GET ROOTED IN GOD’S LOVE

Leon FontaineDevoted

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 (NLT) Would you like to walk in more freedom in 2023? We’ve been on a series about how to disengage from toxic sources of love—specifically how to stop feeling like you need to please people to feel okay about yourself. Walking in more freedom in this area involves changing your expectations. You see, relying on people-pleasing means you expect others to meet all your needs for love. The problem is you can’t make everyone happy. Sometimes the people in your life will be great at loving you; other times they won’t. But when you rely on God’s love, it’s so freeing! You …

ÁNGELES A SU ALREDEDOR

Leon FontaineEntregate

Pero un ángel del Señor abrió de noche las puertas de la cárcel y los sacó, diciéndoles: «Vayan y, de pie en el templo, cuenten al pueblo todo este mensaje de vida.» Hechos 5:19 –20 (DHH) La Biblia contiene muchas historias hermosas sobre los ángeles. Hoy echemos un vistazo a lo que sucedió cuando un ángel se apareció a los apóstoles en el Libro de los Hechos, porque creo que esto lo inspirará.  En ese momento, el conocimiento sobre los apóstoles había comenzado a extenderse. La gente llevaba a sus enfermos a las calles para ser sanados, y ni al Sumo Sacerdote ni a los saduceos les gustaba esto en absoluto. Arrestaron a los apóstoles y los mandaron a la cárcel.  Durante la noche, Dios …

JESUS WAS NOT NICE

Leon FontaineDevoted

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. John 13:34 (NLT) As Christians, we are to love like Jesus loved. But we need to realize something very important. Loving is not the same thing as people-pleasing.   Jesus most definitely loved people, but He was not a doormat. He did the will of His Father, who is love, but He wasn’t a “nice Christian” in the way we tend to understand it. He flipped over tables in a synagogue in anger (John 2:15). He confronted religious leaders, even calling them names that were definitely not nice (John 8:44). He was real with His friends and let them know when they …

ANGER CAN BE A GOOD THING

Leon FontaineDevoted

“Be angry, and do not sin.” Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV) Now and then, a little tension in a relationship is healthy. In raising five kids, I can tell you that even the closest siblings have disagreements. As annoying as these conflicts can be, I’d rather see them angry with each other than bending over backwards to try to keep each other happy because that’s not real relationship. Relationships need honesty, even if it gets uncomfortable.   God doesn’t have a problem with anger; He just doesn’t want you to behave inappropriately when you’re angry. Actually, anger can be a good thing in relationships. If someone treats you with disrespect, you need to put up a boundary, and you may even need to communicate it with controlled …

LOS ÁNGELES LUCHAN EN NUESTRO NOMBRE

Leon FontaineEntregate

Porque la Escritura dice: “Dios mandará que sus ángeles te cuiden y te protejan. Lucas 4:10 (DHH)  ¿No es increíble pensar que Dios ha encargado a sus ángeles que nos protejan, a nosotros su pueblo? De hecho, los ángeles siempre han luchado para proteger al pueblo de Dios.  En una historia del Antiguo Testamento, el pueblo de Dios había sido llamado a salir a pelear, bajo el liderazgo de David. Las instrucciones que David recibió de Dios fueron muy específicas: espere hasta que escuche el sonido de la marcha en las hojas de los árboles. Solo entonces el ejército de David sabría que el ejército de ángeles de Dios iba por delante de ellos para derrotar a sus enemigos (2 Samuel 5:24). ¡Y los ángeles …