Don't Wind Up There--Start Out There!

I was chatting with my mother today and while we were talking it occurred to me that Christians often call out to God because of our trials, tribulations and struggles--it is a reaction. We seek Him earnestly when we find ourselves in trouble. In other words, we wind up calling out to God after troubles come upon us, but the Bible tells us in Matthew 6:33, . . . seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

The new year is right around the corner and many are already dizzy thinking about the changes we want to make in our lives--we want to use the gym membership that we are already paying for--we want to call friends and family that we haven't spoken to in a while--we want to make it to work on time or do more at our children's school. We want to go to church more. We want to give more. We want to get to a goal. We want to fulfill a purpose.

What if you turned your own world upside down by implementing this simple principle from Matthew 6:33?

Make God your first resort, your first thought, your first answer and your first choice. Put God into the decision making equation. Too many of us are hedging our bets. We want to include God at the end--just in case He'll do it or work it out for us, but we've gone all around town trying to get help from everyone else and trying to come up with our own solutions--many times because we don't believe that God can or will take care of every aspect of our little lives, but listen, He said in His Word that He knows the number of hairs on your head and he bottles up your tears. That kind of God IS concerned with you and everything that affects you so much so that He moves mountains on your behalf each and everyday. I some times let my mind think about the miracles that God has performed in my life--all of the events that had to fall in place--all of the people that had to be in the right place at the right time to give me a Word so that I could keep on keeping on; all of the finances that had to exist for me to be where I am right at this moment--God is concerned about YOU. He loves YOU.

From the time of God walking with Adam in the Garden of Eden we were created for praise and to seek Him first. He made us for His good pleasure and we belong to Him. He made us and He called us His friends. What kind of friend have you been? We get excited singing I am a Friend of God--He Calls Me Friend. But what kind of friend have you been! Do you call Him just to beg Him for everything you want then hang up when He wants to talk to you? No? Let's take another look, do you listen when you get down on your knees? Do you just be quiet and listen or do you spend the whole time talking, then say "Amen" get up and walk off, satisfied within yourself that you have prayed today? Prayer is an intimate conversation with God not a monologue or a rant of your voice. It is a telephone call not a text message! It is not meant to be one sided.

Make seeking God first your New Year's/New Day's/New Hour's resolution; not as a gimmick, but as a serious attempt to allow God to do what only He can do in your life. Only God can fill you up so that you're not emotionally needy or depressed; only God can run your cup over with purpose to live for so that you're not bored or looking for something to do--in all the wrong places. Your trust and your hope is not in your spouse, your children or your best friend, but in the Lord. There isn't anything that He will withhold from us if we seek Him first. He is our Father and the giver of good gifts.

Time is of the Essence

If you have ever read through Ecclesiastes 3 you realize that man is tasked by time. The Almighty is not phased or tethered by time, but it is our albatross. The interesting thing is how much of it we spend frivolously; how much we waste and fritter away so carelessly. We spend time trying to find ourselves and figure things out and get to the place were we can stand each other--let alone learn to love one another.

And all the while God is merciful and patient and kind; His mercy enduring forever. For some reason when you realize that you have a terminal illness like cancer then all of a sudden every thing becomes so important because you feel your time is running out, but the fact is that everything is important all the time.

Your children are important. Your spouse is important. Your friends are important; your parents; your family; your church family. It is important that you accept Christ. It is important that you live humbly and give to others and teach your children to give and to prefer others over themselves.

My daughter makes me want to cry some times. She has never been a selfish child; she never asks for a lot for Christmas. This year she told me that Christmas was about giving. She decided to take from her own savings to buy underwear, a coat, boots and hat and gloves for another child and a chew toy and snacks for a dog at the animal shelter.

We must learn to cherish others in the little time that we have. Our lives are but a vapor. We were not put here to indulge ourselves in things that we cannot take with us.

I had a thought the other day. What good would it do me to have amassed great wealth at the end of my life? I should hope that when I'm gone people could say that I gave all. Jesus truly gave ALL and all to Him we owe.

You Do What You Can Do and Let Him Do What Only He Can Do

I often tell my daughter to do what she can. Because my daughter was a premature baby she spent a lot of time in the hospital where others did everything for her all the time, but I always knew that the key to her long term success was her learning to do what she could do for herself when she was able to do it. For example, the last month that she was in the NICU (neo-natal intensive care unit), she was there because she refused to eat--she wouldn't suckle. The doctors told us she'd have to be released with a feeding tube because they couldn't keep feeding her through the tube going down her nose and they had to send her home. My husband and I prayed and sought God and the next day we met with the doctors again. We told them that our daughter was not going home with a feeding tube nor would she continue to be fed through her nose. Instead we insisted that they simply remove all forced feeding so that she would get hungry and want to eat on her own. She needed to learn to do what she could do.

The doctors were horrified by our suggestion and said that such a thing had never been done in the history of University Hospital and that we were taking a risk of losing our child to starvation. They tried to scare us, but God had already assured us of what to do. The head of the NICU came to us and told us, She's your child and you have to do what you believe is best. We told him that we had prayed and this is what we knew was best. The feeding tube was removed on that Monday evening. By Wednesday we had our daughter at home and she was drinking from a bottle on her own! She had her struggles and it was very messy, but we learned that she could do it.

As Christians it is so important that we lean on God and trust in Him with all of our hearts. What we think we know from our experiences really doesn't apply with God because He is known for creating something out of nothing and for bringing order to chaos. God is the master of impossible. He works best in an underdog situation. He likes it when everyone has counted you out--that's exactly when He does His very best work.

Our position in all of this is to do what we can do, which is all things through Christ who strengthens us and then to let God do what only He can do. Last story . . . this morning I came down the stairs to see my daughter struggling to get her coat off the coat rack. Her hat and gloves were on the bench fully within her reach, but she hadn't touched those at all. I chided her because she had spent all of her time trying to do something that she couldn't do--that wasn't her job to do, and totally ignoring what she could do and what was her job to do. Today let's make it up in our minds to do what God has called us to do and to allow God to do what only He can do in our lives.

Keep Your House Clean: You Never Know Whose Going to Stop By.

Last night when my family got home we did something we rarely do. Without any prompting we all started doing chores and picking up around the house. A little while later when I was just about done cooking dinner a friend showed up at our door.

I was reminded of the lesson I learned when I was younger to keep your house clean because company could come by at any time. This morning the scripture came to me that says, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? I Corinthians 6:19.

The Lord was speaking to me and telling me that just like my house, I must keep my temple clean. You never know when you're going to run into someone else who needs a Word from the Lord; or whose looking for an opportunity for reconciliation. You never know when you're going to be needed to pray somebody else through a trying situation.

When you are stressed by your own mess you're not available to bless someone else.

Like keeping your house clean, keeping your temple clean is a chore, but according to the Word of God, it is not a tough chore. It requires taking on the mind of Christ through the renewing of your mind. It requires a daily commitment to dying to self and selfish ways. It means that you'll have to put off the weight of the world that keeps you from moving forward and put on His yoke and learn of Him. It means that you're going to have to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto your own understanding acknowledging Him in all your ways so that He will be the director in your life.

When your temple is clean you more easily recognize when others are reaching out desperately for help. You make yourself available through love and sacrifice. When your own place is a mess you become entangled and engulfed by your own hoarding; fixated on problems that God can easily solve. So what if you only have $5.00 in your pocket. $5.00 in your hands is only worth $5.00, but $5.00 in the Master's hand is more than enough! It's fishes and loaves for 5000 men. When you recognize that what you have will never do until your turn it over to Jesus, you'll start putting your trust in Him. When you put your trust in Him, you can help someone else to do the same, and that's really what we're here for--not for our own puffery or recognition. So what if you're a scholar. God's Word promises that He will confound those who are knowledgeable in their own eyes and use those who are humble in His sight. Paul was one of the most intelligent men in Biblical history, but his humility, recognition of and reference for God is what made him powerful and memorable. He knew that his journey wasn't about himself or what he knew, but it was about giving God glory with the totality of his life.

I want to share a personal testimony of why I so love my church and my Bishop and Pastor. I am an internal person. I'm an extreme introvert--according to some personality testing. But as I am discipled at uE I'm learning that God can use me just the way I am for His glory. When I clean my house and let Him in, I become a voice for Him. "I" melt away and I desire more of Him every day. If God can do this for me and through me, I can only imagine what awaits YOU!

During this past summer we ventured out into the community to minister. I felt myself stumbling over my words and pushing past my comfort zone to talk to others about ministry opportunities at uE and the good news of the gospel. I saw people come to the Bible studies and then start coming to uE. It was powerful. I made up my mind to never be bound again by petty personal trash in my own house. No more! I made up my mind through that experience to keep my house clean because you just never know when you will meet up with a divine appointment where you can share Jesus Christ with someone.

We sing a song that tells the Lord, for your glory I will do anything . . . just to see you and behold you as my King! Let's make it up in our minds to keep our houses clean today. We do not belong to ourselves. We are bought with a price and as a result we belong to Him. My desire is to do your will oh Lord!

Your Struggles are "Your" Struggles for God's Glory

If you have children you quickly learn that there are life events that you wish you could shield them from, but you simply cannot because they must go through these things on their own in order to gain their own strength, to learn and to grow. Your job as a parent is to balance your level of intervention so that you don't create an unhealthy co-dependent relationship where you rescue your child out of every dilemma. When we do that we handicap them. We take away their opportunities to know their limits and their strengths. If we are not careful we can ruin our children's path to gaining the tools to deal with life's challenges. I truly believe this is why we have so many parents who wind up saying things like, I don't know she's on drugs. We gave her everything, or, He keeps getting into trouble with the law, but we've done all we know how to do. Our struggles come to make us. Some come to make us stronger. Some come to make us more courageous. Some come to teach us life lessons. Some of the things that we go through are not about us at all! All of the things we go through come to make us wholly dependent on God.

When we transpose this simple lesson on to our Christian lives we begin to understand why God allows trials and tribulations. We begin to understand why people that we love dearly struggle over and over with tough situations that we just can't help them with--it isn't our place. We understand why we wrestle with our own set of issues, habits, vices and addictions. The Word of God states, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. I Corinthians 10:13.

Think of it this way, a vessel is heated to make is usable, gold is burned to make it pure. We will be tried, but the trying is to bring us to a place where God can use us. It is to make us malleable and fit for the Master's purpose. How many times have you shook your head at a young Christian and thought, I remember when I was there. How many times have you prayed for a church member or a family member because they seem to be going through the same struggles over and over. How many times has your heart ached because of what you see someone going through or because of what you're going through yourself?

The fact is that we must endure those things that God allows knowing that God is well aware of what we and others can bear, but He is more concerned about the end result.

Make it up in your mind today to stand still, to remain under--not always taking or making the way of escape, to endure the test and to respond differently today than you did in the past. Today when you face your struggle begin to praise God and raise your hands and give Him glory in the middle of it all. Your response will encourage you and others, it will confuse the enemy and it will lift God up from the Earth so that He can draw others through the blood of the lamb and the Word of your testimony. Be a vessel tried and fit for the Master's use today.

A Dry and Desolate Place

No one ever wants to be stuck in a dry and desolate place. It makes you feel helpless. But sometimes, for our good, that is exactly where we are led to.

Recall the children if Israel wondering in the wilderness. Certainly when they first arrived they felt apprehension because they were in a new unfamiliar place having just escaped a tragic situation. They were hungry and unable to provide for themselves. They were uncomfortable and found it hard to trust in the God who had just parted the Red Sea for them.

The interesting thing is that this wilderness experience really became a time of transition. There were people who died and never saw the promised land. God provided manna. Moses provided leadership. Some of the people tried to revert to idol worship. So much occurred in the wilderness that could not be taken into the promised land.

We can apply all of this to our own lives. There are reasons and seasons when we find ourselves in a dry and lonely place. We usually arrive at this place from a tragic experience; it could be the loss of a loved one or financial difficulties. Whatever delivers us to this place we must remember that the experience is only one of transition. In the words of my pastor from KC It won't always be like this.

There are some habits that need to die off of us while we are in our dry and desolate place.
We must learn to rely on God as our only source while we are in our dry and desolate place.
We must remember all that God has done for us while we are in our dry and desolate place.
We must worship God for who He is while we are in our dry and desolate place.
We must learn to trust God while we are in our dry and desolate place.
We must make it up in our minds not to take any mess into our next season while we are yet in our dry and desolate place.
We must give up the spirit of fear and pick up power, love and a sound mind while we are in our dry and desolate place.
We must learn to pray in our dry and desolate place.
We must learn to prefer others in our dry and desolate place.
We must obey God without thought of the reasons or consequences while we are in our dry and desolate place.
And finally, we must not be to weary to use our faith to scout out, fight for, and enter into our promised place.

Recall that the children of Israel couldn't just occupy the promised land. They had to fight. Some of the scouts came back saying that things looked too tough, that entering into the land that God had ALREADY given them was going to be impossible. But two reported back in faith, hope, trust and belief that if God said it, they believed it and that settled it.

Just because you may be in a dry and desolate place right now doesn't mean that your promise isn't still within your grasp. We stay in our dry and desolate place as long as it takes us to spiritually mature. Determine that you will use this time to learn what God wants you to learn so that you can occupy your promise.

For Love's Sake

John 3:16 shares that For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We are all familiar with this scripture text, but I wonder if we have considered what the writer meant by believeth in Him. Sure it seems plain on its face--if you believe in God then this sacrifice was made for you so that you may enjoy everlasting life. But I believe that there is more. I was talking to a dear friend yesterday and we were discussing some of the things that we do that may be outside of what we are comfortable with, but we do those things for love's sake. The Bible tells us that God is love so we can conclude that some of the things that we do as Christians may be outside of what we would normally do, but when we do them, it is to glorify God and edify His people.

When we accept God, when we believe in Him, that belief brings about a process of change. Our minds are renewed. We lay down our will and pick up God's will. We accept His yoke and learn His ways. We die and God lives through us. We begin to understand that if God Himself could make such a selfless sacrifice then He is worthy to be praised in every aspect of our lives; from trusting Him to chasing after Him; from worshipping Him for who He is to striving to conform to His holy will.

There are some sacrifices that we will take on for love's sake or to glorify God and in doing so we solidify our faith. Consider the following scripture text:

2If anyone imagines that he has come to know and understand much [of divine things, without love], he does not yet perceive and recognize and understand as strongly and clearly, nor has he become as intimately acquainted with anything as he ought or as is necessary.

3But if one loves God truly [[a]with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing], he is known by God [[b]recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him].

Everyday I'm realizing that love is patient and kind and doesn't puff itself up. It doesn't have to be seen or heard. It can operate totally free of bias or in spite of it. Love conquers all and endures all. Love is greater than all of my sins, my resistance to the process that God is putting me through, my doubts and fears, my ability to think or my feelings.

If God loves us so much that He gave His only Son, should we do all that we are capable of doing for His sake?

The Importance of Daily Study/Devotion

There are many daily devotionals out there today. There are Bibles meant to help you read the entire scripture text within a year, there are devotionals that provide an inspiration word everyday, there are electronic reminders for Twitter and Facebook that can keep you on track with reading the Word. Whatever method works for you, you cannot go wrong diving into the daily exploration of the Word of God.

No matter how much we attend church services there really isn't anything that can replace our daily study time with the Lord. Personally, I have noted how inspired I am when I read the Word daily compared to how much I struggle when I fail to do so. The Word is truly like a fountain springing forth and it keeps me feeling refreshed and renewed. It is better to read the Word daily then to try to turn to the Word because of tragedy, heartache or struggle. It becomes that offensive weapon that I can use to guide me through a situation when I think about whatsoever things are pure, lovely or of a good report.

In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul advised Timothy to study the Word. Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth (Amplified). I believe that Paul understood very well that the Word is the source of our faith and belief, our hope and our strength. It is where we go to know the promises of God and in turn to confirm what has been spoken into our lives. When we hide it in our hearts we can recall it and rely on it. When we recite it and share it with others it becomes the testimonial proof that God is still performing, still healing, still revealing, still forgiving; it becomes the bridge that helps others to overcome and to escape the clutches of the enemy.

The Word brings life and light to every place in our lives that we allow it to. Throwing ourselves into a daily chase after the knowledge of God can only result in a closer relationship with Him. Commit today to reading the Word of God everyday.

Balance

Achieving balance in our Christian lives requires a great deal of self reflection and a realization that our goal is to seek out a relationship with God rather than live out a religious experience about God.

I once attended a seminar titled Knock Their Sock Off Customer Service. The speaker asked us who our customers were. Every one's answer was pretty much the same--the people who call us, the people we meet during our process of marketing our products or services etc. The speaker then said something that I still think about today. She told us that everyone was our customer!

I believe that if we take this attitude as Christians living a balanced life would come more easily for us. The Bible says in Matthew 11:29-30 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Many of us are exhausted, tired, sick or just plain worn out because we have been desperately striving for a religious experience rather than a relationship with God. We spend our time and energy trying to give our all to the people at our churches, when in fact everyone is our customer! What I mean by that is as a minister I often feel the burden to witness to people, to share that Christ is the answer, but sometimes I wait and wait and wait to do this until I'm at church. What's that all about? I am a witness everywhere I go. I am witness through how I'm living daily, which includes my relationships with others. I am a witness in my own home. As a matter of fact my home is my first ministry.

I believe the very reason why Jesus said to take on His yoke and learn of Him was because He wanted us to understand that a relationship with Him means involving Him in every aspect of our lives. Seeking Him first for every decision. Looking to Him first for all that we do. Relying on Him as the source of our strength and as the resource for all that we need. As we do this we grow our relationship with Him so that there is no area of our lives that doesn't involve Him. As a Christian--this is the balance that we seek to have.

Perfect Practice Makes Pefect

James 1:3 says this, Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

It is important to note and understand that in order to get to where YOU want to be in your spiritual growth perfect practice is required. What does that mean? Some people say that practice makes perfect, but if you practice something incorrectly then it doesn't make perfect, it increases the probability that you will continue in bad habits. Instead perfect practice makes perfect. When you endure and overcome so that you are living up to the standard that God has set for your life then you are able to make significant progress.

My husband is a sports fanatic! He coaches a basketball team every summer. His basketball team is excellent. It is usually a hodge-podge team of young men and young women who no body expects to win. He starts working with them, teaching them fundamentals and coaching them as they play with other teams and slowly you see the progress that takes the team to the championship game every year! One of the things that I've learned watching my husband coach is that there are two types of teams that you want to play. You want to play a team that you know that you can beat. When your team wins their confidence is built up. They are encouraged to keep working hard and striving to keep their position in the stats. But sometimes my husband has his team to practice with or to play a team that is clearly better and more skilled. You'd ask yourself why would you play a team that is much better than you--you're going to lose!

But the truth of the matter is when you are challenged is when you grow. When you play a team that out thinks you, out moves you and is more skilled than you, you have an opportunity to learn from the smack down that you just took. So the truth of the matter is you really did win because you allowed yourself the opportunity to learn through first hand experience what you may have never picked up from a speech.

Christianity is the same way--just like in James 1:3. Our faith is tried or exercised or challenged and from that we develop patience. Patience is key to the growth process. You don't need patience because patience is a part of the faith process. You need patience to be able to keep still while God works through the faith process in your life. Too often we are on the cusp of a change and a break through, but our impatience will cause us to leave before our change comes. We need that challenge so that we can learn to be still and wait on the Lord with our armor on!

Everyday is not going to be good, fair, or rosy--in fact many days are filled with challenges. Those challenges come to make us stronger. They come to teach us that God doesn't deal in fair, but He does cause all to be just. He doesn't say that everyday will be easy for you, but He does promise that all things will work together for your good. He doesn't say that He'll never chasten you, but He does tell you that if He is chastening you it is because He loves you.

Are you facing the same challenges over and over again? Good. Every time you are presented with that challenge you have a new opportunity to learn from it so that you can grow as a spiritual being; so that you can learn to depend on the Lord for the answer of what to do next; so that you can trust that God cares enough for you to never leave you or forsake you. You will begin to seek God first. You will begin to go into prayer automatically. You will come out the victor--even where you have to take some correction, rebuke and instruction.

When you are challenged today, accept the challenge!

Prayer Partners with Power!

The Bible declares that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. What would happen if we surrounded ourselves with family, friends, children, and spouses for whom and with whom we prayed fervently? We could turn the world upside down!

Let's take a look at the story of Daniel, and his prayer partners, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abed-nego). The book of Daniel chapter 2 reveals that the wise men that were appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar were in danger of losing their lives because the King had dreamed a dream and wanted someone to not only interpret the dream, but to also tell him what he dreamed.

The magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans tried to explain to the King that what he was asking was impossible! Of course they were afraid for their very lives so they wanted King Nebuchadnezzar to give them a break! They said, "Tell us the dream and we will interpret it for you!" But the King was clear, he wanted to know for sure that the interpretation wasn't tainted and wasn't going to be something that they were saying to make him feel good. He insisted that they tell him the dream or all the wise men would be put to death. When Daniel heard what the King decreed, he first asked the King for some time, then he immediately went to his prayer partners and asked them to begin to pray with him that God would show mercy on them so that they would not die with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

God revealed King Nebuchadnezzar's dream to Daniel in a night vision and Daniel blessed God! Now those are some true prayer partners! I need some friends and some prayer partners just like Daniel--how about you! When I have a problem--like King David, I can seek God through Prayer and then make some progress!

When God revealed the dream and the interpretation to Daniel, Daniel didn't take any credit when he went in before the King. He immediately said no one else could give you the information that you asked for, but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets.

Today make an effort to find some prayer partners with power and when God answers your prayer--because He will--make sure you acknowledge Him for who He is and for all that He has and continues to do.

How to Increase in Wisdom, Stature and Favor with God and Man

Luke 2:52 is a very familiar passage of scripture that is the culmination of an important life lesson. Many of us want to get ahead. We want to move past where we are in our lives. We want to do better. We feel as if we are not where we should be or need to be. We look around and compare ourselves to others and believe that we don't have all that we deserve at this point in our lives.

Our thoughts drift to how we should have, could have or would have if we had been provided different opportunities. We focus on what we perceive to be lack and sometimes become depressed because we want better for ourselves and our children, but feel unequipped to get to where we've imagined we should be.

But this scripture in its entirety reveals how we can obtain what we so desperately long for in our hearts. Following is how we can get there:

1. Remember that you are subject to the law of the land. Verses 1-5 and 21-25 detail how Joseph and Mary obeyed the laws that they were subject to because of where they lived and who they were.
2. God will always make a way for you by taking care of your needs and moving others in the position to be a blessing in your life. Verses 9-12 talk about how the Lord revealed to the shepherds were the family would be and what they needed to do.
3. We must learn to appreciate our now because right now is the substance that later is created from. Learn to worship God right now to reduce your feelings of regret, fear, doubt, loneliness etc. Verses 6& 7.
4. Praise Him. Verses 13 & 14 detail how the angels gave God praise for the fulfillment of the promise of a savior. We must give God praise for who He is and for all that He's done. We must be careful to prove our reference for His power through our sincere worship.
5. Follow the instructions given to you by God. Listen for God's voice. Do what He tells you to do and do it with haste! Verses 16-18.
6. Remember all that God is doing in your life and all that He has done. Make a memorial of praise to His power. That reminds you that He is your source. Verse. 19
7. God will provide you an under shepherd to guide you and to bless your life. Verses 25-35.
8. God will always provide a witness. Verses 36-38.
9. We are all accountable to be available, to give an answer and to be obedient. Even Jesus in all His authority and power had to answer to His natural parents and to God. Verses 40-51 express the importance of not checking out and doing your own thing, but to accepting the discipline that comes with subjecting yourself to the authority that God has placed over you. God has a good reason for it. He works through authority. While you are being still He is endowing you with the ability to handle the authority that He will give you.
10. All of these things develop us, mature us, allow us to self-examine and to make changes so that we become better people spiritually and naturally. As we see ourselves and make corrections we grow and as we grow and change God sees. As we take one step He takes two. He blesses us with the things that we can now handle because we allowed Him to have His perfect work in our lives. As we grow in godly things then others take note and our gifts begin to make room for us--not our pride, not our ability, not our talent, but what matters most is our humility, our obedience and our accountability.

Let's Make a Deal!

Yesterday Pastor Christine broke the Word all the way down. There was no mistaking that! She preached from John chapter 4--the familiar story of our "friend" the Samaritan woman at the well.

Pastor Christine told us the following three things:

1. Jesus comes by to tear down the wall of separation.
2. Jesus comes by to break down the wall of our physical limitations.
3. Jesus comes by to break down the wall of denial.

Pastor Christine also shared with us that sometimes we benefit from rejecting offers--while we may lose some people in the process--in the end we gain. Also, we learned the Jesus doesn't want what's in our pot because our pots can become contaminated. Rather Jesus wants to fill us with living water that springs forth.

It was interesting to me that the scripture focused on the fact that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, yet Jesus was there for the purpose of dealing directly with some issues. Jesus broke down the wall of separation in more than a figurative way. He made it clear that all had access to Him.

I think what I liked the most from this sermon was the fact that Jesus came by to remove our excuses. If He has put a vision before you then He has already provided the way for you and the means for you and the provision for you. Remember that your vision won't just be handed to you on a silver platter. There are things that you must go through to bring you to your well for your meeting with the Savior.

Be clear that He is not intimidated by your sin. He wants you to admit it and move on past it. We have all sinned and fallen short. That is not the end nor is it the point. This scripture text doesn't rest on the fact that this woman had already had five husbands and was cavorting with a man that was not her husband at that present moment. Nor does it rest on the fact that she was getting water from the well at noon when the rest of the women had gotten their water in the morning time. Actually, this scripture text down plays all of her faults and highlights the fact that she became an unlikely messenger of the Word. No one expected her to be the one with the good news on her tongue. She was shunned and shamed. Jesus wants us to know that He is clear on what we've done yet He desires to have that well experience with us anyway. He is not phased by our sins or our iniquities. He simply provides the avenue to break the wall down.

The Samaritan woman accepted that Jesus told her and she shared that truth with others. I also find it interesting that when she shared what she learned with the "men" of the town, they came--so she was an effective witness! When they heard they said, "We don't believe because of what she told us, but we believe because we heard it ourselves!" Most people might become offended at that passage thinking man that was rude. This woman just shared the good news of the gospel with you and you totally ignore that she was the one that told you, but in fact we all ought to strive to be like her. It is unimportant what vessel delivers the message. Thank God for using us at all. The important thing is that people are compelled to come and see a man who told me all that I ever did! The spotlight is on Jesus--not us. He is the only one with the power to save and deliver! This lesson made that point perfectly. Jesus wants to come by where ever you are and make you an offer that you can't refuse! Where folks used to not deal with you, He wants to make the deal of a lifetime with you!

Blessed are those that hunger and thirst

Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are they, which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

What is the meaning of hunger and thirst?
Hunger and thirst are strong words, meaning an ardent, eager, famishing, all consuming craving, desire and passion of the soul for God and his righteousness.
Psalms often portrays the picture of man craving and desiring more of God. Psalm 84: 1-2: How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty, my soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord. Psalm 143:6: My Soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
To hunger and thirst after God's righteousness suggests that your soul cannot live without it. It is your spiritual nourishment and necessary for your growth as a Christian.

What is the meaning of righteousness?
The word righteousness comes from Greek word dikaiosyne, meaning rightness, quality of rightness or justice.
The key here is to understand that the discussion is about God's righteousness--not just righteousness. God's righteousness promotes justice, not fairness. This is hard for the carnal mind to understand. Think about your child. Often we tell them something that is just, but they will retort, "That's not fair!" We are not longing for fair, because if we lived in fair God's grace and mercy wouldn't apply to us. If we lived in fair favor wouldn't make a way for us. God's word makes every situation just--in other words, what the devil meant for bad, God worked it out for my good. That's just, that's righteous. I wasn't supposed to still be here. I wasn't supposed to be blessed and highly favored. I wasn't supposed to have the family I have or the education, or drive the car I drive or live the way I live, but because of God's righteousness, He moved me from where I was and placed me where I am and the good news is that as long as I hunger and thirst after His righteousness, He's not through with me yet! There is more, more, more!

What are the things, people hunger and thirst for?
People hunger and thirst for
Power
Fame
Money
Beauty
Sexuality

There are, however, those who long for God. These are the people who are not just interested or satisfied by worldly things or pleasures. They are the seekers. It is often human tendency to neglect the spiritual needs. But these are the people who yearn after God. Who have learned that they cannot live without Him. There's no way they'll ever doubt Him. These are those who sacrifice to prove that their everyday life is Christianity--not just Sundays, but they want to draw closer to Him every single day.

What does it mean to ‘hunger and thirst for righteousness’?
It is not seeking self-righteousness, but it is the righteousness that comes from God. It is to depend, not on our own will-power to achieve it but upon God. Seeking after God's righteousness is something that we all can achieve. Romans 3:21-22 But now righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who will believe.
So then, righteousness of God is available through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe in Him. And those who will seek him, will find him and will be filled.

Jesus himself claimed to be the one who will quench the thirst. John 7:37: If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.

Remember the woman at the well, Jesus asked her for a drink, and she thought she knew what to expect next. She thought to herself, this guy shouldn't even be talking to me, but look at him, he needs something from me. But Jesus wanted to get something to her. How many of us are starving spiritually because we have mistaken who Jesus is and what He wants to do in our lives? Truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He wants to give us a drink of His righteousness so that we will never thirst again, just like the woman at the well. His compassion and love for us keeps Him reaching out to us. Let's reach out to Him in our worship, in our quiet time of prayer, in our daily living, on the car ride to work; reach out to Him during your work day, at the grocery store, hunger for Him and His righteousness so that His righteousness becomes our own and His ways become our ways and His will becomes our will. The reward? We will be filled!

Reference: http://www.bibleseo.com/

Blessed are the Meek

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the Meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

What does it mean to be meek?
A meek person has a humble and gentle heart. He is a person who is kind and considerate to others, even to those who oppose him. He is easily approachable, not prideful or resentful, not temperamental, moody or harsh. Meekness is an outward expression of inward humility, strength and spiritual poise. It is the ultimate exercise of integrity. While others may act aggressively, the meek walks in godly peace, others may claim their rights, the meek focuses on his duties, while others may seek revenge, the meek gives way for the judgment of God. Meekness does not imply weakness or sadness. It does not mean that the person is subdued or given false modesty. But it portrays a person who willfully and joyfully considers his own life worth nothing, when compared to the greatness of God, he has experienced. The words of Paul have similar expression in Phil 3:7-11. A person is not meek because he announces he is meek. A meek person treats everyone fairly and with consistency. He does not prefer some and humiliate or embarrass others. It is easy to spot a meek person because he is usually not part of the crowd--he is set apart for the Master's use. Meekness is controlled strength and requires one to give up his ways in preference for God's ways.


Meekness in Bible
Meekness is often commended in the bible. The word meek is used about 22 times in the bible. It is one of the fruit of Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22 – ‘gentleness’). It is the character, Jesus himself associated with. Matthew 11:29 – “For I am gentle and humble in heart…” It is the mark of the disciples of Jesus. (Eph 4:2). Christian leaders are to be meek. (2 Timothy 2:25)

The Promise: Inheritance
What an amazing promise and reward, God gives to those who are meek! – They will inherit the earth. There are more than 200 instances of the word ‘inherit’ or its derivatives in old testament. The patriarchs and the prophets looked forward to the ‘Promise land’ as a fulfillment of great blessings. Inheritance comes as a legacy and gift. The meek will be the heirs and partakers of the Kingdom of God.

Reference: www.bibleseo.com

Blessed are they that mourn

Matthew 5: 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Who are Those who mourn?
At first this scripture text seems to contradict itself. To be blessed means to be happy. How can someone who is mourning be happy? Jesus meant for this attitude to be viewed in a spiritual way. Isaiah 61:1-3 helps us to understand the context of this beatitude.
1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

When we become Christians we are endowed with weapons that help us learn to stand against the wiles of the devil, to be a witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to take the kingdom of God by force, to take authority in our lives and in the lives of those around us, to resist the enemy, to tear down strongholds, and to watch, pray and worship.

The weapons of this warfare are not carnal and sometimes because they are not carnal it is difficult to recognize what they are and what they should be used to achieve. Like David's five smooth stones our weapons often seem small in our hands, but when the power of the almighty is added each accomplishes awesome and impossible feats, which prove God's love for us. We need to recognize our weapons, but that's a blog for another day. The weapons that are applicable to those that mourn are joy and peace. Our joy can lift us out of terrible situations going on all around us and our peace, which passes understanding, can bring us to a place in God that no one can pluck us from.

So although we may mourn we understand that weeping may endure for a night, but JOY comes in the morning (mourning). We may be saddened by something that has happened, but we recognize that God meant it for our good and that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and who are the called according to His purpose! We trust that God can and will carry us through every situation that we come to and on the other side we become overcommers with a testimony! That testimony will allow us to go into the enemy's camp with confidence so that we can take back our families, take back all that the enemy has stolen--we can recover all!

The reward is Comfort – Calling Near
The Greek word for comforted is parakaleo which means ‘to call to the side of’, ‘to call near’. The comfort which God offers, is not just consoling or soothing, but it is much more than that. When we turn to God in our suffering, God calls us to His side. We are able to enter beyond the veil. He is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. He comforts us and come to our rescue.

People often complain about God’s silence in our time of need or suffering. But this beatitude gives very different picture. God is calling us near, ready to comfort us, all we need to do is to respond to Him. As a matter of fact He promised to never leave nor forsake us. So in our time of trouble He is truly right there! This idea is fully realized in the Words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

This beatitude, at its core, brings the message of hope for those who mourn or are hurt. You can try to ignore it, or escape it, but you can only find true comfort and rest in Jesus. When we learn to turn it over to Jesus, whatever "IT" is He gives us comfort in return. He promised that the comforter would come. The comforter is here.

References: www.bibleseo.com and www.bible.com

Blessed are the Poor in spirit

Beatitude 1 : Poor In Spirit
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The term poor in spirit seems odd, but other scripture references help to determine the true meaning that Jesus wanted us to get. First the word for poor in Greek Ptochos literally means having nothing, reduced to begging, like a beggar, totally broke. Jesus mixes the term for having nothing with spirit so that now we understand that He meant the text to convey that we need to begin our Christian journey with a broken and contrite spirit. This is born out through scripture reference. Psalms 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. King David further asks God to create within him a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within him.

Having a broken heart and a contrite spirit means simply being humble and submissive. This happens when we realize that what we have or do not have monetarily isn't going to supply our needs, but rather God is our ultimate source and resource for everything. When we look to the hills because our help comes from them then we can understand that without Him we could do nothing, but because of Him we live move and have our being. We must give everything over to Him and fall on the rock and be broken and humbled.

Isaiah 66:1-2: “Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”
Isaiah 57:15: “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.”

The opposite of poor in spirit is proud in spirit. The pride of life is one of the three roots of sin and independence from God--First Lady Woods discussed this with us at Bible Study on September 1st. (1 John 2:16)

Being humble, broken and contrite is the root of all virtues. It is the state of heart; it is how you view yourself in light of God. It is how you engage yourself with His people. It is how you handle yourself in this world. Humility is the root from which all other beatitudes grow. Without submitting to God first taking on a spirit of meekness, learning to make for peace, accepting unwarranted persecution and the other beatitudes are quite impossible to accept and practice.


The Promise: Kingdom of Heaven
The Kingdom of Heaven is a peculiar title only found in the gospel of Matthew. This term is used interchangeably with Kingdom of God in other gospels. Kingdom of Heaven is the messianic kingdom promised in old testament, to be established by Messiah. (Daniel 2:44) Matthew represents Jesus as the savior and king prophesied in old testament.
Kingdom of God (Heaven) is in twofold:
1. Already Here: Luke 17:20-21: Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you."
2. Yet to Come: Kingdom of Heaven will be fully realized and established when Christ will come as a King and Ruler over all earth. (Daniel 7: 13,14,27)


Practical Applications:
■How do you view yourself in light of this beatitude?
■How do you view others?
■Do your attitudes reflect your beliefs?

References: www.bibleseo.com and www.bible.com

Beattitudes: Part 1 The Sermon on the Mount

The next blogs will be about Jesus' famed Sermon on the Mount--specifically about the beatitudes. Many people refer to the first portion of the sermon as the beatitudes because Jesus begins the text with the term blessed and then espouses a reward for a specific character attribute.

The backdrop is that there were expectations on Jesus that he had come to "rescue" the Jews. He was being heralded by some as a military leader so this sermon was probably quite frustrating and confusing to those who saw him in that capacity.

In this sermon Jesus talks about being humble, about being empathetic and meek, about longing for righteousness, being merciful and making for peace, about being being pure in heart and being persecuted. The sermon talks about being an example and a light and not breaking away from the law but fulfilling it. He talks about loving your enemies and blessing those who curse you as the reward is in loving those that do not love you. Chapters 6 and 7 show Jesus sharing how to pray and how to not be judgmental but to show compassion and mercy. Jesus instructs not to worry but to seek the kingdom of God first. It is especially notable in Chapter 7 that Jesus takes the time to thoroughly explain the importance of relying on God and to beware of false prophets.

One can see that this sermon is Jesus pouring out of himself and into us the very reason that He came and principles to adopt and to live on. To accept teachings from this sermon begins to make us disciples in deed as we take on the mind of Christ and put away our own way of dealing with these practical and day to day real life situations. These lessons are an important piece of understanding Christianity as a philosophy and as a way of living naturally and spiritually. If we write this word on the tables of our hearts and refresh this word in our minds it will help guide us in our Christian journey.

For the present we are only covering the Beatitudes portion of the sermon. However, Chapters 5, 6 and 7 should be read and studied in their entirety to enjoy the complete Sermon on the Mount. The sermon is encouraging, uplifting, refreshing and renewing. We will begin tomorrow with Chapter 5 verse 3.

Fill Up! Follow Up and Completion

Many a Christian song writer has used the line after all that I have been through, I still have joy. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit of God that is vitally necessary for the health and well being of my heart, mind, body spirit and soul. It pulls all of these things together and keeps me motivated and focused on the fact that neither my past or my current situation dictate my future outcome!

That is why it is important--no--imperative for us to submit to and accept the Joy of the Lord. We must allow His joy to remain with us so that our joy might be full. It is His joy that keeps me stretching past my breaking point, past my comfort zone, into a new place in my spiritual advancement. It is His joy that reminds me that He meant it for my good. It keeps me from seeing negative things negatively. As a matter of fact I like the way Brother Bryan Rankin put it on Sunday. He said he was complaining to God about his car being broken down and some repairs that he had to make to his home, but after careful consideration he had to stop and give God thanks because he remembered when he didn't have a car that could break down and he didn't have a home that needed repairs. It is that JOY of the Lord that causes us to see our lives and our circumstances differently and this process matures us and takes us to those higher heights and deeper depths that we want to reach in our relationship with God.

So we should be excited about the Word of God that shows us the following points:
1. Was provided yesterday.
2. Verses 4&5 tells us that God grants us an opportunity to be still and receive the pruning, care and the discipline required to grow beyond our own expectations and the expectations of others. People may have counted you out, but God picked you up, grafted you in, gave you new life and allowed you to begin again. Not only are you productive, but you are a miracle! Not only are you fruitful, but you are doing more than even you imagined or anyone who knew you imagined!
3. Verse 7 explains that as we learn to reach into the vine and into the very root through our worship we are in fact using our spirit to worship God in spirit and in truth. This allows us to truly touch God and to speak to Him in a faith language that He will respond to. It is not emotionally driven. It is not driven by manipulation, but it is pure faith and as with any language it must be learned through practice. You want to learn French go to France! You want to grow in faith have your faith tested--your joy will keep you motivated while you learn the faith language.
4. Verse 8 shows us that when we opt to do things the way that God commands--for His Word states that if we love Him we will keep His commandments--God is glorified and magnified through our faithful obedience. We need to become oblivious to the physical outcomes and trust that God will do what He said He will do. We are representatives of Christ. For us to obey Him and for Him not to respond to that is not His character--He is not a man that He should lie.
5. Verse 9 cuts to the crux of the matter and here is where your joy becomes full. God provided the ultimate example of love through sacrifice--the sacrifice of His son. Now we ought to continue to walk in that example.

We arrive at verse 11, which is our focus. Here is where every Christian ought to greedily take their fill. These Words are the words of Jesus and he says I've shared all of this with you so that my joy might remain with you and that your joy might be full. So when I just think of the goodness and then on top of that alllllllllll that He has done for me, but add on top of that who He is, then my joy is full. I know that the situation is going to turn around just for me. He's going to work it out for me no matter what it looks like. He's working behind the scenes on my behalf no matter what people say. My joy fully holds me up, picks me up, keeps me up and allows me to restore somebody else in their time of need freely knowing that that ember that I received from God will never go out.

Fill Up! Introduction and pt 1

Today's Scripture text to study is John chapter 15 with particular attention to verse 11, which says, These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

We must reach the maturity level in our Christian walk where we realize that our lives as Christians do not stop and restart; meaning we are not just Christians when we feel happy or when we are at church or when things are going well for us. Instead as soon as we believe in our hearts and make our confession we are at that moment Christians.

That means that the totality of our lives is now enfolded into that definition and there are good days, down days, delights, and depressions. There are happy times and sad times, times of celebration and times of great sorrows that come with the human condition. However, what I am sharing today is that God wants one thing to remain constant in the life of the Christian because His character rests upon it. He wants us to always have the embers of His joy burning within us.

We go to the gas station to get fuel that will feed the engine of our vehicle so that the potential of that 2000 pound or more mechanised machine won't just be found somewhere on the side of the road unusable. God realizes that we are the same. He has placed within each of us the measure of faith and spiritual gifting, but all of that is useless without His joy remaining in us as that ember of fuel that continues to ignite purpose in us.

Here is what we ought to be excited about within this scripture:

1. Verse 2 explains that if you are trying God sees, knows, and recognizes that you are doing all that you can. Now what you must wrap your mind around is that in order for Him to take you to another level He has got to subject you to a process of weeding (training) and pruning (changing the pattern of your growth). These together will ultimately make you more productive (fruitful).

What you can bear

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it. I Corinthians 10:13 is the scripture to study today and the lesson is simply this God knows what you can and cannot handle. All my life I have been hittable. If that is a word. A college professor used to pop out of his office when I would pass by his door and he would hit me in my arm. When I asked him why he did it, he simply said that I was a hittable person. I think he meant that I am the kind of person that tolerates a lot out of people.

I know why. I may not understand why, but I know why. Right now I'm tolerating some things that I know other people wouldn't and I probably shouldn't. It hurts more deeply than I can even explain in words. My heart aches. I turned to God and He gave me this scripture. I Corinthians 10:13. That was it in a nutshell.

When you come to the place where you feel like you can't go further or can't take any more, God wants you to know that He is stretching your faith. We are all provided the measure of faith when we become Christians but to excel at faith we must be willing to be stretched well beyond our comfort zone and to journey to a place that is unfamiliar and hard to take and we have to be able to tolerate staying there for a prolonged period of time. We have to be able to watch loved ones make mistakes and not judge them, but love them and restore them when they are ready. We have to be able to forgive 70 times 7 when someone so close to us hurts us in ways that ache and keep us up at night praying and pleading with God to please take that burden away from us. We have to be able to endure misunderstandings our own frailties and mistakes and miscommunication. We have to take it when we are right but must be quiet and when we are wrong and must be disciplined. All of this is how we grow in maturity in our relationship with Christ.

How do you know when you are being stretched? You are being stretched when you are doing everything that you know that you can do to please God--you are praying, praising, worshiping, you are obeying, keeping His commandments, loving people, striving to live holy and yet, you are struggling, floundering, failing, falling, things are confusing, you are off balance--and still God is expecting you to get up and walk toward Him like a baby with your arms out toward Him taking those baby steps. He wants you to learn, mature and grow. He wants your name to be permanently written in the Book of Life with the righteous. I think about this when I'm going through something that is so painful. There is eternal life and it is eternal life with Him to reign with Him or to be separated away from Him--either way it is life eternal.

He is growing you and making you. Do not fear that. Embrace it. Everyone can't handle it. Everyone can't understand it. Everyone can't go with you. Sometimes you will be in the press--endure the press. God knows what you can handle.

Use your gifting not your gabbing

Today's scripture text to study is the book of Job. The book of Job chronicles the well known story of Job's loss, his tribulation, his test, his endurance and his ultimate triumph. Today as I read chapter 20 I noted that Zophar took a look at the obvious and made some harsh judgments about what he saw.

It sounded familiar. All too often as Christians instead of walking a faith walk and allowing God to use us to speak life into a situation through our gifting and the calling on our lives we look with our natural eyes and talk about what we think we see and we just start calling things all kind of wrong. We think we are on point sometimes because we start telling folk positives and they are going to get this and God is going to bless them with that. We forget that the Word of God comes to exhort, to edify, to uplift, but also at times to admonish or to warn. The Word is not always going to be sunshine and roses. Our job is not to perceive with our physical senses and try to phophelie to make people feel something. Job's friends allofinasudden felt it was their duty to tell him where he had gone wrong because they knew what was up down and around. Here was a man they knew was righteous--they had been with him and watched him live a holy life--they couldn't explain what was happening to him so instead of just keeping quiet and keeping him company--I mean this guy actually pretty much said that he just couldn't hold his peace any longer--instead of consulting God and comforting a friend who he knew was going through and suffering--he decides to go with the obvious--mistake! And this is a tragic mistake that we should ask ourselves as Christians are we falling into.

Faith requires an unmitigated trust in God. We must refuse to do anything but trust in God! Whatever He says and tells us to say that we will say that we will do. If He tells us to say something to a brother or a sister we will. I promise you that God will give you a Word that will bring life to the situation. Often I have said something to a person and they have said wow that was confirmation. I had no idea what they were going through or why I was led to them that day and there are times that I have missed the mark and spoke out of self because I wanted to comfort someone. We have to be careful and hear from God first and then speak.

Today resolve within yourself to use the gift of God that is within you and to desire good gifts.

No Greater Love

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life John 3:16

Sometimes when the same thing keeps happening to us over and over it is helpful if we ask God to show us the lesson. Recently I asked this of the Lord and He told me that I'm wound too tightly. I don't trust. I won't let anyone else in. No one else can help me. No one else can do anything. I wind up suffering because I won't let go and let other people just do what they can do. This deepens their development, develops my relationship with them and lightens my burden. We can all learn.

I thought about this against the backdrop of why Jesus did all of what He did. I mean He didn't have to come as a baby in a manger. He didn't have to come in such a humble way--after all He was and remains God almighty. He could have come thunderously proving what He could do from day one. Isn't that what we do? That's what I do sometimes. I have to prove what I can do--who I am--my talents--my skills--my credentials. He didn't have to humble himself to go through adolescence and teenage years. He didn't have to obey His mother and stepfather. He didn't have to fulfill prophesy and submit to three years of process before He launched into miracles and ministry, but He did. Why? John 3:16. He did it just for a hard head like me. He did it all for the lessons that it takes me a life time to learn and discover about myself.

There is no greater love.

Renting Religion vs. Owning Relationship

Saturday morning Pastor Christine Woods shared with Women Empowering Women an hour of powerful and anointed prayer full of revelation. Pastor Christine is blessed with the divine ability to see into your situation and call out the things that you need to work on. She does it with love and with authority.

She told us to study 2 Corinthians 4:17 after the powerful time in prayer. As I was sharing this experience with a sister last night my thoughts turned to the mission and vision of our ministry Urban Empowerment and this scripture opened for me and showed me that our Pastors are leading us into what it means to own your relationship with Christ through accepting His will, seeking Him first, being obedient to His call and open to His purpose all under the guise of humbling yourself in spite of what things look like on the outside. Because there could be trouble on every side, but God is looking for some Gideon soldiers.

I was reminded this morning of a story that a friend of mine told me one day while I as visiting her home. She has a curio case with some artifacts in it that belonged to her grandparents. One of those items is a bankbook. It reminded her, she said, of how hard her grandparents had worked to earn everything that they owned. They were able to purchase a home and a car, which was unheard of for African-Americans in those days, but they saved everything that they earned and used it wisely. She then said that today's generation doesn't care about owning. Today's generation only cares about how things look so they will rent an apartment full of furniture paying a lot more than it is actually worth, ruining their credit scores because they are overwhelmed with debts just so they can speed up the process and make it look like they have earned what it took her grandparents a whole lifetime to earn.

The point is this, we cannot rent a relationship with God. Some people believe that they can. They believe that on Sunday mornings they can come in and throw their hands up, wail, moan, cry and fall out and that will get for them something that they have not earned by simply entering in beyond the veil into God's presence and offering Him honest worship.

Renting is a funny thing. When you rent it looks like you have it going on. You can have the best furniture and the biggest and best tv and surround sound system, and car, and house, but behind the scenes you're paying out so much that you exhaust yourself. It's like you're out of breath. You cannot relax because you have to keep up the front. You have to keep things looking a certain way. All of your resources go to the look of wealth.

Renting religion is the same. All of your effort is in the look, but behind the scenes on Monday you cannot be reached to encourage or uplift someone else. On Tuesday you cannot be found to lift up the name of Jesus and no one can drink from your well because you are dry. On Thursday no one can find you for a hug because you're depressed yourself. On Friday when Pastors need volunteers to help promote events you cannot be found because you're tired and run down, but Sunday you're there with your weekly payment in hand!

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says this:
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

This scripture pierces the very meaning of ownership of a relationship with God. It says this, I might be really going through, but I see it only as a minor thing that lasts for a short time because what I'm doing for and in the Kingdom is storing up a treasure for me. I understand that what I'm dealing with in this world is only temporary--it's not going to last so I'm not working hard for this world, but what is real is what is unseen so my labor and my work is what I do for Christ because that will last throughout eternity. In other words only what we do for Christ will last.

Read the whole chapter of 2 Corinthians 4 and make up your mind to own your relationship with Christ through hearing the Word, obeying His commandments, taking one for the team, really understanding that it's not about us, but it is about Jesus. It's okay if folks talk about you--didn't they talk about Him? It's okay if you are sometimes misunderstood--did they always understand Jesus? It's okay if people scandalize your name and speak ill of your intentions--it will happen sometimes--you are not exempt. As we are learning to own we must learn discipline. We cannot react to everything that the enemy throws our way, but we must be like a tree planted by the waters--determined not to move--flexible, but not breakable. It is important to be flexible because a relationship means you'll have to take correction--you'll have to take criticism and direction and teaching and guidance and pruning. When you own your relationship with Christ you recognize that He chastises those whom He loves so you humble yourself no matter who He uses to correct you.

Make a down payment on a real relationship with God and stop wasting your earnings on renting religion.

Get over it.

Today's Bible study passage is Acts chapter 10, which deals primarily with the story of a soldier named Cornelius and how God worked through His instrument Peter to bring about an eternal-life altering experience for Cornelius.

Peter was Jewish and as such submitted himself to the customs, rituals and the laws of his heritage. On this particular occasion, Peter went on top of the house to pray. The Bible reports that he was very hungry. While praying Peter fell into a trance where he saw a vision of various animals being offered to him and a voice said, arise Peter, kill and eat. Peter experienced this three times. During the same time span Cornelius was hearing from God too. God had instructed him to send for a man named Simon Peter because that man had something to tell him.

If you will remember Jesus told Peter that he would be the rock upon which the church was built. So now here in the 10th chapter of Acts we see where that opportunity could have slipped away because of what Peter knew and what he was used to--because of who he used to be and the traditional religious and ceremonial rites that he used to practice. Because Peter was a Jew his primary ministry up to that point had been to people who looked like him, who spoke like him, who he hung around with. But God had to help Peter to get over himself so that a willing soul could be saved.

This is just like us today. We have things in our lives that we need help getting over. We need God to reveal to us how to accept that our past is our past--even if it was a few moments ago--that may be what we knew and what we learned to do to cope in the past, but in order to be open to the move of God today we have to simply get over some things in our lives.

Notice that God could have just told Peter to go minister to Cornelius--just like He revealed to Cornelius that Peter would come to minister to him. However, God needed to touch Peter more deeply than that.--Some of us need to be touched more deeply with the message that whatever it is that you've done in the past--get over it! Sometimes we are so guilt ridden that we cannot make any forward progress. But the Bible tells us that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Just because you've done something for a long time and nobody knows about it doesn't mean that you should not use your experiences to help someone else overcome--ask God to help you get over it so that you can share your testimony.

Note that Peter was hungry and the Bible makes clear note of that. Peter didn't have to be hungry to see the vision--God could have just shown him that vision, but the fact that Peter was hungry matched to the fact that he saw this vision of food that he formally wouldn't eat became powerful when he met Cornelius. Peter was able to empathize with the hunger that Cornelius had to be saved and to know God and it made the transition for Peter to minister easier. He was able to accept the will of God and do the will of God freely because he understood where this man was coming from.

Read Acts chapter 10 today and ask God to reveal to you what you need to get over so that you can tune in to the hungry souls that are crying out for the Word of the Lord. They are waiting on someone to keep that divine appointment and share with them the good news and gospel of Jesus Christ. People in your family may want to throw in your face who you used to be, but let them know that with God's help you're getting over it! You may want to regress and go back to your old ways, your judging ways, your gossiping ways, your not seeking God first ways--no matter--the vision has been revealed to you. God wants to touch you deeply and to have you know that there is work to be done and it is time for you to get over whatever has been hindering you.

It isn't about other people--it's about God's will. It isn't about your excuses--it's about God's will. Don't miss another divine appointment to minister to someone hungry for the eternal-life changing Word of God because of your hang up. Get over it.

What's in your file?

Over time law enforcement collects what's termed a R.A.P sheet on various criminals. The RAP sheet is a criminal's record of arrests and prosecutions, but what I want to know is how long is your R.A.P. sheet (Record of Authority and Prayer)? Every Christian ought to have a RAP sheet that records our triumphs, our lessons learned, our getting ups, our encouraging others, our turning the other cheek, our taking authority in our lives and the lives of those around us, our restoring our brothers and sisters in a spirit of meekness and humility realizing it could be us, our bearing fruit, our stirring up the gift, our working by day, our loving one another. Every Christian ought to have a RAP sheet so long that tells the complete testimony of how we have overcome.

As we build our file there's all kinds of information about how we've taken on the mind of Christ and how we die to our flesh daily. There's information about how we learn to let go of our hurt and the pain that causes us to hurt others and cause them pain. We learn that we are justified by faith and that we have peace with God because of the blood that was shed by Jesus on Calvary.

Open your file. What does you RAP sheet look like? Is it a couple of pages? Is it clean? I hope my file is full and running over because I've fallen down, but gotten up again and I've made mistakes, but God has encouraged me through the Word that comes from my Bishop and my Pastor. I hope my file is full because God has stretched me past my comfort zone and grown me in ways that I never thought I could grow. He took me higher when I never thought I would have made it. I hope my file is overflowing because I'm learning to humble myself under His mighty hand and serve with a broken heart and a contrite spirit--Blessed are the peacemakers! I thank God and hope my file is overflowing because when I was caught red handed and guilty--He took away all the evidence. He covered me--thank you Jehovah Nissi. I don't know about you, but that's enough for me to shout on right there! I was way down and He reached all the way down and picked me up--my God! What kind of God is this? He loves us in spite of our self destructive behavior and allows us to build a RAP sheet for His glory! Your RAP sheet ought to include prayer--much prayer---fervent prayer--reverent prayer--thankful prayer.

Build your file--don't stop. So what if you've been the messy member. God is the God of change and another chance. Your reputation doesn't have to remain the same and that will go in your file! So what if you've played the harlot--Israel did many times and God redeemed her time and time and time again and called her His--that will go in your file! His love for us is unimaginable. So what if you don't feel that you're worthy; God deemed you so when He sent His son and that's in your file!

I thank God for an out of the box ministry that doesn't do it the way that someone else does it. Go ahead and talk about it because God says the stone that the builders rejected--eventually became the chief corner stone. You see they picked all the pretty stones and the smoothest stones first--they cast that one stone to the side, but in the end when they needed the one stone that could HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER--they had to go back and get it! So talk about that out of the box ministry! It is a gift! Why? Because I was a wretch undone and I needed the message sent to me in a way that I could receive it--not the same old way, but God saw that I needed it in a new way and He thought about me, just like He thinks about each and everyone of us. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Check your record and keep building your file. . .

Overcoming through ministry

I write. Whether or not any one ever reads this blog. My deliverance. My growth. My healing is through this ministering so I write. I am literally driven to it. Scriptures crowd my mind and find their way through and out. My process is usually that God drops the memory of a scripture in my heart and I am inspired by it.

Today's scripture? Matthew chapter 21. Initially I was thinking about the portion of the scripture that spoke of how we can fall on the rock and be broken or the rock can fall on us and we can be crushed, but when I read the whole context and asked God to open my understanding the scripture became so much more powerful to me.

The general context of this scripture is Jesus fulfilling prophesy as His crucifixion is imminent. It is also a look into His very human side. This scripture talks about Him beating the money changers out of the temple--done out of anger, healing people--done out of compassion, and speaking to the chief priests and elders in parables when they questioned the source of His authority--done out of frustration.

There is a very special power in each of us. It's like how a super hero is formed or something--I mean there's always a vat of toxic waste that deforms a person, but also makes the person superhuman. We each have something that we struggle with--thank you Pastor Christine--something that becomes righteous indignation to us--it is our toxic waste. As we wrestle to overcome that thing; God blesses us to understand that our deliverance is in turning it over to Him by realizing that we cannot handle it on our own.

I cannot handle my fears on my own. They are born out of not having a mother and out of being abused by my father for many many years. They are born out of not trusting anyone because the person that I was supposed to trust misused me and stole from me. I learned to cope with that and became an adult as a child. My healing is in these posts. It is in talking to people after service. It is in calling people and seeing how they are doing. It is in the Community Bible Studies. It is in diving into the very thing that is the hardest for me to do--communicate.

This is why it is so important to stir up the gift that is within you--your spiritual survival depends on it. The soul that you are needs your ministry to thrive. The enemy never wants you to realize your purpose--he never wants you to see yourself as God sees you. Fortunately for you, the devil is a liar! God says, you're good enough! He says you're valuable. He says you're needed in the Kingdom. He says your healing and your ability to overcome any circumstance is in your ministering; it's in your reaching out beyond yourself. It's in your thinking about someone else. It's in our missing someone on Sunday and calling and checking on them. It's in your mothering. It's in your administration. It's in your singing. It's in your preaching. It's in your social work. It's in our edification and encouraging. It's in your giving. It's in your children's ministry. It's in your evangelism. It's in whatever God gave you. What you need is in what God gave you. Open your hands. Open your heart. Open your mind. Change your perspective. For the people had a mind to work . . .

Just Add Faith . . .

II Peter 1: 5-9
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

The person who invented instant mashed potatoes must be stinking rich! All you have to do is add some hot water and man you've got food! From that invention we have so many other instant meals (pancakes, oatmeal, ramen noodles--you get the picture). In each of these cases, the hot water changes a dry and unappetising product into warm, savory smelling food that may not be a full course meal, but if you're a college student it'll do the trick. There is a metamorphosis and a chemical reaction that alters the substance from something inedible to something that can be used.

We can think about faith in the same way. When we add faith to our situation the same type of life changing reaction happens. Add faith and your situation comes alive--it is no longer dry. Add faith and God comes in and begins to expand and grow your favor and your opportunities. Add faith and watch God bless you in your relationships with others. Without faith the things that we've hoped for are just dusty, empty, and dry but when we add the measure of faith given to all of us, God is alerted in the spirit realm. Because God is our Father when we call on Him in faith He responds. Faith is our hot water--it is the substance of what we've been hoping for and the evidence of what was before unseen.

Without faith it is impossible to please God because you are not in the spirit, but with faith then you bring along with you all of the attributes in the scripture above. You begin to add to yourself virtue and knowledge and self-control and patience, holiness, brotherly kindness and love. Your eyes open--your spiritual eyes and your mouth closes--you are able to listen more and hear the voice of God and be open to know where He has opened the windows of heaven. As we add these attributes to ourselves it is hard to hold on to the way we used to live.

As I add faith I can see better, hear better, I feel better because I have substance--I'm not dry and tasteless. Today just add faith . . .

Think big!

Today's scripture to ponder is found in I Samuel chapter 17. It is the well known story of how David slew Goliath.

Before David came on the scene Goliath had been torturing, teasing, terrifying and tormenting Saul and his Army. After all, Goliath was bigger, stronger, and seemingly tougher--right?

Isn't that just like the enemy? His very best weapon against you is a lie. You see the enemy is betting that like Saul you will buy into the hype, believe that you are already defeated and not do what David did. What did David do?

The scripture text reveals that when David arrived on the scene to deliver the food and supplies he was confused by what he saw. He saw men of the most high God cowering before another man. At that moment, even as a young man, David remembered what he had been able to do with the help of God. His heart raced as the memories of how God had strengthened his hand to be able to defeat the lion and the bear returned to his heart. He looked over the Army and began to encourage them by asking who was this uncircumcised Philistine? In other words don't you know who you are! Don't you know who we serve! We belong to the Most High GOD! Has anyone asked Him what to do? David didn't know what to do, but he absolutely knew that God's people were not going to be defeated. David was a big thinker! His big thought were the memories of what God had already done.

All too often in our lives we allow our problems and our circumstances to have a Goliath impact and we cannot remember how God has taken care of us in the past; how He has strengthened our hands so that we could defeat the lions and the bears in our lives. This lesson about David and Goliath is about how God works through natural law to give us the power and the authority to do all things through Him. This is why David was such an excellent warrior. He learned to trust God and to seek Him first then to execute the Word of God.

Today seek God, listen, execute. God is larger than the Goliath in your life so think big in your memorial to what God has already done for you. It's okay. I have always been told that I was an idealist full of unrealistic thinking. You know what I say to that? There is nothing to hard for God! I must think larger than where I currently am. You see God has strengthened my hand! He's done so much for me that I know what He is capable of doing. I just trust that God is going to move me to where I want to be. I can see past Goliath to a God who has the cattle on a thousand hills and who has the thousand hills and who has the earth the thousand hills rest upon and who owns the solar system the earth is a part of and who created the universe the solar system is in and the many universes that exist; my God! God is big so why shouldn't I think BIG! He's bigger than your circumstance! He's bigger than your financial burden--it will not depress you. He's bigger than your family matters; they will not crush you. He's bigger than your illness--it will not defeat you. He's bigger than the devil--the devil can't have you. God is bigger than your worries and your doubts and your inadequacies and your insecurities. He is the lifter of your head. When you know that He meant it for your good then you can think BIG.

Walking with God in the Cool of the Evening--the study of a relationship with God

The Bible describes for us how God so desires to have a real relationship with us. God created Adam to be different than the plants and the animals. Adam was even different from the angels. Adam had will and dominion. He had a soul and a mind. He could rebel against or embrace God. He could reject or worship God. He could run away from or toward God.

Often we find ourselves trying to make up for what we have lacked in our lives and if we are not careful we can waste a lifetime attempting to create relationships with people who simply do not wish to have a relationship with us. I shared with my husband the other day that we are sometimes so invested in a cause or a person or an organization, but that investment is not requited. It is simply a bad relationship. But in all that we do for Christ we would never be able to beat God giving no matter how hard we tried.

Sometimes you long for relationships that just aren't meant for you and while you're longing for them you're ignoring God, you're neglecting your gifts and you are not being true to who God called and made you to be. There are times that the enemy wants you to feel left out and an island unto yourself because the damage isn't about you as an individual. It is about crippling the body as a whole. The devil wants to destroy generations. He wants senseless infighting because we are supposed to be known for our love toward one another. I have noted and have written that there are more and more sound bites about everyone having haters. We are a body in Christ. Who are our haters? Are we each others haters? Does an arm hate it's fingers or does a foot hate its toes? It is the enemy's tactic to divide and conquer the body of Christ. It's a great sound bite and it makes you feel good some where on the inside, but why? How does that promote a relationship with God? How does that edify the body of Christ? If you really took the time to think about it really really really hate is the lack of love. If we are one body--jointly and and tightly fit together then certainly we are done so with love. The relationship that we forge with God refreshes and renews and restores a very real love relationship within the body.

God desires a very real relationship with each of us like He had with Adam. The Bible says that God would walk with Adam in the cool of the evening in the garden of Eden. That reminds me of how my Grandmother and I used to sit on her front porch swing and talk or sometimes not talk--just keep each other company. God wants to be in our lives--not to the exclusion of others--we are social beings and even God said it is not good for us to be alone, but He doesn't want us to lose focus--trying to substitute what we feel we lack or what we didn't get as children for something or someone other than Him. No one can love you like He can. I hope today's blog releases someone. It has released me.

Now for the zinger. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth. In order to experience a real relationship with God we must recognize that all that we know to be tangible isn't reality and all that we have experienced in the spiritual realm is very and eternally real. We have to draw on what we can not see through faith in order to be able to please God--this is where we are weak, but in this weakness is where God is pleased with us because it is where He is strong and His strength pierces through the spiritual into the tangible.

It is time. Let's praise Him with our whole hearts. Let's love Him with all of our might. Let's surrender all to Him. Let's call out to Him. Let's sacrifice our first and our best with love in faith because without our faith it is impossible to please God--that's why Cain's sacrifice failed. Let's walk with God like Adam and Abraham. Let's return to Him. Let's love our neighbor as ourselves. All of the law and the prophets hang on these things . . . Our relationship with God, how we are called, how do people know us?. . . How do we want them to know us? It yet remains the love that we have one for another. Do you want a relationship with God? The way to get there is to love your brother and to keep His commandments.

It's time to recover all!

David at Ziklag is one of my favorite scriptures (I Samuel 30). This scripture describes a time that David went out to battle and when he and his men returned their home was desolate, burned and empty. Their wives and children had been kidnapped and their belongings had been taken. When the men took all of the loss and tragedy in they began weeping and cried until they no longer had strength to cry. The men were angry and upset with David and were ready to stone him. 1 Sam 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved ... but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

What is interesting about this scripture is the mention that David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. In this scripture the word for encouraged is translated from the Hebrew word chazaq pronounced (khaw-zak'). This word actually translates to mean to grow firm or strong. Instead of this situation bringing David down, he gained strength in the Lord. Why is this lesson important? Because so many situations occur in our lives and we become discouraged, disappointed and down. This happens because we are looking at the people involved or the tragedy that happened rather than looking to God as our source for deliverance. It happens because we do not seek God first. Let's be real; David's men wanted to kill him because they had just been robbed. Imagine how you would feel if someone came into your home took all your stuff and then kidnapped your family and to add insult to injury burned your house down and you didn't know where they were or why they did it. You didn't know which way to turn for answers. You would understandably be angry, sad, hurt and upset.

But the measure of your faith, your maturity in Christ and the development of your relationship with God is how quickly you are able to snap back and recover. Instead of this tragic situation continuing to grieve David, he had this epiphany in the middle of it all. He said to himself that God could handle the situation. David recognized that he couldn't solve this problem, but because of all that God had done for him, he knew that God could solve it! All of a sudden where David was weak, God's strength was made perfect.

As the story goes, David sought God and asked Him what to do. God told David to pursue the enemy and to do it quickly. While obeying the command of God, David and his men ran into the break that they needed in the case. There was an Egyptian servant out in a field on the brink of death. David fed him and gave him something to drink and found the information that he needed. He learned where the enemy was. As a result David was able to recover all! He got his family back. He got his stuff back and he took the enemy's stuff too! If David had hesitated at all the Egyptian would have died because he hadn't eaten or had water to drink in days.

What does this mean? You've got to seek God first. Then you must obey God's command. If you hesitate at all the information that you need or the door of opportunity may not be available. When you realize that God has the solution to whatever situation you encounter then you can proceed with confidence knowing that along the way your opportunities will be revealed to you. So what the enemy has taken something from you. Dig in and encourage yourself in the Lord. Seek God diligently and obey His command. When you do this you can recover all quickly.

Know today that God is your source. He is a loving God who desires to that you prosper even as your soul prospers. He is a righteous God who is moving behind the scenes on your behalf. He is working it out for your good. He sits high and He's looking at your situation. He knows you and how you operate. Think about how you've responded to situations in the past? Is that working for you? If not then this time--this time do something different. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. No you don't have enough money to make the ends meet. Yes your bills are all due and folks are calling you. No you can't save your family member. No you are not able to make yourself have the job and the house and the car that you want. No you cannot stop cancer, aids or diabetes. The answers are not in our power or in our might. We cannot even cause ourselves to grow with our thoughts, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! There is deliverance in Christ. There is healing in Christ. Bills get paid and you don't know how in Christ. Depression is turned to joy in Christ. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Today choose to recover quickly!