My first real choice of faith was made when I was a girl of 8 or 9 years of age.

After watching a film on television portraying the life of Christ, I chose to confess to God in prayer that I knew I was a sinner, that I was sorry and that I claimed the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as His sacrifice for my sin. I asked Him to forgive me, then invited Jesus to come into my heart and life.

This choice led to opening my Bible and making the choice to read it on a daily basis. I remember reading the Bible all the way through by the time I was 9 years old. Besides strengthening my small seedling of faith, it began my lifelong love affair with the Scriptures.

That choice led to the next one that stands out in my memory. It was a choice I made several years later, when I was about 15 years of age. I was with a group of friends listening to a guest speaker in the chapel of the church where I was raised. We were attending a meeting for the youth of the church on a summer Saturday morning, and the speaker was a distinguished professor of divinity at Yale University. All of us were interested in hearing what he had to say.

I can’t remember what began to alarm me about what he was saying, but I do remember when he said that there was a god for the Old Testament and another god for the New Testament, and a different god for today, my heart pounded out of my chest. Without thinking, I jumped to my feet, interrupted him, and said that was not what the Bible said. In an extremely condescending voice modulated to intimidate me, he inquired, “And just what do you think the Bible says?” Quickly, to my mind, God brought these words, “The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). He had a startled, somewhat offended, yet quizzical, look on his face, as if to say, “Who has dared to challenge me?” But an all-out confrontation was avoided because my friends pulled on my shirt, “Anne! Sit down! He’s a professor from Yale, for goodness’ sake. Be quiet!” So I sat down. But while I may have been silent on the outside, I was still arguing on the inside.

About two years after I had confronted the Yale professor, I made a life-defining choice of faith when I knelt down by the window seat in my bedroom and surrendered my life for service to Jesus Christ, a decision that I continue to live out on a daily basis. Thus began a lifetime of choices, some small, some large, some public, some private, but each one seemed to build on the next one, serving to strengthen and develop and grow my faith.

While I understand that God has enabled some Christians to grow up very quickly in their faith, God has graciously allowed my faith to develop over a lifetime of choices. While you may not have the luxury of a lifetime ahead of you to make the critical choices that will develop your faith, it’s important that you start—one choice at a time. God knows how long you will have to develop your faith, and He will make sure that it’s sufficient. But you must start.

The biblical prophet Daniel is Exhibit A of a man who demonstrated real faith through choice after choice after choice. He not only said he believed, but he backed up his words with death-defying actions. We are not told when he originally made his choice to believe, but all indications are that it was during his early years growing up in Jerusalem.

By the time he walked on the stage of world history as a teenager, his faith seemed remarkably well developed, but still required him to make choices. Daniel’s first choice recorded in Scripture is one that took place after what could only be described as the horrific day when the Babylonian troops surrounded Jerusalem, then conquered it. They proceeded to search out the cream of the intelligent, gifted, personable, handsome, capable young men, enslaving them and transporting them back to Babylon to serve in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court.

When Daniel arrived in Babylon, he was immediately plunged into an intense three-year brainwashing regimen. At the same time, more than likely, he was also stripped of his masculinity, since his immediate supervisor was described as the “master of [the] eunuchs,” implying Daniel was one (1:3, NKJV).

While it was impossible for Daniel to prevent the changing of his name or his emasculation, he drew the line at being forced to eat the king’s food that had first been sacrificed to idols. Because Daniel’s faith was centered on the living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give tribute to other gods, even indirectly, would be to betray and deny his own God. So he “resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way” (1:8).

The choice to make that request, as innocent and reasonable as it sounds to you and me, was actually death-defying. Daniel did not back down. Not even a little. He had made the choice not to defile himself. So the only alternative he could think of was to place his life in God’s hands.

Ten days later when they were evaluated, Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego “looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food” (1:15).

Daniel had in reality put God to the test. God came through for him in such a way that Daniel’s faith was surely strengthened and grew. And God will come through for you, too, but you must make the choice to give Him first place in your life. {eoa}

Adapted from The Daniel Prayer: Prayer that Moves Heaven and Changes Nations Copyright © 2016, by Anne Graham Lotz. Use by permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com. Book available for purchase at http://www.zondervan.com/the-daniel-prayer.

It’s silly not to talk about the No. 1 issue, the No. 1 temptation, the No. 1 economic engine in culture for men—and that’s sex.

Testosterone never goes away; your sex life isn’t just a physical thing. God knows where your sex life really is—on the inside. There is so much sexual confusion, so much brokenness. I have never met a man who hasn’t, in some way, been impacted or broken in the area of sex in one form or another. 

God’s mind on sex is very positive. Sex is a gift. That’s how He created you. Sex is a good thing. He wants you to use that aspect of your life for positive things, not to misuse or abuse it.

God hates sexual sin, not because He hates sex, but because He loves life. Our identity as God’s men, our energy and expression sexually is to honor, worship and glorify God.

But the message from culture is that sex is a compartmentalized, private aspect of your life that you really shouldn’t talk about a whole lot, and that it’s a deeply personal and individualized choice and experience. It’s almost a separated functionally in our physical and spiritual lives.

Unfortunately for all of us, culture is wrong, and you can’t separate sex and spirituality because God created it. It is not just another bodily function. It’s not just another pleasurable experience. It’s far more than that. To deny the spirituality of sex is disastrous in your life and the lives of those you’ve hooked up with.

Let’s take a look under the hood. We are going to look at the body. We will eventually go body, mind and spirit, but for this article, we are going to look at the physical aspects of sex and masculinity.

What is going on in your body? Men have testosterone. Our male physical development hits its peak at an early age. It has this bell curve we are all familiar with, but did you know that men have what we would call a man period—or a man’s cycle?

Women get blamed for their week of the month. It’s not a good time and they are suffering all the time. You know, she’s in a bad mood, with good biological reason.

After doing some research, I realized that men have a period too—or a man cycle—connected to their testosterone.  I’m going to prove to you emphatically, from your own personal experience, that this is true.

Testosterone levels are highest when: morning or evening?

Testosterone is highest in the morning. That’s why you are going hunting in your shorts in the morning. When you wake up, that’s when there is blood flow. I don’t know why God did that, but for men it’s highest in the morning and lowest at bedtime.

Do you know that men also have emotional cycles related to their testosterone levels? It runs in a four- to six-week rhythm.

There are also periods of low testosterone levels, whether you’re older or younger. The lowest levels are generally in the spring, usually in April. The spring would be the male sexual winter. When we are in that season of four to six weeks, the key feelings that men have are apathy and indifference.

The peak time is November. I don’t know why that is, but maybe that’s why it’s football season.    

Here’s where it’s actually more serious. Testosterone is very intimately linked to your level of stress, anxiety, depression, aggression and mood. This is very important because negative emotions have a negative impact on the people around you.

Is this a physiological thing? Is this fate? Can we control our hormones’ behavior?

Yes, testosterone has the ability to produce more stress, depression, aggression and anger in your life, but you have control over that. It’s all about who you are: your beliefs, your values and where are you going to go with those negative emotions and the impacts of testosterone in your life.

That’s where we’ll go in Part Two, because if there is a natural physiological presence of testosterone, and I’m single, I’m married, I’m more mature, my body is more mature or I’m single again, where do we go with it? {eoa}

Kenny Luck is the president and founder of Every Man Ministries. As the former men’s pastor at Saddleback Church in California and current leadership pastor at Crossline Community Church, Kenny has found the proven way to improve men’s ministries around the world. Sleeping Giant is this blueprint, and gives men the tools they need to lead and understand their own men’s ministry. Watch Kenny’s teachings at everymanministries.com and start your men’s group today!

Follow Every Man Ministries now on Facebook, Twitter (@everymm,) and YouTube.

You may be in for a surprise. There are so many ways in which sugar affects us that it’s almost staggering. It’s time to get smart about this stuff. We’re a nation gone wild on a sugar binge. Everyone should be warned of sugar’s deleterious effects on the body, yet little warning is ever given.

Here are 11 reasons you should knock sugar out of your diet today:

1. Sugar is a major contributor to inflammation. Inflammation is a top cause of heart disease and nearly all other diseases. You can read more about inflammation in my book The Juice Lady’s Anti-Inflammation Diet. Inflammation has been identified as a major factor in most diseases, from cancer and diabetes to atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s.

2. Sugar will raise your cholesterol. For years, we were told it was fat that raised our cholesterol, but sugar is far worse. Research links sugar with unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

3. ADHD, hyperactivity and autism are affected by sugar. Perhaps the biggest reason to ditch sugar is the children. Sugar affects their mood and behavior in very adverse ways—irritability, hyperactivity, angry outbursts, and just plain bad mood. Every parent knows that allowing a child sugar or anything with ample amounts of sugar can dramatically change their behavior!

4. Sugar destroys your teeth. This certainly isn’t new news. Since we were kids we’ve all been told that sugar causes cavities. We know that sugar increases the bacteria in your mouth, which erodes enamel. Tooth erosion occurs when acid attacks tooth enamel.

5. Sugar causes aging and wrinkles. For the last four decades, Americans have avoided fats and gorged on sugar. Sugar in the amount that the typical American eats continually upsets our body chemistry and causes the inflammatory process that leads to aging.

6. Sugar contributes to acid reflux (GERD). Research shows that a very low-carbohydrate diet improves gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). Another study published in 2008 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology found that “GERD is present in about 40 percent of people with diabetes.

7. Sugar can impair thyroid function. According to the Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, 27 million Americans are battling with dysfunctional thyroid glands, with many of them going undiagnosed.

8. Cancer is linked to high levels of sugar in the diet. Elevated insulin, especially as seen in an obese or overweight society, often shows up in the development of many cancers, especially in breast and colon cancers.

9. Sugar contributes to arterial disease. High levels of blood sugar are extremely damaging to our blood vessels, and the long-term results of arterial disease usually involve heart disease and strokes.

10. Sugar affects us spiritually. Your body’s desire for food has roots in your soul’s need for spiritual intimacy with God. As we grow spiritually, we will see our body as a temple in which our spirit dwells and how much we need to care for it in order to nurture our connection with God.

11. Sugar promotes insomnia. When you eat sweets, you may not sleep well at all. Sweets cause your blood sugar to dip too low, which is usually in the middle of the night. Then you wake up and can’t get back to sleep.

Look online for what the establishment has to say about the dangers of sugar. There are as many studies showing there’s no problem with sugar as there are studies telling us about the dangers. It’s as wild and crazy as a 3-year-old after an ice cream party. The sugar lobby is alive and well. Researchers get paid off. Truth-tellers get blacklisted. And the sugar industry continues to produce sugar in all its forms, and food manufacturers continue to dump more and more of it into their products each year, killing us sweetly with their song that all is well because it tastes delicious. {eoa}

Cherie Calbom, M.S., C.N., is the author of 21 books, including the best-sellers The Juice Lady’s Big Book of Juices, Green Smoothies and The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet. She holds a master of science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University. Cherie pioneered juicing in the home with her infomercial on the Home Shopping Network, and she and her husband conduct juice health retreats and health and healing conferences throughout the year. For more information, see juiceladycherie.com.

Excerpted from From The Juice Lady’s Sugar Knockout, Siloam (2016). To order your copy, click here.

Change. It’s never easy, is it?

Children grow up … jobs end … finances take a dip … parents grow older … people come and go.

How comforting it is to know that we indeed serve a God who never changes! What constant security that one piece of simple theology delivers into an otherwise unstable and vacillating life pattern!

As His dearly loved children, we can always depend upon His mercy, His lovingkindness and His strength to deliver us through any undesired or unanticipated change in life. His faithfulness is the solid stock upon which a human being is able to build a rock solid life.

And yet, still, things change.

One season of life quickly follows another … doors open and close … waves crash upon the shores of life …  and people slip away.

It has been my observation that although we serve a God who never changes, He loves to stir up change! He loves to cause change in an otherwise stable and mundane life.

If God never changes, why then does He love change so much?  If God remains constant through every season in life, why then does He cause change to happen in our quickly moving existence?

I believe that there is one answer for this not so difficult conundrum and it is simply this: He wants us to trust Him and not to place our trust in wobbly circumstances or fleeting events.

He desires that we, as His precious children, place our entire trust and security in Him and in His character rather than in wavering people or in unpredictable relationships.

God desires that nothing this side of heaven will offer the comfort and the faithfulness that only God is able to deliver.

So, if you are struggling with change today, you might want to change your gaze from your circumstances to your Father.

If you have found yourself in the midst of seismic shift in your life, you might want to move your stuff from the sand to the Rock.

If the world that you have built seems to be imploding due to unanticipated change, I can guarantee you that God’s got you. He is holding steady and He remains strong in the midst of your quake. He simply knows of no other way to be.

And, if the change that you are experiencing, is due to your mistakes or misjudgments in life, take heart knowing that, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13).

My advice to you today is this: Press on! Press on in spite of change and in spite of capricious circumstances. Don’t be moved from a place of joy and hope although everything around you is moving and readjusting.

And while you walk through this season of change, you might just try singing a song or two along your unsettled way! If your mobile circumstances and fleeing relationships have left you without a song, you might just try singing this beloved hymn that thousands of pilgrims traveling through change have sung before you:

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness! Oh God, my Father!

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,

Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me!” {eoa}

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written five books, including No More Ordinary, Holy Estrogen!, The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart and Defiant Joy! Her most recent book, Refined: Finding Joy in the Midst of the Fire, was released last August. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming. You can also listen to Carol’s “A Jolt of Joy” program daily on the Charisma Podcast Network. Connect with Carol or inquire about her speaking to your group at justjoyministries.com.

What’s my purpose? What is God’s will for my life? And how do I know if I’m currently on the right path? These are all questions we’ve once asked ourselves, and I believe the topic of God’s will to be one of the most discussed topics among evangelical Christians as it pertains one’s spiritual journey.

What if God’s will isn’t as complicated as we make it out to be? What if there isn’t a right or wrong school to go to, or job to take, or person to marry? What if we’re making more of a mess by asking questions than we are finding clarity? What if we’re making this whole thing a lot harder to understand that it’s supposed to be?

While trying to discover my own purpose in this world, I asked myself a lot of the same questions noted above. I guess just like everyone else, I wanted to make sure I was making the right decisions, staying true to God’s plan for my life, and weighing out all my options to make sure I was choosing the correct path in life. I wasn’t asking so many questions because I was unsure of God’s will, but instead, because I wanted to make sure the decisions I was making had me in the center of his will.

I wonder how many of us are spending so much time worrying about making the right decisions in life that it’s actually interfering with our relationship with God. Could we be stressing so much about God’s perfect will for our lives that we’re actually missing out on the bigger picture? I believe so …

“The will of God is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose. You either line yourself up with the Son of God…or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world.”― Elisabeth Elliot

I understand that God has a specific plan and purpose for each of us in this life, but I’ve always wondered how truly specific that plan really is. Is there any wiggle room? Is there space to breathe? While some people hear audible callings upon their life, which I believe are in fact from God, what about those who haven’t heard exactly which road to take?

I understand that the Bible states only one road leads to salvation, but what about our day-to-day lives? What about those people who are at a crossroads in life, one where both roads lead to something good and righteous? What then?

God’s Will is Like Ice Cream

When discussing God’s will and our purpose here on earth as Christians, one passage of the Bible that has always stood out to me is 1 Corinthians 10:31, which says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” To me, this passage is the essence of God’s will for each of our lives. That no matter what we end up doing in life, just do it for the glory of God.

If you sing, do it for the glory of God. If you’re a stay at home parent, do it for the glory of God. If you’re a writer, do it for the glory of God. If you feel called to be a teacher, do it for the glory of God. If you work at a restaurant, then do it for the glory of God. No matter what season of life you’re currently in, just do it all for the glory of God. That’s God’s will for you. Because when you glorify Him, you align yourself with that of Christ.

I believe God’s will to be similar to ice cream: He doesn’t care what flavor you choose, just as long as it’s ice cream.

So, instead of stressing whether or not you’re making the right decisions, ask yourself whether or not your decisions are glorifying God. If they aren’t, then I don’t believe them to be part of God’s will. But if they are, then you may just be right where God wants you to be.

God’s will for your life is simple; glorify Him in all that you do. {eoa}

Jarrid Wilson is a husband, dad, pastor, author and inspirational blogger. His articles have been viewed by millions, showcased on some of today’s hottest talk shows, and featured on national news stations worldwide. He is a dynamic speaker whose outside-the-box perspectives have gained him national recognition from some of today’s most influential Christian leaders and pastors. Unafraid to tackle tough and controversial topics, his blog is one of the most talked about faith-based blogs on the web, and his dedication to use social media for the sake of that faith has been paramount to his success as a writer. His newest book entitled, Jesus Swagger is now available worldwide.

For the original article, visit jarridwilson.com.

Enjoying life involves a variety of things, including spending time with children (or grandchildren) and being able to travel, or to enjoy simply life in general. Key health decisions impact the longevity of life, and many are simple to follow.

Digestive Tract Health

Studies continue to confirm healthy digestive tracts increase health and wellness in the individual. Recently, one study suggested eating sufficient fiber within the diet can indeed extend life. The end result of the study supports a healthy fiber intake reduces death related to cardiovascular issues, infectious diseases and respiratory illnesses.

Information provided by the National Cancer Institute reveals more specific statistics within the study. One study that included nearly 220,000 people over a period of nine years offers continuing favorable data. A change in the diet can add years of life.

Decreasing Risk of Death

Eating a healthy amount of fiber every day helps to keep the digestive system working properly. Many studies suggest this one action alone decreases the risk of developing cancers, diabetes and heart disease.

A fiber-rich diet allows the body to absorb nutrients more efficiently. Soluble fibers “grab” water and becomes a gel-like substance. This mixture undergoes a fermenting process. Insoluble fibers also add bulk to the stool.

During the fermentation process of soluble fibers, the production of salubrious compounds results and this provides benefits for the body. Add this process to the presence of insoluble fiber in the digestive tract and the result includes more bulk, soft stools, and less time for food to be in the digestive tract.

Healthy Guidelines

Individuals who consume at least 26 grams of fiber each day will potentially gain a 22 percent advantage of life over those who consume less. Individuals followed during the research study also decreased in health risks of heart diseases and lung issues, and their bodies were able to resist infectious ailments.

Although the federal government recommends people to consume 28 grams of fiber in a day on a 2,000-calorie program, many in America do not consume a sufficient amount of dietary fiber. Youth obesity rates are on the rise and seem strongly related to decreased fiber intake adding to the current health epidemic that, for the most part, can be avoided by making healthy decisions.

In addition to consuming foods high in fiber such as beans, peas, barley, legumes and lentils, consider trying Dr. Colbert’s pharmaceutical grade Fiber Formula. Click here for the details of this fiber.

Don Colbert, M.D., has been board-certified in Family Practice for over 25 years and practices Anti-Aging and Integrative medicine. He is a New York Times best-selling author of books such as The Bible Cure Series, What Would Jesus Eat, Deadly Emotions, What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You, and many more with over 10 million books sold. He is the Medical Director of the Divine Health Wellness Center in Orlando, Florida, where he has treated over 50,000 patients.

For the original article, visit drcolbert.com.

What a thrill it is to “flow in the Spirit.” You feel that what you are doing is worthwhile; you feel authenticated, you feel loved; you know you are a part of something very important—the kingdom of God.

It happens to me when I am preparing a sermon, witnessing to an unsaved person, helping my wife clean the house, doing the shopping, or anything else in life that is either necessary or a blessing to people. You feel this when visiting a sick person or resisting temptation; when you walk to work or do work in the office. It is a 24-hour-a-day possibility.

What does it mean to “flow in the Spirit?” It is moving along with Him, keeping in step with Him, and missing nothing He may want to do through us. The joy of flowing in the Spirit is equal to anything God may ever do for us and in us.

This is what Peter and John were doing when they were walking toward the temple one afternoon but were unexpectedly stopped, only to see the healing of a forty-year old man who had never walked. (See Acts 3:1-10) There are two questions that emerge:

• Why were these disciples led at this particular time to administer healing to this man?
• How did they know this man would suddenly be healed?

As to the first question, have you ever wondered why Jesus Himself did not heal this man? After all, Jesus walked in and out of the temple—right past this beggar—countless times over the previous three years. Why didn’t Jesus heal him?

For all I know, Jesus wanted to heal the man long before the man received his healing at the hands of Peter and John. We don’t know whether this is true, though we only know that Jesus went past him without healing him. Why not?

Believe it or not, Jesus was not His “own man,” He said so: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). Jesus took orders from the Father. Everything Jesus said was mirroring or repeating what the Father granted to be said or done. Jesus may well have wanted to heal the man at the Gate Beautiful. Perhaps the Father said to Him, “I’m saving him for Peter and John.” What we do know is that the man was not healed until this point.

God is sovereign, and a missing note in teaching and preaching today is this very aspect about God. The sovereignty of God refers mainly to His will and power. God has a will of His own—independent of His creation—and that will needs to be affirmed and honored for whatever He does or does not do (See Ex. 33:19). In other words, God the Father was behind the decision not to heal this man during Jesus’ days on earth, but equally behind the reason Peter and John were the chosen instruments to grant healing at this particular time.

And yet there is to be seen an equally important teaching regarding the Holy Spirit: He too does only what the Father tells Him to do. Jesus and the Holy Spirit in this sense are identical because both the Son and the Spirit carry out the Father’s wishes and nothing more. All that Jesus ever did, and all that the Holy Spirit ever does, is sovereignly orchestrated by the Father in heaven. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit “will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears” (John 16:13). This goes to show that the Holy Spirit, like Jesus, does not act independently but does only what He hears from the Father. The Holy Spirit was sovereignly at work, carrying out the Father’s will, when Peter and John came upon this man at the temple gate. That is the only explanation for the healing at that moment in time and not before.

But now to the second question: how did Peter and John know that this man’s time had come and that the Spirit was willing to perform this wonderful miracle? Answer: they had the joy of flowing in the Spirit. It was not Peter and John’s idea to stop and address the lame man; it was the Spirit’s idea. This man’s time of healing had come. They were privileged to be part of the Father’s plan at such a time as this.

Peter and John were enjoying sweet fellowship with the Spirit and with each other. They were keeping in step with the Spirit, and so they did not miss what God was prepared to do. It gave them real joy to be involved in this miracle.

Flowing in the Spirit means to honor God’s “no” as well as His “yes.” Paul and his companions were “kept by the Holy Spirit” (“forbidden,” KJV) from preaching the word in the province of Asia (Acts 16:6). To flow in the Spirit is to have such an intimate relationship with Him that you recognize what He wants you to do. 

Paul and his companions walked in the Spirit because they also knew His ways. God lamented of ancient Israel, “They have not known my ways” (Heb. 3:10).

God wants intimacy with us, and there is no greater joy than to keep in step with the Spirit. To flow in the Spirit is to learn God’s ways, style, gentleness, indignation, impulses, manner of doing things, and His way with people. In other words, flowing in the Spirit is doing what pleases the Spirit and what He prompts you to do. {eoa}

Adapted from Pure Joy by R. T. Kendall, copyright 2015, published by Charisma House. This book will show you how to receive and keep the pure joy only the Holy Spirit can bring. Balancing both basic principles in the Word with their practical applications, R.T. Kendall unlocks the key to maintaining an open, unhindered, joyful relationship with the Holy Spirit and continually flow in Him. To order your copy click here.

Prayer Power for the Week of April 17, 2016

This week ask the Lord to teach you how to flow in His Spirit by doing what pleases Him and what He prompts you to do. Seek the intimacy that puts you in step with Him. Stay tuned to His voice and continue to pray for opportunities to reveal His love and be used by Him in supernatural ways. Ask the Lord for more laborers for His end-time harvest. Pray for those victimized by terrorism and those suffering for righteousness sake. Remember Israel and our allies as you pray for our own nation and its leaders. Pray for God’s will in the upcoming elections (John 16:13; Heb. 3:10; Matt. 6:9-13; Matt 9:35-38).

In this video, Eric Gilmour and Daniel Kolenda discuss a question that they have often been asked. Some people feel unworthy and some even question their own salvation.

This becomes a hindrance in prayer and in the Christian life. The opposite can also be true—some people cannot progress spiritually because of pride. Both hindrances need to be put aside when we come to Jesus.

Watch and hear what Eric and Daniel have to say about this. {eoa}

Change. It’s never easy, is it?

Children grow up … jobs end … finances take a dip … parents grow older … people come and go.

How comforting it is to know that we indeed serve a God who never changes! What constant security that one piece of simple theology delivers into an otherwise unstable and vacillating life pattern!

As His dearly loved children, we can always depend upon His mercy, His lovingkindness and His strength to deliver us through any undesired or unanticipated change in life. His faithfulness is the solid stock upon which a human being is able to build a rock solid life.

And yet, still, things change.

One season of life quickly follows another … doors open and close … waves crash upon the shores of life …  and people slip away.

It has been my observation that although we serve a God who never changes, He loves to stir up change! He loves to cause change in an otherwise stable and mundane life.

If God never changes, why then does He love change so much?  If God remains constant through every season in life, why then does He cause change to happen in our quickly moving existence?

I believe that there is one answer for this not so difficult conundrum and it is simply this: He wants us to trust Him and not to place our trust in wobbly circumstances or fleeting events.

He desires that we, as His precious children, place our entire trust and security in Him and in His character rather than in wavering people or in unpredictable relationships.

God desires that nothing this side of heaven will offer the comfort and the faithfulness that only God is able to deliver.

So, if you are struggling with change today, you might want to change your gaze from your circumstances to your Father.

If you have found yourself in the midst of seismic shift in your life, you might want to move your stuff from the sand to the Rock.

If the world that you have built seems to be imploding due to unanticipated change, I can guarantee you that God’s got you. He is holding steady and He remains strong in the midst of your quake. He simply knows of no other way to be.

And, if the change that you are experiencing, is due to your mistakes or misjudgments in life, take heart knowing that, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13).

My advice to you today is this: Press on! Press on in spite of change and in spite of capricious circumstances. Don’t be moved from a place of joy and hope although everything around you is moving and readjusting.

And while you walk through this season of change, you might just try singing a song or two along your unsettled way! If your mobile circumstances and fleeing relationships have left you without a song, you might just try singing this beloved hymn that thousands of pilgrims traveling through change have sung before you:

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness! Oh God, my Father!

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,

Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me!” {eoa}

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written five books, including No More Ordinary, Holy Estrogen!, The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart and Defiant Joy! Her most recent book, Refined: Finding Joy in the Midst of the Fire, was released last August. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming. You can also listen to Carol’s “A Jolt of Joy” program daily on the Charisma Podcast Network. Connect with Carol or inquire about her speaking to your group at justjoyministries.com.

David Akers walked into the kitchen to finally tell his wife. Feeling weak, he had to put his hand on the counter to hold himself up.

That’s when she asked, “What’s wrong? You have been acting weird the past couple of days.” What she didn’t know was that the money was gone.

Akers was in his ninth year as a kicker with the Philadelphia Eagles and had gone to three Pro Bowls. He had earned millions of dollars. Several days before, he had received a call from the FBI. Although he had done his due diligence and sought the advice from wise business experts prior, the money he had invested with Triton Financial to purchase real estate had been illegally diverted by the company’s chief executive. Now eight years of NFL salary, close to $4 million, was gone.

Fortunately, Akers has a wife who cares more about relationships than she does about material things. While losing that amount of money hurts, a strange look of relief came over her face. She said, “Thank God. I thought you were going to say you were leaving me or something. As long as we are together, we will be fine.”

That unique perspective has helped them approach each day from a position of strength rather than fear. It is my pleasure to announce that David Akers, a married father of three, has become an All Pro Dad NFL Spokesman. Here are five thoughts that helped him face his financial problems with courage and resolve.

‘Look Forward and Lead’

When hard times hit, a person can dwell on the past or move forward. As a husband and father, Akers had to set the tone for the family. It was time to embrace a new day. Things may look different for them now, but that certainly doesn’t mean that they will be worse. The future may feel less secure, but he has chosen to move forward and lead the way with faith and hope. That type of approach has a major impact on the well-being of each family member.

‘We Always Want a Little Bit More’

We tend to think, “If only I had (insert object of value), I would be content.” However, once we get that thing, we want something else. The more we get, the more we want, never grateful for what we have. The cycle has to stop somewhere. Better to stop it now, rather than later.

‘We Have Our Family’

When something traumatic happens, it makes you remember what is truly important. The key to a full life is found in relationships. Material wealth is temporal while relationships are eternal.

‘Time to Swallow My Pride and Downsize’

The whole experience was humbling for Akers. Money and fame bring a feeling of status and accomplishment. That was another thing that was lost. Pride will cause a person to make bad decisions that have repercussions for the whole family. Fortunately for David’s family, he took the road of humility.

‘It’s Not My Money’

Right before he received the call from the FBI, Akers and his wife had been praying about giving a sizable amount of money to needy families. They had committed to that decision the day before the call came. They believe that the money they have is provided by God and, therefore, not theirs. So even after the huge loss, they still followed through on their commitment. Their faith in God’s provision gives them courage and freedom.

BJ Foster is the content manager for All Pro Dad and a married father of two.

For the original article, visit allprodad.com.