God knows all about you and still loves you!

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:34 NKJV)

At Jesus’ most painful and darkest hour, and from the very cross where He was being crucified, He looked beyond what was happening to Himself and focused instead on the needs of others. He asked for forgiveness for them and said something very interesting and powerful, “forgive them for they know not what they do!”

Jesus knew that if they had truly understood who He was, God’s very son, (1 John 4:15 & John 3:16), they would never have attacked Him! He had all the information. He knew why He was there, and what He was there for; “the Lamb of God, willingly laying down His life for the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) This information helped Him to do what was right in spite of how He felt!

Having the right information will help you treat others with kindness and forgiveness

In the same way, knowing that you are a redeemed person (1 Peter 1:18), and knowing that you have been forgiven and bought at the price of Jesus’ death on the cross, (1 Cor. 6:20), and knowing that you are a member of God’s family, (Eph. 2:19), and knowing that you are God’s Ambassador, (2 Cor. 5:20), then you too, can do the right thing as needed, even in difficult or extreme circumstances!

Don’t give evil for evil!

Instead do the very opposite. Be kind to those who are not kind to you. Be polite to those who are rude to you. Be patient to those who are impatient to you. Be loving to those who are unloving to you!

“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9 NIV)

Being kind to others helps you, too!

In a study conducted by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, psychology professor at the University of California, students were assigned the task of doing five random acts of kindness per week for six weeks. At the end of the study, the students’ levels of happiness had increased by 41.66 percent! Being kind to others had a profoundly positive effect on their own level of happiness!

Therefore…

“Do to others as you would have them to do to you.” (Luke6:31 NIV)

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

Quote:

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” - Mark Twain

Mike Frenchbible promises, god knows you, god loves you
A new body!

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.” (2 Cor. 5:1 NLT)

“Remember the Alamo!”

While visiting San Antonio for a conference I was speaking at, Susan and went to see the Alamo. It was a stark reminder of what had happened there during the Texas Revolution, February 23 to March 6, 1836, where so many had died. According to eye witness accounts it was a slaughter with perhaps as many as ten-to-one against those who were garrisoned within the walls of the Alamo. They didn’t have a chance and were brutally and mercilessly destroyed. Santa Anna’s cruelty during the battle outraged and emblazoned great numbers of Texans to rise up with the now famous battle cry, “Remember the Alamo!” and they defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto ending the revolution, on April 21, 1836. The Alamo is now called the “Alamo Shrine” and as you walk through it, you see many displays depicting what had happened during that battle, including lists of names of those who had died there, including Davie Crocket.

All are only temporary here

In the Bible passage at top, we are reminded of several important things.

  • “When we die and leave this earthly body” – All will die someday, some even tragically. As terrible as the Alamo battle was, it is now history! It is an undeniable fact that every single person involved in every aspect of the Texas Revolution is now dead! And it is a stark reminder to us that all people will die. Some tragically, as in the Alamo, some by natural causes, and some for many other reasons. There are no exceptions. The Bible says that everybody will eventually die. (Heb. 9:27)

  • Our new body will be “an eternal body”–  When we die we will get a new body to live in. There will come a day at the appearing of Jesus that our bodies, too, will be transformed and we will then have brand new transformed ones. (2 Cor. 5:3) Everything God creates is perfect and made with absolute excellence! (Psalm 86:8-10)

  • Our new body will be “made for us by God himself and not by human hands” – The body we have now is only temporary, but our resurrected body will be made perfect and will last indefinitely. (1 Corinthians 15:35-58) 

  • Our new body will be “in heaven” –  And, Jesus has prepared a wonderful place in Heaven for you to live.  (John 14:2-4)

To recap:

Someday, we too will be a part of history, because all die and we will too. But, no matter how we die, if we have received Christ (John 1:12), we will receive a brand-new body made by God that will last forever in Heaven! It’s a promise!

Therefore…

“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.” (Rom. 14:8 ESV)

Mike Frenchbible promises, a brand-new body
Take a lesson from the birds of the air

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matt. 6:26 NASB)

Expect God to take care of you, too

God wants you to look at the birds of the air and notice something important about them. They are constantly being fed and taken care of by Him, and you are more important to Him than the birds! Which means, God will supply to you what you need, just as he faithfully does for His birds! Expect God to do what he says He will do, and He will! That is how faith works!

 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  (Phil. 4:19 ESV)

Therefore…

“So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:6 ESV) 

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,” (2 Cor. 3:5 ESV)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

Quotes:

“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.” – Hudson Taylor

“God has promised to supply all our needs. What we don’t have now, we don’t need now.” – Elisabeth Elliot

Mike Frenchbible promises, birds, birds of the air, god takes care of you, you are valuable
You are being followed!

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” (Psalm 23:6a KJV)

I have a friend who says, “I have two angels following me and I will tell you their names. One’s name is ‘Goodness’ and the other’s name is ‘Mercy.’” Even though my friend says it in a humorous way, it is still very much true! God is all about “goodness and mercy” and he provides loads of it to you!

  • Goodness – God’s goodness and love is abundant, steadfast, and endures forever. 

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” (Psalm 26:13 ESV)

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” (Psalm 31:19 ESV)

“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 106:1)

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8 ESV)

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” (Nahum 1:7 ESV)

  • Mercy – God has great mercy that He uses for us. 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” (Eph. 2:4-5 ESV)

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16 ESV)

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22-23 ESV)

Therefore…

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36 ESV)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matt. 5:7 ESV)

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10 ESV)

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” (Rom. 12:9 ESV)

Mike Frenchbible promises, goodness, mercy, goodness and mercy
Don't be afraid!

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (Psalm 23:4 NLT)

According to the dictionary…

  • Fear is defined as: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. 

  • Some synonyms for fear: terror, fright, fearfulness, horror, alarm, panic, agitation, trepidation, dread, consternation, dismay, distress.

What are you afraid of?

No matter what you are afraid of, God promises to be there to help you! The good news is that the Bible has a lot to say about fear.  In fact, the Bible says, “don’t be afraid”, 365 times! One for each day of the year! So, if you struggle with fear, you can read and apply one every day!

False Evidence Appearing Real

The above is a well known acrostic using the word FEAR. It states the truth about fear very simply and clearly. Fear is often just a delusion and only exists in your own head. We can easily fear things that we have amplified in our mind and turned into frightening prospects. However, when they are faced with truth and faith, they will disappear.

Therefore…

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim. 1:7 ESV)

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4 ESV)

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18 ESV)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9 ESV)

Quotes:

“If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer - His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.” – John Newton

“Seeing that a pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness.” – John Calvin

Mike Frenchbible promises, fear, afraid, anxiety, anxiously
God will make you strong in your weakness!

“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 Cor. 12:9-10 NIV)

Weak things of the world

God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. (1 Cor. 1:27b NKJV)

He gives strength to the weary 

“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 NIV)

Therefore…

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9 ESV)

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10 ESV)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:19 ESV)

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” (Eph. 6:10 ESV)

Mike Frenchbible promises, strength to the weary, god renews strength
You are an overcomer!

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4 NASB)

Under the circumstances?

A few years ago, when I was going through a particularly rough time, a friend said to me, “How are you doing?” I answered, “Okay, I guess, under the circumstances!” He then said, “What are you doing under there!?” I laughed, at the time. But, as the years have passed, I have come to realize that there was a great truth in that simple statement made by my friend, so long ago. I don’t have to remain “under any circumstance” because of Christ living in me, and also because of the many Bible promises that cover every possible thing!

One scripture passage says at top says, “they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Rev. 12:11 NKJV).

Two ways

Notice that they overcame their adversary two ways:.

1) By the Blood of the Lamb (what Jesus did for them on the cross)

2) By what they professed with their mouth (they testified)

Therefore…

No matter what negative “circumstance” comes your way, you can victoriously rise above it by standing firmly on God’s Word, and by saying boldly and confidently, “I am an overcomer because of what Jesus has done for me! And, greater is He (Jesus) who is in me, than he (the devil) who is in the world! (John 4:4). Therefore, I am an overcomer!”

Mike Frenchbible promises, overcomer, tou are an overcomer, blood of the lamb, word of your testimony
God forgives and forgets without measure

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NKJV)

When You confess your sins to God, He forgives and forgets them and cleanses you completely from all unrighteousness! That means you are made completely clean and righteous in His sight!

“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Rom 3:22-24 NIV)

God has the ability to totally forget and to remember your sins no more! 

And, your sins will never be brought up against you again! And, why does God do this wonderful thing for you?

The Bible says that He does it for His own sake! 

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25 NIV)

How far does he blot out your sins? 

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalms 103:12 NIV)

Notice that the above passage says that God has removed them as far as the “east from the west” and not as far as the “north from the south”. That’s because “east from west” is immeasurable, but “north from south” is measurable! God’s amazing forgiveness is without measure!

Therefore…

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:13-14 ESV)

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (Eph. 1:7 ESV)

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isa. 1:18 ESV)

Mike Frenchbible promises, forgiven, forgets, god forgives completely
God is good all the time!

“Give thanks to the LORD for He is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1 NIV)

How wonderful it is that we serve a good God!

God is not angry, He is not upset! He loves you all the time without fail. 

He is love! 

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8).

He gives mercy, grace and help

Because of the payment for sin by the blood of Jesus, we can come “boldly” to God to get what we need. 

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Heb. 4:16 NLT)

He is consistently the same 

And, God never has a bad day! He’s consistently the same!

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8).

We can confidently say

So, you can say with complete confidence, “God is good all the time. All the time, God is good!”

Therefore…

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8 ESV)

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” (Psalm 31:19 ESV)

Mike Frenchbible promises, god is good, love, mercy, grace, help