"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR LONELY HEARTS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR LONELY HEARTS"

1st Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
NKJV

1st Cor 10:13 But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
NLT

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul is giving us a statement, that includes some facts and a promise, and I'd like to apply this to the harsh reality of loneliness.
While the verse does not mention the issue of loneliness, the verse has much to say by way of offerning hope to the person, or person(s) who are dealing with "loneliness" I don't think I need to write out a Websters Dictionary Definition, but here's one anyways. Here's what it said. Sad from being apart from other people, causing sad feelings that come from being apart from other people. And, finaly not visited by or traveled on by many people. So, let's dig into this verse and find the Hope from God's Word that applies in this area.

2. First of all, Paul reminds us that our trial or temptaion in this area is common to man. In other words, there are many people who all experience whatever particular trial or temptation that a person is going through. It's a play on words, but for those who are lonely, there are other believers who are also lonely. They know what you know, and they are going through what you are going through. 

3. But, says Paul. Here's an additional truth, and, it' this, that God is faithful, or dependable, or can be trusted. And, there are two specifics about God's faithfulness that Paul lists for us here. 

(1) God will not allow the temptation, or trial to become so strong that you can't stand up against it. He will never allow you to go through more then you can handle. Although, it certainly and often seems, as if it's right at the breaking point. We say things, and feel things like, "I just don't think I can take any more of this" It's as if we are facing a hopeless future with no way out in sight. 

(2) And, here's the second truth about God's faithfulness, or dependability.  "but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" This does not mean, that God will just remove the trial, but it means that in the trial, God will reveal a way for you to escape the sense of it being so overwhelming as it were, and will show you how to bear it. In other words in the trial you are going through God promises to show you how You can bear it, or show a way out, so that you will not give in to it. 

4. So, in pulling all this together. If you are at this time going through a difficult time of being lonely, may I encourage you to look at this verse from 1st Cor 10:13, and ponder it, pray for God to help you understand it, be patient, and know that God indeed is faithful, and He will do what He has promised. Pray for wisdom about what God wants you to do in this trial. May I offer a suggestion, that I believe will be of tremendous help to you? Please consider asking God where and how He might open a door for You to serve Him, by serving His people. In other words, the way of escape for being lonely, may very well be found in simply serving the Lord in some new capacity. Ask Your pastor what needs there are in the church, and see if any of those needs ring a bell in your heart. Or maybe there is some new ministry that God would have you start in your church. 

5. Here's a promise from the Lord Jesus. It's not found anywhere in the Gospels, but Paul assures us that Jesus did indeed say it.  Acts 20:35 “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” The crux of the matter in this verse, is that there is a blessing associated with giving. And, we know that God cannot lie. He wants to bless you, and reaching out to serve other's may very indirectly, bring comfort to your lonely soul. 

A prayer:

Father, for many reading this devotional, loneliness may not be an issue they deal with. But, for many others it may be very familiar to them. We would like to bring those people before Your throne of Grace, and ask for mercy and grace to help them in the midst of this trial/temptation. Thank You for the facts, the promise and the instruction in 1st Cor 10:13, and the truth of Acts 20:35.
Please guide the lonely to find Your way of escape, so that they can bear up under the loneliness, and if it's by giving and serving, then please show them what You have in mind, loud and clear. Give them the wisdom you promise to give to all who will ask of You. James I:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. In Jesus name. Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT NOT GIVING UP"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT NOT GIVING UP"

2nd Cor 4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

2nd Cor 4:14knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.

2nd Cor 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

2nd Cor 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

2nd Cor 4:1while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Please notice that Paul repeats himself about not losing heart, or giving up. ( See 4:1, and 4:16 ) And, if ever there was a man who had his share of troubles, and could have given up, and quit, it would have been Paul. He went through so many things. For example, here's how he described the things he went through in the ministry. Please read through the 4 verses below for an explanation of what he faced in his life and ministry for Jesus Christ. ( by the way, he will elaborate on the things he experienced latter on in this letter, there was a whole lot more then what's listed below ) But, he did not quit, he did not give up.

2nd Cor 4: We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit.

2nd Cor 4:9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.

2nd Cor 4:10 Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

2nd Cor 4:11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be obvious in our dying bodies.

2. So, what was his secret, what kept him going through all the difficulties he faced. And, To make it more personal, what can keep you going through what You may be going through? If God did it for Paul, He can and will do it for You also. Let's look then, at Paul's secret if you will, and make it your own. God will give to You, what He gave to Paul.

(1) Paul had received mercy. See 4:1, and so have You.

(2) Paul knew that God who raised up Jesus, would one day raise him up, See 4:14, and, God is going to raise you up also.
In other words, Paul was looking forward to the resurrection to come. And, that he would be presented to God. This is our hope.
Paul even states in 4:16, that this is why he never gave up, never quit. Because He was looking forward, he had hope. And, You can look forward in Christ, You can, and ought to be living in this same hope, of what God is going to do, in spite of what You may be going through right now.

(3) Paul had the right view regarding his troubles. Here is it. Cor 4:17 For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! NLT He knew that though he had troubles, they would not last very long. And, that eternal glory was coming, and it would last forever. He compared the present with the future. The present was short, the future is eternal. Same for You and Me as believers in Jesus Christ.

(4) Lastly, and here it is in the NLT Cor 4:18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. So, he did not focus his life on his present troubles, or the temporal visible things, but rather he looked forward to the invisible, eternal things. This is what Moses did also. Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Moses endured, and so can You. But, the secret if you will, is to keep Your eyes on the Lord.

3. You may be facing many troubles right now. You may be going through things that are nearly unbearable, or seem that way anyways. But, here's the good news. It has to do with believing what God has given you, i.e Mercy, and by keeping Your eyes fixed on the eternal things of God. Don't allow Yourself to get caught up in looking at Your present troubles, just lift your gaze up and above them if You will, and You will see Jesus. And, He will keep you, preserve you, protect you.

A prayer:

Father, we thank You that there is more to this life then what we can see with our eyes. Troubles abound, but they are short lived, when you compare them to the eternal glory awaiting us. Help us Lord to keep our eyes fixed where You want them to be fixed. There are things temporal, and things eternal. The one is short lived, the other is forever. You promise to get us through, and when it's all said and done, to present us to the Father. And, with brand new bodies, raising up these corrupt ones into glory.
Thank You Lord. We pray for those who are going through it right now, and are reading this, may You find strength and grace today through the truth of God's Word. In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WITH A PRODIGAL(S)"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WITH A PRODIGAL(S)"

This is a long passage, but may I ask that you just read it through, and then note the explanatory thoughts, the application, and prayer at the end.

Luke 15:11 He said: “A certain man had two sons.

Luke 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.

Luke 15:13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

Luke 15:14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

Luke 15:15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Luke 15:16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

Luke 15:17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Luke 15:18 ‘I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,

Luke 15:19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.

Luke 15:20 And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

Luke 15:21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Luke 11:22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

Luke 11:23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

Luke 11:24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Many families have more then one child, and in this family, there were two boys, and the one went off and wasted his livelihood, and the other stayed home. It was of course not normal for this to happen, The boy would normally have waited till much later, and then went off on his own as most sons do, but not this boy, He broke his fathers's heart.

2. Several things happened to the boy.

(1) When he ran out of money, and unexpected famine took place, and he began to now be in need. He had been riding high as it were, but now the tides had changed for him. This must have been a sobering surprise to him, he had not expected misfortune to come his way. But, God used this misfortune to minister to this young man.

(2) The boy got into a working relationship with a local, and began feeding pigs. This was to say the least the bottom of the barrel for him. Feeding pigs. He was so hungry, that he would have been happy to eat pig food, but no one would give him any. So, he was now, out of money, surprised at the famine, feeding pigs, and very hungry.

(3) But, when he came to himself. Now, this is where the story begins to change, and this of course is what we as parents with prodigals pray for, that our children would come to themselves, or really recognize what they have done, and the position their choice has brought them into. He began to think about his home, and how that his fathers servants had plenty to eat, but, he was dying of hunger.

So, he decided that he would go back home and admit to his father that he had sinned against heaven, and in the sight of  his father, and, that he was no longer worthy to be called his father's son. He truly had come under a conviction as to what he had done, and the sinfulness of it all. This is what our prodigals need, and the Holy Spirit is the one who can bring this conviction.

(4) So, he started to make his way back home. However, while he was till way down the road, his father saw him, and It would seem to me, that each day the father no doubt would glance down that road, to see if by chance his son might be coming home. The Father was old enough to know that living like his son was living would not end well, and maybe the son would indeed come to himself and come home.

And, lo and behold, when he looked this day, there was the son, and the father seeing him, started running to him, and had compassion, not condemnation, but compassion on him, fell on his neck, or hugged him, and began to kiss him. Mind you, this young man must have smelled terrible, had matted hair, dirty clothes etc, but, that made no difference the father, he was just happy to see his son home.

(5) The son told his father all that was in his heart, and to his surprise the father said, "to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet." The robe, the ring, the sandals and the fatted calf were all expressions of grace, forgiveness, mercy, and joy, and restoration. A real picture for us of how God welcomes home a sinner. The father said, "for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry."

3. What a wonderful story of so many things. The foolishness of sin. The reality of our free wills to do as we like. The fact of high living being suddenly over. The unexpected circumstances that the boy could not have imagined. The terrible and unfriendly circumstances he found himself in. But, then, the great fact of "coming to himself"

All is not lost for your prodigal(s) They can come to themselves also. The genuineness, of his heart, admitting his sin, His humility, being willing to just go to work for his father, and feeling as if he was no longer worthy to be called his fathers son. And, the great response and love of his father. The boy must have been overwhelmed at the way his father treated him. Just as sinners are who return to God.

A prayer:

Father, there are probably many people reading this who have prodigals. Some parents have no idea of even where there prodigal(s) are at this moment, but You know Lord, You know. And, Lord, there is no one who can bring them to themselves but You. Your Holy Spirit is the great convictor, the great convincer of truth. We pray Lord that He, the Holy Spirit would work in a mighty way, even this very hour to bring the prodigals to themselves. And, Lord, we pray You would bring them back into a right relationship with their parents. That's us Lord, that's us. We ask these things in Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE FACING CRISIS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE FACING CRISIS"

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose" NKJV.

And, then, here it is in the NLT version.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul was not specifically writing this to people who were going through or facing a crisis. But, it's a truth from God that when you are going through a crisis it is of tremendous and constant comfort to the troubled soul.

2. Let's break this verse down bit by bit, and understand, and enjoy it's awesome truth, about our wonderful God and Savior.

(1) This is something that Paul stated he knew, and was in reality saying the Roman believers knew also. The word know here, means, to see, behold, to discern, to observe, to experience, to understand, and to cherish.

(2) That all things work together for good. Please notice it is not of course saying that all things are good, but rather that all of the things that can come along into our lives are under God's careful and watchful and purposeful eye and control. The NLT says, "That God causes everything to work together for the good etc, " So, God is over all of the things that happen to us, the things that are good, the things that we call bad, the things that are troubling, the things that are a blessing.

(3) What does God do with the "all things " the things that may be part of the crisis that you are facing right now, at this very time in your life? God's Word says, that they "work together for the good of those those that love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose. Again, this is not saying all things are good, that's of course absurd.

There is so much heartache, and trouble, that one could not catalog all the hurtful and crisis producing things if they tried. But, what is true, is that God is "causing everything to work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them"

(4) I think it's important here to mention, that the verse does not say that God actually shows us how all things work together for good, rather He just says they are working together for good, our good, your good etc.

And it's important to note also, that this statement, this promise if you will, is not for everyone, but rather it's for those who "love the Lord", and it's for those who are "called according to His purpose" In other words, very simply, this is for you if you have come to faith in and through Jesus Christ. It's not for every person in the world, but it's for God's children, those who love HIm.

(5) May I say, that it's been my experience, that this verse never ceases to bring comfort to the soul in crisis if believed and taken to heart. I'm certain You have heard it, but not certain you have ever taken the time to really ponder it, if not, please take a moment and do so. Let God minister His comfort to you, this very day.

(6) Finally, this verse does not tell us that God is going to show us how all things work together for our good, but of course they do. God does not normally show us how, but we often begin to see how as time passes, and the Lord gets us through the crisis.

Which by the way, our faithful God does, He is the best crisis manager in the entire universe, and He is Your loving Father, and You are His purchased child. But, very often, as time does pass, we do begin to see that what God was doing through the things that made up the crisis that we were in. Patience, and faith are important to enjoy the comfort of this truth from our God who cannot lie.

A prayer:

Father, we give You thanks today for this wonderful truth from Your wonderful and truthful Word. What a comfort it is. We pray for those reading this devotional, that they would be encouraged and find hope and comfort from this verse, this very Word of God. We don't as it's been said, live on explanations, but rather on promises, and this is one of the all time great promises that is a pillow for our weary souls to rest on day by day, and situation by situation. Please help us with patience and faith in Your Word.
We love You Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BEING IN "DIRECTED SERVICE BY GOD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BEING IN "DIRECTED SERVICE BY GOD"

John 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

John 21:5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”

John 21:6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Jesus had appeared to the disciples twice already since He was raised from the dead. And, He had begun to give them their marching orders as it were. Essentially, it was to "Be fishers's of men" and to go into all the world and preach the gospel. For reasons that are not given us here, about half of the group of 11, ( Judas was no longer with them ) decided after Peter's suggestion, to go fishing for actual fish not men. See John 21:3 above.

2. Peter's suggestion, could be placed in the realm of "peer pressure", he had been a very outspoken member of the group in the past, and it's fair to think that the other men would easily concede to his suggestions, which of course they did. So, what we have here is the group of disciples/apostles, doing something that Jesus did not call them to do. It was, "self-directed" service, rather then "God-directed" service. They were in today's parlance, "doing their own thing. 

3. After fishing all night, and catching nothing, they saw a man standing on the shore, (it was Jesus, but they did not recognize Him as such, the sun was just coming up) but, He asked them a question, which in the original greek text means, "you don't have any food do you" or, "you haven't caught anything have you" And, of course they were quick to answer, "No".  

4. Failure, frustration, and futility, is always what happens to God's people when they direct themselves, and forego, or neglect the direction of Jesus Christ. Jesus's simple instruction to all of His children, is to "Follow Me", not "do your own thing" So, this story is classic as to what not to do, and yet there is a lesson for us here. 

5. Please re-read this verse before we go on. John 21:6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Here we have "Jesus directing them", and we can see that the results were phenomenal. They were now doing what Jesus told them to do. They took the simple instruction from Jesus ( albeit they still did not know it was Him at this point ) nevertheless, it was the very Word of God telling them what to do, and you can see what happened. 

6. I call what happened here, the "One Step" program. It's one step to get back in step with God, and His will for your life. If by chance you are experiencing failure, frustration, and futility, because you have been going your own way for some time, you can by God's grace, simply turn around and get back on track with the Lord. Just repent of going your own way, and go the way that You last knew He had directed you in and to. Or, just ask Him, "Lord what do You want me to do?" And, He promises to give you wisdom. James 1:5  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

7. Here's a familiar and wonderful promise from the Lord that kind of pulls all this together. It's a promise from our God who cannot lie. Let's take Him at His Word, and let Him direct our lives, that they may be fruitful and joyful, and successful in the sense that we are doing what our Lord has called us to do. 

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
Pro 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 

A prayer:

Father, You love us even when we are doing our own thing. You love us even when we don't believe in You. You remain the same, even when we change. And, Father, we thank You that we can change, we can repent, we can turn back to You. You give the gift of repentance ( See James 1 ) Give it to us where it's needed today Lord. Thank You that You allow us to understand the error of our own ways, and that You do not punish us for going our own way, and You welcome us back when we turn to You, and You restore, and re-enlist us as it were in Your service. We love You Father, in Jesus name. 

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S DESIRE TO BLESS YOU"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S DESIRE TO BLESS YOU"

Num 6:22 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

Num 6:23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

Num 6:24“The LORD bless you and keep you;

Num 6:25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;

Num 6:26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’

Num 6:27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Here is what the Lord said to Moses. He was to instruct Aaron, who was to instruct his sons. So, God was giving very specific commands to Moses, to be passed down to the High Priest, and then to his sons, who were in turn to deliver this message to the people of God.

God was telling Moses, Aaron, and his sons, that this was they way to bless the children of Israel. The blessing was to come through what was said to them. God was very specific, and very detailed, and very serious if you will about what He wanted communicated to His people.

2. So, here is what the priests were to tell the people when them would minister to them.

(1) The Lord bless you and keep you. The word bless means, to salute, to kneel, to be blessed. And, the word keep, has the idea of protecting you. In the NT, the word bless, or blessed, has the idea of being "fortunate" So, in the opening words, God wanted the people to know how fortunate they were, and He wanted them to understand this, and that part of their being fortunate, was, that He was going to protect them, and to preserve them. And, this is what God promises to do for each of us who have come to faith through Jesus Christ.

(2) Next, the Lord wanted the priests to say, "The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;" This is partly easy to understand, and partly not. What does it mean, that the Lord would make "His face shine upon you?" It simply means to smile upon You.

What an interesting thought to think that God is smiling at you, and wants you to know that. God wanted His people to know that He was smiling upon them, and towards them. The word shine, literally means to become light, to be bright, to be illuminated, to become lighted up. God is light, and He is the Light of the World, and we live in darkness, but He wants to be the light of our lives, lighting our way, showing us how to walk, where to walk, and to give us the light of understanding about Him, about us, about the world around us, about all things that we need to know about.

The part that is a little easier to understand, is the "And be gracious to you;" part. Gracious means, mercy, merciful, favour, to direct His favour towards His people. To show His consideration to His people. Grace in the NT, means, God's undeserved favor and blessing. So, the Lord wanted to remind the people that He is the God of grace, that we do not earn His favor, but He gives it freely, to the undeserving. He is gracious, and He wanted His people to be constantly reminded of it. And, I might add, that He wants us to walk in graciousness towards people as well,

(3) Next here was what they were to say. "The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’ Actually there are two things here. First of all, that God would lift up His countenance upon the people, and that He would give them peace. This is similar in meaning to what was just said about being gracious. It means, "May the LORD show you his favor and give you his "peace.’

Repetition is important. It helps us hear again what is being said, and thus, God was in a sense repeating Himself about His being gracious. He wanted to get this point across loud and clear. But, then He adds, "And give you peace" The word peace means, prosperity, to be safe, to be healthy, to be complete, sound, to enjoy rest and quietness, tranquility and contentment. God gives this to us. We can receive it.

In fact, Jesus said, John 14:27* “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

We can truly experience this peace as we trust God with our cares and our concerns and believe His Word and act upon it.

(4) Finally, God said, to tell them 'So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” This was more of an explanation to Moses, Aaron, and his sons, as to what the effect of their faithful ministry to the people would be. By telling the people what they were told to say, they would in fact, be doing two things.

One, putting God's name on the children of Israel, and two, that God would bless them. Putting His name upon them, means to communicate His person to them. To speak to the people about who God is, and how much He loves them, and cares for them, and wants to protect them. And, in their knowing this about Him, it would bring them peace. God wants His people to have peace.

Why? One main reason, is so we can enjoy concentrating our lives, our thoughts, our energies upon Him. When we are not at peace, we are frazzled and distracted and disturbed, but when we are at peace, we are more mindful of Him, and it's so much easier to enjoy thinking about God and fellowshipping with Him.

A prayer:

Father, this message from You to Moses, to give to Your people, and it's application in our lives is so wonderfully encouraging. Thank You for Your desire to bless us, to keep us, to take care of us. You are the LORD, and there is no one like You. We love You, and we exalt You today. May all of these truths become part of our lives, part of our understanding, and may we learn to receive Your Word, and to live it out, walking in it day by day.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE GIVING UP"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE GIVING UP"

2nd Cor 4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul ( along with Timothy his fellow worker ) is addressing the subject of giving up. That's what he means towards the end of the verse when he says, "we do not lose heart" So, let's look at what he had to say, as to what kept him aflot as it were. 

2. He starts ( see the first part of the verse ) with what God has done, and was doing in his life. ( by the way, I've found, and I'll bet you have also, that so often when are so discouraged, and do feel like giving up, we realize how helpful it is to get our minds and hearts back on the Lord, and who He is, and what He has done, and what He is doing, and what He will do in the future. That is, as compared to staring right into the face of whatever the situation is, that has us in the place of discouragement. 

3. So, what does he actually say? Well, the Word therefore is a word that can be translated "since", or "because of", it's put in the scriptures to help us apply whatever had been said, to take the truth of God's Word to heart, and to put it into action. So, if we go back just one verse, to 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Now, here in 3:18, Paul had been talking about the fact, that God has brought you into an eternal relationship with Him, He has given you eternal life, and you know Him, and you have access to Him, and in that access to Him, He is changing you, as you behold Him.
Here's how that verse reads in the NLT, this might help in understanding the meaning. 

3:18 " And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more."

4. Please notice that Paul mentions the Spirit of the Lord working within us, and we becoming more and more like Him. That's speaks of the work God does in the life of the believer between their being saved, and their going to heaven. Or at least it speaks of the goal, the desire, the will, and the intention of God for His people, simply put, it means that God has brought us into His family, adopted, justified us, set us apart for His exclusive use, and is starting to work out His plan in our lives. The result of God working in our lives, is that we become reflectors of Him.

5. So, back to the original verse, and how it can be an encouragement to you, who may feel like giving up. Here's a little breakdown into three important truths that will help you.

(1) You also have received this ministry. God has not just done this for Paul, but for everyone of His children. He has given us a ministry, and that ministry is to know Him, and to reflect Him to others. It's so easy to lose sight of the main thing in our lives, when troubles come, and they seem to swamp us over and down. But, God loves You, and He has called You, to know Him, and to walk with Him, and to let Your life be used by Him to reflect that love and grace to others. So, don't give up, because, God has something for You do to. To put it as simply as I can, it's to use your life as You allow Him to change You. And, He will if You will let Him.

(2) You have received mercy. That's the second thing Paul says in 4:1 "as we have received mercy" That's what every person who has come to faith in Christ has received. God has been merciful to You, He has not judged You for your sins, but, rather, He has chosen to not give you what you deserve, which would be judgement, but rather, He gave that judgement, or He placed that judgement for sins upon His own Son, Jesus Christ. Remember, Christ died for Your sins, and God has extended mercy to You, not giving You what You deserve. 

(3) "We do not lose heart". That's the very last thing that Paul says in 4:1. Or we never give up. We don't faint spiritually and implode. Now, let's just re-examine this a little. How could he say, "we do not lose heart?" We do not give up? It's because of what he had said earlier, in his describing what God had done for him, i.e saving him, drawing him into a relationship with God, changing him as he walks with God, and then using him to show others about God, he had a sense of purpose when he said, "We have received this ministry" That's speaking of service to others, and service to God. He went on to talk about God having been merciful to him. Now I believe with all my heart, that if you take a few minutes to sit quietly with the Lord and prayerfully reflect on these truths from His Word, and believe what God who cannot lie has said, that You will will find Yourself being lifted up, and encouraged. 

A prayer:

Father, I thank You that Your Word is the truth. And, that You have given us faith to believe Your Word. And, that You reward those who believe in You, and diligently seek You. Thank You for being faithful, and always coming to our aid in our times of distress and discouragement. We pray, those of us reading this, for any of the folks we know, who are discouraged, that we might reach out to them and encourage them, and we pray for the discouraged person reading this, that these truths from Your Word might have an encouraging ministry to them. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S PLAN AND DESIRE IS FOR YOU"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S PLAN AND DESIRE IS FOR YOU"

2nd Cor 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul tells us here, right off the bat, what is going on in the lives of those who have come to faith, and are following Jesus Christ.

He describes our faces, what we are able to see, and what God is doing in us, and how He is doing it. Please take another look at the verse  2nd Cor 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2. Here is the same verse in the NLT 2nd Cor 3:18 And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.

3. Let's break this down bit by bit, to see just exactly what the Lord is doing in our lives, and what He wants to do, and how He is doing it.

(1) But we all, is a reference to the NT believer, as compared to the OT believer. And, God has been saying through Paul that God has given us freedom, freedom from the guilt and the punishment of sin, and are now relating to God based on His grace, and not under, and through the law. And, that there is nothing between us and the glory of God.

We are not like the unbelieving Jews who cannot see or understand the Word of God. We can, and we do as we peer into the life giving, life changing Word of God, looking unto Jesus Christ. We have turned to God, believed in Jesus, and are now in a true union with Him, and have fellowship with Him.

(2) We also are beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. What does this mean? We touched on it a little just above a minute ago. What it simply means, is that we are like a mirror that are brightly and clearly reflecting the glory of the Lord. When Moses was up on Mt Sinai, he was affected by God's glory, and when he came down his face shone very brightly.

But, the glory on his face began to fade away, so he put a veil over his face, so the people would not see the glory fading. Not so with us. that glory is not fading. Christ does shine in and through the lives of those who have been born again by the Spirit of God. God works in us and through us to reveal Himself to the world around us.

(3) We are not only beholding the Lord, ( we know Him, we are in fellowship with Him, we have access to Him etc, ) but, He is transforming our lives into the same image, that is the image of Christ, and He is doing this from Glory to Glory. Or we are becoming more like Him. We are bearing the fruit of the Spirit. This is what Christian maturity is all about, growing in the grace and the knowledge of Christ.

Being like Him, in His love, truth, grace, mercy and compassion for people, wanting them to know about the good news of Jesus Christ, and that they can be saved. Serving God, even as Christ served the Father by coming to the earth, and dying for our sins.

(4) " just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Here Paul is saying, that this transformation is not by the law, but by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit, dwells within us. And, we by faith, trusting in Jesus Christ, then become those whom the Holy Spirit, is working to make us become more and more like Him, and be reflectors of His Glory.

4. So, God's Holy Spirit is working in us to make us reflectors of the glory of God. We call this being witnesses, of Christ, being used of Christ, testifying of Christ, being living epistles of Christ, being the light of the world, being God's servants. All of those terms refer to the same thing.

That God through His Spirit, wants to show a dying world His love, and He wants to call a dying world to Himself, so that He can save them, and give them eternal life. Forgive their sins and rid them of guilt. Live within them, bless their lives with Himself, and the fruit of His Spirit, cause them to have His peace, and His joy, to rejoice in Hope of one day being with Him, etc, etc.

5. So, may we be all be the best and brightest reflectors of Jesus that we can be. When People see You, may they see Jesus Christ. In the way you talk, live out your life, use your time, resources, talents, finances, and the way you are a steward of the truth of the Gospel of Christ.

We could almost say, instead of saying, "God bless you today", we could say, "Good reflecting today" So, that's my wish and prayer for you today, "Be a good reflector of Jesus to the world around You"

A prayer:

Father, You have sent Your Son, we have received Your Son, and now You desire to use us to reflect Your Son. Truly Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ is the center of all things. He is the focus You call us to focus upon. He is the one that You are transforming us into, and He is the one You want us to reflect. It's not hard to be a reflector of what you are. You just are. Draw us close to You, and may we shine brightly. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK IN A BELIEVERS HEART"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK IN A BELIEVERS HEART"

2nd Cor 3:3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on stone, but on human hearts. NLT

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul was identifying what the Holy Spirit had done in the hearts of the believers in Corinth. ( Note, he was doing this because he was being accused of being a false apostle, not really sent from God ) But, this is an interesting way of describing the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of those who have come to faith in Christ.

2. He calls Christians, "A letter from Christ prepared by us" Isn't that interesting? Or as some have said, "Christians are living letters from God" What does one do with a letter? They read it. And, thus, God has sent you into the world, saved by Him, to be His living letter to others, so that they can hear what He has to say to them.

3. Now, what do you suppose is the message in the letters that He writes ( that is what is the message He is trying to convey through You, His living letter?.) Suppose you got a letter from the IRS. Usually, that's not a happy moment. You open it, hoping that it's not bad news, i.e, that you owe them money. Letters are meant to convey some type of message, and it's no different with God's living letters. He has a message.

4. In fact, God is the Postman if you will, and He delivers His letters not just to one person, but to many, and He delivers it day, after day, after day. He sends His letters out to scores and scores of people, over, and over, and over. He sends You, and again, what is the message in the letter? In a sense, overall if you will, it's "The good news, the glad tidings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ"
And, that good news is summed up in the next two verses.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:17“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

5. You see, your life shows what happens when someone puts their faith in Christ to be saved. He saves them, and then as you start to grow, the truth of God's good news, becomes more and more evident. Sometimes, God refers to us as the "light of the world" Indeed, the world is dark, and how it needs the light of the truth of God in it.

6. So, may I end this devotional by saying thank You to God, for making You a living letter, a light in this dark world. And, may I encourage you to remember, that people are reading you every time they see you, and may it be "A good read".

May they be able to see Jesus in you, and through your life, your words, your actions, your tone of voice, your love for God, and your love for them. May you use your talents, time, energy, resources to be the best letter you can be, and may you be a good letter of His truth.

A prayer:

Lord, thank You for the human letters we see each day. Thank You for the human letters that You used to speak to us about Yourself, and Your love for us, and how You wanted to save us from eternal separation from You. Thank You Lord. Now, please send us out this day, in Large Print as it were, easy to read, with a clarity of message. Your message Lord, Your message.
In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT FINDING THE SUFFICIENCY AND STRENGTH YOU NEED"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT FINDING THE SUFFICIENCY AND STRENGTH YOU NEED"

2nd Cor 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. First of all, Paul tells us where our sufficiency is not found. It's not found from within, or from ourselves. The word "sufficient"
means many, enough, sufficient in ability. So, Paul was saying, that he did find the ability he needed from himself. Nor do we.

2. Paul goes even further to say, "to think of anything as being from ourselves" In other words, Paul did not look to himself for anything that he needed. He did not live his life trusting in himself. He was not leaning to his own understanding. He was not depending on himself to do what God had for him to do. You don't have to either.

3. Paul then tells us where our sufficiency does come from. It's from God. "but our sufficiency is from God," How wonderful to know that God has what we need, and He is very willing to give it to us. He just wants us to not trust in ourselves, but rather to trust in Him. He has the ability we need. What a comfort to know this is true.

4. This truth that God is our helper, our strength, our ability giver is all through the Bible of course. Here are some verses that show this to us.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

2Sa 22:33 God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect.

Hab 3:19* The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

Ps 35:2* Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help.

Ps 40:17 But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.

Ps 63:7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

Ps 70:5* But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

Ps 94:17* Unless the LORD had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence.

Ps 119:173 Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts.

Ps 121:1 <<A Song of Ascents.>> I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- From whence comes my help?

Ps 121:2* My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

A prayer:

Father, we would like to thank You. Please help us to take You at Your Word. You are the strength we need. You do not ask us to look to ourselves to be strong, but to find our strength and help in You. You delight in helping us. You even called the Holy Spirit, "the Helper" Lord, when You allow trials to come, they really help us to see our own weakness, and then we are inclined to turn to You and there You are, ready to help us. Thank You Father. We love You. In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S GRACE AND GENEROSITY IN OUR LIVES"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S GRACE AND GENEROSITY IN OUR LIVES"

2nd Cor 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

2nd Cor 8:2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

2nd Cor 8:3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,

2nd Cor 8:4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

2nd Cor 8:5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Paul was actually speaking to the church in Corinth, telling them about God's grace in and upon the churches in Macedonia. That's an area of Greece. God had bestowed His grace, His unmerited favor upon them. And, it showed up in the way that Paul describes in the next few verses after verse 1.

2. Those Macedonian churches were in a "great trial of affliction", but they also had "the abundance of joy" and, they were in "deep poverty" yet, they "abounded in the riches of their liberality" Wow. That's a whole lot said about them. Paul was holding them up as an example to the Church of Corinth. An example to test the sincerity of the Corinthian Churches love and commitment to Christ.

3. Paul was bearing personal witness of them, that they were giving financially to help the poor saints in Jerusalem, "according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing" So, they were in affliction, yet had joy, they were in deep poverty, yet they were freely giving, not only what they could, but in some way beyond what they could give.

Grace made them this way, that is what Paul was saying. They could not take the credit for being this way, except for the grace of God upon them.

4. The believers in Macedonian were imploring Paul or begging him with much urgency to take their gift, which Paul calls, " the fellowship of the ministering to the saints" They really wanted to give these funds to the other churches that needed it. They were actually urging Paul, "hey Paul, please hurry up, take this money and get it to the people there" kind of thing.

5. Here in this verses is the real secret of how God's grace works through people. 2nd Cor 8:5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. Notice what they had done first, that is first before the giving of monies.

They had first given themselves to the Lord. They committed themselves to God. They were living sacrifices to God. They were disciples of Jesus Christ. They were "all in" as we like to say.

6. Do You know that God's grace can be bestowed upon you also? Do you know that you can give yourself to the Lord in the same way these people did? Do you know this truly what the Lord desire for you to do? And, do you know that when you do, that You become a vessel that God Himself can work through to touch other lives,

A prayer:

Lord, we are going to meet these people face to face someday in glory, when we get to heaven. Just hearing about them, elevates You as the one who worked in their lives, and it shows us how they did not take Your grace in vain, but responded to it, and look at the fruit it produced in their lives.

In fact Lord, we will meet the people in heaven who benefited from the monies that were given by these Macedonian Christians. Lord, may we follow the example given us here, and be like them in our day and age.

In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT MAKING NO PROGRESS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT MAKING NO PROGRESS"

John 20:5 He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied.
John 20:6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” So they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Please notice what Jesus said, when He called out to the disciples, actually, please look at how He addressed them.
"Friends" Isn't that encouraging, and beautiful. To hear God Himself call His disciples "Friends" The word friends here, means just what you think it means. To be friendly to one, to wish him well. An associate, a companion. Jesus loved the disciples and called them friends earlier in John 15:15 “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

2. Jesus asked them a question. "Have you caught any fish? They had been fishing all night long. Jesus knew what their answer was going to be, but He was about to show them a miracle if you will, thus, He asked them this question. They answered "No"
They had worked and worked, and worked at a trade that they were experts in. Here they had fished all night, but, this was a night of no progress.

3. The next thing Jesus did, was to tell them to simply cast their nets on the other side of the boat. On the right hand side, and then He told them, "You'll get plenty of fish" Jesus was directing these men who had made no progress to do something very simple, and He told them they would make progress, in fact, He told them they would catch alot of fish. And, they did.
They did what the Lord told them, and they made progress. In fact, they made so much progress that the many fish, were breaking their nets. They had experienced just what the Lord told them would happen.

4. You may not be a fisherman, very probably, no one reading this is a fisherman. But, those who are reading this devotional may be just like the fisherman. You have been working, and working, and working and getting nothing for your work. You may be tired, You may be discouraged, and You may be ready to give up. Well, You are not the first ones, just as we have seen from this story.

5. God loves You, You are His friend. He knows what is going on in your life, and He has direction for you. He has not abandoned you, and He will speak to you, and guide you as to what to do. These are the kinds of things that God does for and in the lives of His children. He is faithful, He follows through, and You can count on Him. Here are some verses that I pray will be an encouragement to You.

6. Here are some verses that I pray will be an encouragement to You.

Ps 27:14* Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Ps 31:24* Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.

Isa 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Ps 32:8* I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Isa 58:11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Joh 16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

A prayer:

Father, thank You that You know us, You know what we have need of before we even ask. Thank You that we can trust in You, and that You care about us. You have never promised that we would not have trouble, but, You have promised that You would be with us in those times, and that we can look to You for help and strength. We do that today. We pray for our family, our friends, and those we work with who are in desperate straits, and in need of Your help. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT AVOIDING TROUBLE AND DESPAIR"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT AVOIDING TROUBLE AND DESPAIR"

"He commanded our ancestors to teach them ( God's laws and instruction ) to their children, so the next generation might know them-even the children not yet born-and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set it's hope anew on God, not forgetting His commands. They will not be like their ancestors-stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God"
Ps 78:5b-8 NLT

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. The Psalmist is seeking to encourage the people by reminding them of lessons from their past. See 78:1. And, he is using true events from their past to teach them these lessons. See 78:2.

2. God had given instructions to His people, and He wanted them to teach them to their children, so that the next generation would have them in mind also. The truths of God's instruction were to be passed down, from generation to generation.

3. One main goal The Lord had, and still has of course for us today, is found in this beautiful statement, " So each generation should set it's hope anew on God"

Isn't that encouraging to hear. It's not only encouraging to hear, it's both what each generation was to do, and could do. This includes us today. It includes you who may be reading this devotional. It includes me, the writer. We can and should set our hope anew on God. To set our hope anew, would be in the sense of renewing, or doing something again, a fresh new start as it were. Repeating what had been done in the past. Placing our hope in the Living God.

4. Here's the kicker. Here's the blessing that would take place if the people would place their hope in God anew. "Then they will not be like their ancestors-stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God" Let's look at each of these a little closer.

(1) Stubborn, means to rebel, to revolt, slide back, withdrew.

(2) Rebellious, which means, to provoke, be disobedient, to be against, to grieve, be contentious, be disobedient towards God.

(3) Unfaithful, meaning, they could not be trusted, or verified, they were not steadfast, they were not pillars, they could not be believed.

(4) Refusing, they simply would not do what God had called them to do. And, what He was calling them to do, was to simply give Him their hearts, but they refused.

5. So, the Psalmist, was praying and hoping that by the generation reading what he wrote, ( Actually God inspired the writer ) that by the passing on of the lessons and the experiences of their forefathers, that it would be a lesson received, and it would help the hearers for generations to come to give their hearts anew to God.

And, when a person does that, they are sure to keep themselves from trouble. Trouble comes to the man who refuses to obey God. It may not come right away, but, it will certainly come at some point. So, the way to avoid trouble, is to obey God, and to submit to God. He will bless Your life. It's not His desire that you suffer through or as a result of your own selfishness, He wants to bring His blessing into your life.

6. Here are a few more verses from Proverbs 16, may they be a real encouragement to you.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 16:6 Unfailing love and faithfulness cover sin; evil is avoided by fear of the LORD.

Proverbs 16:17 The path of the upright leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.

A Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your Word, which teaches us, instructs us, warns us, corrects us, restores us, comforts us, empowers us. Lord, may we take Your Word to heart. Thank You for these wonderful verses which are so instructive. Keep us from our own ways Lord, keep us from evil, and lead us in the path of righteousness for Your sake.

In Jesus name. Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS AND COMFORT TOWARDS SOMEONE WHO HAS SINNED AND THEN REPENTED OF THEIR SIN"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS AND COMFORT TOWARDS SOMEONE WHO HAS SINNED AND THEN REPENTED OF THEIR SIN"

2nd Cor 2:7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.
2nd Cor 2:8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
2nd Cor 2:9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.
2nd Cor 2:10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
2nd Cor 2:11lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Paul was urging the Corinthian church to forgive and comfort a brother who had sinned. (The church had to remove this sinning brother due to his continuing on, and refusing to repent of openly involving himself in sexual immorality with his step mother) Now the brother in Christ had repented and gotten right with God, but the church was hesitant to forgive him, and let him back into the fellowship.

2. Thus, Paul was urging them to forgive the man. He underscores the importance of forgiving him, and comforting him. It was to keep this brother from being swallowed up with too much sorrow. Or to put it another way, "Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won’t be able to recover" NLT. Thus we can see that forgiveness and comfort to a repenting brother or sister is a preventative for them becoming so discouraged that they will not be able to recover from what they have done, (even though they have repented and asked God to forgive them)

3. One other very important truth here.  And, it's 2nd Cor 2:11lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. Or as it's stated in the NLT 2nd Cor 2:11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes. Forgiveness and comfort to a person who has sinned, and then repented of that sin, sought and received the Lord's forgiveness, is an important defense against the schemes and designs of the devil.
What might Satan do if you are unforgiving, and refuse to comfort a repenting brother or sister in Christ.?

(1) Satan might work to keep the person in a perpetual state of self-accusation, rather then walking in and enjoying the grace, the mercy, the love and peace of God. The person would be tempted to look at what they have done, i.e their sin, rather then focus on what God has done, i.e forgiven them, and restored them.

(2) Satan might work to keep this person in a state of introspection. That is, always looking within themselves, rather then looking to our wonderful Savior. God has not called us to focus on ourselves, but rather to "Follow Him". And to be "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith"

4. It's so important that we show forgiveness, and seek to comfort someone who has fallen. And help them be restored to the Lord.
Isn't that what you would want someone to do for You? Of course it is. And, it's our God given responsibility to act that way, and and show God's love towards a repentant brother of sister in Christ.

5. Here's how all of these verses read in the NLT. Please take a slow quiet look at them, and let God speak to you through them.
And, let's be forgivers, and comforters, and be pleasing to our God, and seek to build people up, not tear them down, and leave them in their troubles.

2nd Cor 2:7Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won’t be able to recover.

2nd Cor 2:8 Now show him that you still love him.

2nd Cor 2:9 I wrote to you as I did to find out how far you would go in obeying me.

2nd Cor 2:10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive him (for whatever is to be forgiven), I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit,

2nd Cor 2:11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes.

A prayer:

Father, You have forgiven us, and we pray that we would pass on, and actively forgive, and show comfort to others who have fallen into sin, and have come to their senses, and come back to You. You would not turn them away, but, Father, it's incredible that we would not act like You in the most basic of ways that You call us to live. But, unfortunately, we can harbor pride, bitterness, resentment etc, towards someone. But, Lord, work in our hearts where needed, and make us like You. May we show Your Love and forgiveness, without hesitation. How needy people are, and we can be used by You to bring about blessing, and restoration of a needy person. We love You Lord.
In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT SOMETHING GOD CANNOT DO"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT SOMETHING GOD CANNOT DO"

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,
Titus 1:3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Right off the bat, Paul is telling this young minster Titus, and us, about "in Hope of eternal life" God wanted the Cretetans, and us to know the truth of God and encourage the believers to live Godly lives. And, he then mentions "in hope of eternal life" Eternal life, actually means that you and I who have believed have been brought into union with God, and communion with God through our faith in Jesus Christ the Savior. We were without Him, separated from Him, dead in our sins and trespasses, but God who rich in mercy, even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive in Christ and brought us into fellowship with Himself. (Eph 2) We now are in Christ. Part of His body.

2. But, here's the part about what God cannot do. We often don't think about what God cannot do, but there are a number of them, and here's just one. He cannot lie. It's impossible for God to lie. He simply cannot do it. To lie of course is to say something that is not true. God cannot say anything, not even one small thing that is not true. And, the point here, is that God has promised us this "eternal life" and He did before time began. Please think with me for just a long slow moment or two about these things.

(1) God cannot lie, it's impossible for Him to lie.

(2) God has promised us eternal life to anyone who will turn to Him, and receive Christ.

(3) God made this promise before time began. Before the creation of time, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit made this promise.

3. Here's something God does do. He make good on His promises. In other words, when He promises that He is going to do something, He does it. And, He does it right at the time it's supposed to happen. He is never late, nor is He ever early. He is always right on time, coming through on what He has promised. Since it's impossible for Him to lie, He is faithful to do what He says He will do.

4. Now, here's this truth about God cannot being able to lie in it's context. And, there are several things to look at and enjoy understanding.

Titus 1:1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. NLT

Paul who was a slave of God and an apostle, or messenger of Jesus Christ, had been sent by God to bring faith to those God had chosen, and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. Isn't that beautiful. God loves you so much, that He sends messengers to His children and, wants to show them how to live godly lives.

That's for You and I who believe. God wants to teach us the truth, and He wants to show us through His Word, how to live our lives. To live Godly lives.

5. One last thing. All of the above is called "Good News" And, it's been revealed to us, in fact, God has been announcing it faithfully for the last 2000 years through His church the body of Christ to any and everyone who will listen. In fact, God commanded Paul to do this, and God has given commands to His church to go out and do His work. He has entrusted us with a work to do for Him.

Titus 1:3 And now at the right time he has revealed this Good News, and we announce it to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been trusted to do this work for him.

6. In closing this devotional, here are some things for you to think about and pray about, and ask God how He wants You to put things into practice in your life.

(1) God has been thinking about You even before time began.

(2) God's thoughts towards you have to do with how He can bless you with eternal life.

(3) God has made a promise to send Jesus and He did it.

(4) God has some work for you to do in sharing Christ with others. Are You doing that at this time?

(5) God has many other people who He wants to save. He may use You to be His instrument. Are you willing to be used by Him?.

(6) God promises to use You if you will just make yourself available to Him. See Rom 12:1-6.

A prayer:

Father. Thank You for being faithful, and thank You for not being able to lie. Thank You that we can put our complete trust and faith in You. You always do what You say You will do. Thank You for saving those who will believe. That no doubt, includes many who are reading this prayer at this very moment. And, if anyone reading this is not sure they are saved, they can make sure by turning to You, and believing in You. Save them we pray Lord. Thank You that we can be used of You. And, we would like to say this day, "God we place ourselves before You, and ask that You please use us according to Your perfect will to be lights and witnesses of Your wonderful Son Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT OUR GOOD SHEPHERD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT OUR GOOD SHEPHERD"

John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to Me, is greater then all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one."

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Jesus calls believers, "My Sheep" He does so, because believers, belong to Him. He has purchased us, and placed us in His sheepfold if you will. We are no longer our own, for we have been purchased with a price. We truly are His Sheep. He is our Shepherd, and He views us as His sheep. He says, "My sheep"

2. One of the ways that Jesus's sheep can be recognized, is that they hear His voice. God has given us His Word not so we will obey it out of obligation or fear, but to assure His children of their relationship with Him, and guide them home.

3. Another wonderful truth about Jesus's sheep, is that He knows them. He has a great personal knowledge of each and everyone of His sheep. Not only do His sheep hear His voice, but, He knows His sheep. He has a very deep personal knowledge of each one of His sheep.

4. Jesus's sheep follow Him. We join Him as it were, and go where He goes. That's what a disciple is all about. We follow our shepherd. We side with Him, we accompany Him. And, that's not only here on earth, but, He is going to lead us right into heaven itself. Then we won't follow Him anymore, we will simply be with Him in glory forever, and ever.

5. Several other things here.

(1) He has given us eternal life. We are united with God through faith in Christ.

(2) We will never perish. Because, we have been saved and forgiven by Christ.

(3) No one will ever snatch us out of His hand. We are in His hand right now.

(4) We have been given to Jesus by His Father, and our Father. We are a gift to
Christ. We are His bride. God gave us to Jesus.

(5) Jesus's Father, our Father, is greater then any and every one. Greater then all.

(6) No one is able to snatch us out of the Father's hand.

(7) Jesus and His Father, are one. This means, that Jesus and the Father are unified and they enjoy perfect equality. Jesus and the Father are distinct persons, yet they share the same essence and attributes.

6. One last thing. Jesus has given us eternal life. Eternal life is not something we gain or receive when we die, rather we obtain it the very moment we believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

A prayer:

Father, it's very hard to find the words to express our gratitude for what You have done. You gave us to Jesus. Thank You for doing that. Jesus, thank You for receiving us from the Father. Jesus, thank You, that we are in Your hand, and You will not let us go, and no one can take us out of Your hand. And, Father, we also thank You that we are in Your hand as well. We are in the best two hands possible. the hand of Jesus, and the hand of our Father in heaven.

Thank You for giving us eternal life, and thank You that we shall never perish. Thank You also Father for being greater then any other being. You are the most powerful being that exists. And we belong to You, and You are not going to let us go.

In Jesus name. Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT COMING BACK TO THE LORD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT COMING BACK TO THE LORD"

Malachi 3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. The Lord wanted His people to return to Him. That's what the verse says, Mal 3:7b Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. The word return, means, to turn back, or to repent, to restore, to recover. This was God's desire for His people.

2. They and their forefathers had been doing two things that describe why they needed to return. Malachi 3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. So, the entire population, both at the time of Malachi's ministry, and previously had both gone away from the ordinances, or the laws of God.

They had scorned God's Laws, and they had failed to obey them. In other words, they had removed themselves from God's laws, they had turned aside from God's laws, and they had put the law of God aside. And, naturally they were not obeying God.

3. So, with all that said, here we have God calling them back to Himself, Come back to me, is basically what He was saying, and if you come back to me God says, I will come back to You. I want you back, and I want to be back with you is the idea. God was interested in restoring the people back into a right relationship with Himself. He did not want them to continue living apart from Him.

4. You may know someone who is living this way. Away from God. You may be that person. Or you may remember a time when You lived that way, and the Lord has restored You, You have come back to God, and what did He do, well, He came back to You. That's the way the Lord is.

5. Interesting, to note, that the phrase, LORD of hosts, is also translated, LORD ALMIGHTY. God is all powerful. That's who He is, and He is able to restore His people. He wanted to, and wants to today, to restore His people. Sad to say, that the people at this time were not really very humble and broken about their condition.

They responded to this gracious invitation by a kind of cynical, less then sorrowful attitude, ( and by actually denying that they had gone away ) by asking the LORD in what way, or how can we returen, and in what way have we not been obeying You. Even though they had this attitude, God was faithful to answer their question. Here is God's answer to them.

Mal 3:7b-8 “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’

Mal 3:8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.

6. Someone has said, the point of return, always starts with the point of departure. In other words, go back to where you left, and start again at that point. In this case, the people had been robbing God, by not giving Him, what belonged to Him, and that was His tithe, and the offerings that belonged to Him. So, the Lord was answering their question by showing them how they had departed, and what they ought to do, in order to get back, and be rightly restored to the Lord. Stop stealing from God was the basic idea here.

Mal 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

7. The rest of the chapter, is an encouragement for the people to return to their God, and to stop stealing from Him, and begin once again worshipping Him in the ways that He had prescribed for them, and He promised to bless them.

May I encourage You, if You feel that this situation fits your life, it describes You, then, You can return to God, and come to Him on His terms, not Your own. Or if You know people that You love and care for, pray for them, and ask God to bring conviction upon them. He wants them back. They,  deep down in their hearts are suffering greatly by being away from God.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for being a God who desires restoration. Thank You that You would even speak to those who are stealing from You and say, Come back, and I'll come back to You. But, Lord that's who You are, and that's what You said in plain, can't argue with them words. You are God ALMIGHTY. You don't lie, and You are faithful. So, we pray for ourselves if this shoe fits us, and we pray for those in the body we know that also fit into this shoe. But, Lord, may we find ourselves in different shoes as it were. May we find ourselves coming back to You, and repenting of our sins, and showing our faith in You by practical obedience to Your ways.

In Jesus name. Amen
Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BLESSINGS TO COME"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BLESSINGS TO COME"

Ro 8:18* For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

18* Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.

Some explanatory notes, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul is talking about the present and the future all in one verse here. And, he is talking about the experiences we have now, here, and the blessings that we will also experience in the future. Sufferings now, glory to come, glory to be revealed in us.

2. Paul said, "I consider" meaning, in he sense of an accounting, or a reckoning. Or how he regarded the here and now, and how he regarded the future blessings that will be ours one day in Christ. In other words, this is what he understood to be the truth.

3. There is one basic thought here. And, it's this. That what we go through now, by way of sufferings, is nothing compared to the glory that God is going to give us later.

4. God is in control of the sufferings we go through, He allows them, and He is in control of the glory, or the blessings that are coming. And, when we get to heaven, the sufferings we have gone through will not be worthy, or appropriate, or deserving, or fitting to be compared with what God will give us. In other words, we will never even be tempted to say, "it was all worth it"
Because, what God is going to give us is so much greater. Those blessings, ( glory as Paul calls it ) will be so wonderful, that we will not think it right to compare it with what we have gone through down here in this earthly, temporal existence.

5. The glory Paul says, will be revealed in us. What does this mean? For one, it will mean, that we will have a new body, a glorious body, one fashioned after the body that Jesus has. And, two, we will behold the glory of God, which I believe is the visible knowledge of the total goodness of, and all of what God is. We will see Him face to face. And, in some way, that glory will be revealed in us. In our minds, our souls, our understanding, that is currently very limited, but then, it will be face to face.

6. What a glorious future we have. We are headed for heaven. And, You know what? None of us knows just exactly when we will arrive there. Only God knows that. We know many people who are already there. And, one day we will see them again. We will see each and every person who is in heaven. You and I who are reading this devotional, will be together in heaven. We will rejoice together in heaven. Let's rejoice now. That's what Paul did, and that's what he was doing here in Romans 8.

A prayer:

Father, is there anything greater then You, and the gift of eternal life. No. You have given us the very best and most wonderful gift possible, the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ the Savior. Thank You for Your unspeakable gift. May we be so filled with this hope that we cannot contain it.

In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE PRAYING"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE PRAYING"

2nd Corinthians 2:11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Prayer helps the work of God, that's one way of saying it. That's what Paul said here. He had been doing his work as a missionary, apostle, pastor, and preacher, and he knew the Corinthians were praying for them, and he was now thanking them, and telling them how their prayers had helped the work of God.

2. Notice, Paul says, "You also helping together in prayer for us" In other words, Paul was doing his part, and they (who could not do what Paul did ) were doing what they could. They were unable to travel and do the work of planting churches, but they were working and helping together by their prayers. Prayer helps the work of God.

3. The kind of prayer they were praying, is called "intercession" Or "interceding prayer" Which means to plead with God on the behalf of someone else. That's what they were doing and it was helping the work of God.

4. Since their prayers had helped, Paul was saying that it was time to say "thank You" to God for hearing and answering the prayers that were helping the work of God. He says, ( that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.)

5. May I ask who is on your mind today, and what is on your mind, that is, the things that lay ahead of you, and the trials or difficulties You are facing today? And, may I encourage you to take a moment, and talk to God about those things, and simply tell Him what is on your mind, and ask Him to bring His will to bear and to pass in those matters, and in the lives of the people you have on your heart. Remember, prayer is effective, James 5

A prayer:

Lord, thank You for the fact and the reality that we can pray. And, thank You that Your ears are open to our prayers, and that You use them to bring about Your will. We would ask for ourselves today, that You would fill us with the Holy Ghost throughout this day. May He give us the strength and the wisdom we need to honor You, obey You, be good witnesses of You, and be part of furthering the work of the Kingdom of God.
Thank You for using prayer, and use ours today. in Jesus name.
Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING"

2nd Corinthians 1:7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation, (or comfort)

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. In this section of 2nd Corinthians, Paul uses a form of the Greek word for comfort, (paraklesis) 10 times in this small section, 1:3-7. The word comfort is far more than a passing relief of sympathy. It pictures one who stands beside us in the midst of struggle to encourage and support. The same root word is used to speak of the Holy Spirit, our heavenly Comforter and Helper, He is our Divine Paraclete. Paul's Words affirm

(1) God, who is the Father of Jesus Christ, will comfort us in the midst of adversity.

(2) This comfort will serve us in a powerful way when God uses us to comfort others.

2. The NLT reads this way 2nd Cor 1:7 We are confident that as you share in the sufferings, you will also share in the consolation, ( comfort ) that God gives us.

3. So, this verse is one where Paul expresses an absolute confidence that for those who were suffering, that they would also experience comfort. Thus, if you are suffering today, you also can be sure that God is already, or will be soon bringing You comfort. He is with You during Your suffering, and as noted, it's to not only comfort you, ( that is to make you comfortable in your sufferings, ) but ultimately to use you to comfort other people with the very same comfort you are receiving, or will receive from God.

4. How can Paul speak with such confidence, and assurance.? Good question. Or we could say, "How does he know, and how can he be so sure, and how can we have this same confidence that he has? Well, it's because the Bible says God will comfort You. It's a promise from God who does not lie. In fact, earlier in this chapter, it tells us that God is the Father of comfort and the Father of mercies. What a wonderful Father we have.

5. And, God promises to comfort us. Well, You might say, "I know He promises, but how can I be sure He will?" Again, the Bible says, that God cannot lie. When, He makes a promise He keeps it. All of His promises are yes, and yes, not no, and no. God does not say one thing, and really mean another. He says what He means, and He does what He says He will do, He is our faithful God and Father.

6. Here's a testimony from another believer, one who you may know a little about. King David. Listen to what he said, because in it, we find, the thing we must do when suffering. Ps 40:1-3 I waited  patiently for The Lord to help me and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in The Lord.

(1) The word patient, or patiently in the Bible, does not mean to just bide your time, or mark time, rather it means to wait with an expectancy upon God, that God is going to faithfully do what He has promised to do. So, it's not just waiting in the normal sense of the word, but, it's waiting with a confident hope.

(2) You can wait in this same way. This is the prescription for you, to expect God to help You, He who has promised is faithful. He will comfort you. He is with you.

A prayer:

Father, Thank You for being our Faithful, dependable, and trustworthy God. And, thank You for explaining who You are through Your precious life giving Word. We Love You, and we so enjoy You speaking to us, and we pray this day for either ourselves who may be suffering, and or someone, or some group of people we know who are suffering, that You will help them to patiently wait on You, and receive Your comfort. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S OPENING OF DOORS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S OPENING OF DOORS"

2nd Cor 2:9 Furthermore when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by The Lord "

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul is letting the church in Corinth know what had happened to him, when he arrived in the greek city of Troas. And, he was letting them know why he came to the city of Corinth.

2. He says, "And a door was opened to me by The Lord" Here are some thoughts about open doors, or God's will and opportunities for us.

(1) Paul was on a mission for The Lord. In other words, He was already serving God in one capacity. It's easier to find the door's God opens when we are already doing what He wants us to do, and such was the case with Paul.

(2) In particular Paul came to this city to do more of God's will, and his case, that was to "Preach the Gospel" This was Paul's determination in life, to preach Christ, because this was what God had called him to do. Again, if you are already doing what God has called you to do, I believe it's easier for us to see and find the doors that God opens and wants to open for us.

(3) God uses people to do His will. Is He using you at this time? Are you in His will at this time? Are you seeking His will at this time? I say at this time, because, perhaps you have in the past been seeking His will, or plan to seek His will in the future. But, what about now, what about at this time.

(4) God is focused if you will on getting the good news of His Son's work on the cross out to people, because He does not want anyone to perish, but that all would repent and come to salvation. See 2nd Pet 3:9

(5) So, if The Lord can find someone who is in tune with Him, and His plans, then, He will not only use them, but He will do for them as He did for Paul. God wants to open doors for You to walk through, so that He can continue to use You in the wonderful plans that He has for Your life.

3. One other thing about open doors. See 1st Cor 16:9b For a great and effectual door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

(1) Again, it's The Lord who opened the door, but Satan was not far behind. God wants to accomplish His will in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Satan works to oppose the work of God. It's been this way from the days of Adam and Eve, and it's that way now, and it will be that way all the way till The Lord comes back.

(2) So, in one sense, it's kind of encouraging if You are seeing and open door, and are trying to go through it, but are experiencing opposition. Its a sign You are on the right track.

(3) Two thoughts here about what you can do with the open door that God has provided. One, is You continue to stand firm in Your faith, and resist the devil, And, secondly, just do what God has placed in front of you to do. Just be faithful.

4. In closing, there is another open door that will one day be opened for each and everyone of one of God's children. And, that door is the door into heaven as it were. One day, when Your work down here is done, God will call You home, and personally welcome You, and open the door to heaven for You. And, guess what, there will be no more adversaries there. Because, the devil will not be there with you. He is going to wind up in the lake of fire, not heaven.

A prayer:

Father, thank You that we can even be in Your will for starters. And, thank You for the joy of serving You here on earth. Thank You for opening the doors for us to continue to do Your Will. And, thank You that we can have victory over our adversaries. We love You Father.  In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia