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Proverbs 16:7 says, "When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them."

The first thing to notice in this passage is this promise is for anyone. In the Old Testament there were times when the people were walking with God and he gave them peace and rest on every side. When God's people had the fear of the Lord, which is deep honor, respect, and appreciation for him it caused the fear of the lord to fall upon all of their enemies and they would not attack them anymore. 

This is an amazing promise, but it is contingent upon pleasing God. And how do we please God... Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Simple childlike faith that seeks God with confident expectation in his goodness is what is pleasing to him. And this childlike faith must be applied and exercised in our lives beca...

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The other day on a show my kids were watching they were talking about being expert builders. When I heard this 1 Corinthians chapter 3 came to mind, where Paul talks about how by God's grace, he laid a foundation like a wise or master builder. 

Here is 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise/master builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the fl...

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Today we are finishing up Romans chapter 8. Today's communion is a time of gratitude that if God gave us Jesus how would he not also graciously and freely give us all things. He has made us to be more than conquerors, and nothing can separate us from his love. 

Romans 8:31-39 More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day...

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Today we are going to continue in Romans 8. It's a time of gratitude that we have the Holy Spirit to intercede for us in those times when we don't even know what to pray. And a time of gratitude that God works everything together for our good.

Romans 8:18-23 - Present Suffering and Future Glory

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly f...

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Today we are taking communion over the next section from Romans 8 and is a time of gratitude that we can be led by the Spirit of God and be his children. 

Here is Romans 8:12-17

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Today's Workout/Health Tip

In the Daily Com...

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Several years ago, I was talking with my grandpa on the phone, and he said he had just finished eating Romans 8 for breakfast. Then he said, "You should read it today and read it at least twice." So, I took his advice and read it twice, and Romans 8:11 seemed to jump off the page at me (it is bolded down below). Today we are going to take communion over the first couple of paragraphs in Romans 8 and then continue through the chapter over the next several days. 

Romans 8:1-11 Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, w...

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Recently we had Groundhog Day, and it made me think of the movie where Bill Murray gets stuck in the daily loop. He wakes up to the same day every day. There are a bunch of movies with this theme now and they all follow the same plot. The person who is stuck in the same day over and over starts to go eat a bunch of food, spending money, and indulge themselves. Then they realize this doesn't make them happy, so they usually get depressed and basically give up for a while. Then they eventually turn and start to focus on how they can do good and love others during the day. They realize the amazing gift they have been given and start to develop new skills like playing instruments, art, etc and start to see all of the opportunities to do good for others. Eventually this new way of living is what breaks them out of the vicious cycle they were in.

In life sometimes we get stuck in vicious cycles that seem very hard to break free from. If we are in a cycle, it means we ne...

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Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.

It seems like every year during February and March God keeps bringing up the topic of confidence.

1 John 3:21-22 says If our hearts do not condemn us, we will have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

For us to move to a place of confidence we must deal with condemnation, and there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. To have condemnation means we have doubts, while confidence is the state where all of the doubt is removed. 

Sometimes we have doubts because we look out ourselves, but our confidence is meant to be in God and the righteousness of Jesus not our own 

I am praying for you. 

Daniel

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In today's communion we are asking God to help us break any habits of procrastination on things we know we should be doing. Business coach Dan Sullivan has a teaching he calls the Procrastination Priority, in which he says that often the things we are procrastinating on, should be turned into high priorities because we all have a tendency to procrastinate on the things that are really most important. 

One of the ways God speaks to us is through our conscience and bringing things to our remembrance. I have found that if something keeps coming to mind that I haven't done yet, then it is often God trying to get me to take action. Whenever we have things, we know to do but are not executing or taking action on they build up in our conscience and block our mental clarity along with our ability to hear as clearly from God. They also block our confidence because we know internally that we are not walking in what we know to do. 

There are a number of reasons for procrast...

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Here are some scriptures to meditate on today about grace teaching us how to live. Notice it is not rules and laws... but grace.

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, Titus 2:11

Today's communion is a time of gratitude that because of grace sin will no longer be our master and that grace teaches us to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age. 

Today's Workout/Health Tip

If you miss a workout or have a bad meal, then give yourself grace. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just get right back on track as quickly as possible. 

I am praying for you. 

Daniel