".......so that I might finish my course with joy...." (Acts 20:24; KJV), I don't believe God wants us to be boring stodgy Christians. If we could enjoy life rather than rushing from one busy thing to another, then we would have a better witness to the world.

God: “giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17; KJV) and in John 10:10 Jesus said: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. The writer of Ecclesiastes told us to find ENJOYMENT in everything we do and even adds that this is from God (Eccl 2:24; 5:18).

The apostle Peter taught that if we want to: "love life and see good days", there are 3 things we should do: 1. Watch what we say. 2. Do what is right. 3. Search for peace (1 Peter 3:10-11). I would like to add one more scripture to that advice which is found in Acts 20:35, here we are told: “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. Once you make your aim in life to be a giver (and that doesn't just mean money), then you cannot fail to enjoy life, because you will be putting others first and that is a great prescription for joy. 

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The story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet always impacts me each time I read it (John 13:1-14). It is an example of selfless humility and love. When reading that story the other day it struck me that in washing the disciples' feet Jesus would have done that act of love to Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

Jesus then exhorted us to wash one another’s feet and even those of our enemies: “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14; KJV).

On the cross Jesus asked his Father to forgive those who crucified him: “Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus taught that we should love our enemies, do them good and pray for them (Matt 5:44). We are told that we should never repay evil for evil and should be at peace with people (Rom 12:17-18).

Paul went on to say that God will deal with those who may choose to cause us harm (v 19). Our role is to overcome evil with good (love) and seek to be a blessing to those who are against us (v 20-21).

Isn't it amazing that we have a God who carries our burdens (Matt 11:28-30), protects us and fights our battles for us (2 Chron 20:15). We just need to trust (Prov 3:506), walk in love (Eph 5:2), and cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7).

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The Apostle Peter denied Jesus 3 times at Jesus' greatest time of need (John 18:15-27). After his resurrection Jesus took time to specifically let Peter know that he loved him and forgave him (John 21:15-17). It is interesting that Jesus told Peter, who would become a leader in the early church, to feed his lambs, tend his sheep and feed his sheep.

Feed means to feed or keep, while tend can also mean to feed but also to shepherd or pastor. Peter exhorted the elders (shepherds) of the church to oversee, care for, shepherd and feed the flock, or church (1 Peter 5:2). The shepherd leads, protects, feeds and pastures his flock (Ps 23, John 10:1-30).

We have shepherds, our pastors and elders, who provide spiritual food from the Bible. When Jesus charged Peter there was such a clear emphasis on feeding the flock. We should heed this emphasis in our own lives.

God's word is truth (John 17:17) and this truth sets us free (John 8:32). God's word is life (Psalm 119:50); it is vibrant, alive and full of power (Heb 4:12). This power will change us (Rom 12:2), make us all God wants us to be, bring God's blessings and grow our faith (Rom 10:17).

No wonder the psalmist said "thy word have I hid in mine heart" (Psalm 119:11; KJV). We would do well to heed this advice.

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"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth" (Phil 2: 9-10; KJV).

The name of Jesus is higher than any other name; that means anything else that can be named - any kind of problem, any kind of illness, any kind of anything - must bow to the name of Jesus. The word "name" in Greek means not just a person's name but also their character and authority.

That is why our Lord told us to pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13-14; John 16:24). He actually said he would do whatever we ask when we pray in the name of Jesus and that we would be full of joy as a result.

Peter did just that in Acts 3:6 when he commanded a lame man to be healed in the name of Jesus: “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk”. In Acts 3:16 Peter added the it was through faith in the name of Jesus that the lame man was healed.

We can command demons to leave in Jesus name, sickness to leave, relationships to be restored and so on. There is power in the name of Jesus. Use the name of Jesus today with the authority that is behind that name and expect results.

Please recommend our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training” to others. Check out our web site for information on our book and more encouraging Bible based blogs. ASK US FOR A FREE COPY OF A CHAPTER FROM OUR BOOK, using the contact us page on our website; click here: www.onthewayinlove.com    

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb 12:1; KJV).

When we are born again as Christians we embark on a wonderful journey of faith, culminating in our transfer to heaven to be with the Lord forever (1 Peter 1:9). In the verse above from Hebrews Paul exhorts us to run the race. We don't just coast through life. Someone once told me that as Christians we are either growing or going backwards in our walk with God, never standing still.

Our verse from Hebrews tells us we need to lay aside the weights and sins that can slow, distract, or hold us back in our growth and maturation as Christians. We need focus and discipline just like the athlete who trains to win a race (1 Cor 9:24). We all know what sin is but weights are the distractions of life. Some of them may be good things but if they are not kept in proper priority, or even removed from our lives, they can slow, or even stop the progress and growth in our Christian walk.

We need to be single minded and focused in our walk with God and continuously examining what we call priorities. As Paul said, all things are permissible for me but not all things are useful (1 Cor 10:23). In other words, many of our goals may seem good to us but do they take us where God wants us to go? In the end we all need to be able to say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim 4:7 KJV).

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 Please recommend our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training” to others. Check out our web site for information on our book and more encouraging Bible based blogs. ASK US FOR A FREE COPY OF A CHAPTER FROM OUR BOOK, using the contact us page on our website; click here: www.onthewayinlove.com