Touching Heaven to Change Earth – The Beauty of The Glorious Gospel – By Thomas J. Koester

Through the fog, I hear a distance roar, the sound of people, their voices raised, and the sound of footsteps in almost perfect rhythm. They’re marching toward something, perhaps a sporting event, concert, or political rally. Maybe it’s a parade or a military procession.

Their sound becomes louder and louder, closer and closer; the ground begins to vibrate as several people begin to emerge from the fog. Suddenly, only a few steps behind them emerge a cavalcade of glorious people, as far as the eye can see — Inestimable in number.

Without burdensome expression, the weak, the lame, the sick; the poor, and the forgotten ride upon each of their shoulders. And in their hands, carefully cupped were carried the Aborted, the Unwanted, the Discarded Ones. The passion and fervor of their quest was brazen upon their faces so that nothing could stop or detour them.

As they rushed past me, I became engulfed in a sea of people, young and old. A tremendously intense bright light, white in brilliance, diffused from above and behind this enormous movement of God’s People, lending them the appearance as that of a crystal sea.

My heart began to pound in my chest, with uneasiness and apprehension, as I realized I was swept up into this great sea; my legs began to move and my feet began touching earth with the same rhythm. Upon my shoulders, I felt a gentle burden unequal to its size, a leper, and a prostitute road counter to each of my shoulders.

Without fatigue, I kept in step with my new friends, while a certain joy began to well up from within. As soon as my countenance found my heart’s joyous expression, my hands came together cupped, and within them appeared an Aborted One! My joy turned into inexpressible compassion as I held the contents of my hands against my beating heart.

My face was now brazen, undaunted, and without turning to the left or the right, I quietly asked, “Where are we headed?” Suddenly, in solemn unison, the answer came:

“THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, OF GOD AND HIS CHRIST, WHERE NONE ARE REJECTED, DISCARDED, OR DESPISED”

In the distance, I saw a mountain, which touched heaven and earth at the same time. The brightness of the mountaintop matched the brightness above and behind us. Suddenly, from deep within my heart rose a whisper:

“Heaven is opened to those who sacrifice for the least, and my glory is your rear guard.”

At that very moment, all that was left behind; the sofas and pews, TVs, computers, the comforts of life were forgotten. I’m no longer just one man, I no longer live for myself, and it’s with this procession I’m now known; to live holy and godly, touching the heart of God by touching the very least of these. God dwells within moving temples and invests his glory and grace to those who spend it!

Let us lavishly spend it on those who are truly hungry for righteousness; the hurting and broken, for those who are truly seeking redemption and mercy, and those that are impoverished for the Kingdom of God. Heaven’s supply shall never run dry!

Jesus Christ died for all and has been raised to life that all may live.

“God will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life.”
Romans 2:6-7

We do not earn salvation. Rather, our actions prove it!

Become so heavenly-minded that you’ll do tremendous earthly good!

Hard Fought Happily-Ever-After — By Thomas J. Koester

Because every love story has an adversary!

Love is worth the battle—you are worth battling for. Don’t surrender. Your story is not over!

An adversary and a battle always precedes a happily-ever-after. Not only is this true for every romance and marriage, but it is also true of our faith. Storytellers and movie-makers are consistently using this theme over and over again.

What kind of romance, marriage, or faith would there be without an adversary and without a battle? Wouldn’t a movie or story be boring without an adversary and without battle?

After all, adventure, battle, and beauty are within our DNA—within the very depths of our hearts and souls.

As a matter of fact, the themes of an adventure, battle, and beauty are actually borrowed from God’s story of his crowning creation, that is, Adam and Eve. First, he creates them, then loses them to the Serpent’s craftiness. Then, God pursues his creation until he later rescues mankind back from the adversary by sending our champion, Jesus Christ the Righteousness One. Not only does God rescue those he lost, but his Son delivers a death blow to our most wretched adversaries, Sin and Death!

“Will I ransom them from the power of the grave? Will I redeem them from death’s hold? Death, where are your diseases? Grave, where is your victory? — Hosea 13:14

“Death’s sting is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. Thanks be to God, who gives us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” — 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

“But the LORD says, “The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children.” — Isaiah 49:25

And, for those who believe, this is not quite the end of God’s story—not by a long shot! He is preparing a place for us, our happily-ever-after. A place where all adversaries, including sin, death, disease, and the devil; where all loss, decay and brokenness, and even our tears will be forever vanquished.

So, don’t despise hardships and adversities, with it comes a life worth living and a God who, not only loves to come through for his children, but trains us through our adversities and battles, to come through for those whom we love, including strangers that God brings across our paths.

“A song of David. Praise the Lord! He is my rock. He prepares me for war. He trains me for battle.” — Psalms 144: 1.

Happily-Ever-After is worth the scars and setbacks, for life and true living are their reward.

“But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.” — Hebrews 10:39

Stand your ground. Cling to your faith. Be brave and upright. Hold to the truth. Love fiercely and never give up on others.

“For I consider that our present sufferings can not even be compared to the coming glory that will be revealed to us.” — Romans 8:18

“What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” — Romans 8:31

Engage your battles as a victor and never as a victim. For you are a true Child of God after all and your Heavenly Father, well He’s the God of the Angel Armies!

God is your happily-ever-after. He fights for you!

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE | FAITH AWAKENING – BY THOMAS J. KOESTER

Because asking “how” is the faithless question.

The correct question believers should be asking when it comes to obeying God is—is it impossible?

Would you happen to know why?

Because it’s rare. It’s a question that heaven rarely hears. But it is precisely the right question that we should be asking. The Word says in Hebrews 11:6 the following:

“… And without faith, it is impossible to please God,”

To start with, the impossible, I believe, is very stirring to the heart of God. When we approach God with faith enough to join Him in His impossible work, we say, “I trust you so much that the details don’t matter.” The challenges don’t detour me. The dangers won’t stop me. These “faith qualities” are what God is after in you and in me, too.

Here’s the rest of Hebrews 11:6

“… because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

So, start with the impossible—the most difficult, the most unlikely, and even the most ridiculous. Only be sure you’re following God’s Word and His will. God wants to reward you with each impossible step you take.

Faith is not what you can do but what you can’t do. It’s not where you can go but where you can’t go. Faith moves you towards the impossible, or it’s not faith!

How many biblical stories have you read whereby God sends his man or woman to face impossible odds?

God’s missions are not missions unless they are impossible by human standards. But you’ll never know until your faith meets your obedience to his will and purpose.

Belief in God is not only about his existence but more about your obedience to his calling on your life.

If we can not see the Father’s works, it’s because we’re too wrapped up in our own work- and yes, this can include “church work!” We may not need faith for our work, but we can only do God’s work by faith.

Christian populism and “the power of positive thinking” have diminished faith to mere “tips and techniques” or following “principles” without a relationship to the Prince of Peace.

His work often makes us risk our comfort and, sometimes, our safety. His will requires passionate courage to obey. Our work brings enslavement, sweat, and, at times, depression and boredom. Many of us are killing ourselves for a paycheck!

… Is that how you dreamt you’d live your life, running after a paycheck?

If we believe and obey God and join him in his work, we will no longer live as enslaved people but as free people.

“Wherever the Spirit of God is, there is freedom!” – 2 Corinthians 3:17

Freedom to move towards adventure and risk with God is core to walking by faith with him.

As noted, the author, John Eldridge, has penned;

“Asking God, how? … Is a faithless question.”

Obeying God and following his will means God has already worked out the ” how. ” Trusting God with the unknown details and acting on his will without knowing “how” is the definition of faith.

God’s will for us must become as essential as eating food. To move in faith, we must become vitality dependent on God’s will and preplanned purpose.

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” – John 4:34

“For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” – Matthew 12:50

Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” – John 14:23

Faith and obedience lead to closeness with God. Asking Him “how” all the time before you obey shows you don’t trust Him. So, stop asking faithless questions! You can’t exercise faith apart from an intimate relationship with the Father and the Son. You’ll need the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to do the impossible!

If you try and do things apart from knowing God, you’ll be in danger of practicing lawlessness or unauthorized acts of whatever you call “righteousness.”

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ – Matthew 7:21-23

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

Find where God’s Spirit is working and go there quickly and passionately. Only there can you do the impossible and find a real and meaningful life.

Ask yourself, do I need God to accomplish this? The answer may require you to do the impossible…

“… That is your mission if you choose to accept it.”

Be brave. God’s equipped you for the impossible mission!

If We Only Had A Heart – By Thomas J. Koester

It’s what’s in your heart that will change your family and not what’s in your wallet.

“Keep your heart with all diligence,
for out from it flows the wellspring of life.” – Proverbs 4:23

Notice it doesn’t say wallet!

It also doesn’t say Capital One either! … It says your heart.

In the original book by L. Frank Baum, Wizard of Oz, it is revealed that the Tin Woodman used to be a man of flesh and blood, but a Wicked Witch cursed his axe to cut off all his body parts, which ultimately caused him to lose his heart. Thus, loosing his love for a Munchkin maid named Nimmie Amee.

The tinsmith replaced the woodsman’s torso, but was unable to replace the heart. Now completely made of tin, but without a heart, the Tin Man became cold and indifferent to the girl and the marriage never occurred. He wants a heart so he can rekindle his love for the girl and marry her.

You see, sin cursed our hearts, deadening our souls and separating us from God. Without a good heart, we remain lost and loveless, with no way to God. We too become cold and indifferent, losing our desire for God. Religion is like the tinsmith that can give us a tin torso, but can’t replace the heart.

Rather than an all powerful Oz, we need an all powerful Savior.

For those who believe in God and are faithful Christ followers, we’ve received a new heart!

Ezekiel 36:26 puts it this way:

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of you, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”

Notice that God also says He will put a new Spirit within us. This is because our new heart becomes His dwelling place, and from our restored and cleansed heart flows new life for God and others. We become living temples for God.

Now we can obey God from the inside out. Something that the Old Covenant could not do.

“… I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” – Ezekiel 36:27

So God places his Spirit inside our new hearts so that we have the ability to do his will, keep his laws, and create a new relationship within us.

Romans 2:29 tells us that the Holy Spirit changes our hearts. This is not an act of our will or effort but an internal operation done by God’s Spirit to those that believe the Gospel.

So, do what you’ve been born again to do, live a changed life because of your changed heart, and so, become that wellspring of life for your family and friends and to the stranger you meet; to your neighbors and coworkers.

Be the best life-giver because the Giver of Life dwells in your new heart!

Only A Whisper To Heaven — By Thomas J. Koester

Heaven’s voice is closer than you think.

The key to living a blessed life rather than a cursed life is repairing the broken lines of communication between your heart and your father’s. Your father’s heart is your “telephone line” to the heart of Abba-God.

Remember who you are, who you belong to, and how much you’re loved. This does not change.

Your greatest loss is not that you’re not loved, or do not belong, or have no identity, but that you have simply forgotten. Or maybe it’s been years or decades of anger that has turned your heart bitter towards your father, which has caused your deafness to Heaven.

Heaven’s voice is closer than you think.

“We talk about heaven being so far away. It is within speaking distance of those who belong there. Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people.” — Dwight L. Moody.
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You only have to whisper to hear your name echoing from heaven. When you turn back to God, he will be found. Your pain and loneliness are not your punishment but your preparation for His presence. Don’t give up; God’s presence will come flooding back into your life.

Sometimes, we transfer our hurts and anger for our fathers to our Heavenly Father, so we shut our ears to God. I know it’s hard to forgive, but we can only hear our Heavenly Father’s voice again in forgiveness and repentance.

I know this, not just because I read it in the Bible, but because I’ve experienced this firsthand between me and my father. Just 4 days before my dad passed away, I forgave him for those years of silence, neglect, and abuse.

It took so much effort and courage to whisper in the darkness of my father’s death-filled VA hospital room in Martinez, California.

Dad?

“Yes, son?”

… Dad, I love you!

“… I love you too, son!”

I repeated my ‘I love you, Dad’ proclamations over and over again, basking in my father’s response of, “I love you too, son!”

From that day forward, heaven became wide open, and my new belief that my dad loves me convinced me that my Heavenly Father loves me, too. Until that day, my 39-year-old heart had never heard those precious words from my father.

You see, the Devil knows all too well that broken communication with our earthly fathers breaks and disrupts our communication to and from our Heavenly Father.

This is why the words of the Prophet, Malachi, are so significant:

“… And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” — Malachi 4:6

The key to living a blessed life, rather than a cursed life, is repairing the broken communication lines between your heart and your father’s. Your father’s heart is your “telephone line” to the heart of Abba-God.

“People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes, you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” — Isaiah 30: 19-21

When whispered to heaven, the words bottled up within your broken heart will change everything!

Suddenly, you’ll have the courage to forgive your father and others. On the day that happens, Heaven will become opened, and you’ll hear the voice of your Heavenly Father.

To be heard by heaven, just whisper.

And Forget Not All His Benefits – By Thomas J. Koester

In my business, I assist people involved in wildfires throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona. I meet many people who have no idea of their homeowner’s policy benefits. They may be fully aware of their policy premium, but the important stuff, like proper coverage limits, what is covered and excluded, etc., they have no idea!

But when disaster strikes, unfortunately, that’s when many people find out that either they have no coverage or not enough. At that point, there’s nothing that can be done.

One client bought a home in Northern California, paid cash, but didn’t purchase insurance. While out of state, a massive wildfire broke out; she saw the news that it was headed for her new community. She grabbed her phone and purchased a policy, paying 100% of the annual premium, and miraculously got coverage placed the same day!

A few days later, she learned that her new home was destroyed; the foundation was damaged beyond repair. All that stood was a lonely brick chimney. She immediately filed a claim under her brand-new insurance policy. The claim investigator accurately determined, based on the fire suppression team’s GPS locators, that the fire had destroyed the lady’s home before the insurance policy was in force.

My dear friends, don’t wait until the last minute to receive salvation through Jesus Christ. You, too, may find out that it was too late. His salvation is far more critical than proper and timely fire insurance for your home. Death can come in an instance and move faster than a wildfire.

Jesus can save your soul for eternity. He can supply far more benefits than Allstate, Geico, or Liberty Mutual. With Jesus, you’ll be sufficiently covered, no cancellation, no out-of-pocket cost, no deductible, and no premiums, as he’s paid the price in full!

God’s gift to you is to have faith enough to believe in his One and only Son, Jesus Christ; to believe In his Son’s life, death, and resurrection. All you must do is turn from sin and disbelief and put your trust, faith, and obedience in God and His Word. In doing this, your name will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, whereby God’s policy for your eternal life is irrevocable and indelibly written. And God will never change the terms of his benefits. He’ll never back off from His promises.

To my believing friends, forget not all His benefits. I meet far too many Christians living life as though they were uninsured by God’s great love, mercy, and grace. The reason why so many of my Christian brothers and sisters are so heavily burdened by the world is that they’ve either forgotten God’s promises and benefits or because they’ve never read them or have been taught.

My brothers and sisters, there is no need to be depressed, worried, or to live in fear and dread. There is no need to doubt, lose heart, or be lonely.

Here’s Psalm103 in its entirety:

1 “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children, so, the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

15 The life of mortals is like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children -18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul…”

… and forget not all His benefits!

The Father-Hearted God – By Thomas J. Koester

We are children of the Father-hearted God.

With long days and even longer nights, I have written more and have done a great deal of thinking and searching. Each time I do, more memories and tears bubble up. But these are good tears because what was once tragic is now increasingly becoming a blessing.

So, I’ve added more stories and more insight. It’s been the hindsight, coupled with new understanding, which has been revealing the fingerprints and mastery of a loving Father-hearted God, who, by the way, took all my days of good and evil and is progressively showing his artistry through all of it.

His color palate contains far more colors than just “black and white,” which is what many cold and lifeless religions preach to us. He is an unlimited God, with shades of an eternal spectrum yet to be discovered, and a profoundly intimate God, motivated with an ever-expanding Father-heart. He is filled with grace and wisdom. His love utterly humbles me, and if you can believe it, speechless at His unconditional grace and mercy towards even a guy like me.

Thank you all for your prayers and kindness. I genuinely hope and pray that whatever you may be battling or struggling through, it too is woven into something beautiful, no matter how difficult or painful. God loves a “stacked deck,” the more complex your life may be, the more impossible for a solution or cure, the more grace will appear — for our God loves, absolutely loves to come through!

So then, in our weaknesses and fragility, we can boast about God’s grace and that we’re also co-siblings with The Great Overcomer, Jesus Christ. We are children of the Father-hearted God. We are vastly wealthy and greatly loved.

I was at a water damaged home in Walnut Creek several years ago. I was speaking with the mother of this cute little, “Shirley Temple” like 3-year old. A few minutes later, the front door opens, and the little girl lights up and runs to her father, excitedly yelling, Abba, Abba, my Abba is home! I gotta tell yah, that brief moment tugged at my heart. I think it’s because that’s how we’ll one day greet our Heavenly Father. That’s how he wants us to greet him each new day. I think God’s favorite name is Abba!

So, notify your soul and face too, and show the world how great our God is. From your sick beds to your busy offices and lives, from your living rooms to the dressing rooms of Macy’s and Kohl’s — in every shopping line, and especially at Walmart, For our God is a great God, 24/7!

He loves to reveal his Father-Heart to broken and lost people. Our God would rather hang out with the despised and rejected than dwell with kings and queens — that’s just how special you are!

There’s no need to be anyone else than you. No need to be with anyone else than with the Father-hearted God!

Get Your House In Order – By Thomas J. Koester

If ever there were a time to get your house in order, it’s now!

Every generation before us has been born into its own mediocrity and narcissism. But never has there been a generation as indifferent and self-absorbed as the present.

These carcinogenic attitudes have eaten away the underpinnings of the Republic. The Left has split our nation in two, and this was no accident.

We must be the generation that breaks this cycle. We can no longer be bored with complacency or be distracted by consumerism and wokeism. We must shake off the Corporate Mongrals that only see us as algorithms. We must deny them their marketing strategies of profiting from our blood and sweat.

We MUST pull our children from all governmental institutions of indoctrination, known as public schools and universities.

We must break free from the enslavement of debt and instead learn to be independent and live with less so that we can become more. They don’t want us to become more. Their power is in our becoming less human and woefully dependent.

Our greatest hour is quickly approaching – if we are to be the greatest generation, we must wake up from apathy. The ending of our way of living will require more from us than at its beginning. You will become either an Overcomer or a Deceiver. If you cling to the junk in your life, you’ll fall prey to their trickery and deception.

It will be much easier in the darkness as an Overcomer. The Truth already blinds a deceiver; light or darkness means nothing; he’s lost. Overcomers do not stumble in dark times; they are surefooted because Truth guides them and lights up their path.

Overcome your obstacles now. Waiting won’t afford you the time to untangle your bad choices. Correct decisions matter now more than at any other time in American history.

Get your house in order. It will be helpful for you and others that you are clearheaded and not a cluttered mess. In the coming months, you’ll need to act decisively and with purpose. Timing will be crucial and maybe the determinant factor of your survival.

Pray for wisdom, the kind of wisdom that only God the Father can give. You’ll need it to discern right from wrong and to avoid the great delusion that is coming and is already here being broadcasted over the airwaves and internet.

We’re headed into a time when sight won’t matter. Faith must become your eyes. Trusting in God’s Word and His promises will be the only surety left.

You might not be aware, but America has gone bye-bye.

Don’t rely on politics or politicians – We went from a Representative Republic to a Democracy and now to a Communist State, while you had your faces buried in your smartphones.

And now, a few recommendations:

Belief In the empty tomb will surely strengthen you during the time of empty banks.

Absorb the Holy Scriptures so that you may become a beacon of light.

Sweep out all that is unnecessary, as there will be an inspection. God wants you to be sharp, sure, and confident when the collapse begins.

So, get your body, mind, and heart in order, and not just your financial affairs. Unbelievers and doubters are going to need you clearheaded and hopeful.

America is soon to become either Америка or 美国这个名字 or perhaps both.

My Own Prison – By Thomas J. Koester

Maybe you’re not aware, but you’ve always held the keys to your own prison.

The song, My Own Prison, written and sung by Scott A. Stapp, from the band, Creed; album, My Own Prison, released 1997.

The song’s lyric starts out:

“A court is in session, a verdict is in
No appeal on the docket today
Just my own sin
The walls are cold and pale
The cage made of steel
Screams fill the room
Alone I drop and kneel

Silence now the sound
My breath the only motion around
Demons cluttering around
My face showing no emotion
Shackled by my sentence
Expecting no return
Here there is no penance
My skin begins to burn…

… I cry out to God
Seeking only his decision
Gabriel stands and confirms
I’ve created my own prison”
Scott A. Stapp

The song is actually about self-condemnation and being tormented from past sins. I think that many of us suffer from the same struggle, only we’re not brave and honest enough to put it into lyrics for the world to sing.

No, we’d rather hide our self-hatered, lock it up inside our minds, and in our own prison, all the while holding the keys to our own cell. This is the definition of an unforgiving soul, a soul that hasn’t accepted forgiveness from God.

You see, the lack of forgiving others stems from an unforgiving self. When we refuse to forgive ourselves, we lack the ability to forgive others. More pointedly, we reject forgiveness because of shame, shame so deeply held within our being that it becomes our identity. Living too long with shame like that will soon turn your inner prison cell into a stronghold. A stronghold that will even lock out God’s forgiveness.

Did you know that your unforgiveness to yourself and the laundry lists of unforgiven people become building blocks for an inner fortress, where self-hatred will fester and thrive? It’s true, and it will keep you locked up for a lifetime!

We become deceived into thinking that our unforgiveness is justified due to the seriousness of not only our own sins but also the sins against us. So we die within our own prison cells due to a hunger strike, starving ourselves from God’s rich mercy and grace.

When we refuse to forgive, we end up owning the offense, or more accurately, the offense owns us. The offender, well, they may have moved on, yet we are the ones that are needlessly imprisoned because of our own stubbornness and pride.

Maybe you’re not aware, but you’ve always held the keys to your own prison.

Your forgiveness is the only key to unlocking your prison door. It’s the only way in which you, yourself, can be forgiven. Maybe you haven’t realized that God’s forgiveness is conditiononal. Maybe you don’t care. Maybe no one ever told you.

“Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you, but if you refuse to forgive them, he will not forgive you.” Matthew 6:15 – Jesus of Nazareth

Don’t forfeit God’s mercy and grace any longer. Don’t remain shackled to self-loathing, loathing of others, bitterness, and anger.

There was a reason why the Inaugural Speech of Jesus was a scripture passage he read from in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 61, verse 1:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to captives, and to open the prison doors, setting them free.”

Do you see, my dear friend?

Jesus came to forgive you. He came to bring you good news for your sad and broken heart, to set you free from captivity, and to release you from your own prison.

It starts with you accepting God’s forgiveness of all your sins; all washed away by the sacrifice of Jesus, nailed to the cross. The Cross is where all your sins should forever be and not in your own prison of guilt.

The reason for this season is that you might forgive yourself, accept God’s forgiveness, and then you’ll be able to forgive everyone who hurt you.

Here’s what I humbly suggest…

Log off Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Nextdoor, etc. Quiet the noise in your head – let your heart speak for once. Listen carefully to its pent-up cries for help. Cry out to Jesus, God’s Son, to forgive you. Even asking for his help to do so. Confess with your heart and mouth of your failures and sins. Believe in your heart that Jesus was crucified and raised to life for you to seek you, save you, heal, and restore you. Ask him to help you turn from all your sins.

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. – Romans 10:9-11

Don’t give shame and pride another moment of keeping you in your own prison. Amen

The Legitimate Child of God – By Thomas J. Koester

To Know His Heart Is Everything; To Know Your Heart Is Where It Begins…

The wounds and scars your body and heart now bare are not those of an abandoned boy or little girl but of those of an adopted and well-loved child.

If you can’t recognize or misinterpret God’s chastisement, it’s because you don’t believe in your sonship.

It’s because you don’t quite know the heart of God. Well, maybe not enough just yet…

… You see, I just want to inspire you to ponder a little, just below the surface of your heart and mind. Just to get a glimpse at another possibility or maybe a deeper reason behind those pesky feelings.

Don’t focus on how you’ve been wounded and scarred, but seek out the teacher who permitted it. If you seek Him, you will find Him and discover hidden treasures that God put there.

Sometimes what’s motivating our feelings is a sense of unworthiness. True, none of us are worthy of God’s grace and goodness, but emotional unworthiness can cause you to doubt God and miss his good intentions for your life.

As soon as your heart learns the significance of your wounds and scars, light will come bursting in, and your strength and passion will be renewed like never before.

Or, you can reject all this and be stuck in a “Groundhog Day” life, whereby you repeat the cycle of God’s chastisement until you surrender to his love.

Kind of look at it this way; you’re being tested, not tempted. God knows your heart, and the tests occur so that you’ll know where your heart is. The hardship is to draw your attention to what’s going on inside your heart. If you’re stuck on doubt and abandonedment, you’ll fail God’s test. He’s cheering you on to succeed and not to fail.

Look, God wants you to pass his tests with flying colors. He’s always nearby to show you the way to his finish line.

I know, sometimes it doesn’t feel like God is there. Sometimes, it feels like no one is there, not even a close friend, your wife, husband, mom, or dad. You may think no one understands or cares. I know, all too well, how you can feel lonely, even in a crowded room.

Do you want the honest truth? All of that stuff; loneliness, doubt, and abandonedment, are feelings and are nothing more than an orphan mentality. God doesn’t orphan those he loves. Nope, not at all. It’s not God making you feel that way. It’s the Father of Lies, not your Heavenly Father.

God treats every son and daughter with the same passion. He wants you holy so that you can be whole. He’ll cut away anything that stands in the way of your wholeness. He wants you to be just like him, holy; separated from all that stuff that separates you from Him. Sometimes, it feels like abandonedment — even in your loneliness, though, God is at work.

Don’t relapse into your old ways. Don’t pretend to have it all together — pride is not the answer. Abandon, your false attempts to cover up — God sees right through your charades.

Did you really think you could get away with sin?

Did you honestly think God would allow sin, despair, and the devil to be your downfall?

Well, I don’tthink so. God bankrupted heaven in giving up His Son, Jesus, just to show you how much he loves you. Don’t think for a second that he didn’t love his Son. Jesus died to make you into a real child of his Father. That’s why he resurrected his Son from the grave! He got His Son back, and He wants you back, too!

Well, would you look at that—Father and Son – working together to make you a permanent member of His family!

Only an illegitimate son or daughter can escape correction, but a true child of God must be refined. And his refinement, well, it comes from a good place, from his heart.

So your hardship is not a string of bad luck. No, they’re a rope to pull you closer to the heart of your Heavenly Papa.

Seek to know the heart of God, and you’ll never get lost in difficult days. You’ll never again forget that you belong to him.

So, say good riddance to loneliness, doubt, and abandonedment because you’re a child of the Most High God, and He happens to be in love with you!

He is a fierce lover and a faithful Father. Hallelujah and amen!