blessings

Spiritual Riches

Dr. Mike Life in Christ , ,


Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…

Because we are included in Jesus Christ, we share with HIM a lot of blessings that we didn’t earn on merit nor receive by our obedience. God, by his amazing grace, before the foundation of the world, predestined mankind for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ.

When you read the first fourteen verses of the first chapter in the letter to the Ephesians by the apostle Paul, you obtain an overview of the gospel message. From redemption to forgiveness, from revelation of His will to His purpose of uniting everything in Christ, from learning His truth to being sealed by the Holy Spirit, you and I have personally been guaranteed an inheritance from God.  

No, you and I most likely will not gain material prosperity like the billionaires among us, nor most likely we will not gain celebrity fame, nor political power, nor the Nobel prize for academics. But we will gain today an inner peace and joy and love without the hassle of pursuing physical mountain tops.

Instead, we learn to walk and talk and dance with the God of ALL. He knows us, He disciplines us for our good, and He blesses us with His character and attributes. We learn to become more like Jesus who shares His chair at the table with us.

As God our Father gave Jesus all authority under heaven and over earth, Jesus himself gives us the opportunity to share in His work today. As He lives in us, and leads us, we listen, observe, and follow Him as He works in the lives of others around us. He gives us responsibility according to our gifts. We simply acknowledge those gifts and exercise them for His glory and kingdom.

Whether in the home, or at work, or in the community running errands, every person we meet, every task we serve, and every act we conduct, shows a small side of God to others. We know God lives in us, and we know the spiritual blessings we have received in the process, are not for our sole benefit but for the service of others. God’s riches are aimed to help everyone flourish.

So, if you are looking for something to be grateful today, thank your God for everything Jesus has done, is doing, and will yet do. Your rich blessings are solely because of Him.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2019 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Gratitude

Dr. Mike Shaped By The WORD , , , ,
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:26 NIV.

gratitude-6

A thankful heart is a repentant heart. A heart that recognizes who “GOD IS” and what He has done, is doing, and will do, is typically a mature person who recognizes reality. Yet, don’t we sometimes take God’s character and divine nature which overflows with abundance of grace for granted? How often do we take that which naturally and routinely occurs in our life as a mundane expectation? Don’t we simply expect the sun to rise each day, the rain to fall during the year, and food to be on the supermarket shelves when shopping?

When we safely walk our pets through the park, drive our cars on freeways and take trips across the country to visit our children and grandchildren, don’t we casually liken it as normal life?

When we connect with others through our Smartphone, Skype, and Email, “doesn’t everyone?”

What we do every day as normal and routine, don’t we most often take for granted?

However when something unexpectedly happens like a bomb exploding in a crowded restaurant, a natural fire that destroys our personal belongings, or an accident that takes away a love one, doesn’t our world shake? Isn’t it then we quickly realize we are not in control of “our world” even if we act as if we are?

When trials test us. When events hurt us. When expectations fail. Isn’t it comforting to have someone stronger, surer, and more supportive around us to lean on?

When trust is rewarded, when promises are kept, and hope comes real, do we give recognition to the One whose ultimate hand secured the outcome?

When our prayers are being answered, circumstances workout better than we could ever expect, and life is full of happiness and good cheer, do we thank the One who makes everything possible? Or do we pat ourselves on the back for another job well done?

How about taking a minute today and simply thank the Author of Life, Giver of Gifts, and Perfecter of Perfection?

He is working out His purpose today and has included you in the mix. He loves you more than you will ever know. He has gifted you with unique talent and abilities. He has invited you to partner with Him in the greatest adventure and love story that you will ever experience. His world of abundance is at your reach. He has more to give and more to share than you can ever imagine.

Otherwise, who do you thank when your world is more blessed than what you deserve?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Does a Friend Need Encouragement…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2016 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Why Graceful Pain?

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , ,
“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV.

graceful pain 2

Have you ever petition the Lord for help but the problem remains? Maybe God is telling you something that may be difficult for you to hear. Maybe the unwanted situation is for your good. Maybe He has already answered your prayer. Maybe He is blessing you with graceful pain.

Graceful pain is what Paul learned to accept for his sake. The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically what the pain was, except that it negatively impacted his flesh. He asked God three different times to remove it. But instead of removing it, God informed Him that it was for Paul’s benefit. From this crutch, Paul would live in humility rather than give conceit room to grow.

God is no respecter of persons. If He blessed Paul with the means to enjoy life through graceful pain, who are we do be any different? Our pain may be physical, mental, emotional, financial, or social. No matter the area, maybe God is revealing Himself to us through these unwanted means. Maybe He is growing us more effectively as we lean on Him. Maybe as we realize our weakness, we also see His power and strength at work in us.

So, if we have petitioned our Lord at least three different times without the answer we desire, maybe we need to see the benefits of our situation from His perspective. Maybe the trials we are currently traveling through are His mercies in disguise. Maybe living without graceful pain would be more harmful for us at this season of life than not. Maybe this period of pain is God’s blessing for us to see how strong we actually are in Him.

Paul boasted of his weaknesses. Maybe we need to do the same.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Does a Friend Need Encouragement…Share Today’s Message!