Category: <span>thoughts by Rev. D. Forster</span>

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1-5, ESV)

God is our Father, He is our creator, and creator of all things. When we accept Jesus as truth, and believe fully in Him, we are adopted by God as His true children. We all become sons and daughters of God and are given the promise to spend eternity with Him.

We often focus only on the promise of eternity with God and sometimes neglect the fact that God is our Father. What does any good and righteous father do? He disciplines and teaches and sometimes even dishes out a dose of tough love. Yes, our God dishes out tough love, because He truly loves you. We see this here in verse two. Jesus says that God still prunes the branches that produce fruit. To prune is to remove the dead parts of the branch and even sometimes the live parts if it will help the branch produce more fruit.

So, how does this apply to you and me? Not all bad things that happen to you are really bad in the long run (this doesn’t mean it won’t hurt). God allows bad things to happen as a part of pruning you. We step out of our trials and tribulations closer to God, and with Him back as number one in our lives. This leads us to verse four. The branch can not produce fruit by itself. If God is not number one in your life, you are doing things on your own accord (by yourself) and are most likely due for a pruning.

For some of us, this is a hard concept to understand. Please allow me to share something from my life that may shed some light. At one point in my life, my job and providing and income had become more important than God. It wasn’t affecting my life any more than any of my neighbors around me, so I felt that I was doing the right thing. I saw no harm in my actions, in fact, I thought it was a good thing all around. Please notice the key word here…I.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

God removed that job from my life. At the time, I thought it was the worst thing that could happen. I lost many “things” I had stored up. My prayers for a return to the environment I had been in were not answered, at least not in the way I expected them to be. In the moment of it all, it was devastating.

Yet, now many years later, God has done an amazing work on me. I learned during that time, that God needed to be number one in my life. I learned to lean on Him to help me get out of the mess that I had created. I trusted in Him, even if I did not understand what He was doing in my life. All of this has created many blessings in my life. I would not change it for anything. I am truly a better man today because of how God pruned me in my past, and still does today.

Folks, you can take this for what it is worth. In the heat of the trial, it is hard to understand that good can come from it. That God will bring praise and glory to Himself from it. I am living proof that it does bring praise and glory to Him, and I pray that whatever any of you are facing today in your lives, that you turn to God for help. Hold on to Jesus and the cross like it is life or death, because it is.

Father, we thank you today for the pruning You do in our lives. We praise you Lord, for loving us so much, that You only seek to better our lives. Lord we thank you for never forsaking us, for always being there for us when we need you, when we cry out to You. Lord I pray that if any of my brothers and sisters today are going through a pruning period of their life, that You fill them today overflowing with Your grace, mercy, and love. That they tie their life rope to Your anchor and that they hold on for dear life. Father we praise you when we win, and we praise you when we lose. Watch over us today and protect us from the snares of this world, in the name of Jesus, Amen

By Rev. Daniel Forster
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FURTHER READING

Facing Trials by Phil Ware

• How to Welcome Trials with Joy? – Book of James Bible Study

A Mother’s Promise to God

Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster


“…[You] have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all. Colossians 3:10-11 (HCSB)


The world looks at image in terms of popularity, appearance, and status quo. We as humans try so hard to fit in, be accepted, and look like we have it all together. But these images are just an illusion. The true image we represent is in the image of God Himself.

Half my life was spent as a people pleaser. I was always striving to gain the world’s acceptance and recognition. Not only was it exhausting, it was extremely unsatisfying as well. This world can’t give you a peace about who you are. Only God can. He says you were created in His image. In Christ you are born again, and you are renewed in His image. Only when we recognize this will we have peace about who we are.

Do you know what this means?

It means that your looks have nothing to do with your image. It means that the amount of money you make, or your status quo has nothing to do with who you really are. You are His child. You are His beloved, and your name is written upon His heart as He created you.

I don’t need my name in lights
I’m famous in my Father’s eyes
Make no mistake
He knows my name
I’m not living for applause
I’m already so adored.”
Francesca Battistelli

In Christ we are one with Him. There is nothing that defines us other than His light, His love, and the fruit of His Spirit.

Father, help us to stop seeking our image of who we are from this world around us, and to start believing what our image is in You. You breathed life into us, handpicked us, and molded us to be exactly who You wanted us to be. Let us rest in knowing who we are in You: loved, treasured, adored, and redeemed. Amen.

By Rev. Daniel Forster
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Mirroring God’s Image –  by Christa Hardin

• The DNA – by John Grant

Forgiveness – Yourself / Others

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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster


And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.Matthew 7:28-29 (NKJV)


Humans will corrupt the Word of God, it is in our nature. It was common place then by the scribes and religious leaders, as it is common place today, to take the Word of God and use it so it is advantageous to our wants; our way of life. When Jesus spoke, this was not the case. He spoke with authority as the Word of God. There was no agenda at all hidden behind His Words. Jesus spoke with a clear agenda, with the authority of God, to remove the facade of religion; to bring us into a relationship with Him.

Jesus in Chapter 7 of Matthew is clearly calling us to do more than just acknowledge His Words; He is calling us to follow Him. To follow others and the ways of the world will only lead to a way of life that is the “wide or broad way“, as opposed to the “narrow” way. There is no room in a relationship with Jesus for judging others, using prayer as a way to show authority on others, or to do to others that you would not want done to you.

This is His authority on which He speaks from. This is the Word of God from God Himself. No scribe or leader would speak this way, for it is not the way of humanity; it is the way of God.

Matthew 7:21 (HCSB)

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ?only? the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

by Rev. Daniel Forster
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Authority Over the Enemy – by Bill Bright

• Waiting on God – How Do We wait? – Bible Study by Sylvia Gunter

God’s Masterpiece  – by Sylvia Gunter

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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster


But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23, NLT


Heartache and pain is part of life.

It can either bring us closer to the One who can transform the difficulties of life into fruit, or it can make us bitter, angry, and full of resentment. For a large portion of my life, I chose the latter. I had no peace in my heart, or patience, faithfulness and self-control, for that matter. I let the hurts of the world define who I was and what my heart would produce.

God changed all of that. I am a child of God. We are all sons and daughters of God because of what Jesus has done for us. He came as one of us, in the flesh, to die for our sins, shedding His own perfect blood as the sacrifice for all time. He has given us the right to be His children and heirs of His Kingdom. It is in His unfailing and unending Grace (undeserved, forever faithful love) that we find our true existence: forgiven, redeemed, and beloved.

Your identity now resides in His love—His perfect, unconditional, and forever faithful love. It is only through Christ Jesus that your hurts from this world can be transformed into fruit of His Spirit. It is through Him alone that you can know you’re loved and that you are able to love others.

Are you finding your identity in your relationship with God or in the things of this world?

Heavenly Father, we come before You today with a humble and repentant heart, seeking You and only You. Fill us with Your love so we may overflow with the fruit of Your Spirit. Let it transform our hearts and spill over on to all we interact with in. Amen.

Thought: Identify anything that is preventing you from truly receiving God’s love deeply and passing it on. Ask Him to remove any fear, bitterness, and pain you’ve been carrying and to instead give you His Spirit of truth so your life will become more fruitful.

By Daniel Forster
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Fruit of the Spirit by Gail Rodgers

• Blessing of the Fruit of the Spirit – by Sylvia Gunter

 Fruit of Joy – by Sylvia Gunter

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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster


Have you heard the saying “perception is reality”? I used to believe that but praise God, He has taught me otherwise. All throughout the Bible we are taught that God does not see the same way that we do.

In 1 Samuel, the king Saul has lost the favor and spirit of the Lord our God because of his disobedience and his lack of repentance in his heart. God instructs Samuel the prophet to go to Bethlehem and seek a son of Jesse there. Samuel does not know his name. He has all of Jesse’s sons brought before him as the Lord directs him in which God will anoint as King of Israel. Today’s passage picks up the story when Samuel is looking on the sons of Jesse.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.”  But the Lord said to Samuel,
Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.1 Samuel 16:6-7 (ESV)

Notice even a man who knew God so well he was called to be a prophet for Him, did not see as the Lord saw. Samuel saw the first son, Eliab, and saw he was strong, tall, and fit to be anointed as king.

God on the other hand saw the hearts of all the sons of Jesse, and it was the smallest one that God choose to be the king if Israel.

We often judge ourselves, or judge others by our own sight. We assign value by size and stature, education and experience, by job or financial status. We also tend to judge by past sins.  It is in our human nature to classify and make order of things. Take a good look at David and you will see, that the only thing that made him a great leader, warrior, and king was his heart for God.

Even in David’s darkest hour of sin, his heart was full of repentance. David found his way back to God and found forgiveness from God.

As you step out into the world today ask yourself, “Do I see things from my point of view?” Do you judge by the standards you have been taught or do you turn to God, and seek understanding from Him? Do you see with your eyes, or with God’s eyes?

Everyone loves to believe what they see. Few fans consider the heart of their hero. Not so with God. Celebrities are made when people idolize outward appearance. God is not impressed because He sees through the facade and knows the heart of man
– From: Kirk CameronIntimate Moments with God” Volume two

by Rev. Daniel Forster
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Attribution Error by Julie Cosgrove

Loose the Weight of Shame – by Claire Colvin

Give Me Eyes to See –  by Phil Ware

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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster

What fears are holding you back from boldly stepping into the abundant life God has for you?


God gives us the choice of how we wish to see the obstacles and mistakes that fill our lives. Like the other choices He allows us to make, we can either listen to the world and let failure consume us, or we can listen to Him and learn to succeed through Him.

“And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ (Matthew 14:28-31 ESV)

Like Peter, when we try to succeed in something, we often start out strong. As believers we know we should seek Jesus, so with our eyes on Him, we step out in faith looking to succeed in what He has called us to do. Then, just like Peter, we usually run into an obstacle or two and become distracted. We are manipulated, lied to, or hurt; something in the world causes us to take our eyes off of our Lord and Savior.

If this has happened to you, you are not alone. Peter experienced distraction too and his life turned out remarkably. We know from Scripture that Jesus will always be there to grab hold of us and rescue us. We also know that there comes a bit of conviction from our Lord when we fail and take our eyes off of Him. What we sometimes forget is that His conviction is for our own good. It is a gesture of love, designed to bring us to repentance, which brings us closer to Him.

Each time we fail, we can grow closer to God as He teaches us how to succeed in Him and through Him. We have a choice: accept our failures and throw in the towel, or repent and turn our eyes back onto Jesus, learning to succeed in the will of our Father.

Many believers are afraid to even step out of the boat; fear of distraction or failure holds them back. Saints, failure is part of our growth process, and by God’s grace, it even brings healing.

Do not let the world put fear in you that keeps you from stepping out in faith and walking in the will of God. Let us cast away these fears and continue to walk in faith, knowing that His nail-scarred hand is right there to grab us when we fail.

Let us believe confidently that His grace and mercy is showering down on us to bring us closer to Him. Let us step out off the boat each and every day, letting our light shine in the dark places of this world. May our faithful steps glorify Him and His mighty name, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lord, please give me the faith to trust You fully and obey You without reservation. Help me to see every failure as a chance to run to you so I can experience the life of Jesus living through me more and more each day. I choose to step out of the boat today. Amen

What fears are holding you back from boldly stepping into the abundant life God has for you? How could you overcome those fears through Christ?

by Daniel Forster
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Further Reading

God’s Mysterious Ways

Don’t Limit God

•  Salvation Explained

 

Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster


And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38 (NLT)


Life is messy and unpredictable.

When I first surrendered my life to Christ back in the summer of 2009, I was under the impression that life would become neat and predictable. God, however, never promises us a life free from bumps and bruises. What He does promise is that He will always be with us and that nothing will ever separate us from His Love.

Yet, like Peter, we so easily allow ourselves to become distracted by the waves and the wind. Focusing on the messiness of life, we entertain fears and lies instead of turning our eyes towards His promises. Nevertheless, God never leaves us in our distracted and lost state.

A.W. Tozer said it best,

We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.”

Like a ray of light piercing the dark depths of the ocean; God reminds us with His word that nothing can separate us from His Love. He pours out His grace and mercy upon our lives, takes away our fears, silences our worries, and heals our pain with this simple reminder:

I am with you. I love you. Follow me.”

Heavenly Father, thank You for not leaving us abandoned like orphans. Lead us Lord. Hold our hands and our hearts close to You as we travel this journey with You, in Jesus name, amen.

By Daniel Forster
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Further Reading

• Never Alone – by Bill Bright

You Are Never Alone  by Julie Lairsey

You are Never Really Alone – by Allan Mitchell


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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster

I read the daily scripture this morning and I came across this:

Psalm 103:13 (ESV)  “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him.

Immediately my eyes and thoughts were drawn to the words “those who fear Him”. My mind raced around this concept as I thought about how I don’t so much fear my God as I revere Him. Our relationship is one of intimate love, one of a Father and a son. Can there be true fear in such an intimate relationship?

So I opened up the textbooks and began to study, and this is what I found. According to the Strong’s Concordance and Dictionary the Hebrew word for fear…does not just mean fear. In fact it is more commonly used to mean reverence. We see the Hebrew word is pronounced yaw-ray’ used in many scriptures of the Old Testament. In a perfect example of where yaw-ray’ does not mean actual fear, yet reverence; we see a scripture quoted by Jesus from the Old Testament. In quoting this scripture, Jesus does not use the same words as we have translated it to mean; in fact, He brings a whole different light to it. This scripture is:

Deuteronomy 6:13 (ESV)  “It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.”

And we see Jesus quoting it in:   Luke 4:8 (ESV)

“And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ”

We should worship, and reverently love our Lord our God, for only Him should we serve. If we fear our Lord our God, how can we reverently love on Him? How can we surrender completely to be in Christ and let Him abide in us if we have some form of fear? Yes I know, there is such a thing as healthy fear…and its called reverence, respect, love…not fear. When we talk about or put in our minds the word fear, we open a door or a footstool for the enemy. We then allow him to twist Fathers Words around; something he is very good at doing, and has been doing since the beginning of time.

There are other places in the Old Testament where this translation error stands true as well. The King James translators chose to translate the Hebrew Word mowra as fear, although it also means reverence, object of reverence, or an awe inspiring spectacle or deed. Another Hebrew word guwr, which can mean fear, but which also, means to stir up, sojourn, dwell with, remain, and dwell in or to stand in awe.

Father, let us worship you in our lives today, not fear you…

let us come to you my God, my Savior, and seek a deep and intimate loving relationship with you; not one of where I am afraid and see you as one who cannot be reached or one who is unobtainable. Father, let us remember your word, and plant it deep in our hearts…

Revelation 3:20 (ESV) “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

 1 John 4:18-19 (ESV) “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV) “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

by Rev. Daniel Forster
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Further Reading

• Do Not Fear – by Phil Ware

No More Fears – by Bill Bright

Giving Fear an Eviction Notice – by Karen Woodard


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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster


You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. ‘Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.’ 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT)


As a brand new believer, I remember walking into a public health station in downtown Baltimore to acquire health insurance for my son. The place was horrible. The smell of vomit, feces, and urine was thick in the air. It was like I had walked into a war zone.

My first reaction was to feel defeated and worthless; however, God breathed His Spirit into me and I began to remember who I belonged to. His light was alive in me and I could enter these front lines of the world to show His goodness, to be His light amongst the dark places.

Who we are in God is more important than who we are to anyone else in this world. We are His chosen people, and we are His very own. The enemy wants us, as God’s children, to walk through this world feeling defeated. The enemy wants us to forget who we are in Christ, what He has done for us, and how much of a treasure we truly are to Him.

So wherever God leads you today, be His light in the darkness. Remember who you are in Him and how He sees you, not how the world sees you.

Father, we come before You as broken children. Make us holy in You, Lord. Fill us with Your light in that we may be Your light to a very dark world that surrounds us. Fill us with Your mercy. Let us remember Lord who we are in You. Let us remember Lord, by Your Holy Spirit, to whom we belong to. We ask this in the mighty name of Christ Jesus, Amen.

Thought: Are there areas in your life where the devil is shouting defeat in your ear? Take these concerns to God and let Him remind you who you are in Him. Trust Him to transform your mind from how you see yourself into how He truly sees you.

By Rev. Daniel Forster
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Further Reading

• Beauty out of Brokenness – by Katherine Kehler

Brokenness as a Good Thing – by John Walker

Brokenness and Glory – by Sylvia Gunter


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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster


Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:3-8, ESV)

How often do we look to our own interest? How often do we look to the best interest of our family, of our church? Is it possible that our interest may not be in the best interest of others, because it may not be in God’s will?

It is easy for us to think that our interests will also be in the best interest of others. We must always keep in mind though, that we will not always see as God sees, or think as God thinks. Paul writes to have a mind which is in Christ Jesus. Jesus only did what the Father wanted Him to do. Did Jesus have any personal interests, and did He follow through on them? Yes, He had them, yet He did not follow through on them unless it was in the will of the Father.

Then he said to them,My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’” (Matthew 26:38-39, ESV)

To have a mind in Christ Jesus is to understand that it is not about us. This is a concept that we understand with head knowledge; yet when it comes to our actions and thoughts in our lives, we naturally struggle. I say naturally, for our sin, our flesh, fights always against the will of God.

The only way to have a mind of Christ Jesus, and to double-check ourselves when it comes to our own personal interests, is to seek God and ask Him in prayer. Is this not what Jesus was doing in the scripture above at Gethsemane? He sought God in prayer, for He always sought to do the will of the Father, and not His own.

Father, Let us seek you today Lord. Let us hold all of our interests and wants before You Lord. Let us surrender them to You and see if they are in your will Father. Let us be willing to let them go if they are not in Your will. Lord we trust You, we have faith in You that You know better than we do what our interests should and should not be. Let us humble ourselves before you, and let you be number one in our lives. Take the wheel Lord, and guide us to where you want us to be, we ask this Lord in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Questions: Is your interest lined up with the will of the Father? How do you know for sure?

By Rev. Daniel Forster
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Further Reading

•  God’s Plan or My Plan? – A Study by Don Myers on Discerning God’s …

•  Keeping with God’s Will  by Phil Ware

•  Yes I Will – by Doug Lim


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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster

Then turning to the disciples he said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.’” Luke 10:23-24 (ESV)


Truly those who wanted to see and hear were blessed. The question is why did so many not see and not hear? There are many reasons and today we are going to look at two of them.

The first we find in Luke 10: 19-20,Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

We love to focus our attention on the big show going on and can often miss the roots of a situation. In biblical times even those who were sent out to cast out demons and spread the Gospel were caught up in the power they possessed in the name of Jesus. They were so focused on this power that they were missing why they had the power and why Jesus had come. Notice Jesus says do not celebrate that you can cast demons out in my name but rather celebrate that your names are written in Heaven.

We see this happening now in our present society. We often celebrate the fireworks and not what we truly have – a relationship with our Father. We can take for granted that the Holy Spirit is living in us, forgetting that for thousands of years, many had dreamed and prayed to experience what we have in our relationship with our Father in Heaven.

The second issue is that many do not believe what they cannot see. “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39, ESV)

Jesus goes straight to the core of our humanity – how the love of flesh is greater than our the love of faith. We often love our relationships more than our God. We put stock in what people think and feel more than what our God tells us we should think and feel. We put ourselves or other people first and God second.

When God tells us to take up our cross it means surrendering everything in this life to Him. Only God can be first in every aspect of life. By seeking the cross we do not find death, we find a new life. Blessed are those who see and hear.

Father, we pray today that we may truly see and hear You in our lives. With Your help, let us experience more of You in our lives. Lord, help us not to be distracted by fireworks and people. Forgive us for the things we put before You. I want to be in Your presence all the days of my life. Thank you Jesus. We love you. Let me choose to walk with You today and not on my own. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Is there something in your life that keeps you from seeing and hearing God?
What does it mean to really surrender everything to God?

By Rev. Daniel Forster
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Further Reading

•  Prayer Journey – Have you ever taken the time to evaluate your journey with God?

•  Hearing God’s Voice

•  Practicing the Presence of God


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Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster


Fear of the unknown, in my opinion, is the most prevalent fear that we as humans face on a daily basis.

Either we are fighting the good fight against our daily fears of the unknown, or we are lying to ourselves in saying that we don’t struggle with this fear. This idea may contradict what many of us have been taught; however, if we really take a deep look at our lives, we will discover we all fight this fight.

Some teach that if you have faith, you will have no fears in your life. This sadly is only a partial truth. It is by faith that we believe, and through our faith that we fight the good fight against our fears; nevertheless, to say we won’t fear because we have faith is like saying we won’t sin because we have surrendered our lives to Christ.

The biggest lie that we can believe is that if we worry, stress, deal with anxiety, suffer from depression, and have fears is that we don’t have enough faith.

The lie wants us to believe that Mrs. Smith across the street has more faith than us because she seems to trust God more. The lie tells us that we are a failure as a Christian; additionally, it tells us we can never be that kind of Christian. These lies are just that…lies. They are designed for one purpose and one purpose only; to get us to turn from God’s Truth. When we begin to believe these lies, we begin to doubt God’s Truth, His Promises, and His Unconditional Love for us. You however, are not alone in doing this; for every human since the beginning of time has done the same things. We all have at one point, or at many points in our lives believed these lies. In fact, there is only One who has never fallen for these lies; and His name is Jesus.

Jesus tells us that all we need is the faith of a mustard seed to tell a mountain to move from here to there (Matthew 17:20). However we also see in other parts of the Bible where Jesus tells his disciples they have little faith (Matthew 14:31). Does Jesus contradict Himself? Absolutely not! When Jesus says to Peter “come” (Matthew 14:29) Peter steps out of the boat and walks on water based on his faith in Jesus. Then Peter, like all the rest of us, gets distracted by the winds and the waves; allowing fear to take the place of his faith. When Jesus tells Peter that he has “little faith” after He rescues him from sinking, it is important to know that it was not a lack in faith that Jesus is refereeing too. Rather He is saying, “Why did you lose confidence in me?” “Why did you let fear take its place in your heart where your faith in Me was?” Jesus is not scolding Peter for a lack of faith, but rather a replacement of that faith. Peter, who walked on water with his faith in Christ, also allowed the fear of the unknown to cause him to sink amongst the winds and waves of life.

The question is not if you have faith or not; on the contrary;

the question should be are you living your life with a heart of faith, or a heart of fear?

By Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  The Dark Tunnel of the Unknown  by Kristi Huseby

• Fear God and You Need Fear Nothing Else – by Helen Lescheid

•  Salvation Explained


Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24, ESV)


There is a popular saying we use often in our society today, “let Jesus into your heart”. Now while on the surface there is nothing wrong with this saying, in our modern society this saying has taken on a different meaning than what it was once intended to mean.

We hear this saying today and imply it that we can let Jesus into our hearts conforming Jesus to us. It is as if God fits into our lives – we find a place for Him in our hearts along with everything else. We have great intentions with this line of thinking however; we can’t fully experience Father when we seek Him this way. We become frustrated.

I speak from personal experience on this issue. I spent fifteen years wandering from church to church all the while never fully experiencing Father in my life and still wondering what Jesus meant to me. Fifteen years of fellowship, sermons, small groups, and worship and I was still as lost as the day I thought I let Jesus into my heart.

The Lord never gave up on me and in my weakest moment of my life, I really found Him. In that moment I reversed the script and gave Jesus my heart, my baggage, my life and in doing so, found myself with my Father, my Creator, my God, my Savior.

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.’ (Isaiah 43:1-3, ESV)

Lord I pray today that all who walk with you will want to walk in you. I pray today that all who have let you in their hearts will give their hearts to you. Touch and move on them as you did me Father, let them experience your love and mercy as you showed upon me. Lord we know we can’t manage or handle this world on our own, we need you, and we want you. Help us to understand your love, as we give back everything you have given to us, back to you Father. In Jesus name, Amen.

Question: Have you invited Jesus into your life?
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by Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  Hiding Place

•  The Bride of Christ

•  Wait for the Lord


Thoughts by All Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.Romans 5:1-2 (ESV)


Our faith brings peace with God. What a powerful statement, yet there is more to this sentence. The verse goes on to say, “through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Our peace comes from God, by our faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ. If it weren’t for Jesus, you would not be receiving the peace from God by your faith. It is all about Jesus. The second verse points to this. “Through Him” we gain access by our faith in His grace. Our faith leads us to Jesus Christ, which leads us to His grace, which was given to us on the cross.

What is grace? Some say it is a church word. It is actually a real word used to describe the love God showers upon us. The definition of grace is “to receive something you do not deserve”. If we look at God’s word, it is clear to see that we do not deserve His love. In fact, we most often deserve His punishment for how we treat Him and others around us. This “not getting the thing we deserve” is defined as mercy.

Verse 2 says, “by our faith into this grace in which we stand”. Our faith leads us to discover a love we don’t deserve. And yet God gives this love to us. This grace comes in the form of God himself taking on human form. This grace and mercy comes in a form of Jesus taking our punishment for us by dying for us on the cross. By our faith we stand in God’s grace as free beings, free from sin, free from punishment.

We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We praise God for what He has done for us. How could we not rejoice? We live now in victory – victory over sin, and victory over physical and spiritual death.

By our faith we have peace from God given by His grace. Shout to the lord and rejoice! Walk out your door today and let the world see His peace and joy in you. Raise that chin up, for you have victory today, and every day, for all eternity through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“The cross is the lightning rod of grace that short-circuits God’s wrath to Christ so that only the light of His love remains for believers.” ~ A. W. Tozer

Father, I pray today that many will come to discover the grace that You give us, and many will come to be reminded of the grace that You give us. Lord I pray we do not walk around the world angry and defeated. Lord I pray we walk in Your grace, full of Your love, mercy, and compassion. Lord, let us walk with You so our lives look more like You. Help us with our unbelief, and turn our hearts and minds anew to You Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Question: How does God’s grace bring peace in your life? Does His grace show in your life?

by Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  Extending Grace to Others

•  Grace to Keep on Yielding

•   Unity What would it take to cause Christians to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace?”


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Thoughts by All Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11 (NKJV)

A woman recently decided that life was not worth living anymore. She walked onto a highway overpass, determined to jump into the rush hour traffic. As she stood on the edge, traffic just drove past her; people walked by without a word. Love was nowhere to be found. But then a bus driver saw her. Filled with God’s Love, he pulled over, wrapped his loving arms around her, and pulled her to safety.

This is a picture of true love for one another. True love, unlike the love we often produce, has no strings attached. True love is forever faithful and is never ending. This is the sacrificial love that God has for us: “…God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8, NLT)

Only His love enables us to love one another, for we cannot produce such charity on our own: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11 NKJV). How sacrificial is the love you are offering others?

Heavenly Father, please open the floodgates of heaven and let Your love flow through us. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, grace and compassion so we may love one another as You have loved us. Amen.

Spend a few minutes meditating on the love described in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7. Then humbly confess how your love has fallen short.

Ask God:Who do You want me to go out of my way to show love to today?”

Spend a few minutes listening for the answer.

by Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  Why Know the Father’s Heart 

 How to Spend a Day With the Lord

•  Hearing God’s Voice 

•  Salvation Explained


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Thoughts by All Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster