God

Almost Heaven: A Home Of Right Judgment
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Almost Heaven: A Home Of Right Judgment

Each one of us is on a journey to our final, and eternal, destination.  As Christians, we live with the confident assurance that our eternal home is with God.  But, we’re not home yet and there is a life to be lived as we journey toward heaven.  It is my prayer that this series of devotions will help you discover not only a glimpse of heaven, but that it would prepare you to more fully live like you are home even as you continue the journey.

This is day fourteen from the devotional journal, “Almost Heaven: Devotions For the Journey Home”.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God in the process of discovering how He would have us to live as we prepare for an eternal home.

Almost Heaven:
A Home Of Right Judgment

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.“
Romans 1:18-20 (NIV)

Have you ever had someone pass judgment on you that was based on incorrect information?  How did it make you feel?  Do you tend to judge others based on information that may be incorrect or missing?  How do you know?  Have you ever had a judgment made against you that you didn’t like but you knew they were right about it?  How did you respond?  Does knowing that God’s standards are right and never-changing give you peace concerning His wrath?

While we may not mind undeserved credit, we definitely don’t want undeserved blame.  One thing we can count on in God’s home is that His judgments will be always be right and always be based on truth.  People, even you and I, can be very quick to pass judgment on others whether we have accurate information or not.  As we journey towards our home in heaven, God wants us to seek Him for right judgments.  As you pray, ask God to help you trust His judgments.  Pray that you would turn to God when others make judgments about you that are inaccurate.  Pray that the judgments you make in life would be based in the truth of God’s Word.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer (12/19/20)

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This is the audio from the December 19, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Almost Heaven: A Home Of Innocence
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Almost Heaven: A Home Of Innocence

Each one of us is on a journey to our final, and eternal, destination.  As Christians, we live with the confident assurance that our eternal home is with God.  But, we’re not home yet and there is a life to be lived as we journey toward heaven.  It is my prayer that this series of devotions will help you discover not only a glimpse of heaven, but that it would prepare you to more fully live like you are home even as you continue the journey.

This is day thirteen from the devotional journal, “Almost Heaven: Devotions For the Journey Home”.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God in the process of discovering how He would have us to live as we prepare for an eternal home.

Almost Heaven:
A Home Of Innocence

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.“
Matthew 19:14-15 (NIV)

What are some of your favorite childhood memories?  What makes them so special?  Are there things you know now, that if you knew then, would have made them less memorable?  Why?  Do you ever say or do things with pure and innocent motives that get made into something not so pure and innocent by others ?  How does that make you feel?  How does a lack of innocence change the way you interact with people?

I can think of no scene that more vividly portrays the contrast between innocence and its loss, than the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden.   To go in an instant from walking in innocence with one another and with God to, for the first time, feeling a sense of nakedness and hiding from one another and from God.  Babies and very young children still have that innocence where they can live completely free and unhindered.  Our home with God restores that innocence so that we have no need to hide from God or from anyone else.  As you pray, ask God to help you walk with Him in complete innocence.  Pray that you would be innocent of the things that are evil and excellent in the things that are good.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer (12/18/20)

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This is the audio from the December 18, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Almost Heaven: A Home Of Influence
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Almost Heaven: A Home Of Influence

Each one of us is on a journey to our final, and eternal, destination.  As Christians, we live with the confident assurance that our eternal home is with God.  But, we’re not home yet and there is a life to be lived as we journey toward heaven.  It is my prayer that this series of devotions will help you discover not only a glimpse of heaven, but that it would prepare you to more fully live like you are home even as you continue the journey.

This is day twelve from the devotional journal, “Almost Heaven: Devotions For the Journey Home”.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God in the process of discovering how He would have us to live as we prepare for an eternal home.

Almost Heaven:
A Home Of Influence

“He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.'”
Matthew 13:33 (NIV)

What are some things that have had a huge influence in your life?  Are those exact things noticeable in your life today or just the effects of their influence?  What does it mean to you to have influence, or to be influenced?  What kind of influence are you?  Would the people around you agree?  How has being a part of the kingdom of God influenced your life?

When I was a young boy learning my way around the kitchen, I made brownies one day but got stuck in understanding the ingredient list.  I did okay until I reached a point where the recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon of B.P..  I had no idea what that stood for and decided to simply bypass that line as it was such a small amount — surely it wouldn’t matter.  Was I ever wrong!  The brownies needed the influence of the Baking Powder to keep them from being the thin, rock hard substance they turned out to be.  God says the kingdom of heaven is like that agent which works completely through our life to keep us from becoming a useless rock hard substance.  As you pray, ask God to fill your life with the influence of your heavenly  home.  Pray that your influence would represent that home.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer (12/17/20)

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This is the audio from the December 17, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Almost Heaven: A Home Of Hope
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Almost Heaven: A Home Of Hope

Each one of us is on a journey to our final, and eternal, destination.  As Christians, we live with the confident assurance that our eternal home is with God.  But, we’re not home yet and there is a life to be lived as we journey toward heaven.  It is my prayer that this series of devotions will help you discover not only a glimpse of heaven, but that it would prepare you to more fully live like you are home even as you continue the journey.

This is day eleven from the devotional journal, “Almost Heaven: Devotions For the Journey Home”.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God in the process of discovering how He would have us to live as we prepare for an eternal home.

Almost Heaven:
A Home Of Hope

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints — the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.“
Colossians 1:3-5 (NIV)

Have you ever been in a situation that seemed hopeless?  Are you still in it or did you make it through?  What got you through, or keeps you going?  What role does encouragement, or the lack of it, at home have in your level of hope?  Does having a place of hope help you endure difficult situations?  How does the way you treat others change when you are filled with hope compared to when you feel hopeless?  Does knowing you are headed toward a home filled with hope help you share that hope with others?

There have been various times in my life when I felt like I was completely in over my head in situations that appeared to have no way out.  Some of those times were filled with such despair that it was only by holding on to the hope that I know awaits me in heaven that I managed to make it out of the darkness.  A home of hope will help us get through some of the most difficult times of life.  As you pray, ask God to fill you with the hope that is stored up for you in heaven.  Pray that your home here on earth would be one filled with hope.  Pray that you would freely share the hope you have in Christ with others.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer (12/16/20)

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This is the audio from the December 16, 2020 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In prayer,
Tom