The Lord wants to fill each of us with his Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us to enable us to know and experience the indwelling presence of God and the power of his kingdom. The Holy Spirit is the way in which God reigns within each of us. Do you live in the joy and knowledge of God's indwelling presence with you through his Holy Spirit?

"Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me joy in seeking you more earnestly. Increase my faith in all your promises, my hope in the joy of heaven, and my love for You as my All."

Psalm 80:1-3, 14-15, 17-19

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!  You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh! Stir up your might, and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
14 Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,
15 the stock which your right hand planted.
17 But let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you hast made strong for yourself!
18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name!
19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let your face shine, that we may be saved! 

*daily devotional from In Touch Ministries

**visit Gene Allen Groner's Author Page and see all his books, biography, photo, and daily

messages of peace and hope at https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ

TIME WITH ME cannot be rushed. When you are in a hurry, your mind flitters back and forth

between Me and the tasks ahead of you. Push back the demands pressing in on you; create a safe

space around you, a haven in which you can rest with Me. I also desire this time of focused attention

and I use it to bless you, strengthening and equipping you for the day ahead. Thus, spending time with

Me is a wise investment.

Bring Me the sacrifice of your precious time. This creates sacred space around you—space

permeated with My Presence and My Peace.

Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;

then I will meditate on your wonders.

PSALM 119 : 27

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have

done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

2 CHRONICLES 16 : 9

*daily devotional from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

Psalm 34:15-17 (NASB)

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.

Today’s passage shows that the heavenly Father wants His children to cry out to Him. During trials, we tend to pray this way—with increased focus, passion, and sincerity. Hannah is a good example. Heartbroken over her barrenness, she went to the temple and beseeched the Lord with such emotion that the priest thought she was drunk! God answered her plea and opened her womb (1 Samuel 1:1-20).

When a crisis comes, cry out to our almighty God, but be sure you do so with a righteous heart. Then He will hear and answer—either fulfilling your hoped-for request or providing a different solution. Because He is omniscient, loving, and sovereign, you can fully trust that His answer is in your best interest.

*from In Touch Ministries daily devotional May 29, 2018.

The Creation of God

How I love this time of year

My heart sings with joy and song

The music of the spheres

Rings oh so sweet and lovely

As it falls upon my ears

When heaven calls the music forth

From deep within my soul

How can I sing with humble voice

A tune to make bells toll

The things that God hath made for us

Are more than words can say

Oh Lord it's all I ever want

To worship you today.

*from Gene Allen Groner's book of poetry titled, Prayers and Poems of Christ,

available on Amazon with all of Gene's books, biography, photo, and daily

messages of peace and hope at https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ/

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

Sing praises to the Lord

And praise his holy name

Praise him through all the earth

Praise him all ye angels

Let all who live give him praise

And glorify his name

Praise him in the house of the Lord

Let all nature sing of his glory

For he is worthy

And great is his name

To be praised above all the earth

Let the birds of the air sing to him

Let the animals of the earth honor him

And let all those in the sea give him glory

Shout praises from the mountains

Let the valleys look up to the Lord

Lifting their voices high in the heavens

Glory to God in the highest

And on earth sing psalms of greatest joy

We lift our hands to the sky above and all say together

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

*from the book Prayers and Poems of Christ by 

Gene Allen Groner. See all of Gene's books, biography, photo,

and daily messages of peace and hope on Amazon.com at

https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ/ 

He Created Us All

Whether woman or man
Imprisoned or free
Whether English or Irish
From America or Greece

New Zealand or Australia
Europe, Africa, Asia
We're all God's children
Come from God and his grace

He created us all
And for each has a plan
A plan for our good
It's all in his hands

Our lot is to choose
Which pathway we travel
Whether right or the left
Whether paved, dirt or gravel

God won't interfere
With the choices we make
But he lights the pathway
Of the one we should take

We can turn to the Lord
And ask him to help us
We're assured of his guidance
In God we can trust

*from the book of heavenly poetry titled The Garden of Eden
by Gene Allen Groner. See all of Gene's books, biography, photo
and daily messages of peace and hope on Amazon.com at
https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ/

God is Everything

God is everything or he's nothing
We can choose to believe
Whether with him or not
Which way will it be?

When Joshua led Israel
Into the Promised Land
He said, "Choose this day
If you'll follow God's hand.

As for me and my family
We choose the Lord
If that's who you choose
You can trust in his word."

In the Lamb's Book of Life
All our deeds are written down
There by God's grace, we pray
Mostly good deeds will be found.


*from a book of heavenly poetry titled The Garden of Eden by
Gene Allen Groner. See all of Gene's books, biography, photo,
and daily messages of peace and hope on Amazon.com at
https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ/

Open Invitation to Submit Your Testimony

I am writing a book of testimonies titled, How God is Working in My Life, and I invite you to send me your 500-1000 word testimony by email no later than July 1, 2018. My email address is 

geneallengroner@gmail.com. 20% of all net proceeds from the book sales will be donated to Outreach International to help alleviate poverty and suffering in the world. The book will be  published by Amazon and sold worldwide, and will include testimonies from people in many countries. I have written over 30 biblical and spiritual books which you can view at Amazon.com along with my biography and photo at https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ

Thank you sincerely,

Gene Allen Groner

Do a Good Work

Scripture: Mark 9:38-40 
38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." 39 But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. 40 For he that is not against us is for us.

Meditation: Do you rejoice in the good that others do? Jesus reprimands his disciples for their jealousy and suspicion. They were upset that someone who was not of their company was performing a good work in the name of Jesus. They even "forbade" the man "because he was not following us". Jesus' reply is filled with wisdom: "No one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me." Are we not like the disciples when we get upset at the good deeds of others who seem to shine more than us? Paul says that "love is not jealous... but rejoices in the right" (1 Corinthians 13:4, 6). 

Love does not envy others
Envy and jealousy, its counterpart, are sinful because they lead us to sorrow over what should make us rejoice - namely, our neighbor's good. The reason we may grieve over another's good is that somehow we see that good as lessening our own value or excellence. Envy forms when we believe that the other person's advantage or possession diminishes or brings disgrace on us. Envy is contrary to love. Both the object of love and the object of envy is our neighbor's good, but by contrary movements, since love rejoices in our neighbor's good, while envy grieves over it.

The love of God frees us from envy and jealousy
How can we overcome envy? With the love that God has put into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit purifies our heart and frees us from our disordered passions, such as envy, jealously, greed, and bitterness. God's love is a generous and selfless love which is wholly oriented towards our good. The love that God places in our hearts seeks the highest good of our neighbor. God's love purifies and frees us from all envy and jealousy - and it compels us to give generously, especially to those who lack what they need.

Love gives freely and generously in kind deeds
Everyone in need has a claim on us because they are dear to God who created them in his own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). God created us in love for love. We are most free and happy when we love as he loves. The love and charitable help we show to our neighbor also expresses the gratitude we have for the abundant mercy and kindness of God towards us. Jesus declared that any kindness shown and any help given to those in need would not lose its reward. Jesus never refused to give to anyone in need who asked for his help. As his disciples we are called to be kind and generous as he is. Are you grateful for God's mercy and kindness towards you and are you ready to show that same kindness and generosity towards your neighbor?

Gregory of Nyssa, an early church father (330-395 AD), comments on this passage: 

"God never asks his servants to do what is impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead is revealed as richly available. It is poured out like water upon all. God furnished to each person according to his will the ability to do something good. None of those seeking to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given by the one who said: 'whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward'" (Mark 9:41). 

Ask the Lord Jesus to increase your generosity in doing good for others.

"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may radiate the joy of the Gospel to others. May your light and truth shine through me that others may find new life and joy in you, and freedom from sin and oppression."

Psalm 49:1-10

1  Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together!
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 men who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the price of his life,
8 for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice,
9 that he should continue to live on forever, and never see the Pit.
10 Yes, he shall see that even the wise die, the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. 

from Jesus Calling devotional May 22,2018

I , THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, am with you and for you. What more could you need?

When you feel some lack, it is because you are not connecting with Me at a deep level. I offer

abundant Life; your part is to trust Me, refusing to worry about anything.

It is not so much adverse events that make you anxious as it is your thoughts about those events. Your

mind engages in efforts to take control of a situation, to bring about the result you desire. Your

thoughts close in on the problem like ravenous wolves. Determined to make things go your way, you

forget that I am in charge of your life. The only remedy is to switch your focus from the problem to

My Presence. Stop all your striving, and watch to see what I will do. I am the Lord!

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,

I wait for God my Savior;

my God will hear me.

MICAH 7 : 7

The Eagle

The eagle flys higher than any other bird, and it builds its nest in the highest places. When it comes time for the baby eagle to learn to fly, the parent stands by closely, watching protectively as the young one jumps from the nest and falls toward the earth. If the young eagle doesn't start to fly and keeps falling, the parent swoops down and catches the young one on its wing and returns it safely to the nest.
God is like that. He is higher than anything in creation. He watches over all. And when one of His children falls He comes down and offers His saving grace. Of course, we can reject Him. But God is always there for us, never far away. All we need to do is to accept His great and faithful love.
There is a Bible passage in Isaiah, where the prophet Isaiah speaks about this in terms of the eagle. It is one of my favorites. Here it is:

Isaiah 40:31 ^31"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

( See Gene Allen Groner's books, biography, photo, and daily 2-minute messages of peace and love at https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ )

Heavenly Father

You are gracious, Heavenly Father, and righteous are your ways.

When I complain in my distress You hear my cry.

I put my trust in You alone, for You are good and merciful;

Slow to anger and forgiving of my sins.

Blessed are You, O Lord, and blessed are your ways.

You provide love and light, and keep my pathway straight.

Grace and pardon You give, Your favors are divine.

You hear the cry of the penitents, and You deliver Your saints.

My happy choice will remain, and faithful I will always be.*

*from The Garden of Eden, by Gene Allen Groner. See all of Gene

Allen Groner's books, biography, photo, and daily messages of peace

and love at https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ 

God Loves You

God Loves You – How Can You know?
God loves you! How can I know? God wants you to know, and believe, and feel, and see that He loves you. First let me say that love is an action, not just emotional feelings and God demonstrates His love in all ways. James 1:17-18 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.” He has given you many scriptures that abound with illustrations of His love, giving us assurance and promise.

God assures you in Psalm 100:5, “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever, his faithfulness continues through all generations.” This verse not only tells us of His goodness and love, but says that it is for us today, generations later than when it was written. God is faithful through all generations.

God Loves You – Features of His Love for You
God’s love for you has many attributes:

• God’s Perfect Love – God’s perfect love begins with faith. Upon receiving His gift of love, we can have unexplainable peace, joy, and confidence in the worst of situations. It’s often as if we can supernaturally feel His loving arms around us when we need comfort, protection, or feel anxiety. It is by God’s love that fear, worry, and the pain of rejection are removed; something that the unbelieving world cannot understand.
  
  “…Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
  
  “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
  
  “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him” (1 John 3:1).
• God’s Love of Sacrifice – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17).
  
  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
  
  “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:8-9).
•  
• (from All About God.com) See Gene Allen Groner's books, biography, photo, and daily messages of peace and love at Amazon.   https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ/  

From Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, May 18, 2018

COME TO ME with your plans held in abeyance. Worship Me in spirit and in truth, allowing My

Glory to permeate your entire being. Trust Me enough to let Me guide you through this day,

accomplishing My purposes in My timing. Subordinate your myriad plans to My Master Plan. I am

sovereign over every aspect of your life!

The challenge continually before you is to trust Me and search for My way through each day. Do not

blindly follow your habitual route, or you will miss what I have prepared for you. As the heavens are

higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

JOHN 4 : 24

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says 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.”

ISAIAH 55 : 8 – 9 (NKJV)

Scripture: John 17:20-26

20 "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which you have given me in your love for me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you; and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

Meditation: When you pray what do you ask for - God's help, blessing, guidance, and wisdom? One of the greatest privileges and responsibilities we have been given by God is to pray not only for ourselves, but for others as well. The Lord Jesus lived a life full of prayer, blessing, and gratitude to his Father in heaven. He prayed for his disciples, especially when they were in great need or danger. Mark tells us in his Gospel account (see chapter 6:46-51) that when Jesus was praying alone on the mountain he saw that his disciples were in great distress due to a life-threatening storm that was beating against their boat. Jesus immediately came to their rescue - walking on the waves of the rough waters before he calmed their fears and calmed the raging waters as well! Luke records in his Gospel account the words of Jesus to Simon Peter shortly before Jesus' arrest and Peter's denial of the Lord three times. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32). Jesus' prayers were personal, direct, and focused on the welfare and well-being of others - especially that they might find peace and unity with God and with one another.

Jesus Calling daily devotional for May 17

AS YOU SIT QUIETLY in My Presence, remember that I am a God of abundance. I will never run out

of resources; My capacity to bless you is unlimited. You live in a world of supply and demand, where

necessary things are often scarce. Even if you personally have enough, you see poverty in the world

around you. It is impossible for you to comprehend the lavishness of My provisions: the fullness of

My glorious riches.

Through spending time in My Presence, you gain glimpses of My overflowing vastness. These

glimpses are tiny foretastes of what you will experience eternally in heaven. Even now you have

access to as much of Me as you have faith to receive. Rejoice in My abundance—living by faith, not

by sight.

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 4 : 19

We live by faith, not by sight.

2 CORINTHIANS 5 : 7

*See Gene Allen Groner's books, biography, photo, and daily 2-minute messages of peace and love at:

https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ