Thanks for trials.

January 12
You must say “thank you” for everything, even seeming trials and worries.
Joy is the whole beings attitude of “thank you” to Me. Be glad. Rejoice. A father loves to see his children happy.
I am revealing so much to you. Pass it on. Each Truth is a jewel. Some poor spirit-impoverished friend will be glad of it. Drop one here and there.
Seek to find a heart-home for each Truth I have imparted to you. More Truths will flow in. Use all I give you. Help others. I ache to find a way into each life and heart, for all to cry expectantly, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
-from daily devotional book “God Calling” from A.J. Russel

Grace, mercy, peace and love

2 John 1:3 Let grace, mercy, and peace be with us in truth and love from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, Son of the Father!
The message

God seeks worshippers

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus told her, “I AM the Messiah!” (John 4:21-26 NLT)

God is true

Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth. Scripture says the same: Your words stand fast and true; Rejection doesn’t faze you. (Romans 3:4 MSG)

God is Spirit

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24 NASB)

The truth about chasing money

1 Timothy 6:9, 10, 17, 18
9-10 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

17-18 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. (NLT)

Christ is all that matters

Colossians 3:11
In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
-sent from Austin

God’s gift is real life…

Romans 6:19-22

¹⁹I’m using this freedom language because it’s easy to picture. You can readily recall, can’t you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God’s freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?

^{20 -21}As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you’re proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.

^{22 -23}But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

The Message (MSG) -sent from Austin

What is written is for belief in Jesus

John 20:31
But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
(NLT)

Know Jesus, know peace

2 Peter 1:2
2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

2 Peter 1:12-13

12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. 13 And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.

New Living Translation (NLT)