Adopted

(NLT)Ephesians 1:3-8
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. [4] Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. [6] So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. [7] He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. [8] He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

God adopted us into His family. Remember yesterdays phrase from Psalm 68:6 "God places the lonely in families." If you are a chile of God then every other child of God is your sybling. How then, should we treat each other?

I asked the question, "If God is looking for a family to place a lonely person in would He choose yours as a loving home?"

(NLT)Romans 12:13
When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Today, ask God to show you your own heart on this matter. Keep in mind, relationships are messy. They can be time consuming. They can interrupt your plans.  They can also enhance your life in fantastic ways if you look for God's plan in them.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Family

(NLT)Psalm 68:5-6
Father to the fatherless, defender of widows- this is God, whose dwelling is holy. [6] God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

"God places the lonely in families." In the movie, "Lilo and Stitch" the word, "Ohana" is introduced. "Ohana means family and family means no one is left behind."

Are you part of a family?

Are there people God has brought across your path He is wanting to place in your family?

Do you love your God given family, I mean do you truly appreciate them and do they know it?

More to come on this topic this week.

Today, look at your family. Look at how you treat them. Are your words to them encouraging? Sarcastic? Loving? Hateful? If God is looking for a family to place a lonely person in would He choose yours as a loving home?

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Remember, Reflect, Anticipate

(NLT)1 Corinthians 11:26
For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again.

In his book, The Rest of God / Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath author Mark Buchanan talking about Paul's explanation of the Lord's supper uses these three words: remember, reflect, anticipate.

Remember what Christ did for you to save you. Remember His broken body and shed blood.  Remember the day, the moment you believed God raised Him from the dead and confessed with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Reflect on what that means for you in your life right now. How does His death, burial and resurrection effect the way you act, the words you say, the thoughts you think? How does it effect your relationships, all of them? Not just the people you like, who treat you well, but even the prickly people in your life?

Anticipate how you will walk with Him today. Perhaps, if you are willing to be that vessel, He will return to earth today through you to minister to someone in need. Anticipate His return, eternity with Him. What will it be like to hear the trumpet sound and to suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye to be face to face with Him, Jesus, Savior, Friend?

Next time you receive the Lord's supper at your church remember, reflect, anticipate. Perhaps today you can take a little extra time alone to think on these things anyhow.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Afraid

(NLT)Psalm 56:9-11
My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side! [10] I praise God for what he has promised; Yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. [11] I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

(NLT)Matthew 14:27
But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here!"

I think I was about 10. A gang of kids from the street behind our house had decided to play in the neighborhood park. Their leader, Andy, didn't like me and decided this would be the day they would teach me a lesson. As far as I knew, I was alone and about to be pummeled, when suddenly the whole gang stopped with wide eyed fearful faces. From behind me I heard my brother, four years my senior and twice the size of any other kid in the park, "What's the problem boys?"
In one accord they chimed, "Oh! No problem!" And they left.

Today remember that He, your God and Creator Who, by the way, is bigger than any problem, demon, or bully you will face, is with you. Take courage, He is with you, on your side if you are abiding in Him.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Hard stuff and "P" words

(NLT)James 1:12
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Oh! That verse has one of those "P" words in it, "patiently." And on top of that "endure" implies perseverence, another "P" word. Ah! But notice the last phrase, "to those who love him."

We scoff and scowl at the hard stuff of life. We grumble and complain through chores, trials, testing and temptation. We know little of fasting on purpose with patience and perseverence because we, like the pharisees make long faces so to appear to be fasting, and after all, it's hard.

Today search your heart. Ask yourself, "Do I love my Lord, Savior and God, Jesus Christ?" "Do my responses to the hard stuff of life show that I love my Lord, Savior and God, Jesus Christ?" Ow! More hard stuff!

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

The Good Giver's prized possession.

(NLT)James 1:17-18
Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. [18] He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

All the good we experience is from Him and if we just stop and think, we would realize we experience much good. He does not change His mind about being good to us either. Being, doing good is part of His nature.

Look at that last verse again. He chose to give us His Word, give us new birth (salvation) and now He calls us His prized possession.

Today, look for the good, give thanks to the Good Giver, remember you are His prized possession.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

End of me, beginning of strength

(NLT)2 Corinthians 12:10
That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

For years I struggled with the last part of that verse. In recent days God made me understand it is when I get to the end of myself and find that God alone is sufficient.

Today, don't get frustrated when your strength, wisdom, tenacity, wanes. In that moment that you find yourself empty know that His Grace is sufficient.

Love in Christ,
Stev Sherwood Sr.

Run? Or trust?

(NLT)Psalm 11:1-7
I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, "Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! [2] The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. [3] The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?" [4] But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. [5] The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. [6] He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked, punishing them with scorching winds. [7] For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.

Yes, satan is out to destroy you. It's what he does. He kills, steals and destroys. What will you do? Will you run? Hide? Cower in a corner?

Read the first part of verse 4 again. [4] But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven.

Today proclaim with the Psalmist, "I choose to trust the one who rules from Heaven."

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Where?

(NLT)Psalm 42:3
Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, "Where is this God of yours?"

Ever been there. I have been recently. Only I thought I was asking the question, "Where are You, God?" It turns out some demon of hell, my enemy, our enemy was whispering that in my ear and I took it as my own thought. Paul says we have the mind of Christ. I know where my God is. He is on His throne from where He rules all things. He is mighty God and Everlasting Father.

Today, proclaim what you know to be true from His word, ignore the demonic whispers, rebuke them and take such thoughts captive at the door.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood sr

Redeemed

(NLT)Psalm 49:5-9
Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? [6] They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. [7] Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. [8] Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough [9] to live forever and never see the grave.

(NLT)Hebrews 9:11-12
So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. [12] With his own blood-not the blood of goats and calves-he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

(NLT)Romans 8:18
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Today, whatever comes your way remember you are redeemed. What you suffer now is not worthy to be compared with the glory God will reveal in you on the day of redemption.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Thinking

(NLT)Psalm 48:9
O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.

What have you been thinking about? If you discover that your thoughts have been on negative things try turning the course of your thoughts by dwelling, on purpose, on the love of God. I say, "on purpose" because it is easy to let our thoughts run willy nilly leading us down paths of discouragement and depression. We are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ, who was obedient even to the death on the cross. Oh, that leads us back to the amazing love of God for us. Today, think about that.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood, Sr.

PS no, you didn't receive the Daily Encouragement from me yesterday, and I won't be sending it out Friday this week, because I will be serving at the Kokomo Great Banquet this weekend.

A prayer to know Him.

(NLT)2 Peter 3:17-18
I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. [18] Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Jesus taught us to pray that we would not be lead into temptation and that we would be delivered from evil. Please do that for Your children today. While You do that cause us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes increase our love for You, for others and for ourselves.

Increase our knowledge of Who Jesus really is. There are many ideas floating around that touch on one or another aspect of His character, but without the whole picture we get a weak, watered down faith that has no power for living and no glory for You. So, increase our knowledge of Who He is. Give us a desire to dig into Your word and learn the whole story.

And may You be glorified in us, our lives, our thoughts, words and actions.

In The Name of Jesus Christ,
AMEN!!!

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Expectantly

(NLT)1 Peter 1:3
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation,

Do you live expectantly? Do you look for God to do miraculous things? Or is life for you just hum drum, ho hum, another day?

Grasp this, get it deep within your spirit, wake up and smell these roses: By His mercy we have been born again, saved from sin, death, hell and the grave, and of this because God raised Jesus Christ from the grave.

(NLT)Romans 8:32
Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?

The God who did these things is no boring God. He is alive and powerful. He is working around and through His people. Today, live! Live expectantly! Live looking for God to work in your life and through your life.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Anchor

(NLT)Hebrews 6:18-20
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. [19] This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. [20] Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Today, let those words encourage you.  God, who cannot lie has promised and He is a trustworthy anchor for your soul. Because of Jesus, you have free access to Your heavenly Father.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.