect of life. We can rest, knowing we’re not under investigation and that God is part of what we are doing all the time.

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. —Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC)

Let the Great Awakening to His love start with YOU. Your world and your everyday situations need this awakening to the love and life the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have prepared for you!

Blessings,

Arthur

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One of my (Cathy) favorite things to do back in South Africa is to visit Kruger National Park. This is the largest wild animal sanctuary in the country and is about the size of Great Britain.

The adventure starts when you drive through the gate. The magic and sounds of Africa are unlike anything you have experienced before. A peace and tranquility descends on you that brings instant rest to your soul. There is a sense of being “lost” to what we call the “real” world, and you forget about everything but what is right there at that moment.

There is no city nightlife, no rush, and no crowd of people wanting to be somewhere in the shortest time possible. The only nightlife is the distant roar of a lion, the sound of a hippo in the nearest watering hole or the barking of a hyena. Life becomes slow, thoughtful and so quiet you want to whisper instead of speak out loud.

Nights are spent in the safety of fenced campgrounds, but during the day, we drive around in the park, looking for animals in their natural surroundings. This in itself takes patience. They usually hide away or are disguised by the bush. But every now and then, you unexpectedly collide with or come upon an animal around a corner or running across the road, and your whole world changes! You become mesmerized by what they look like, their graceful movement, by the way they blend into their surroundings. And you sit for ages watching—wishing it would last forever. Then you move along, looking for the next event.

That’s how I see Grace Encounters. The word encounter means: to collide with unexpectedly; to come upon suddenly. Through our acceptance of the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ, we have been placed on the road of life, not death.

John 5:24 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

This is a place of tranquility and quiet.

Grace is a person, and that person is Jesus Christ Himself. Grace is God’s ability working in you, enabling you to do what you naturally cannot do. The Bible tells us that grace and truth came through Jesus. Jesus said He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE (Jn. 1:14-17).

Everything in my life is exposed to the grace of God when I trust Jesus’ work. Everything in my life is subject to goodness when I let Jesus love me—regardless of how I feel. He knows how I feel and what I’m going through. Jesus knows I need help! That’s why He died for me—so I could be put on the road where I can have a grace encounter.

I can expect a grace encounter EVERY DAY, whether I feel good or bad. God is not the one who makes bad stuff happen to me. I’m on the grace encounter road where He will help me, protect me and not hurt me.

Isaiah 30:18 (AMPC) reads, “And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!”

We should all walk this road looking for the grace encounters that will mesmerize and amaze us because God is good. Some of the markers I will “collide” with on this road are His FAVOR, LOVE, PEACE, JOY and His MATCHLESS, UNBROKEN COMPANIONSHIP.

I can only get bent out of shape in life when I get my eyes off the grace encounter road and veer off into the bush on the side.

Sometimes, I bang around in the bush, rocks or thorns and think God is teaching me something. NO! He’s the one showing me the marvel of His goodness and leading me back onto the grace encounter road.

Arthur’s teaching, Grace Encounters, is awesome! Everyone with whom He shares this message leaves so excited about the Father’s grace encounters—changing dead ends into new beginnings!

Blessings,

Cathy

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Mother Teresa once said:

“The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted. The biggest disease today is not leprosy or TB but rather the feeling of being unwanted. There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation than for bread.”

Ephesians 2:10 gives us a beautiful description of how we are made.

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. (AMPC)

In this verse, we learn that we are the workmanship of God. In the original language, workmanship means poema, where we get the word “poem.”  A poem is created or the creation of a writer. In this context, you are an art form—God’s masterpiece!

Ephesians is a great book of encouragement and confirmation of who we are in Christ and what God has done in and for us through Jesus. God made us His poem or workmanship.

Ephesians 1:3-14 is written as one long sentence in the original Greek.

It paints the picture of God, standing at the top of a hill, piled high with blessings, then running toward you at the bottom of the hill.

And He cannot stop!!

It’s as if He is going to run right over you and dump the whole package on you, and you can’t stop it.  It’s yours now!

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what He’s done from my observations:

• We are blessed with every spiritual blessing; nothing was left out or left to chance (v. 3).

May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm!

• We were chosen before the foundation of the world—hand-picked, a prime selection (v.4).

Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ… that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.

• He planned IN LOVE for us to be adopted into His family through the work of Jesus Christ. We can never be rejected. It can never be taken away! (vs. 5)

For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent].

• We have redemption (deliverance and salvation) by Jesus’ blood.  That’s total forgiveness, and we are declared guilt-free by grace (vs. 7).

In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses) ….

• God has made known to us the mystery of his plan to bring all things together in Christ.  What is true about Jesus is true about you. You are His body—intimately, inseparable from him! (vv. 9-10)

Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] … [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.

• In Christ we are God’s heritage and obtained an inheritance—everything we need for life and godliness (vv.11-12).

In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance…So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!

• We have received salvation by faith—not by works—so we cannot boast in ourselves but in God—sealed by the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our acceptance in Christ (vv.13-14).

In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit. That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance ….

Now, we can understand why Paul prayed our eyes would be opened to see what’s ours through the work of Jesus (Eph. 1:17-21).

You don’t need to feel unloved, unappreciated or lonely ever again. God has provided it all for you. All that God is and has is ours, and our response is just to believe it. Simple as that!

You don’t need to feel unloved, unappreciated or lonely ever again. God has provided it all for you!

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One of the biggest blessings in my Christian walk is knowing that I am unique. There is no one else like me.

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” —Ephesians 1:4-6 (NKJV)

Until you are content with who you are, you will never be content with what you have. —Doris Mortman

Nature never repeats herself and the possibilities of one human soul can never be found in another.   —Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1892

So many of us try to show the world and the church how “together” we are by what we wear and how we behave. But in reality, many of us are dying inside, just wishing we could be real. Then when we don’t measure up to the expectations of others of how to look and behave, a vicious circle of self-loathing and denial takes place, which is hard, if not impossible, to avoid.

God wants us to know He loves us and to feel His love. 

God wants us to have beauty and goodness established within us so it can shine out of our lives effortlessly—despite how we look on the outside.  We can only appreciate the fullness of what we have when we realize and believe we are whom He says we are.

We are accepted in the beloved, complete in Him, precious, valuable and sure of our salvation because we are saved by grace—His work in spite of our lack.

It’s time to grab hold of God’s best—to believe His unconditional love for us.

First John 4:16 says, “… we have KNOWN and BELIEVED the love that God has for us.” He loved us FIRST.

Instead of living under a government of condemnation, let’s live under the government of affirmation.

We don’t look at the laws of right and wrong, of how to look and what to wear anymore. We look at the liberty of the gospel in the face of Jesus Christ who has removed the veil. It is the message of affirmation of our value as children of God.

When we turn to God, we see clearly—face to face—that He loves us. Then the outside “masks” become unimportant and the quiet, gentle, peaceable spirit will show. Believing this love brings a sense of peace and contentment that passes understanding.

You cannot tap into the spiritual without affecting the natural at some stage.

We cannot exude self-confidence, beauty and joy without a sense of our dignity and worth as human beings. God has restored to us this dignity and self-worth completely through Jesus. He has made us accepted in the beloved. He has removed our sin and guilt.

“…Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.” —Hebrews 1:3b

Jesus, Himself said He wants us to become yoked together with Him so our lives will become easy and unforced.

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

Leo Tolstoy said, “True life is lived when tiny changes occur.”

Decide today to do something small to change the way you see yourself. “I did not lose myself all at once but a little at a time. I cannot find myself all at once—only one step at a time.”

Accept Jesus’ offer to become yoked with Him and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in the small changes every day to establish your heart and mind in His goodness and mercy.

FOR IT IS GOD WHO IS AT WORK WITHIN YOU, GIVING YOU THE WILL AND THE POWER TO ACHIEVE HIS PURPOSE. —Philippians 2:13 (Phillips)

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We have divided our lives into one-year segments. They begin at a certain time and end at another. The problem is that we tend to categorize our successes and defeats within these year slots and then weigh them at the beginning of each year, usually focusing on what we did not do.

Each year, I see the same people go up for prayer yet again, determined to make their new-year’s resolutions work. What they don’t realize is that a new set of rules, or the same set of rules as last year just done differently, will ultimately give them the same results. What they need is a change of heart.

I believe we need to learn that each day is a gift in it’s own right. The Bible says the Lord’s mercies and loving kindness are new EVERY morning. Every morning, He is willing to give me better than I deserve and love me regardless.

This thought alone should make me glad. Each day has a new silver lining. One quote I read says, “We miss the silver linings of each day because we are too busy looking for the gold ones.”

All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]. —Proverbs 15:15 (AMPC)

When we look back at the mistakes of yesteryear, our days become evil because we become despondent due to anxious thoughts and forebodings. We need to learn to have a glad heart.

These thoughts might help you to start being glad regardless of your circumstances:

SHAKE OFF YOUR DOUBTS

The Oxford dictionary defines doubt as an uncertainty about something, or being undecided.

James says that a double-minded person cannot receive anything from the Lord.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” —James 1:5-8 (KJV)

Make up your mind what it is you want to do and then go for it—with God’s help. But remember, YOU have to make the decision.

LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE

You cannot decide what you want without listening to your heart. Learn to define what your greatest heart’s desire is. Not what your spouse or children or boss want.

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” —Psalm 37:4 (KJV)

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. He is your friend.

DON’T LIVE A LIFE OF REGRET

Regrets will always bring a negative force into play. They cause you to dwell on the past and forget there is a future, which you can change and work toward.

Paul says in Philippians 3:13 (NLT), “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,”

Put regrets behind you. You cannot change history!

MAKE THE BEST OF THE PRESENT

Consider what you have at the moment—what blessings and abilities you have (no matter how small they seem) that can be of benefit to you and others and build on that, giving thanks to God in all things.

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” —Ephesians 5:20 (KJV)

PROBLEMS DON’T HAVE TO PREVAIL

Problems are a part of life. Without them, we don’t grow, but they don’t have to prevail. Use them to help you keep on trying.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33 (KJV)

Jesus said we would have trouble in this world but that He had overcome. There is always help.

Don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will have enough trouble of its own! (Matt. 6:34)

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In almost every account of God’s interaction with His people, we find Him promising to give them “the best of the best.” This has always been His intention.

“And I thought how wonderful it would be for you to be here among my children. I planned to give you part of this beautiful land, the finest in the world.” —Jeremiah 3:19 (TLB)

In the Amplified, it reads, “…a goodly heritage, the most beautiful and best (inheritance) among all nations.”

We see the same promise in the New Testament in Ephesians 1:3:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who HAS blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (His best).” (parentheses mine)

It’s a wonderful thing to know God has not given us His second best. He hasn’t given us just enough. He has given us the best he had—JESUS!

Paul said it this way:

“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE HE WOULDN’T GLADLY AND FREELY DO FOR US?” —Romans 8:31-32 (MSG)

The key to understanding this scripture is the word “FREELY.” Not only did God give us ALL (radically all) things, but He also gave it freely, expecting nothing in return—no strings attached. The message of the gospel is the same to all of us. Not only has God promised us the best, He has already given us the best.

No matter who you are, where you are or at what stage of spiritual development you are, the promise in the New Testament is the same—simply, THE BEST!

The Place Called “The Best”

There is a place with God that’s called “the best,” but too many of us have settled for the plain, mundane and ordinary.

Somebody once said: Many times, good is the enemy of the best.

Some of us have settled for the good and the normal at the expense of the best. When things are going well and everything seems to be good, we settle there and forget the best is still to come.

“Since all this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard.” —Hebrews 2:1:

Since all what is true?

“He (Jesus) is the sole expression of the glory of God (the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine), and He is the perfect imprint and very image of God’s nature….” —Hebrews 1:3 (AMPC)

The writer of Hebrews warns us that if we neglect the fact that God has given us His best, we stand the chance of these wonderful things slipping past us and not partaking in the best God has for us.

How you can partake of the best of the best:

Believe it. The Bible says with God nothing shall be impossible. With God being for and not against you, with God on your side, with God’s loving-kindness, with God believing in you, with God’s free favors, with God’s grace, with God’s power, with God’s mercy and with God’s goodness … NOTHING IS EVER IMPOSSIBLE!

See it. Perhaps it looks like you’ve missed out on the chances in life and everybody else has jumped in ahead of you. Lift up your eyes and let God show you the best of the best again.

Claim it. Find out what it will take for your dream become reality. What actions do you need to take to become all you can be? Become persuaded you are planted firmly and securely in love (Eph. 3:14-20).

Take it. There can be strongholds in our thinking and believing that influence our lives negatively (2 Cor. 10:3-5). Therefore, we must be able to build strongholds or reminders that influence our thinking and believing positively. These can only become reality by persuading ourselves of God’s goodness all the time.

Keep it. In Ezekiel 48:14, God told the people not to sell or exchange any of the land He had given them for it was holy unto Him. So, don’t sell your dreams for the things of the world. Don’t exchange it by trying to make it come to pass on your own strength. Trust God and His ability. And don’t be driven off of it by the lies of the devil.

GOD HASN’T GIVEN UP ON YOU. DON’T YOU GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!

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