Showing posts with label Jesus Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus Christ. Show all posts

Friday, April 24, 2020

Where Flowers Bloom So Does Hope


Daily Favor is where ...
"faith and favor meet." 

It's sometimes hard to see the good in the midst of a crisis.  That's exactly how the world feels in what we are experiencing right now, and why as a follower of Christ this message has been on my heart.  

Acquainted with trials on a global scale, former First Lady of the United States, Lady Bird Johnson, understood the importance of keeping hope before our eyes during times like this in her message:

"Where flowers bloom, so does hope."

Her proclamation of hope was seeded in her faith and belief in God.  This is where I am rooted also, and why Daily Favor is so important in the life of any believer.

With social media and news in a tailspin, it may be difficult to see that God is still very much at work.  There is good news; look closely, spring is trying to bud in front of our eyes, proving He is and always will be, in control!

God wants us to use this time to see what He is doing in our own lives.  Social distancing from others doesn't mean we are to be distant from Him, but we should be doing the exact opposite.

I am more excited than even watching what God is doing and unfolding before me, even during my own tribulations!  He is revealing Himself and faithfully answering prayers.

"You have granted me life and favor
and Your care has preserved my spirit."
(Job 10:12)

There truly is an "other side of trouble" the world needs to experience!  This is the most perfect time ever in history to draw close to God and get in on what He is doing through believers.  

Scriptures tell us to:

"Come close to God and He will come close to you.   Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world." (James 4:8 NLT)

It's time to get back in the favor of God by spending time with Him.  Revisit your vision, goals and faith status.  Have you gotten side tracked by dividing the loyalty line between God and man wrongly?

Stop following after the world that doesn't recognize you as a Christian because of your lifestyle or behavior.  God is working things out for your favor; can't you see it?

God is Moving on Hearts

I'd like to encourage you that God is moving at this time!  He wants you to prepare to bloom and be the flowers of hope the world is seeking desperately. 


You see, when a flower is blooming something inside it is happening.  It's in the process of becoming the best flower God intended it to be.  The result is, anyone who looks upon it can see there had to be a change from what was into what it has become.

Friends, God is preparing you to become the best "flower" (gorgeous testifying witness for Him) possible.  He needs you to bloom at the exact time of His favor,  for others to "see" what God has done and is doing through you.

I want to inspire you in the Lord.  This isn't a time for resting at home and doing nothing but complain about what we want to be doing.  No, it's time to receive favor from the Holy Spirit and "Bloom Where You Are Planted"!  (Read more about that here.)

For Such A Time

God wants you to experience His Daily Favor more than ever so the message of hope in Christ Jesus reaches the lost.  It's literally the "for such a time as this" as Mordecai said to Esther concerning the Jewish nation. (Esther 4)

In our current age, this message for prayer, fasting and hope is for all people.  If we keep silent people will perish not only physically, but they will be eternally separated from God! 

How are you reacting to this global crisis?  Where is your focus? Or as Lady Bird also stated during a difficult time the country was facing:

"It's odd that you can get so anesthetized by your own pain or your own problem that you don't quite fully share the "hell" of someone close to you."

Is she right?  She gave more sound advice: 

"Become so wrapped up in something 
that you forget to be afraid."

"The challenge we now face is to build on the record of the past, 
to continue new responsibilities 
and seeking new opportunities to serve." 

Can it be that easy and how does that apply to today?  I wanted to use a familiar political figure as an example for a specific reason in driving this message of hope home and into your heart.

What we are experiencing as a whole isn't political, physical, social, financial or emotional, but it's a spiritual pandemic.  You read that right!

Spiritual Pandemic!

Fear is skyrocketing among people from every nation.  The world is desperately reaching out for help.  Life has gotten more than real; it's become overwhelmingly frightening to some shattering their coping skills to the core.

Websites and broadcasts on faith are being flooded with questions. Christian literature and Bibles are flying off the store shelves as skeptics scramble to find answers for things they don't understand or comprehend.

Mankind is ready to receive the message of hope in Jesus, because they are afraid and worried over their future.  If you are a believer in Christ, don't give up on hope because of what you see happening in the world.   Remember, the truth that set you free through the grace of God (unmerited favor) you now possess.

People need to know hope is alive and blooming all around them through the work of Christ.  We should be excited for this opportunity to do what we've never been able to do so freely! 

The window for getting the gospel message out is open now, but it will not last once the crisis is over.  Now is the time to act!

Be a part of our "bouquet of hope" by sharing this Tell Me link.  Direct souls to the salvation message.

Hope Based on Trust

Every one that visits this biblical teaching site is like a unique flower sent by God to learn how to bloom for Him.  Here faith and favor meet, because hope is on our hearts by the blessings received through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.

When believers share Christ, whether it is through a testimony or sharing gospel materials such as this, together we become the irresistible blooms of hope that people desire.

Do we experience the same situations and crisis' as everyone else?  Yes, but our hope and trust is in Jesus, not what the world is doing or can do.  No matter what, our hope is in the Lord.

It's our time to be the flowering blooms, saturating the world with beautiful hearts and fragrant attitudes.  Hope for a bright future is what others need to see or hear from us.

This Week's Challenge:
Let Hope Bloom

When a variety of blooming flowers are arranged together in one place for a specific thing, they brighten the area and bring joy to those who are around them.  The array of blooming flowers in the above photo is a good example of what I mean, and a flower company from the Netherlands knew how to share this point in encouraging people to have hope.

I'd like for you to join our growing Daily Favor family, as we come together by faith in reaching souls during this unsettling time in global history.

Prayerfully direct people to where hope is always blooming in these articles of faith on Daily Favor, and let's tell others the reason for our hope.  

"You must worship Christ as Lord of your life.  And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." 
(1 Peter 3:15 NLT)

As long as the earth remains, there will be flowers, and where flowers bloom there is God in whom we place our hope!  

Hope Blooms Eternal (New Gospel Song April 2020)
Lyrics by Kumalawaty Sundari 

Until next time, favor blooms through hope! 

“Favor waits for those who seek Me.”
- Jesus Christ


Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used a treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.
   

What’s New This Week: Click on link.



Have you subscribed to Daily Favor? See the links in the sidebar.
If this article has encouraged or helped you share it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post.

Follow Favored1 on FacebookTwitterYou TubePinterest and Articles.  



Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “TellMe About Jesus” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.


Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.

Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.

Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Hub. 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy.   
Note: When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives.


Image credit: Image  Image  Image Google Images and Quotes are Creative Common License if not specified. 


Labels: Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, Favor, Weekly Challenge, Holy Spirit, Bible Study, Lady Bird Johnson Quotes, Witnessing, Salvation, Hope, Fear, Pandemic, Where Flowers Bloom So Does Hope

Friday, April 14, 2017

In Remembrance of Me

This is a very special time for Christians when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

In obedience to God’s command, Daily Favor will not be posted as usual as we are observing Holy Week in remembrance of Him. 

The sacrifice Jesus made through dying on the cross in taking our sins upon Himself, was and always will be the greatest form of grace – unmerited favor anyone could give for those He loved. 

Read about the greatest gift of love in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ here in Matthew chapters 26-28.  For more answers visit the Tell Me section of this site.

I am truly thankful for all of you, and am looking forward to our next visit here and fellowship on Daily Favor!   

Until next time, have a blessed Resurrection Day! 

Fay
 
Follow Favored1 on Facebook, TwitterYou Tube, Pinterest and Hub Pages Articles 
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior. 
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. 
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Scripture references provided by Gateway Bible in the New King James Bible Version or as noted.
Image credit: Creative Common License if not specified.  Death, Burial, Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
 
 

Friday, February 12, 2016

Somebody Loves Me

We finished grocery shopping and were heading to the car with our carts. It’s not that we had tons of items, but that hubby has to lean on one while he walks.   

My husband was a good thirty feet ahead of me with his cart while I trailed behind with another. With a mind of its own, mine of course had the wobbly wheels that continually veered off to the left as I tried to control it.   

As I was focusing on my runaway buggy I heard a conversation transpire between my husband and another lady, but I never saw her. 

“Hey, how ya doing.”  Hubby nodded as the lady walked by.
“I see you let her out.” She shouted, as if I couldn’t hear her. 

“Excuse me! … I’m right here!”  Before I blinked she had passed me and the two of them were laughing. 

Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list. 

New on DFBSholinganallur, Tamil Nadu, India; Nairobi, Kenya; Skopje, Municipality of ÄŒair, Macedonia;  Romania; Nigeria; Bosnia & Herzegovina. 

USA Kaplan, LA; Ely, MN; Cabarrus, Concord, Kannapolis & Glenola, NC; Haddon Heights, NJ; Paducah, KY; Coatesville,  Altoona, Feltonville & Erie, PA; Kyle & Nederland, TX; Omak, WA. 

I am so happy for your visit and hope that you come back each week to participate in the weekly challenges.  God has been faithful and we expect His favor to abound in the lives of those who chose to Journey with Jesus on Daily Favor Blog.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.  All are private. I would love to hear from you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.  Contact me by leaving a message in the box at the bottom of this week’s post.  

Don't miss out on this week's challenge (below).

Visit the Q & A or other sections. 

The Big Chill

I pulled my cart up next to the car and began my inquiry about the woman. She was someone from the hospital (I should have known).  Finding out who it was I made tracks back into the store to find Kathy, but like Houdini she disappeared.   

Round two in the parking lot was just as surprising.  Midway to our car someone ran up to us and popped me on the shoulder as if playing tag and I was it.  Turning around quickly it was our young friend that we hadn’t seen since Christmas time.  Looking back on the situation I know it was God causing our paths to cross at that exact moment. 

Our conversation was across the board with topics from relationships to computers and everything in between.  Every time we see this guy we end up spending hours in the parking lot gabbing. 

The sun was setting and it was getting cold.  The only one wearing a coat was my husband.  Finally my friend said he was chilly and walked back to his car to see if he had a jacket in his vehicle.  

“I’m getting cold too.” I said subtly to my hubby hoping he’d get the message and retrieve my coat from our car.  He didn’t, but it was nice to know he was all snuggly warm! (Ignore the underlying sarcasm.) 

After an hour talking, our friend began telling us about a situation he was still struggling with, even though we went through all this with him months ago.  My friend couldn’t accept forgiveness or love for himself.  The thought itself gave me chills, and I don’t mean chill bumps! 

Love Me, Love Me Not 

Somewhere along our journey in life I believe we all go through the “not feeling loved” period.  As the Apostle Paul might say, this is an area that I have to “put under” repeatedly, because it simply isn’t true. 

The feeling of not being loved doesn’t mean we aren’t loved. Although each of us has differing reasons for thinking this way, it’s still an emotion we battle. 

After our friend shared his circumstances, he told us that his plans for the evening included getting drunk so he didn’t have to deal with it.  My husband and I shared scriptures with him regarding how he felt about himself, but it didn’t matter.   

Seeing that we were getting nowhere in persuading him, I felt led to share something extremely personal thinking he could relate his situation to mine in some way.  His response was that the things that happened to me weren’t my fault and of course I could be forgiven.  I said the same thing went for what happened in his life, but he would have no part of it. 

He knew what the Bible said, but felt it didn’t apply to him.  His story included forgiveness for all those that had forsaken him and were causing this turmoil, but it didn’t include himself.  

We kept telling him, “People love you. We love you. God loves you, but you don’t love you!” Over and over he said, “I know, I know … but I can’t.  I don’t deserve to be forgiven or loved by God.” 

Trying to convince him that not accepting the love of God through forgiveness was like putting the Lord back on the cross saying, “Sorry Jesus, it didn’t work for me.” 
When we disregard scripture we crucify Christ over and over.  He made the choice not to believe. (Hebrews 6:6)  

Walking Billboards 

Our friend loves the Lord and one would think he’s practically a walking billboard for Christianity; that’s something we should all strive towards. 

He shares the message of the cross, continually listens to gospel music, is faithful in church, wears Christian clothing or jewelry and even boasts faith based tattoos (which is another matter in itself).   

With all those things under his belt there is still something he’s missed, and he admits it.  My friend isn’t walking with Jesus in his journey, because he doesn’t live what he says he believes by taking Christ at His word concerning love. 

A Loving Choice 

Before we were created God knew that mankind would mess up royally through sin, but that didn’t stop Him from loving us.  As a matter of fact, God even made provisions through Jesus that would allow us to be transformed into His likeness so we could walk the path He set for us. 

“For we are His (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV) 

Look at this same verse using the Amplified translation of the Bible, which clarifies it a little better. 

“For we are His workmanship (His own masterwork, a work of art), created in Christ Jesus (reborn from above – spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used) for good works, which God prepared (for us) beforehand (taking paths which He set), so that we would walk in them (living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us).” (Ephesians 2:10 AMP) 

When we fail to believe what God has said in His Word, we are making a choice not to believe.  When we don’t believe what scripture says, we are making a choice not to love God.  Pretty scary isn’t it? 

To love God is to believe Him. 

Remember, love isn’t a feeling, but an action.  It is a characteristic of God. As His children, we have that characteristic living inside us through the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

A way of loving God is to believe Him when He says He loves us unconditionally. That includes all the bad stuff we’ve done in the past or present, and what we may do in the future.  His love never fails and always forgives.  

Rejecting Love 

It’s hard for us to see ourselves in a good light as God does.  We look at our past and see the mistakes, flaws and weaknesses.  No wonder we reject love when it’s presented to us.   

However, that’s not how God sees us.  He sees wonderful children who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, made whole again, beautiful, redeemed and forgiven.   

Think about these four questions: 

1 – If we don’t accept the love of God, how can we ever tell others about it to carry out His plan?   

2 – Are we loving God with all our heart, mind and soul if we don’t love what He loves (meaning ourselves)?  

3 – How is it possible to carry out Jesus’ command to love one another as I have loved you? (Matthew 22:37-39) The Royal Law in the Bible doesn’t say, “Hate your neighbor like you hate yourself.” (James 2:8) 

4 – How can we journey with Jesus if we don’t believe His love is real?

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?  

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow.  Not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  


No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35,36, 38,39 NLT)

It Takes Two – Love Me Back 

In order for any relationship to work those involved have to reach some sort of agreement … that is unless you’re a cat

All the rules go out the window then. If you own a cat you know exactly what I mean. They love God that’s for sure, but have no intention of loving us back! 

Well, maybe that's not entirely true and perhaps judgmental based on the dozens of scratches on my arms!  (Nope … no clue why I added that bit, it just came to me.)

Relationship building holds especially true if we are to journey with Jesus in order to accomplish all God has planned for us. We have to start doing things His way and loving ourselves is part of it. 

To truly be walking with Jesus on our life journey, we have to be in agreement with Him.  The book of Amos in the Old Testament really brings this to the forefront concerning the behavior of a believer.  I really like how this is said. 

“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? (Amos 3:3 NLT)

If one person loves and the other one only does so based on the situation, the whole “it takes two” thing is unbalanced.  There is no moving forward along the journey, because someone has forgotten that grace and favor are part of loving others and ourselves.  You can be sure Jesus isn’t the one who forgot, so guess who is left? 

This Week’s Challenge:
Loving the Me God Sees 

I realize that it’s difficult for us to really see ourselves like God sees us. Nonetheless, we have to try.  No, that’s not right … we have to do it. 

For the next week or so people will be sharing special times letting others know how much they are loved by them on Valentine’s Day.  Our challenge this week will also convey that message, but not the way you think. 

The challenge is to believe “somebody loves me, and that somebody is me.”  Besides believing that you are loved by God or anyone else, we need to love the way Jesus does.  Unconditionally love yourself. 

It’s not a sin to love yourself, but is actually a sin not to love what God said was made “good.”  As a child of God, grace and favor allows Jesus to partner with us for the journey.  God hears our prayers and cares because He loves us.   

Don’t be like our friend who is determined to live without loving the way God loves based on the way he feels. God will go on loving him whether he ever comes to that realization or not. 

My husband and I really love you, and care about how you are progressing on your journey with Jesus. It’s our desire that you come to think of yourself as beautifully and wonderfully made by the Master, created for good works and to love the life you’ve been given. 

This week whenever you hear or say “I love you” to someone else, I’d like you to make this statement.  Repeat it over and over until it sinks into your spirit and becomes a part of your thinking: 

Somebody loves me, and that somebody is me! 

“It would be a lonely life if no one ever said I love you, and knowing that God loves us is wonderful.  But it is so good when God loves us through other people.” - Aaron Wilburn

Somebody Loves Me - The Gaither Homecoming

If this article has encouraged or helped you please consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post.

Until next time, let God favor you with His love! 

“I favor you because I love you.”
Jesus Christ 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives.  

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.

What’s New This Week: Click on book or link.

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1167566&item_no=792176
Key to Fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commandment
By Paul F. Allen

Also available in eBook format.
Favored1 on TwitterYou Tube, Pinterest and Articles. 

Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.

Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Gateway Bible.
Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified.
Image:  Shopping Cart Wobbly Wheels  Cold  Billboards  Cats Love Jesus
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.