Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.
Thomas said to Him, Lord we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way? Jesus said to Him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:1-6 NKJV
 
Sometimes I feel like God is close by. He is answering my prayers. Sometimes I feel like God is far from me. I wonder if my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling.
 
Jesus was preparing the disciples for His departure. He asked them to trust and believe He was going to be with His Father and would return for them. Jesus wanted them to know the Father has room in His heart and house for each of them.
 
Jesus told the disciples they must accept a new teaching. The must accept that He is the only way to heaven. Truth is found in Him alone. Jesus is the only way to eternal life! 
 
Jesus said if they did not know Him they could not know God the Father!
 
Jesus loves you. One day He will take you to be with Him. You will dwell with Jesus in unlimited blessing throughout eternity.
 
Jesus promised never to leave us or turn His back on us. Jesus draws near people who draw near to Him. When I feel like God is far from me it is because I am far from Him.
 
Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life today. No one comes to the Father today except through Jesus! 
 
If you do not know Jesus Christ turn to Him today. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins. Ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Ask Him to come into your life and make you a new creature. Do it today. Jesus is waiting to show you how much He loves you!
 
If you have surrendered your heart to Jesus Christ trust Him more than ever before. Trust Jesus enough to believe He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He will be with you always. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the father praying for you today.  
 
Turn to the Lord in the secret place only you and He can go. His love for you is unconditional and eternal. Jesus called you out of the darkness of unbelief into the light of His glorious love.
 
God saved you to tell other people Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life. Tell them no man or woman can come to the Father except through Jesus.
 
Glorify God through faith in Jesus Christ today! 
 
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Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32 NKJV
 
Jesus set me free from drugs and alcohol. He set me free from sin. I thought the world had changed. Over time I realized the world hadn’t changed. I was transformed.
 
Jesus spoke these words to people who believed in Him and those who did not. Those who did not believe in Jesus answered, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, “You will be made free?”
 
Israel was conquered by Rome. They were subject to Rome in every way. They were also in bondage to sin. They believed strict adherence to religious laws and traditions gave them right standing with God.
 
Salvation freed me from the law of sin and death. I still sin, we all do, and yet I am not a sinner. How can that be?
 
Abiding in the Word of God sets us free. Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus is the Way to everlasting life. Jesus is the Truth of God. Failure to obey Jesus puts us back into bondage!
 
We do not lose our salvation when we disobey the Word of God. We do suffer the consequences of sin. We miss out on the abundant life.
 
The freedom Jesus came to deliver is freedom from sin and death. It is also the freedom to serve Him. We cannot defeat sin and death in our own strength. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to rise above our sinful desires, overcome the world and resist the devil.
 
We receive the power of the Holy Spirit through humility and submission. We humble ourselves by admitting we are powerless against those waging war against our souls. We submit ourselves to the Lord by obeying His Word.
 
It is possible for a born again believer to become a slave to sin. It is possible for a person lost in sin to be set free. Jesus gave us the freedom to choose how we live.
 
Choose to abide in the Word of God. Be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Choose freedom over sin and death!
 
The Father of lies is sowing death and destruction. The world embraces his lies because they choose him to be their father.
 
Jesus speaks the truth in love. He shows us the way to God the Father. He came so that we could live rich abundant lives.
 
Are you a child of God? Choose to be a disciple of Jesus Christ!
 
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Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. John 8:31-32 NKJV
 
Jesus tells us to abide in His Word. The Word of God tells us who Jesus is. It reveals that Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life. The Word of God tells us that we must be born again through faith in Jesus Christ.
 
God created Adam and Eve to live in a special relationship with the Lord. It was to be a relationship based on love and trust. God would meet all of Adam and Eve’s needs if they obeyed Him. Adam was also to be an extension of God’s authority on the earth. 
 
Adam disobeyed God. The relationship they enjoyed with the Lord was severed. Sin and death entered the world. They became part of human nature. One of the first things Adam and Eve did is hide from God. They were ashamed of who they had become.
 
Through faith in Jesus Christ we have freedom from sin and death. Through the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have the freedom to live in intimate relationship with God. We have the freedom to live in His presence without shame.
 
We have the freedom to be the people God created us to be. We can enjoy God’s favor. We can be extensions of His authority. We can worship Jesus and bask in the sunlight of His Love. We can enjoy an intimate relationship with the lover of our souls throughout eternity.
 
God gave Adam and Eve the freedom to live according to His perfect plan for their lives or not. He offered them the opportunity to bless to the Lord or not. 
 
The Lord is giving you the freedom to choose today.
 
Will you live your life according to God’s perfect plan? Will you allow Jesus to guide you and direct you through life in a fallen world? Will you humble yourself under God’s mighty hand and enjoy His blessing and protection?
 
Choose to bless the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ? Choose to live for Jesus today and with God throughout eternity?
 
Do not let sin, shame, grief, pain or anything else under the sun turn you away from the lover of your soul. Bask in the Sonlight of God’s love through faith in Jesus today!
 
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For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NKJV
 
For me to get a better understanding of the sacrifice Jesus made I must go back to the beginning.
 
Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God existed in a perfect loving relationship with God the Father in timeless perfection. His sacrifice began the day He stepped out of eternity. 
 
Jesus sacrificed His perfect existence and took up the limitations that come with living in a human body. Jesus was still God. He always has been. Jesus was also fully human! 
 
God experienced pain, hunger, loneliness and blisters. Jesus was a Carpenter. Have you ever known a Carpenter who did not have blisters?
 
Jesus lived under the authority of the imperfect people He created. Jesus obeyed His mother and earthly father just like any other boy. We know Jesus obeyed His parents because that is one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus never sinned!
 
The Bible does not tell us very much about Jesus’ childhood. That is because He lived just like any other Jewish boy in Israel. 
 
Jesus will always be God even though He became human. He experienced the trials and hardships that come with being a human. Jesus felt the sting of rejection by an unbelieving world. That is one of the reasons the bible calls Jesus a Man of Sorrows.
 
Jesus’ sacrifice began the day He stepped out of Eternity into the body of a baby. He was still God but lived a totally dependent life. The sacrifice Jesus made for us came to a climax when He laid down His life for us.
 
Someone had to feed Jesus. Someone cared for Him. Someone cuddled Jesus rocked, Him to sleep and put Him to bed. Someone listened for His cries and ran to His bed in the still of the night. Jesus was loved as an infant and grieved separation from His beloved as an adult.
 
God humbled Himself to the point of becoming a baby. He did it for you and for me. Jesus sacrificed each and every day of His time on earth. He did it for us.
 
Jesus did all this and much more than I can comprehend or explain so we can live in blessed perfection. So we can live in a perfect timeless and loving relationship with Him! 
 
We live in an imperfect world today. One day people who put their faith in Jesus Christ will live with Him in His Father’s house. We will experience the perfection of holiness!
 
Jesus experienced separation from the Father for a brief moment on the cross.
 
Trust Jesus with your life today. Nothing can separate you from His love!
 
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The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to Him, Follow Me. John 1:43 NKJV
 
Philip did not expect to meet the Messiah that day. He had no idea he would become a disciple of Jesus Christ. 
 
Phillip referred to Jesus in human terms but declared He was the person spoken of by Moses and the prophets. Phillip believed Jesus was the Messiah. Phillip believed Jesus was calling him. He responded in faith. Philip shared the Lord with Nathanael.
 
Jesus saw Nathanael and said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
 
Nathanael answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to Him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things that these.”
 
God used Philip to tell Nathanael about Jesus. He gave Philip the faith, willingness and boldness to declare the truth to Nathanael. Like Philip Nathaniel responded with the faith the Lord had already given Him! 
 
Nathanael did not respond in faith because Jesus said to Him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you”, but because Jesus had already prepared His heart!
 
If you know the Lord it is because Jesus called you. He has given you the faith to follow, serve, love and worship Him. You did not save yourself. Neither did I!
 
The Lord wants us to tell other people about Jesus so that He can save them. Our ministry is to share the truth with people!  
 
We cannot argue convince or bribe people into the Kingdom of God. We are not responsible for any other person’s response to the call to follow Jesus. Everyone must choose for themselves to answer the call to follow Jesus!
 
God gives us the opportunity and great joy of sharing the good news. He does not hold us accountable for decisions others make. We can share the good news that Jesus made a way for us to spend eternity in the presence of God without fear guilt or shame!
 
We can go forth as servants of God without fear of failure or condemnation! It is the Lord who prepares a person’s heart for salvation! It is the Lord who calls people out of the darkness of unbelief into the light of His love! 
 
Jesus loves us so much He allows us to participate as He restores His creation one heart and soul at a time. Follow the commandment to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Leave the results of your service to God. Jesus will save them!
 
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They shall be My people, and I will be their God; Then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, For the good of them and their children after them. Jeremiah 32:38-39 NKJV
 
This is the heart of God! 
 
God’s greatest desire is for us to live in loving relationship with Him. That is the reason the Lord created us.
 
Do you really believe that?
 
The bible begins with God creating the heavens, the earth and all living creatures. The Lord created the first man and woman in His image and likeness.
 
God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, the three persons in whom there is one God lives outside the confines of time. God lived in a perfect loving relationship from eternity past. He created us to be a part of that loving relationship. 
                                              
God’s creation was ruined by the sin of the first man and woman. They were cast out of the presence and blessing of God. The Lord never relented from His desire for mankind to live in a loving relationship with Him.
 
God gave us the choice to receive or reject His love. He gave us the option to love Him or withhold our love from Him.
 
What would you give to live in a loving relationship with the most powerful being ever? What would you give to live in a loving relationship with the only perfect being? What would you give to live in a loving relationship with the only being that knows all things? 
 
The better question is what would this all powerful all-knowing, ever present, perfect being, God, give to live in a loving relationship with you? The answer is His one and only Son! 
 
God sent His Son to live the life of a man and die on a cross as punishment for your sin and mine. Our Heavenly Father made it clear that His desire to live in a loving relationship with you is so great no price is too high to be paid by Him for you!
 
God wants you to make a choice today. Will you in loving relationship with Jesus? 
 
Will you choose to live in a loving relationship with the God who created you in His image and likeness?  Will you choose to spend eternity in the presence of the God who calls you to dwell with Him and among His people? Will you choose to receive the blessing of God’s eternal love today? 
 
Will you share the love of God with people who do not know Jesus?
 
God’s blessings are for all people who call on the name of Jesus. Call out to Jesus today!
 
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Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? Jeremiah 32:26 NKJV
 
Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, And I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul. Jeremiah 32:41 NKJV
 
God judged the nation of Israel. The Lord gave them into the hands of the Chaldeans.  God spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. He would send the King and many of the people into captivity in Babylon. 
 
God spoke to Jeremiah. He instructed Jeremiah to buy property in the city. Jeremiah did not understand.
 
Why would God tell Jeremiah to by property in a city that would be conquered by a powerful enemy? The Chaldeans would not honor Jeremiah’s property rights. Jeremiah prayed for understanding. 
 
God told Jeremiah He would gather His people together and bring them back into the land the Lord gave them. The people of God would dwell in safety again. God said, “They shall be My people, and I will be their God.” 
 
What does this mean to us today?
 
God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Nothing was impossible for the Lord in that day. Nothing is impossible for Him today.
 
God’s greatest desire is to bless us. Jesus wants to show us how much He loves us today. He desires our love and devotion today. He desires our worship. God inhabits the praises of His people. Worship brings us into God’s presence today! 
 
The God of all creation desires to live in an intimate relationship with you today! 
 
God was jealous for the children of Israel in biblical times. He was looking to bless His people. His desire was to draw them back into His favor.
 
God judged and punished the people of Israel many times. He allowed them to suffer hardship and trial. It was always for the purpose of refining them. The Lord was molding and shaping Israel into the people He created them to be.
 
God is jealous for you today! He is looking for ways to bring you back into His favor today!
 
Jesus will allow you to suffer hardship and trial. It is for the purpose of refining you. The Lord wants to mold you and shaping you into the person He created you to be!
 
Jesus is looking for ways to bless you. If you trust the Lord with your life today Jesus will rejoice over you with all His heart and soul throughout eternity! 
 
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The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying; Arise and go down to the potter’s house, there I will cause you to hear My words. Jeremiah 18:1-2 NKJV
 
Jeremiah is an Old Testament Prophet. A Prophet was a person who spoke for God. God would speak to the Prophet. The Prophet would speak to the people. The Prophet could only speak the Word of God exactly as it was delivered to him.                
 
Do you want God to speak to you? Do you want God to speak through you to other people? If we desire to hear from God we must be prepared for the fact that we may not always like what He says.
 
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter? Says the Lord, Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! Jeremiah 18:5-6 NKJV
            
God sent Jeremiah to observe a potter remaking a marred vessel. The potter put it back on the wheel to remake it as seemed good to him.
 
God is a master artisan. He created the heavens the earth and all they contain. Only a God of unlimited creativity could have imagined the beauty and natural ability of the creatures that dwell upon the earth.
 
You are God’s greatest creation. You are His greatest masterpiece. You are the centerpiece of all God created. The universe would be incomplete without you. Only people were created in God’s image and likeness.
 
Jeremiah did not necessarily enjoy being a Prophet. The words he delivered to the people were not always well received. He was imprisoned and persecuted. Jeremiah always spoke the word of God exactly as it was delivered to him. He was faithful to God.                                                                                                    
 
I do not like saying that you may not enjoy your time on the wheel of the Great Potter. The transforming work God will do in your life may include trial and suffering. There will be hardship and disappointment.
 
Jesus wants us to keep our eyes on the prize. Jesus wants us to look to the end of the matter. Jesus wants us to trust Him enough to cooperate with the work He is doing in us and through us today.
 
Only God can conceive what it takes to mold you into the image of His Son. Only Jesus knows what is needed to transform you into a vessel of righteousness useful to the master.
 
If you trust God you will be amazed at what He will do with your life. You will experience great transformation and joy. You will see great transformation and joy in the lives of people Jesus will bless through your obedience and faithfulness.
 
Trust the Great Potter to mold you and shape you into the image of His Son!
 
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It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24 NKJV
 
God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. He led them into the Promised Land as a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. He parted the Red Sea. They crossed on dry land. He caused the waters to flow back into place and destroyed the Egyptian army.
 
The Lord provided food and water for His people in the desert. He revealed Himself to the Children of Israel in many ways many times. God revealed His great love for Israel and their special place in His plan for creation. 
 
Israel disobeyed God. They turned their backs on the Lord. They worshipped idols and false gods of their own design. They chose to live in the same way as the nations that surrounded them.
 
God was with Israel. And yet they never fully gave their hearts to Him. Were they really that stubborn? They were no different than you and I. We are as unfaithful as the children of Israel. We have all made the same poor choices!
 
God revealed Himself to me. I witnessed the greatest miracles of all. I have seen broken lives, families and hearts restored. I witnessed a man on his death bed turn to faith in Jesus. He passed with his eyes closed because he was not struggling with death. He was led peacefully into the presence of the Lord.
 
I witnessed the mercy and grace of God with my own eyes. Even in the light of the revelation I received I am unable to fully live my life in obedience to Jesus! 
 
God loved the people of Israel. His love for them was unconditional. God promised to bless and prosper the children of Israel even though they were unfaithful and rebellious.
 
God loves us. His love for us is unconditional. Jesus will restore the relationship of perfect love He created us for. He will prosper us with joy. He knows we are not perfect. He knows we cannot live sinless lives. God wants us to trust Him who is perfect to live out His life in us and through us! 
 
I have seen children dance on the feet of their parents at weddings and parties. They are able to dance perfectly and in step on the feet of someone who loves them without their feet ever touching the ground! 
 
Jesus wants you to take His hand today. He wants to lead as you dance joyfully and peacefully through life. You can dance through life with joy and peace because Jesus is holding your hand and leading you step by step in perfect rhythm with Him!
 
Take Jesus’ hand and dance with joy regardless of your circumstances. Jesus hears the call of your heart before the words even leave your mouth!
 
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For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV
 
Life is hard. It always has been. God is good. He always will be!
 
The cost of living rises steadily. We are at war against a determined enemy that strikes without warning. Crime and violence plague our cities. Millions are enslaved by drug addiction. Sixty-one thousand Americans die from overdose to opioids every day.
 
Jesus loves us! He promises to meet all our needs. The Lord promised to give us rest and protection.
 
God reminds us in His Word, “Fear not for I am with you.”
 
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was thrown into prison even though he did not commit a crime. Joseph continued to trust God.  The Lord elevated him to a position of great power and wealth.
 
Joseph became the right hand of the most powerful man in the world. God used Joseph to provide food for the children of Israel during a time of great famine in the entire world.
 
God promised to make Abraham a great nation. The Lord kept His promise. The children of Israel became a great nation of people. 
 
Did God cause the famine? He allowed it to occur. He also provided for His people during the great famine. God never leaves us to ourselves!
 
If you have a personal relationship with the Lord of Heaven and Earth trust Him now more than ever. God is working things out for His Glory and your good!
 
If you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior turn to Him today! You do not know what tomorrow may bring!
 
If you have questions or need help turn to your Christian friends, family or neighbors! You may also send an e-mail to joyfor2day@gmail.com.
 
Trust Jesus today. His thoughts toward you are of peace and blessing!
 
Do not lose hope. Almighty God holds your future in the palms of His loving hands!
 
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