Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 1:1,3,6 Two words describe faith: sure and certain. These two qualities need a secure beginning and ending point. The beginning point of faith is believing in God's character - He is who He says He is. The end point is believing God's promises - He will do what He says He will do. When we believe that God will fulfill His promises even though we don't see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith. God will not settle for mere acknowledgement of his existence. He wants a personal, dynamic relationship with you that will transform your life. Those who seek God will find that they are rewarded with His intimate presence, and with that, all the fruit of the Spirit: peace, love, and joy. Where is your joy today? I pray that you claim what is yours by birthright and what has been given you through the Lord Jesus. God Bless you, J.H.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:15-17 God's promises of peace and prosperity are new everyday. That is why it is important for us to refocus on the Word of God everyday. It is so easy for each of us to get caught up in the daily grind, to place our lives on auto-pilot. It takes a consciencious effort to remain in God's word and to remain thankful, especially in times of trial. God's main concern regarding you is your heart. Is your heart directed toward your problem, or is it directed toward Him, the one that can solve your problem. Even if He doesn't solve your problem the way that you would like it solved, He is already seeing you through. Count on it. So, keep your eyes on Him today. He loves you more than you know. God Bless you, J.H.

"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 It is encouraging to know that God does not forget or abandon us. He has plans for us. His plans are positive and even include true prosperity. He promises to take care of us and not abandon us. He gives us hope and a future. But in order to experience God's plans, we must call on Him and seek Him with all of our hearts. He must be the priority of our thoughts and the object of our trust. We need to make the Lord the focal point of our decision-making process. I do not know what decisions you are facing today, but the Lord does. He has not forgotten you. Your future is important to Him; He just wants to be trusted. He desires that you seek Him and His will above all else. He may not wake you up in the middle of the night, but if you really trust him, He will direct your path. Where is your trust today? God Bless you, J.H.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:29-31 Even the strongest people get tired at times, but God's power and strength never diminish. He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel all of life crushing you and cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength. Hoping in the Lord is expecting that His promise of strength will help us rise above life's distractions and difficulties. It also means trusting in God. Trusting helps us to be prepared when He speaks to us. Then we will be patient when He asks us to wait and expect Him to fulfill the promises found in His Word. Where is your trust today? God Bless you, J.H.

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. Acts 4:31-33 What a beautiful description of the Church! This is the standard that is set for the body of Christ today: "All the believers were one in heart and mind." There is a great song that came out a few years back titled, "If We Are The Body," and it asks the question, "If we are the Body, why are our arms not reaching," and basically asking the question, "Why are we not doing what we are called to do? If the world is in such peril and disarray, why is the body of Christ so silent?" Why do we need the likes of Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes to have a crusade in our area before we consider doing something in Jesus name? Well, the answer is simple: boldness. Boldness is not simply reckless impulsiveness. Boldness requires courage to press on through our fears and do what we know is right. How can we be more bold? Like the disciples, we need to pray with others for that courage. To gain boldness, you can pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to give you courage and start where you are by being bolder in small ways. Are you feeling courageous today? I pray that you seek the source of all courage, in the name of Jesus. Think about it: Someone you meet today needs to know what you know. Someone you meet today needs to hear about the saving Grace of Jesus Christ. Be bold in Jesus' Name, J.H.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. II Corinthians 3:17-18 The glory that the Spirit imparts to the believer is more excellent and lasts longer than the glory that Moses experienced. By gazing at the nature of God with unveiled minds, we can be more like Him. In the gospel, we see the truth about Christ, and it transforms us morally as we understand and apply it. Through learning about Christ's life, we can understand how wonderful God is and what He is really like, As our knowledge deepens, the Holy Spirit helps us to change. Becoming Christlike is a progressive experience (see Romans 8:29, Galatians 4:19, Philippians 3:21, 1 John 3:2) The more closely we follow Christ, the more we will be like Him. In the Old Testament, the original Ten Commandments were placed in the Ark of the Covenant which was place in the middle of the temple and surrounded by a huge veil. Only the high priest could enter and make atonement for the sins of the people. When Christ died on Calvary, the veil was torn from top to bottom, thereby signifing the freedom that we know have in Christ. Not freedom to do whatever we want as some people will rationalize their poor choices and bad behavior, but freedom to approach Christ ourselves, without need of a high priest. Whatever you are going through today, you have been given freedom to approach boldly the throne of grace and cry out to Jesus to change your circumstances or, at the very least, to grant you peace in the middle of your turmoil. So many people walk around this valley as if there is no hope, but there is hope! Where is your hope today? I pray that you allow the Lord to work in you and through you and allow Him to transform you from the inside out. Live on and may the Lord bless you, J.H.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:9-13 Even though good fathers (and mothers) make mistakes, they treat their children well, with peace and love. How much better our perfect heavenly Father treats his children! The most important gift He could ever give us is the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), whom He promised to give all believers after His death, resurrection, and return to heaven (John 15:26). Charles Spurgeon's book Faith's Checkbook tells us that once we have accepted a promise as our own by faith, we "must present the promise to the Lord, as a man presents a check at the counter of a bank. He must plead it by prayer, expecting to have it fulfilled. God can pay up on anything He promised. He alone possesses unlimited strength, infinite power, and matchless wisdom! He can be trusted. It would be foolish and a great waste to possess a checkbook full of awesome blessings and not attempt to cash them because you don't believe that the check writer can pay. There is only one true God in the universe - and it's not you. God is our heavenly Father who loves to bless His children. He is the guarantor of many amazing promises that only He can fulfill. But God is also the supremely wise and absolute ruler of the universe. This means that although He longs to bless you, He may not do it when or how you want. He is entitled to fulfill his promises exactly when and how He wants. Often He knows it is not best if we get what we want when we want it. Often it is best for us to wait. In His wisdom, God may choose that we do without small blessings now so He can pour out huge blessings later. Where is your promise today? I pray that your faith is renewed in the Lord Jesus. God Bless you, J.H.

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. John 14:14-18, 26-27 When Jesus says we can ask for anything, we must remember that our asking must be in His name - that is, according to God's character and will. God cannot grant requests contrary to His nature, and we cannot use His name as a "magic formula" to fulfill our selfish desires. If we are sincerely following God and seeking to do His will, then our requests will be in line with what He wants, and He will grant them. The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God within us and all believers, helping us to live as God wants and building Christ's church on earth today. By faith, we can appropriate the Spirit's power each day. Where does your faith lie today? I pray that it is in the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember, His love is a gift. You cannot earn it. You must receive it. There is nothing that you can do in this life to make God love you any more or any less than He already does. His love is unconditional. That is the essence of the Gospel. That is the Good news. Right where you are, in the midst of your trial, in the midst of your drama, He loves you. Accept His love today. Accept His power today. He can change you life if you let Him. In Jesus' Name, J.H.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with is passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Romans 5:22-25 God is interested in every part of our lives, not just the spiritual part. As we live by the Holy Spirit's power, we need to submit every aspect of our lives to God - emotional, physical, social, intellectual, vocational. Paul says that because we are saved, we should act like it. The Holy Spirit is the source of your new life, so keep in step with His leading. Don't let anything or anyone else determine your values and standards in any area of your life. Where is your strength coming from today? I declare the power of the Holy Spirit in your lives right now. May He grant you peace and strength that only comes from above. God Bless you, J.H.