In Luke 12:31-32, Jesus tells us to “...seek the kingdom” and then encourages us further by saying, “Do not be afraid...your Father [is] pleased to give you the kingdom.” (NIV) But what is the Kingdom? It is a place of total reliance on God. Jesus said the Kingdom is at hand and set out to demonstrate how it worked. He taught, “Have faith in God,” (Mark 11:22 is one example) for health, for peace, for prosperity and for success. We are to ask, Jesus taught, because we will receive. The …

I can truly say with the Psalmist that God has filled my life with good things. But I have had my share of disappointments and prayers with a “No” answer. Disappointment, however, needs to be evaluated by the Holy Spirit. Right now I am dealing with a few situations that have had disappointing results. Disappointment breeds discouragement which throws me into a swirl of thoughts: doubt and the fear of failure. I slow my momentum. I stew on the doubts. I wonder where I made mistakes. This is …