In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

The ‘In Flanders Fields’ poem was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae on May 3 1915. He wrote it after witnessing the death of his friend on the battlefield the day before. It is a solemn reminder of the atrocities of war and an admonishment to steadfastly remain vigilant even when faced with terrifying adversity.

On this day we honor those who bravely fought for freedom and justice, and many of whom bravely gave their lives for the noble cause. It goes by different names in different places, including Remembrance Day, Veteran’s Day, Poppy Day, and Armistice Day, but the sentiment is the same: Not to glorify the tragedy of war, but to commemorate the valor of those who fought to defend their country.

Brigadier General (retired) Robinson Risner, a veteran pilot who fought in World War 2, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, is one of those brave military soldiers who we should remember today. Despite being shot down twice over enemy territory, and being captured and tortured, each time it happened he wasted no time taking to the skies again, ready to serve his country.

by Darren Hewer
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Remembrance Day ‘Daddy’s Poem‘
•  Soldier’s Psalm – Prayer
•  Salvation Explained

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

The post Lest We Forget appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24

He squealed with delight, “Papa thank you! These are perfect, thank you!” Who would have guessed a pair of super hero pyjamas would generate such appreciation and delight? It warmed my heart.

Isn’t it a special treat to bring joy into the lives of others we love?

Sometimes it is so simple, like knowing my grandson was into super heroes. At other times, knowing how to bring happiness to someone’s life is a little more complicated. It’s really helpful when they simply let you know what gives them pleasure.

As satisfying as it was to see my grandson’s pleasure at my choice of a birthday gift, I know pleasing God as an act of love is even more rewarding. God states very clearly in the passage above what gives him pleasure. He delights in seeing the people, who love him, mirror his character through kindness, justice, and righteousness to others. It brings God pleasure to see us live a life that reflects his Spirit to our world, which desperately needs to experience the aroma of God’s love and justice in their lives.

When we strive to act as God would, we fulfill the exhortation,

“Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”  1 Corinthians 10:31

Then our lives point other people to God and they find the true source for all their deep longings. The bonus is we have that special treat of seeing people transformed as they come to know God’s loving kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth through us. It’s truly just what they wanted in the first place.

Father in Heaven, I long to know you deeply and that you are delighted in me because I know you and reflect your kindness, justice and righteousness to the world around me. I desire that more and more people would find their deep longings met in you! Amen.

By Mike Woodard
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

FURTHER READING

What Are You Bringing?

Jesus’ Touch, Blessing, and Joy

Boomerang Blessings

The post Warms the Heart appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Soldiers

To those who fought and never came back
And those who came back broken
To those who wondered why
And those who never questioned

No one asked them what they thought
Of policies and platforms
They only did what they had to do
And thanks was long in coming

On a day we honor the dead and the living
Who know the real cost of war
And those still trapped inside their heads
Who can’t get outside the door

Who can know the awful truth
Of what they must have seen?
And who has lived to tell it
Yet know they never will

Reasons that the journalists
And politicians won
Will never be the same as those
On this side of a gun

So on this day we lay aside
Our arguments and advice
And thank the Lord for those who gave
The ultimate sacrifice

By John Fischer
used by permission

Related Reading

Soldiers’ Psalm and Prayer

Remembrance Day ‘Daddy’s Poem’

The post Soldiers appeared first on Thoughts About God.

God’s Highest Purpose

Most Christians only engage in spiritual warfare with a hope of either relieving present distresses or attaining a “normal” existence. However, the purpose of all aspects of spirituality, warfare included, is to bring us into the image of Christ. Nothing — not worship or warfare, neither love nor deliverance — is truly attainable if we miss the singular objective of our faith: Christlikeness.

Let us recall that when the Lord delivered the ancient Hebrews out of Egypt it was so He could bring them into the Promised Land. Likewise, we are delivered out of sin, not that we might live for ourselves, but so we might come into Christlikeness. What we call “salvation” is the first phase of being conformed to Christ. If we fail to see this we easily become entangled in the same sins that oppressed us in the first place.

While we may not want to hear this, many of our spiritual conflicts simply are not going to cease until the character of the Lord Jesus is formed in our hearts. The Father’s goal in delivering us is much more than simply seeing our burdens taken off our backs. Indeed, God is working all things in our lives to conform us “to the image of His Son.” The Father’s purpose in our salvation is that Jesus would become “the first-born among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). In other words, to realize God’s ultimate victory we must reach toward God’s ultimate goal, which is complete transformation into the likeness of Christ.

When we are born again, the actual presence of the Lord Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, enters our lives. To the degree that we cooperate with God’s will, God’s glory will advance within us. Indeed, Jesus likened our salvation to the lighting of a lamp. He said, “If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays” (Luke 11:36).

This immediacy of the Lord’s presence produces an indestructible defense, a fortress within us in which we are hidden from evil. Through Him, we enter the excellence of His ways in our relationships both with the Father and one another, thereby walking in immunity from countless satanic attacks. Indeed, as His fullness within us increases, then that which is written is fulfilled: “As He is, so also are we in this world” and “He who was born of God keeps [us], and the evil one does not touch [us]” (1 John 4:17; 1 John 5:18).

We must realize that it is not Satan who defeats us; it is our openness to him. To perfectly subdue the devil we must walk in the “shelter of the Most High” (Psalm 91:1). Satan is tolerated for one purpose: the warfare between the devil and God’s saints thrusts us into Christlikeness, where the nature of Christ becomes our only place of rest and security. God allows warfare to facilitate His eternal plan, which is to make man in His image (Genesis 1:26).

Once we realize that the Father’s goal is not just to save us but to transform us, we will continually find that God has one answer to all our spiritual problems: appropriate the nature of His Son!

Are you troubled by fear or doubt? Submit those areas to God, repenting of your unbelief, and then yield yourself to Christ’s faith within you. Are you troubled with spirits of lust and shame? Present those very areas of sin to God, repenting of your old nature, drawing upon the forgiveness of Christ and His purity of heart. It is a great truth that once the devil recognizes his assault against you has not pulled you from God but toward Him — once he perceives that his temptations are actually forcing you to appropriate the virtue of Christ — the enemy will withdraw.

Remember: your victory begins with the name of Jesus on your lips, but it will not be consummated until the nature of Jesus is in your heart.

By Francis Frangipane
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Above All

Why “Father” God?

The True Foundation

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

The post The Stronghold of Christ’s Likeness appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

There was a time not so long ago when I let the doors that slammed shut in my face slam my self-esteem with crushing blows. I had not learned yet that closed doors were simply part of God directing my paths.

I had not learned yet that closed doors were an integral part of God’s design to lead me to the plans He has for me. It was God’s way of saying, “No, don’t go there. That’s not part of my plan for you. No, don’t go there either, it’s not time yet.” I eventually learned when God put a stop in my path that He was sometimes doing it to say, “No, don’t go there, I am preparing you for something else.”

The Lord reminded me to trust Him and to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. He promised me a time will come when a door will be opened, and then I will understand why He had to close a few other doors before opening the very special door He had prepared for me. My heavenly Father reminded me over and over that I must completely, wholly trust Him. He repeatedly reminded me—because I was guilty of being a slow learner—but I did gradually learn this important truth He was teaching me.

He also reminded me to look beyond the closed doors, beyond the circumstances that confused me, and look ahead and know that what lies ahead was appointed for His purpose to be accomplished in His perfect time.

When we believe that God has a plan for our lives, it is easier to understand the doors He closes for reasons we may never be made aware of and watch for the open doors He has waiting for us as we continue to live our lives fully surrendered to His ways.

There comes a day when we are glad for the doors God has closed, and He shows us once again how perfectly He orders our steps to fulfill the plans He’s made for the open doors.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For 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.” 

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

God Has a Plan  by Mary Pinckney

God Has a Plan by Max Lucado

God Has a Plan by John Grant

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

The post Closed Doors appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“All eyes look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16 HCSB)

The distinction between coincidence and God’s activity in your life is important because it will affect your ability to thank God for the many things he provides. If you think in terms of coincidence as opposed to God’s activity in your life, you will miss the truth that God is providing for your every need.

Let me give you an example of one way God deepened my faith in this area. Because I have bipolar II disorder and also live alone, my doctor encouraged me to get a dog. Feeding and walking a dog helps build structure and routine into the day. But I was at a place in my life where I wasn’t sure I could afford a dog, especially the shots and veterinarian visits that would be required.

But I went ahead and asked God to provide me with a dog. I love dogs and have had several, so I was specific in my prayer. “Father, I am grateful for what you can provide but this is what I’d like:

• One that is hypoallergenic, because I am allergic to dogs that shed. I’d really like a cockapoo — a cross between a cocker spaniel and poodle.
• One that is older and already trained.
• One that is female, because my last dog was a very territorial male.
• One that is around 30 pounds.
• One that I can afford to keep.”

I found a rescue dog that seemed to fit my criteria at a place just around the corner from my house. But, when I walked the dog around for a while, there just didn’t seem to be a connection. When I brought the dog back in to the rescue center, the woman at the front desk asked, “What are you looking for?”

I said, “I really was hoping to find a cockapoo.”

She said there was someone who had recently called about a cockapoo. She gave me a card and said, “Give this woman a call and see if she has the right dog for you.”

I called Laura West, who owned Pumpkin, a 4-year-old female cockapoo who weighed around 30 pounds and was current on all her shots. When I asked her how much she wanted for Pumpkin, she said, “I just want her to have a good home!”

I told Laura how I’d prayed specifically for this dog. Was it a coincidence that I just happened to walk into the rescue looking for a dog at the same time Laura, who is also a believer, had called the rescue about Pumpkin?

I think Pumpkin, also known as Jasmine, is my God dog, and so I can say with confidence that God is working to meet your needs as well. Thank God, from whom all blessings flow!

What is a way God has provided for you this past year?

What are the things for which you have to be thankful?

You can read more about how God can work through the worst of circumstances in my new book, “Breakfast with Bonhoeffer.” “Gut-wrenching honesty, real world faith, not just another ‘feel good’ Christian story,” this book shows how God works through the worst of circumstances, including disease, divorce, and financial downfall.

by Jon Walker
All rights reserved.
Used by permission.

FURTHER READING

Prayer Journey

Asking Specifically

God Hears Your Prayers

The post Does God answer specific prayers? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Matthew 20: 32

Jesus was on the way to Jericho and as usual there was a crowd following Him.  Two blind men were sitting beside the road and when they heard Jesus was passing, they called out to Him, “Lord have mercy on us.” Jesus heard them and stopped and asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?”  “We want to see,” they answered.  And Jesus, in pity, touched their eyes and their eyes were opened and they could see.

When I read that story last week, it seemed that the question Jesus asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?” became a question He was asking me. “What do you want me to do for you?”

Last week, when I was facing a problem I couldn’t fix or met a challenge too big for me – Jesus would ask me, “What do you want me to do for you?” I would stop what I was doing and tell Him what I wanted Him to do.  And He would provide a solution.

Dorothy emailed me one morning and said they were leaving for Bolivia with a ministry team the next day, but the ticket for one member of the team had gone missing.  Jesus’ question came to my mind and in a reply to her I wrote a prayer. “Jesus, we want you to find the ticket.”  Thirty minutes later, Dorothy emailed and said the ticket was found.

Today and every day, Jesus is saying to you, “What do you want me to do for you?” What will your answer be?

Jesus, thank you for caring about our needs and wants.  Thank you, for asking us what you can do for us. Thank you for solving our problems.  Amen.

by Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

How to be sure God listens to your Prayers

What Should Be Included in Prayer?

You Asked God for What?

The post What Do You Want Jesus to Do for You? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

You need to be easy to talk to, friendly, and a good listener.
They are great qualities to draw someone to Christ!

JoAnna Ward has these qualities.  And, she’s bold about her faith.
She drives a big Hummer with a license plate that reads OBEY GOD.
She ministers to people on the streets of Atlanta.  JoAnna shares God’s love wherever she is.

While she was exercising at a local gym, a woman approached her.
The woman wanted to leave her current lifestyle and knew JoAnna was a Christian.
It didn’t happen instantly, but as JoAnna ministered in her life,
the woman received Christ into her heart through prayer.
The woman’s lifestyle changed.  Now she, in turn, ministers to others.

Friend, be friendly – and listen.  God will use you to reach others for Christ!

by Vonette Bright
Used by Permission

Further Reading

How to Find Friends

Thoughts about Salt

Friendships

The post Approachable appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”  1 Timothy 2: 1

Today I learned from an acquaintance about a fella who holds resentment and hatred toward his mother. Evidently this man—in his 50s—was born out of wedlock (unlike his siblings), and was treated differently by his mother all his life.

My acquaintance encouraged me to pray for this guy who has felt second-rate, disowned, and marginalized. I know personally that he has suffered from drug and alcohol addiction.

So I prayed for him. Interceded for him. Not a long prayer, just one that asked God to help this brother forgive his mom for so much pain, and that they might be able to talk about it, and work through it.

Isn’t it amazing that God lets us join in the conversation of healing and hope for other people? And better yet is that God promises his Spirit to help in the dialogue. Paul says in Romans 8,

“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

While I may not be consistently faithful in interceding for others, I know God loves to hear me pleading for them. Have you interceded for others?

God, help me be more aware of people who need your strength and grace to manage the challenges of life, and to pray for them specifically regarding their problems. Thank you for your Spirit who articulates more clearly what my heart can’t form. Amen.

Pray for someone you know today.

by Bill Strom
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

Bill also writes for www.thelife.com/dailydevotions

Articles on How to Pray

How to be sure God Listens to your Prayers

How to have a “Quiet Time”

What Should Be Included in Prayer?

Prayer is Talking to God

Praying with Confidence

Foundational Core Truths about Prayer by Sylvia Gunter

The post Praying on Behalf of Others appeared first on Thoughts About God.

I sat next to a Jewish woman once at a PTA function and when she found out I was a Christian, she had a question all ready for me.

“Maybe you can explain this,” she said. “A young man came to my door recently. He was a college student painting houses. My house needed painting so I took his card. When I asked him about the fish symbol I noticed on the card, he smiled and said ‘Oh, I’m a Christian painter!’ Now what do you suppose he meant by that?”

I laughed and told her I really didn’t know except that he was a Christian who was trying to make some money painting houses. When it comes to our place in the world, it’s much better to be a Christian than to be a Christian something-or-other. In other words, stay away from using “Christian” as an adjective. No one knows what a Christian painter is anyway. Even Christians don’t know; we just think we do because we use these terms all the time.

I asked the woman how she responded to his comment about being a Christian painter, and she said, “Oh, I just asked him if he could paint!”

I like this lady. It‘s really pretty simple isn’t it? It makes no difference to her if he was a Christian painter or a Muslim painter or a Buddhist painter… she only wanted to know if he could paint her house. There‘s a lesson here.

When it comes to our work in the world, our work comes first. The young painter, as well-meaning and as passionate about Christ as I’m sure he was, got his witness too far out in front of him. His witness is to do a good job as a Christian. How we do our job is not a means to a witness, it is our witness.

In the marketplace no one cares if you are a Christian. They just want to know: Can you paint? Can you compute? Can you run a company? Can you market this product? Can you manage this store? Can you operate this cash register and smile at all my customers? Once you prove yourself as having integrity and value to your employer, then the fact that you are a Christian will mean something.

People have so many religious preconceptions today. To announce your allegiance up front means you will have to fight through all those preconceptions just to be heard; and even then, the stereotype is hard to shake. If you establish credibility on other levels first, you can clear the deck of all that other stuff. Then you might have a better chance of getting someone to consider what it really means to be a Christian. In the end, what you claim to be is nothing compared to who you are.

by John Fischer
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Who Do You Work For?

The Handiwork of God

Your Life is the Only Bible Some People Read

The post The Power of Who You Are appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

In the verse above, we are told to pray for our leaders. However, much of our government today has rejected God and the foundational, biblical principles that made our country great and prosperous. This gives us all the more reason to pray. We must not give up. To pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) means not to give up or lose heart, as Jesus told His disciples in Luke 18:1.

Furthermore, nothing can unify us more than prayer. We can pray in agreement that we want good for our country, even if we disagree on who can get us there. Let’s agree that God is the only one who can get us there – through prayer!

Whether we are in favor of them or not, let’s pray for a mighty move of God in the president and vice president and throughout our government. God told Jeremiah:

Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7, emphasis mine)

So here are some ways we can pray for our president and vice president:

• Personal needs: health, family, safety
• Spiritual needs: for their faith and the fear of the God they profess to believe in; repentance where needed (1 John 1:9
• Pray for God’s will (Matthew 6:10), and that they would not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of their minds, that by testing they may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
• God’s guidance and wise counselors (Proverbs 11:14). That they would seek the Lord above all else (Proverbs 8:14, Matthew 6:33).
• For courage to do what is right; that they would hate what is evil and cling to what is good (Romans 12:9); that they would not call evil good and good evil, put darkness for light or light for darkness, bitter for sweet… (Isaiah 5:20).
• Justice and humility – that they would know what God requires of them: To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8). That they would not pervert justice; not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge people fairly” (Leviticus 19:15).
• To know they are accountable to God (Romans 14:12). To not use their freedom (or position) to do wrong (1 Peter 2:16).
• For them to honor Israel (Genesis 12:3), to allow us religious freedom (Galatians 5:1), and be for life (Exodus 20:13).
• To do good for our nation and to seek peace (Psalm 34:14), and help us to be a shining city on a hill to the nations (Matthew 5:14-16).
• Help them to fulfill their oath of office – to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and protect our nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic (Numbers 30:2), and for any corruption to be exposed (Proverbs 2:22).

We may feel powerless against the people running our government, but we have something that is more powerful than anyone in Washington – prayer!

Finally, let’s pray that the citizens of this great country would return to God, that we would truly “humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways” so God may “hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Let’s pray for revival!

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12

by Penny Cooke
used by permission

FURTHER READING

How to Pray for our Leaders by Sylvia Gunter

A Prayer For The Nations

A Prayer for Troubled Times

The post Ten Ways to Pray for the President *(or your country leader) appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd
= that’s Relationship!

I shall not want
= that’s Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
= that’s  Rest !

He leads me beside the still waters
= that’s Refreshment!

He restores my soul
= that’s Healing!

He leads me in the paths of righteousness
= that’s Guidance!

For His name sake
= that’s Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
= that’s Testing!

I will fear no evil
= that’s Protection!

For You are with me
= that’s Faithfulness!

Your rod and your staff they comfort me
= that’s Discipline!

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
= that’s Hope!

You anoint my head with oil
= that’s Consecration!

My cup runs over
= that’s Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
= that’s Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
= that’s Security!

Forever
= that’s Eternity!

Face it, the Lord is crazy about you!

What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives!  Do not ask the Lord to Guide your Footsteps if you are not willing to move your Feet at His Pace.

Author – Unknown

FURTHER READING

Psalm 23 Reflection by Kathy Cheek

Psalm 23 by Alec Niemi

Praying the 23rd Psalm

The post PSALM 23 appeared first on Thoughts About God.