We are all family

Do denominations matter to God? Not as much as we’d like to think. That’s my opinion anyway. I think the issues come in when the Holy Spirit is not welcome. Aside from that, what the name is on the door isn’t as important as what is in the heart.

We have to stop judging based on names and tradition. It’s not our job anyway. Sit down and talk to people and find out what they really believe. There may be more in common than you think. In fact, it’s very sweet to find out that a denomination you’re not connected to believes very much like you do.

The differences in style aren’t important. God loves the formality and informality as long as it comes from the heart. He’s looking for pure worship, regardless of what it looks like. What He’s not impressed with is robotic behavior. But if the same behavior has depth and feeling to it, then He can bless it.

We’re family — brothers and sisters with different personalities. It’s all good. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (Jhn 13:35) If we can’t show that, then we have some serious explaining to do.

Expect a great future

Looking forward to a new year is always exciting, whether it’s a calendar year or a birthday. There are dreams and plans that we want to see happen. That’s a good thing. God likes it when we are expectant and trusting Him.

The problems start when we micromanage how we want this future to unfold. If our thoughts are glued to what we are expecting, we miss what God is really doing. That expectancy has to be balanced with an open faith to allow God to do things His way.

Also, when we get too focused on the future, we literally take our eyes off of God. Any time that happens, we’re in trouble. Make God the focus first and allow Him to do what you need. Expect a miracle. Expect open doors and opportunities, but keep you heart on the One who is moving on your behalf.

The key to every success in life is putting God first. Acknowledge when you wander ahead of Him, and get centered in His love. He has a future and a hope for you that is more than you are planning for yourself. Thank Him for it. Be grateful for everything He’s doing for you, and your future will be awesome.

nothing will stop God from loving you

We all need to come to God in repentance, so we are all, essentially, the prodigal son. It’s such an amazing story of God’s love for us. (Luke 15:11-32) Even in our stubborn rebellion, He loves us. When we turn our back on Him, and we still do that as believers when we fail to turn to Him first, He still watches for us to come back. Then He runs to meet us and throw His arms around us.

Now, put yourself in the prodigal’s shoes. The Father puts sandals on your feet, a robe on your back, and a ring on your finger. He kills the fatted calf to celebrate you. Can you feel the immense love that comes from that?

There is nothing that you can do that will stop God from loving you. Murderers on death row are deeply loved by God. He is just waiting for them to repent. Any idea that God cannot forgive you is a lie from the enemy. Forgiveness is a prayer away.

Ask God to show you how much He loves you. He can communicate it in a way that will be personal to you. Once you get a glimpse of that love, it will change your life.

God is very happy with you.

Why is God so happy with you? First of all, you have to realize that God is happy with you. He absolutely delights in you, but why? I mean, yes, there are times when we do things right that He could be proud of, but most of the time we’re just us. Is that enough to make God delighted in us?

The key to this is the blood of Jesus. When we receive salvation through Christ, God sees us through the blood of redemption. That means that He sees us with all the sin and pride and anger stripped away. He sees us as being perfect, right now.

God sees us with all the gifts and talents and destiny that He put in us. And His work is perfect, so what He created in us is perfect. Our job is to line up with what’s already in us. On earth as it is in heaven. It’s not as hard as you think it is.

Allow God to clean out all the bad attitudes. Confess your sins. Forgive people, all of them. Keep forgiving them. Ask God to fill you with the good attitudes of His Spirit. Over time, He will do a make over that is amazingly transforming — because He loves you. He’s very happy with you and wants you to be happy too.

Want to know how to attract blessing? Go after God. Be hungry be thirsty to know Him. You have to realize that even the best teachers are only touching the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more of God to discover. He has depths and heights to reveal to those who want to go there.

How to attract blessing

He absolutely delights in us and loves our pursuit of Him. When you cry out like David: O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. (Ps 63:1)

God will answer: For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground. (Isa 44:3)

He will respond to us with the same intensity that we pursue Him. Every time you ask to go closer, He will open heaven and draw you in. And until you do that, you have no idea what the blessing of His presence can be. He will give understanding where you need it. He will teach you in the scriptures. He will give you grace and peace that you can give away.

The thirstier you are, the more He will pour out. Jesus said you would never thirst again. (Jhn 6:35)

God loves us when we feel unlovable.

God’s love is amazing in His capacity to love us, even when we feel unlovable. We expect Him to love everyone because He is God, but when it comes to ourselves, we sometimes don’t think He has it in Him to love us. We are very aware of the problems and flaws we see in the mirror everyday. Some can’t even bear to look in the mirror for fear of what they know they’ll see.

But God sees and knows as well, and He still loves. He doesn’t chide or reprimand. He saves, heals, and delivers. His heart is to be in a love fest with us. If you don’t feel that, it’s because you have built walls to keep Him out. That’s the worst idea in the world. Start the conversation with Him now and get those walls down.

You may need to confess some things and get them out of your life. You may need to forgive people. It may not be easy, but the walls must come down. Ask God to help you with each step. Be open to people He may send in your life to help the process. He wants to see you happy and full of joy.

No matter how bad you think you are, you can’t change the love that God has for you. Just get used to it. It’s wonderful.