Stay Out of Your Dark Room: Advice on dealing with Worry, Anxiety and Fear.

 

Read: Matthew 6:25-34 and Philippians 4:6-8

You may be old enough to remember (or if too you're young, Google it ☺), there was a time that predated all things digital. Like film vs. digital pictures and many other "analog" vs."digital" technology. 

Cameras weren't a part of phones and instead of digital, they were stand-a-lone all film devices much like the digital camera cousins today.

As a kid, I recall taking pictures via rolls of film. When I was done snapping pics, I'd take the film to the local photo developing place at a given store. I'd wait a couple days to a week for the film to be developed from the negatives and then go back, pick up the photos to enjoy the shot of the memories I captured.

Keeping & Evaluating Hope!

HOPE...its another vital part of our existence. 

God brings hope to us every day in ordinary ways (general hope) and extraordinary hope too! (through Jesus) 

We're to be agents of hope, peace and more... 

He Made You a Part of The Body of Christ & It's Not Optional!

To my fellow followers of Christ,  I wonder sometimes why some of you make it so easy for yourself to disconnect from the church/fellowship/weekly gathering or more importantly with your relationship with God? 

Some of you will go weeks or months without attending any weekly services/gatherings, serving using your gifts and talents, or connecting with other believers. Furthermore, you spend hardly any time daily, (if at all)  developing your relationship with God through reading and studying the Word, prayer and prayer/communicating with Him.

Speaking from experience,  we all can go through somewhat dry seasons in life sometimes, but, I know that the seasons are even harder on us when we withdraw from the relationships, connections, fellowship, etc that we know are good for us by putting them in the "optional" category. 

Happy New Year - 2017!

Hello Friends, 
Happy New Year!  As we close out 2016 and begin a new year, I wanted to share a few brief thoughts with you. 

1. I'm thankful that because of God's love and grace, each day is a a gift of a new beginning and an opportunity to make a fresh start. As you approach 2017 may you look at it as another gift and opportunity to begin fresh and forge the best path forward with God's help while putting the mistakes of the past behind you! Begin again my friend, begin again! 

2. As you make your goals and plans for the New Year, remember The One Who goes before you! Trust Him, communicate with Him and include Him in "your" plans. You'll be more successful in all your ways if you do so. 

3. There is a phrase in Romans 5 (5:5 NASB, but read it in context of course, read Romans 5) that says "hope does not disappoint" or in some versions it says "hope does not put us to shame". No matter what you face in the New Year don't lose hope... Keep hoping in the Lord as He's with you every step of the way! Enter the New Year with hope and prayer! God's hope does not disappoint and you will not be put you to shame! 

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement in 2016! Its been an honor to serve you and I look forward to prayerfully serving you in 2017 as we seek to live life on purpose together! 

You're prayers for wisdom, direction and God's provision for these ministry endeavors are always appreciated as I seek out what God's will is for me according to His calling on my life. 

Again, Happy New Year! Keep your hope in the Lord alive! I'm praying for God's best for you and please don't hesitate to let me know how I can serve you in the New Year! 

In Christ Alone and for His Glory, 

rlk 



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Advent Christmas Eve or Day - A Prayer of Praise and Rejoicing in Christ (His Arrival!)

Read: Luke 2:1-35

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we enter Christmas day we rejoice in the arrival and indescribable gift of Jesus! We celebrate the most important birthday of all time and the most amazing gift to mankind!

We praise You for His arrival!

We celebrate, Emmanuel...You with us! What and awesome reality!

We praise You and thank You that Jesus humbled Himself to come here so we might have life through Your love and forgiveness.

I ask for Your help through Your Holy Spirit to help us point people to Your son and that we'll proclaim Who You are, Who Jesus is, Why He came and the true meaning of Christmas!

We praise You and thank You as we have much to be thankful for and celebrate.

I pray that we keep Jesus in the center of our Christmas celebration and the center and forefront of our lives day-to-day!

I pray that You're Joy and peace would be at work in and through us!

I pray for comfort for those where Christmas is really hard for them. 

I remember and pray for those who are mourning this Christmas for a lost loved one or who are battling disease, depression, anxiet or other things. Please help them to know Your love and may Your love overshadow their grief. I pray that You would heal them in Jesus Name!

I pray that relationships, especially family relationships, would be mended and differences would be put aside for this Christmas and beyond. 

May Your peace reign in each household and each heart in Jesus name!

May we remember anew the gift of Jesus Who was wrapped in cloths as we unwrap our gifts and as we enjoy a wonderful meal and celebration.

As we open presents, may we remember His presence today and each day. 

Thank You for all that Christmas represents and I pray that we never become cynical about the Christmas celebration and each year may our awe, wonder and childlike faith be renewed!

I thank You and praise You again for the indescribable gift of Jesus!

In Jesus name I praise You and Thank You, Amen.

Because He is THE Reason for the season,
Your Brother and Servant,

rlk

P.S. : As a little Christmas gift from me to you... Here's a link to a recording of the Luke 2 account of the birth of Jesus: https://soundcloud.com/user-335546274/the-birth-of-jesus-luke-21-35 Merry Christmas!

Advent Week 4 - A Prayer of Peace

Read: Isaiah 9:6-7, Philippians 4:7, Romans 6:23

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we enter this fourth week of advent we consider peace, especially the true peace that come from You!


I thank You and praise You that Youre Word reminds us and we celebrate this time of year, that Jesus is the Prince of Peace!

I praise You that we can experience true and lasting peace through knowing Him!
Even amongts the chaos that we experience in life HIs peace is beyond our understanding. 

Advent Week 3 - A Prayer of Love

Read:  Micah 5:2, John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-17

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we enter this third week of advent we consider love...most importantly Your great love.

I thank You and praise You that we can celebrate and rejoice during this season and beyond that You sent Your love down to earth through Your Son Jesus. 

6 Practical Ways You Can Help People In Need

Read: Matthew 25:31-40

Not too long ago I went on an outing to a local wildlife refuge wetlands area to enjoy some bird watching and hiking.

It was a cold late fall day and I was outside for hours. About an hour into my time I realized I was getting cold and even though I'd worn a warm sweatshirt and warm outdoor vest, I'd forgotten a hat and gloves. Needless to say I was feeling it. I pressed on for a couple more hours but then my hands and ears started to feel numb and my hands started to turn reddish. So, I decided that I better get out of the elements and warm up a bit.

On the way back to the car I saw a path I hadn't taken...then after I started down it I stopped myself and turned back to my car because I was starting a shiver because of my poor planning. Yes...I needed to get out of the cold.

Advent Week 2 - A Prayer of Joy

Read:  Isaiah 35:10, Luke 2:7-15, Nehemiah 8:10, 1 Peter 1:7-9

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we enter this second week of advent we consider joy in You. 

I thank You and praise you for the great and true joy that comes from knowing You!

As we sing songs of this wonderful season just as "Joy to The World", we remember that Jesus is our true source of joy. 

The Prayer of Jabez: Praying In Faith and Cutting Out Superstition

Read: 1 Chronicles 4:10, 1 John 5:14-15, Mark 11:24, Matthew 21:22, Hebrews 4:16 

The prayer of Jabez is a simple but very poignant prayer full of faith, however, to be very honest, it's not one that we should be superstition about thinking that just by speaking this amazing prayer or any prayer that God will do exactly what we ask. 

It should however expand our prayer life and faith in God's provision and goodness!

What I find is that we can often over-spiritualize or become superstitious about things like prayer thinking if we say or do certain things that that's the ticket to blessing or to release God's "bank account" upon us. 

Advent Week 1 - A Prayer of Hope

Read: Luke 1:26-38, Romans 15:12-13, Romans 5:1-5     

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we enter into this Christmas season, I praise you and thank you for sending Your one and  Only Son Jesus as He's our only hope. 

I praise You that Jesus is the hope of all mankind! 

I pray that we hold onto and never lose the true hope we have in You! May we carry it all year through and proclaim your goodness all year through. 

May You help us proclaim the truth that Christmas represents as captured in Your Word.

Help us not to put hope in anything or anyone that is temporal, rather, completely place our hope in You the never changing one! 

Help us to remember that You will never let us down!

Thinking about Thanksgiving...in the day-to-day

Read: Colossians 3:15-17, Colossians 4:2, Psalm 7:17, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 57:9, Psalm 69:30, Psalm 118:29, Romans 14:6, 1 Corinthians 15:57

Everyday, we have so much to be thankful for and we need to pause and reflect more on this fact.

First and foremost as believers we are thankful to God our Father in Heaven. We should be thankful for His great love in which He sent His Son to die on our behalf providing the way of salvation! 

With this, we are thankful for Jesus Christ and for His Spirit - the Holy Spirit actively working in our lives. We can be thankful for even the gift of life itself. 

Every breath that you and I take is truly a gift from God. There are so many seemingly mundane things we could thank Him for. So many things that we could make an infinite list in thanksgiving to God about, if we put ourselves to the task of making such a list. 

It really comes down to the attitude of our hearts and whether or not we choose to thank God and see His hand in every "little" and "big" aspect of our lives.