Fireproof Your relationships with unconditional love Part 2

In the Part one I discussed what the definition of unconditional  love is a affection with no limits or conditions; complete love.
Why do you think God created mankind?  It wasn’t so they could worship Him and do everything He demanded them to do.  No, the angels were created to worship Him and to serve Him without any objection on their part.  God created mankind to love and so He could have a family. God desired a family so He could lavishly bestow upon them His unconditional love, wholehearted love, total love, complete love, unlimited love, and unqualified love.

In the Old Testament Bible scriptures, we see time and time again the unconditional love of God towards Israel and how time and time again they disobeyed him, went their own way and served other gods.  Yet time and again He delivered them from all of their captivity.

To have a real good look at the unconditional love of God, read the book of Hosea.  It reveals to us God’s covenant, unconditional love to Israel.

The Lord speaks to Israel through the domestic troubles of the prophet Hosea.  God told Hosea to take a wife of whoredoms to picture the condition of Israel when God called and married her, bringing her into covenant relationship as His people.  After a while Hosea’s wife, Gomer, left him to go after old lovers.  He was then commanded to buy her back as his wife again, and to make a contract that she would never again go after former lovers.  This was to teach Israel to return to God after forsaking his covenant and going after other gods; and God would marry Israel again and make an eternal covenant relationship with her.  God wanted Israel to be His eternal people.  They were to return to God by repentance, and God would redeem them eternally.

In this book, you can see God’s attitude toward each of us by expressing His love for us with everything that He does.  If you read this book, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s unconditional love to you.

We see the unconditional love of God in the life, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Unconditional love poured out of Him even at the cross as He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

If you have seen “The Passion” movie, I am sure you would agree that it was Unconditional Love Himself, Who willing laid down His life for you and I.

We also will see the unconditional love of God in the life of the martyr, Stephen, in (Acts 7:59-60):  And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

What about us?  Can we love with unconditional love?   The Word of God says that we can.  When we were born again of the Spirit of God, we took on the very nature of God.  God’s unconditional love nature is ours now that you are born again.  God, the Holy Spirit, now lives in you, the Holy Spirit seals our spirit and our spirit is wall-to-wall Holy Ghost.  And the Bible scriptures reveal that because of the Holy Spirit living in our spirit; the love of God is shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit. 

Galatians also speaks of the fruit of our spirit: which is  love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control.  

In the following Bible scripture you will find unconditional love’s response to every day life experience:

 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. 8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end.  ( 1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

We' have all heard songs about it, seen it in the movies, heard it talked about on talk shows by relationship experts, and read about it in thousands of self help books. But, what is unconditional love? We all want to feel loved. We think about it, hope for it, fantasize about it, go to great lengths to achieve it, and feel that our lives are incomplete without it. The lack of unconditional love is the cause of most of our anger and confusion. It is no exaggeration to say that our emotional need for unconditional love is just as great as our physical need for air and food.  

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  (John 3:16)

The greatest power known to man is that of unconditional love. Through the ages, mystics, sages, singers and poets have all expressed the ballad and call to love. As humans, we have searched endlessly for the experience of love through the outer senses. Great nations have come and gone under the guise of love for their people. Religions have flourished and perished while claiming to know the true unconditonal love of God. 

If we don’t have enough Real Love which is unconditional love, what you have is not real love  in our lives, the resulting emptiness is unbearable. We then compulsively try to fill our emptiness with whatever feels good in the moment—money, anger, sex, alcohol, drugs, violence, power, and the conditional approval of others. Anything we use as a substitute for unconditional love becomes a form of Imitation Love, and although Imitation Love feels good for a moment, it never lasts and never gives us the feeling of genuine happiness that  provides.
Most people spend their entire lives trying to fill their emptiness with Imitation Love, but all they achieve is an ever-deepening frustration, punctuated by brief moments of superficial satisfaction. All the unhappiness in our lives is due to that lack of unconditional love and to the frustration we experience as we desperately and hopelessly try to create happiness from a flawed foundation of Imitation Love. The beauty of unconditional love is that it ALWAYS will eliminate our anger, confusion, and pain. So how do we find this universal cure?   The revelation of  the Father s unconditional love for us will cause a desire in us to yield to unconditional love.  That is our very nature. You’re born of love and now you are a love machine, unconditional love machine.  The power of God’s unconditional love is what empowers us in the transition of our mind to the unconditional love.

When we allow ourselves to understand the impact our actions have not only on ourselves but others, how can we expect the world to know love, when we ourselves have no clue what unconditional love is. God has given us the example, so let each of us be that living example to our spouses, our families our friends and even those that might hate us.

God is the only example that we have of what unconditional love is, for we as imperfect being can not  learn it on our own. It is not a feeling, for feelings fail us daily, one moment our bodies tells us that it feels cold,  so you place on a sweater then your body says your too warm.

Fireproof Your relationships with unconditional love

Recently my lovely wife traveled to Los Angeles to visit our eldest daughter Megan, accompanied with our youngest child, giving me some dad time with Yordon and Elizabeth and a chance to teach them both how to cook. But I also had time to reflect on love and if I truly understood what true love was, not just any old love, but unconditional love. Something that is alien to human beings especially worldly human beings and many among us in the body as well otherwise the divorce rate would not be so high among Christians. I sat with a brother  the other day who shared with me that unconditional love saved him and his wife from divorce now they had just enjoyed their 30th anniversary, he spoke to be about how we base our relationships on feelings. Today we are in love with our spouse but tomorrow well we are not feeling it anymore, which brings on adultery, lies, pain etc... He told me how his wife and him decided that divorce was not word or an acceptable term to ever be used no matter how bad things got, because divorce was simply a tool of the devil.

The dictionary defines unconditional love as affection with no limits or conditions; complete love.

Here are some unreserved synonyms for unconditional:

1. Without limitations or mitigating conditions:  absolute, unconditional, unconditioned, unqualified.

2. Having no reservations:  absolute, implicit, unconditional, undoubting, unfaltering, unhesitating, unquestioning, wholehearted.

3. Manifesting honesty and directness, especially in speech:  candid, direct, downright, forthright, frank, honest, ingenuous, man-to-

man, open, plainspoken, straight, straightforward, straight-out.

4. Disposed to be open sociable and talkative:  communicable, communicative, expansive, extraverted, extroverted, gregarious, outgoing.

5. Completely such, without qualification or exception:  absolute, all-out, arrant, complete, total, unbounded, unequivocal, unlimited, unqualified. 

Bible scriptures reveal to us that God’s love for all mankind is unconditional love.  Here are some Bible scriptures that reveal this truth to us of  the Father God’s steadfast, unfailing, steady, constant, enduring, faithful, eternal, never quitting, full of mercy, never lessening love.

Job 10:12 You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.  

Psalms 23:6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place. 

Psalms 33:18 The LORD watches over those who obey him, those who trust in his constant love. 

Psalms 136:1-26  Thank God!  He deserves your thanks.  His love never quits.  Thank the God of all gods, His love never quits.  Thank the Lord of all lords.  His love never quits.  Thanks the miracle-working God, His love never quits.  The God whose skill formed the cosmos, His love never quits.  The Lord who laid out earth on ocean foundations, His love never quits.  The God who filled the skies with light, His love never quits.  The sun to watch over the day, His love never quits.  Moon and stars as guardians of the night, His love never quits.  The God who struck down the Egyptian firstborn, His love never quits.  And rescued Israel from Egypt’s oppression, His love never quits.  Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand, His love never quits.  Split the Red Sea right in half, His love never quits.  Led Israel right through the middle, His love never quits.  Dumped Pharaoh and his army in the sea, His love never quits.  The God who marched his people through the desert, His love never quits.  Smashed huge kingdoms right and left, His love never quits.  Struck down the famous kings, His love never quits.  Struck Sihon the Amorite king, His love never quits.  Struck Og the Bashanite king, His love never quits.  Then distributed their land as booty, His love never quits.  Handed the land over to Israel, His love never quits.  God remembered us when we were down, His love never quits.  Rescued us from the trampling boot, His love never quits.  Takes care of everyone in time of need.  His love never quits.  Thank God, who did it all!  His love never quits!  The Message 

Why is God’s love unconditional?  Because Bible scriptures tell us God is love.  When you see the word “love” in the Bible Scriptures, you could translate it, “God”, for God is love.  God can’t help Himself.  He’s a love machine.

When I think of unconditional love I always think about God’s love for all of mankind.  He so dearly loved mankind that He gave up His only Son so He could pay the price for all of mankind's sins so that each and every one of us could be made righteous by Christ. Now that is unconditional love.  He gave up His Son and Christ gave up heaven to come to a sinful world to reveal the unconditional love of God.

God does not hate sinners.  If that were the case we would all be in trouble if He did since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  No, God hates sin not man.  Why?  Because sins kills the ones God loves.  Sin steals from the ones God loves. And sin destroys the ones God loves.  God’s not trying to keep us from having fun.  No. No. He knows the outcome of sin, which is death and destruction.

Which is why he sent his only begotten son to suffer for us, because he does not desire for any of us to perish, that is unconditional love. To love someone even when they have not earned nor do they deserve your love. Do you have someone like that in your life right now?  Cause you were that person before Christ paid the price for you.  So husbands remember to love your wife as Christ loved the Church unconditionally.  Wives love your husband  with the same grace and mercy that God has had for mankind.  Its time we put divorce out of business, its we understand the vows we took, and live up to them for they are not impossible to for fill, but are impossible if we are walking in the pride of the flesh and living by our feelings. For feelings are like wave in the ocean they are tossed back and forth.

Unconditional Love (Marco Barrientos)

Who am I

Who am I that The King would bleed and die for? Elvis Presley


When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
 The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
 What is man that You are mindful of him,
  And the son of man that You visit him?
  For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
  And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 
  You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
  You have put all things under his feet,
  All sheep and oxen—
  Even the beasts of the field,
  The birds of the air,
  And the fish of the sea
  That pass through the paths of the seas.     
  O LORD, our Lord,
  How excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalms 8:3-9) This Psalm was written by King David, and is actually a hymn, or a song of praise.  As a matter of fact, it is the only hymn in the Old Testament composed completely as direct address to God.  


As I look back over my life, pause and ponder the eternal question, which is Who am I?
That I would think so highly of myself? Did I cast the stars into the heavens?
Do I know the number of hairs in my head?  ( of course I do none I shave my head each day:) )
Did i breathe the breath of life into man kind?  What have I created ?
When David considered the majesty and greatness of God, he felt insignificant by comparison. In Psalm 8, David stands in awe of the majesty of the Lord. And when he realizes just how vast and magnificent God truly is, he’s even more amazed that God would take the time to notice him—a mere mortal man. 
The message behind the question  posed in by David the Psalmist who am I plainly and powerfully conveyed—is that no matter how small or insignificant you may feel, the Lord of all the Earth not only knows your name, but has made you special and calls you His own.


I love how humble David became as he looked at what the Creator God had done ,and as he endeavored to compare himself to God's wonders he became of aware of just how small he was in the big picture of the universe.  To often we image that the universe evolves around us. I need, I want, I feel all about me right???


 “What is man that You are mindful of him?”  Yet, in His great love, the Lord chose the Earth for Himself and created us in His image. God is mindful of us and He does care for us! God is love and that kind of love is beyond our understanding being that we are limited in our ability to love, but His love is fundamentally reliable.  The same creation that hated him he gave his only begotten son for that creation which is you and I. So who am I, I'm the apple of his eye the Word tells me that.  What am I, if I'm created in his image but do not follow his commandments?

The Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." (John 10:14)

The Greek word used here for "shepherd" is the same as for "pastor." The Lord Jesus, therefore, was saying, in effect: "I am the good pastor: the good pastor giveth His life for the sheep |that is, 'for His flock'|." A good pastor is, thus, one who leads his flock into good pasture, who knows his flock, and who is known by his flock. A good pastor would even give his life for his flock.

However, this is not merely a term for the leader of a church congregation. The term and the concept are sufficiently broad to include all those individuals (teachers, military officers, parents, etc.) who have leadership responsibilities.

In all such cases, our guide and example is our good shepherd, our good pastor, our good leader the Lord Jesus Christ. With this in mind, consider some of the other biblical references to our good shepherd: "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away" (1 Peter 5:2-4).

Hebrews 13:20-21: "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through  Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever."

 Every Christian, at some point, will assume the function of a spiritual shepherd, if your a parent then your to be the spiritual shepherd for your children, for how else will they come to know Christ unless it is through you and the thing you do and say and live.  If you are married then you are to be the spiritual shepherd for your spouse to share the gospel and read the Word of God to your spouse and pray together, that  through your actions you can strengthen your spouse in their walk with Christ . The Lord  is our good shepherd, who after you and I were lost came after us and to redeem us from sin, place us in his loving arms and has plans to heal our every wound.  The Good Shepherd is Christ who came down from glory to  guide us back to the loving arms of the Father.

Love and hate are they one in the same

While the title is taken from a song I wrote in college, but the question that I pose to you, can a man love God and yet continue in sin?




No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24)


Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word. (1 Kings 18:21)


Both Scripture man is reminded of the choice he must make, for we can not say that we love God but yet continue in our sin.  We must either hate sin as God does or love the sin and hate God.  Lord Let each man search his own heart for the answer to this question. Which do you love the sin or God? Which do you hate God or sin?
Be aware that though your lips will utter one thing your actions may be saying a totally different thing.



How can anyone who calls himself a Christian knowingly continue in sin? As followers of Christ, we claim to be delivered from sin's power. over our lives We testify that the cross has fully redeemed us from the bondage of iniquity. Yet multitudes of believers today continue to cling to sexual immorality, greed, lies , grudges, bitterness.
Where are these Christians, you ask? They're all around you. You find them worshipping in churches every Sunday. They raise their hands in praise to God for delivering them. They witness to others of Christ's power to break all bondages. But they won't come out of their sin cave.
Sadly, many such Christians believe nothing can break sin's grip on them. They try every known method to get free of their bondage, but no amount of prayer, counseling or convicting sermons seems to help. Their sin just keeps entwining itself around their heart like a serpent, until it has full control of their life. And they end up carrying an agonizing burden of guilt and condemnation.
Paul asks, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2). Paul wonders, "We have received such incredible blessings in Christ. We have been baptized in him, buried and resurrected with him, conformed to the likeness of his death. So, how can we continue to sin and claim that we love the Lord our God?"


We are told to keep ourselves holly as God is holly, yet each day we  attempt to fit into a world that is not our home.  We are afraid to stand up for what is right or speak out against sin,  So who do we love God or sin?  Though we are in this world but we are not to be of this world.


Furthermore, sin never dies of itself. If it isn't uprooted and destroyed, it takes over the very throne of your life. First it affects your conscience, causing you to lose all discernment. The difference between right and wrong becomes clouded and fuzzy. Then, sin's voice gains your ear. Slowly, it begins to justify the sins of the flesh to you - even giving you scriptural arguments to support it. Finally, you become "sermon proof" - meaning, you no longer respond to Holy Ghost conviction.



What will you say to God when you stand before him? What excuse will we give him for clinging to sexual immorality, to the  root of bitterness, to covertness, ? Will we say, "Lord, I didn't know you would take this one sin so seriously. I thought you'd be patient with me, that your grace would abound toward me in it. I've always believed your New Covenant promise. I just kept waiting for your Spirit to remove the sin from me."

Beloved, our Lord is coming soon, and this is no time to trifle with our sin. I know many upright believers who at one point in their lives grew careless and were overcome by their lust of the flesh or the lust of the eye or the lust of the heart. So, don't think it can't happen. "For all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "Why do I continue in my sin? Why does this evil bondage still hold me? Why am I not free?" Why is it so hard too still love sin when I know I must hate sin, in order to truly love God.  For if I love my sin, then I can not say I love God, For the Word of God tells me that God will not dwell where sin is.  So my heavenly Father will not co-habitat  with  us while we chase after our other love which is sin.

Image a prince or a princess leaving their throne to go crawl around the pig pen, why on God's name would anyone do that unless they have taken leave of all their senses.  But yet that is exactly what sin cause us to do.

It's Time!!!

Each of decide  love or hate which is that you choose?  To love the Lord our God is to hate sin.  To love sin is to hate our Heavenly Father.  Only one master can have domain over your life, the time is now for each of us to choose.

Lord God I ask you to help my brothers and sisters and myself in fleeing from sin and run directly into your loving arms and dwelling there forever and ever.  Let us hate what you hate and love what you love.  Bless the body dear Lord to have the eyes to see what sin is doing to the body, to realize that we can love both the world and serve you oh God.  Turn our stomachs to sin may we vomit it out of our systems. 

What is Love??? ( Do you know it, have you experienced it???)

    


"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)





LOVE is a happy thing.

It makes us laugh,
It makes us sing,
It makes us sad,
It makes us cry,
It makes us seek the reason why,
It makes us take,
It makes us give,
but above all else, it makes us live! ~ Jayne Fisher



The American Heritage Dictionary defines love as "an intense affection for another person based on familial or personal ties". Often this "intense affection" stems from a sexual attraction for that other person. We love other people, or we say we love other people, when we are attracted to them and when they make us feel good. Notice that a key phrase in the dictionary definition of love is the phrase "based on". This phrase implies that we love conditionally; in other words, we love someone because they fulfill a condition that we require before we can love them. How many times have you heard or said, "I love you because you are cute;" or "I love you because you take good care of me;" or "I love you because you are fun to be with"?

Our love is not only conditional, it is also mercurial. We love based on feelings and emotions that can change from one moment to the next. The divorce rate is extremely high in today's society because husbands and wives supposedly stop loving one another-or they "fall out of love". They may go through a rough patch in their marriage, and they no longer "feel" love for their spouse, so they call it quits. Evidently, their marriage vow of "till death do us part" means they can part at the death of their love for their spouse rather than at their physical death.

Can anyone really comprehend "unconditional" love? It seems the love that parents have for their children is as close to unconditional love as we can get without the help of God's love in our lives. We continue to love our children through good times and bad, and we don't stop loving them if they don't meet the expectations we may have for them. We make a choice to love our children even when we consider them unlovable; our love doesn't stop when we don't "feel" love for them. This is similar to God's love for us, but as we shall see, God's love transcends the human definition of love to a point that is hard for us to comprehend.

The Bible tells us that "God is Love" (1 John 4:8). But how can we even begin to understand that truth? There are many passages in the Bible that give us God's definition of love
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16)  God defines love is in the act of giving. in John 3:16 we see that God gave his only begotten son, for a sinner like me. That which was lost was now found. He showed us love while we were still his enemy. (Romans 5:8)


In this verse and in John 3:16, we find no conditions placed on God's love for us. God doesn't say, "as soon as you clean up your act, I'll love you Willis; " nor does He say Willis, "I'll sacrifice my Son if you promise to love Me  right now Willis."  We find just the opposite. God wants us to know that His love is unconditional, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us while we were still unlovable sinners. We didn't have to get clean, and we didn't have to make any promises to God before we could experience His love. His love for us has always existed, and because of that, He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love.


God is Love, and His love is very different from human love. God's love is unconditional, and it's not based on feelings or emotions


But wait, I hear men and women saying I don't feel like I'm in love with my spouse anymore, so is God tell me that love is not an feeling or an emotion?  Is he tell us that love is the ability to give of yourself and not expect or demand anything in return?  Wait a minute now we all know that  if I want my wife to love me, she must  first  feel it right?
Wait so God actually expect us to love each other unconditionally?  So what if my spouse does not tell me anymore that she loves me?  What if I commit adultery, surely God can expect my wife to still love me? What about all those people in my past that hurt me, surely God can not expect me to love them, I've been hurt how can I love them with this pain in my heart and in my mind???  Because he loves after all we have done to him and continually doing to him.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he loves  you.

"Maybe you not sure about God's love for you, or it is really your not sure about your love for God?"

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.  by: St. Augustine

The Prayer Circle ( Hopeful this not your churches prayer circle)

Strange things can happen when people are not in one accord

That Shepherd that will protect (Psalms 23)

In the Hebrew bible ( Kethuvim) is the section in which the Psalms are found, which are referred to as songs of praise but as you read through them I think you might find  issue with them all being referred to as song of praise because many of them are out right cries for help in the middle of great distress. Psalms 23 however is considered to be one of the most comforting of all the Psalms written. Psalm 23 begins with rest and comfort. Psalm 23 does not begin with activity. This is a reminder of how the Christian life is to be lived. We begin by resting in Christ and out of the restoration of our soul comes activity.

1.The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want




Why does the Psalmist David say this?  I shall not want!  Is it because God is our protector, our caregiver, our provider. What exactly does that mean, "I shall not want"? The meaning here is not that we won't desire or want anything, the meaning is that we won't be left wanting. We are being told that the Lord's sheep are not lacking anything.


2. 

 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

The Shepherd teaches us to rest in His fullness. He gives us everything we need and stills the waters before us. The Shepherd removes all our problems and causes our fear to vanish. When the storm arose and the followers became trepidated the awoke Christ and what did he do, made the waters to be still.He can do that in your life if you call on him and trust in him to do that.





3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

No matter what may happen in our lives the Lord is always there with us. The Lord is always willing to restore your heart and soul to Him. Even when you turn your back on Him and act as if you do not know Him, He restores you. He draws you unto Him and washes away all your iniquities. He looks at you as if nothing ever happened!

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.


Did you know that a sheep is unable to defend itself? A sheep is virtually a helpless animal. It can not fight against the smallest of predators. The Shepherd teaches the sheep to rely always on him. The Shepherd wants his sheep to trust in him to fight our battle for us, He desires that we trust in for everything. It makes no difference to Him what the battle is, the Lord will be with you always.  So trust in him to deliver you, for he is able.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over


Your joy will always be full because God has prepared a table before you.

No enemy can stand up to you when the Lord is with you and He “anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” The power of the Holy Spirit is yours as you yield to the great Shepherd. You have been anointed to do service to the Lord. The power of the Holy Spirit is yours to help you to walk with the Lord. The power of the Holy Spirit is yours and your cup runneth over. Your life is going to be full to overflowing. Your joy and gladness will be overflowing as you walk in harmony with the Lord!

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


David is describing the joy of being in a personal relationship with God--a relationship that has no ending.  The 23rd Psalm portrays life as a pilgrimage--it is a pilgrimage with God, to God--and our final destination is "the house of the Lord". Our final destination is unhindered fellowship with Lord God.

David did not always have sunny days he had some rain and some big storms come his way, did God take away each of the storms as they came to David?  Certainly not, because you until you have some wet and cold days you can't truly appreciated the warm sunny days.

The Psalmist confesses that his faith and hope is in the Lord his God to provide for him and protect and guide  him through life.  Now we see what happen to David when he decided to guide and direct himself instead of be directed by God. David was in fact directed by his flesh that sinful nature that desires only its on pleasure and it does not care the cost as we saw with David having Uriah  put to death to hide his sin.

Let each of us trust not in our own flesh, but trust in the Lord our God, let him be our Shepherd and guide us to place where we might rest.

Lord God we thank you, for being the Good shepherd, that even when we got lost and fell away you sought us out and returned us back to the flock battered and bruised yet you held us close to your chest where we would be warm and safe.
Thank you Lord for being our Shepherd and providing for us and guiding us beside the still waters.
Thank you for loving us enough that you came back for us, we were lost but now we are found. Thank God almighty for his mercy is eternal.

The Father's Love Letter to you

My Child,
You may not know me,
but I know everything about you. 
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. 
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. 
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. 
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. 
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. 
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. 
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. 
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book. 
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live. 
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. 
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. 
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love. 
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father. 
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. 
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. 
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. 
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. 
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. 
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. 
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. 
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. 
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. 
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul. 
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. 
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me. 
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart. 
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. 
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine. 
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles. 
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you. 
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart. 
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes. 
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. 
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. 
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you. 
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you. 
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love. 
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me. 
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child? 
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. 
Luke 15:11-32

Nothing say love like your heavenly Father, for he didn't just utter words, but in fact in his case

he  proved it, by giving his only begotten son for you and I.  What have you done to show your  love to the Father?