Life From Thin Air

The good things that I have planned for you are too many to count. Psalm 40:5 (WEB) Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can?t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. King David wrote Psalm 40, in which he declares to God how wonderful His works are! David then discusses the many good things that God has planned for us. Let's read Psalm 40:5 from the New Living Translation. O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. NLT The goodness of God has no end. It goes on forever and ever. Many times throughout the Bible, the phrase "The Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever" is declared. The enemy's strategy is to get us to question God's goodness. His plan started with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and continues today. If he can get us to question God's goodness, then he can get us to not trust our Heavenly Father. David had it right when he declared that God's good plans for us are too many to count. The truth is that God is for us, not against us. He loves us with all His heart and only wants the absolute best for our lives. This does not mean that we will be shielded from trials and hardships along the way, but even amid our struggles, nothing in all creation can ever separate us from His amazing love. (Romans 8:35-39) My prayer today is that the Holy Spirit will dismantle any false misconceptions you might have about God. He is not an angry, distant earthly father or an abusive religious leader. He is the perfect Father, and the things He has planned for you are too many to count! *** Responsive Prayer: Father, thank you for all the good things you have planned for me in Christ, which are so numerous they are too many to count! Help me focus on your goodness, even when I feel surrounded by discouraging things. I declare today that you are indeed good and your mercy endures forever! In Jesus? name, I pray, Amen. 365Promises.com For more, visit our website, www.YourLifeGodsWay.com. Thank you and may God and Jesus bless you as you seek to draw closer to them. John Dallas McCarter, Pastor, The Truth Internet Church

I have raised you up with Christ to sit in heavenly places.

I have raised you up with Christ to sit in heavenly places. Ephesians 2:5-6 (WEB) 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Once we were dead, now we are alive in Christ. Once we lived by the laws of the flesh, we are now led by the Spirit of God. What a contrast! Death to life, darkness to light, earthly to heavenly. Because of God's grace (unmerited favor), He has raised us to resurrection life in His Son so that we may be seated together with Jesus in heaven! When we read today's Scripture passage, many of us believe that this represents our destiny after death and our arrival in heaven. However, Paul the Apostle is addressing a present reality, not merely a 'when we all get to heaven' kind of reality. Ephesians 2:6 in the Amplified Bible describes what Paul says this way... And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). (AMP) The spiritual reality of salvation has elevated us to heaven right now! This is our spiritual position in Christ as we navigate the rest of our Christian life here on earth. I love how the Amplified Bible tells us that God the Father has granted us joint seating with Christ in the heavenly realms. We truly share the same seat as our Elder Brother because we are IN Him! My prayer today is that the Holy Spirit would give each of us the power to grasp the eternal implications of our current heavenly seatedness. No matter how dismal or depressing your life might be on earth, the spiritual reality is that your spirit is joined with Jesus in heaven right now. *** Responsive Prayer: Father, thank you for raising me in Christ to be seated in the heavenly realms in your throne room. I pray that I may fix my affections on things above and not on the distractions and discouragements of this world. Even though I am still firmly rooted here on earth, the spiritual reality of my true identity is established in heavenly places right now. Therefore, today, I want to be more aware of that than ever before! In Jesus? name, I pray, Amen. From 365Promises.com For more, visit our website, www.YourLifeGodsWay.com. Thank you and may God and Jesus bless you as you seek to draw closer to them. John Dallas McCarter, Pastor, The Truth Internet Church

I have cancelled all your sin and you alive in Jesus Christ.

I have cancelled all your sin and you alive in Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:13-14 (WEB) 13 You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; Paul the Apostle clearly tells us in Colossians 2:13-14 that God the Father has canceled all our sins, forgiven all our transgressions, and even blotted out any charges against us! Because of the cross of Jesus Christ, every sin, every failure, and every mistake we have ever made has been taken away and nailed to the cross! Not only our past sins, but also our present and future sins. The finished work of Christ has dealt a decisive blow to sin and death in our lives. We are now new creations in Christ. The old has passed away, and all things have become new! If you struggle with past sins, take heart! Hebrews 8:12 reminds us that God chooses to remember our sins no more! The once-for-all sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will cleanse us from our guilty conscience. Because of the price that Jesus paid, all of our sins have been cancelled, and we have now been made alive in Him. My prayer today is that each one of us would simply believe this. I pray that we do not listen to condemning thoughts that keep us living in the past. May we boldly agree with the words proclaimed by Paul the Apostle in Romans 8:1, which states, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (ESV) *** Responsive Prayer: Father, thank you for sending your only begotten Son to be the way for me to become holy and acceptable in your sight through His shed blood on the cross. Help me believe that all my sins, past, present, and future, have been addressed so that I no longer live under any form of condemnation that makes me feel unloved and unaccepted. By faith, I proclaim that I am your cherished child, made alive in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Jesus? name, I pray, Amen. From 365Promises.com For more, visit our website, www.YourLifeGodsWay.com. Thank you and may God and Jesus bless you as you seek to draw closer to them. John Dallas McCarter, Pastor, The Truth Internet Church

I have chosen you to be like My Son so you could be part of My family.

I have chosen you to be like My Son so you could be part of My family. Romans 8:29 (WEB) For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. In today's promise from Romans 8:29, we find the following in the Amplified Bible... For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. What an amazing promise! Before the creation of the world, God knew us, loved us, and destined us to be part of His amazing family. Because of His incredible love, He determined to mold us into the image of His beloved Son so that we could be part of His wonderful family. Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. He is the ultimate big brother to each of us, and His Father has become our Father (John 20:17) because of the finished work of the cross. Hallelujah for such salvation! We are being transformed day by day into the likeness of our Elder Brother and Savior, Jesus Christ. The more we understand that the Christian life revolves around family, the more we will experience the love we share with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We are not orphans, but joint heirs with Jesus! (Romans 8:17) My prayer today is that each of us knows that God chose us before the foundation of the world to be part of His everlasting family. May the reality of this promise transform how we view ourselves, our brothers and sisters, and our Elder Brother Jesus! *** Responsive Prayer: Father, thank you for continually shaping me into the beautiful image of your Son, so that I might grow in the ever-expanding understanding of your love for me in Christ. Help me to know that you chose me to be a part of your family, so I could live all the days of my life with the full assurance that I am loved, I belong, and I am accepted in the greatest, most wonderful family in the universe! In Jesus? name, I pray, Amen. From 365Promises.com For more, visit our website, www.YourLifeGodsWay.com. Thank you and may God and Jesus bless you as you seek to draw closer to them. John Dallas McCarter, Pastor, The Truth Internet Church

I will protect and carry you all the days of your life.

I will protect and carry you all the days of your life. Isaiah 46:4 (WEB) and even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; yes, I will carry, and will deliver. The New International Version of the Bible translates Isaiah 46:4 as follows: "Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he; I am he who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you, and I will rescue you." I often refer to this passage when I discuss the importance of embracing a childlike heart even in old age. In today's passage, God speaks to Israel, telling them that He made them, will sustain them, and will carry them all the days of their lives?even when they get old! It doesn't matter if we are two years old or 102; God is still our Father. Fathers look after their kids. No matter what you face in life, the Ancient of Days has promised to carry you, and He will be faithful to rescue you in every situation. You were never meant to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. God is your burden-bearer, and He wants you to cast every worry upon Him because He truly cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). And He promises to protect and support you all the days of your life! *** Responsive Prayer: Father, thank you for your commitment to carry me all the days of my life, whether I am aware of it or not. I pray that I will believe this at a deeper level today than ever before, so I can cast all of my cares onto your big, strong shoulders and live a carefree life. In Jesus? name, I pray, Amen. From 365Promises.com For more, visit our website, www.YourLifeGodsWay.com. Thank you and may God and Jesus bless you as you seek to draw closer to them. John Dallas McCarter, Pastor, The Truth Internet Church

I am your Father and you are My handiwork

I am your Father and you are My handiwork. Isaiah 64:8 (WEB) But now, Yahweh, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand. The Bible teaches us in Genesis that God created Adam from the dust of the ground. I wonder if the creation process that took place in the Garden of Eden resembles the reference that Isaiah makes in today's Scripture passage? God is a loving Father who created us with His own gentle hands. His eyes are fixed on each one of us as He shapes and molds us into the likeness of the Son whom He loves (Romans 8:29). He is on our side, and we are the work of His hands! What a simple yet profound thought. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are our Heavenly Father's workmanship, created in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to do the good works He prepared in advance for us to do! The enemy of our souls would want us to believe otherwise. My prayer today is that we all see how amazing we are simply because we are the handiwork of our Heavenly Dad! *** Responsive Prayer: Father, thank you for knitting me together in my mother?s womb and for designing me to be one of your much-loved masterpieces. Even though I live in a world that sometimes makes me feel not enough, today, I choose to declare that I am wonderfully made and have been created in the image of my loving Heavenly Father. In Jesus? name, I pray, Amen. From 365Promises.com For more, visit our website, www.YourLifeGodsWay.com. Thank you and may God and Jesus bless you as you seek to draw closer to them. John Dallas McCarter, Pastor, The Truth Internet Church

I created all things for My pleasure.

I created all things for My pleasure. Revelation 4:11 (WEB) ?Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!? The backdrop to today's promise is found in the throne room of God, as described by the Apostle John in Revelation 4. What an amazing sight! Rainbow colors flash, angels cry holy, and the four and twenty elders fall on their faces, worshiping the Lord God Almighty. I can't wait to experience this amazing sight face to face. As the elders worship God, they declare that everything He created was made for His pleasure! Think about that for a moment. You and I are part of His amazing handiwork, and the reason He created us was for His own pleasure! The Message Paraphrase presents today's Scripture verse this way: Worthy, O Master! Yes, our God! Take the glory! The honor! The power! You created it all; it was created because You wanted it. (MSG) You were created because God wanted you! He created you to make Him happy, not as a servant but as His beloved child. My prayer today is that this reality would penetrate our hearts deeply. We were all wanted, planned, and created by a loving God who made us in His own image so that we could make Him smile! What a wonderful God we have! *** Responsive Prayer: Father, thank you for creating me for your sheer delight. Sometimes, it is difficult for me to believe that you have an amazing plan for my life that originated before the foundation of the world. Even though I may sometimes struggle to believe this is true, today I thank you that you wanted me and designed me to be a one-of-a-kind reflection of your image! In Jesus? name, I pray, Amen. From 365Promises.com For more, visit our website, www.YourLifeGodsWay.com. Thank you and may God and Jesus bless you as you seek to draw closer to them. John Dallas McCarter, Pastor, The Truth Internet Church

I am a gracious God who is righteous and full of mercy.