Do You Know Him?

Know: to be familiar with or have experience of

As a tradition when we were children, we waited in anticipation for the one called Santa to come on Christmas (kids are very wise now; you can’t fool them these days!). Back then we sang (and some of us still sing), “you better watch out, you better not pout, you better not cry, I’m telling you why --Santa Claus is coming to town. He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awake, he knows when you've been good or bad, so be good for goodness sake.” Friends, I hate to ruin the surprise here, but I'm here to tell you that Santa is fake. Let me share with you the real reason for the season.

Let's talk about His identity: His mother was an ordinary young girl named Mary. Her life was normal - she grew up like most girls; she was engaged and anticipating marriage. However, sometimes even our best made plans don't go as we expected. This Mary was a virgin who was blessed and highly favored by the Lord. Even still, she got some news that troubled her, "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS" Luke 1:30-31.

Now let's think about His birth place: He was born in a stable. Can you imagine the smells of that stable (i.e. a barn)?! It was not a spotless hospital; there was no beautiful crib there befitting the Son of God. He was born in a small town called Bethlehem. The angels announced to the Shepherds, "for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Do you know Him?

Finally, here's the rest of the story: one night, in a little town called Bethlehem, God set out on His great odyssey of redeeming love. In spite of man’s sin, God came down through 42 generations. Because of man's sin, God got in touch with a homeless couple - an unwed teenager mother and a frightened and confused father. One night God closed the door of an inn so that he could open up the door to eternity!

God sent His only Son to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, calm the storms, straighten crooked limbs, give sight to the blind, unstop deaf ears, preach the Gospel, bring hope to the hopeless and to set the captive free.

Who is this JESUS? Why, He is the Savior of the world, of course!
Do you know Him? If not, there is no better time than now to introduce yourself and invite Him into your life. The clock is ticking and the alarm is about to go off!

Jesus is coming to town and He knows if you have been good or bad...

With all that said, let the Church say amen... and Amen!

Walking In the Circle of Success!

Success: Achievement of something intended or desired

As we prepare to enter into a new year, I would like to share with you seven steps for walking in success. The success I’m speaking of is spiritual success. While natural success is quite wonderful, but it’s only temporary. What the Lord wants us to do is reverse the order of how we typically do things - seek spiritual success first and then allow the natural success to automatically follow. For instance, when you take a new job you might first have to take an entry level position. However as you are faithful and work hard in that position, you will get promoted and the raises will start coming, - after you have done what is required. On the spiritual side, when you start walking in the circle of success, achievement will come and the Lord will elevate you with things that no man can take away.

Let's talk about those seven steps:

1.  Keep a personal relationship: The Lord must be first in our lives; We must spend time with Him. After all, how can we get to know someone if we don’t spend time with them? We should also always confess Him as our Lord. After all, Jesus loved us enough to give His life for us. Roman 5:8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

2.  We must have a prayer life: as we have discussed a number of times in the past, we must "pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17). That’s our method of communication with God, therefore we should be in constant contact with Him. 

3.  Study God's Word: we must study the word of God to get a solid foundation; as 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 

4.  Be Faithful: God loves faithfulness, so if we say it, we need to do it (see last week's blog for more information on 'walking the walk!'). We must be faithful to keep our focus on what He wants, faithful to keep His word, and faithful in small things as well as big things. 

5.  When we fall down, we get up: We must stay strong, even when we get knocked down. As Proverb 24:16 tells us, "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked shall fall into mischief." Micah 7:8 says, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." 

6.  Deal with the things in our old heart: as you see that old worldly nature start to manifest itself in your life, don’t bury it - deal with it! Confess it, repent of it and ask the Lord to wash you in His blood. 

7.  Practice your spiritual growth: As we grow in our knowledge and principles of the word, we must practice them. With growth comes change! My friends, it's time now to "be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22).

These seven steps will help us to walk in the circle of spiritual success!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

Our Actions Speak Louder Than Words!

Action: the process of doing

I don’t know about you, but I've seen people who spoke "holiness," and who taught "holiness" but their actions said something totally different. Well, I've always tried to live by that old saying - if you're going to talk the talk; you have to walk the walk. Anybody can praise God with their lips, however, God is looking for there to be some actions behind the words we speak! Did you know that things can get very serious if our actions don't line up with the word of God? The Bible tells of some cases that have been deadly.

Acts 4:32-35 tells us how there was voluntary sharing among believers, nothing was their own, they had all things common, "...for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold... and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." Ananias and his wife Sapphira were in full agreement with their lips, but their heart and actions were much different. In Acts 5:1-2 we find that they sold their land and kept back part of the money. The story continues in Act 5:3-10, "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost." Just in case you were wondering, that means that he died! As we keep reading, we find that Ananias' wife comes in three hour later, she lied and she died as well. Their actions caused them both to lose their life.

My friends, the Lord is looking for men and women of faith, with integrity. He is looking for a people who are sincere and are living the life they talk about. While I have only given you a biblical example, I'm guessing that if you look around and think about it, you'll think of some evidence of this principle in our "modern-day" world. We can easily look around and see where God is exposing people who say one thing with their lips and do something completely different with their actions. In this world today, many have such a warped perception of reality that they think they can fool God with their words. People may be able to fool man for a season, but we can’t fool God anytime. He’s omnipresent - there is no place we can hide. That means that there is no where we can go and say one thing and have our actions display another thing and He not know about it!

Praise God that we serve a loving and forgiving God - if we're not walking the holy walk that we say we are to - repent!  He's always willing and ready to forgive!

With all that said, let the church say Amen… and AMEN!                                      

Show Your Love for... well... EVERYBODY!

Love: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as the fatherly concern of God for humankind

My friends, as we approach Christmas, it's important that we remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. With that in mind, we should also remember how important it is that we make an effort to take on the nature of Jesus Christ. This means that we need to show love and compassion toward one another and remember when the Lord bless us, we should be a blessing to some one else. Whether its our time, money, or simply sharing the word of God. Of course, this should be a way of life for all of us, but let's face it - it's not!

Before we get tangled up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, let's show the love of Jesus to someone we might not normally show it to. For instance, when we see road construction, let's not get upset about it slowing us down, making us late, or about the dust making our cars dirty - instead be grateful that the road construction is making the roads safer for us. When a car pulls out in front of us in traffic, let's be thankful that they did not hit us. If we can do something special for a neighbor instead of gossiping about them, let's show the love of God to them and do something special to brighten their day.

The Father gave us the perfect gift when He gave us His son Jesus. This is a gift that simply cannot be duplicated. So if we don't get that gift we wanted this holiday season, let's show gratitude instead of disappointment. We don't know the gift giver's situation - that gift may have been the best gift he or she could afford. It's not the gift that's important, it's the reason for this season - Jesus Christ!

Isaiah 9:6 is a good reminder that the Father gave us everything we could possibly need, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace!"

With all that said, let the church say Amen... and AMEN!!
                                                                                                               

Praise Is What We (SHOULD) Do!

Persistence Pays Dividends!

Persistence: To continue firmly despite obstacles

Giving up and quitting is so prevalent in our society today, mostly because we are in this microwave generation, where we want everything right now. It's crucial that we learn to slow down, stay focused and continue firmly toward whatever it is that we are after. This rush-rush thing is our way, but not necessarily God's way. Sure, He can do whatever it is that we are asking - right now - if He wants to, but that’s not always the case; that not always what He wants for us. If He gave us everything we wanted exactly when we want it, how would we ever grow?

The Lord allows obstacles to cross our paths to see if we are going to be persistent or if we are just going to rollover and let the obstacles crush us. For instance, once upon a time, I wanted a job at a bank. I had no banking experience and that was one of their primary requirements, but I didn’t let that deter me - I filled out the application anyway. When I submitted the application, the hiring manager told me that it would be hard, because I had no prior experience, but I started calling her once a week. You know what? My persistence eventually paid off. Even though it took three months, I got the call I had been waiting for and I worked there for almost thirteen years. What if I had quit after the first few no's? Or even after the first month of calling?? Persistence pays big dividends, so don’t quit!

Look at the Shunammite woman in II Kings 4:20, her son was dead but she did not let that obstacle stop her. Instead of telling her husband that their Son was dead, she told him it shall be well, and she pressed her way to the man of God and fell at his feet. After telling him the situation he was going to send his servant, but she said, "As the Lord liveth, and as they soul liveth, I will not leave thee." And he arose, and followed her. He raised her son from the dead. What if she had not been persistent?!

I’m sure there are so many things we have asked the Lord for, but because we didn't get them when we thought we should have them - we stopped asking, we stopped being thankful for it and we simply lost focus. Remember my friends; patience is another aspect of persistence, whether we are asking for something naturally or spiritually. We must never give up; we must never quit - we must continue to persist firmly despite any obstacle that might cross our path!!

With all that said, let the Church say amen… and Amen!

When Fear Knocks, Open With Faith!

Fear:  Anxiety caused by approaching danger

It’s amazing the things we fear in this life. Some people fear that they are not loved; others fear poverty, sickness, and/or rejection. Some of us fear things that will never happen. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." This scripture reminds us that our God is not in the things we fear. Friends, fear will keep you up at night and distracted during the day, so when those fearful thoughts set in, speak the positive words of God. 

In Job 3:25, Job said; "for the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me." Job is letting us know that we must not live in fear, or act in it, "...because fear has torment." (1 John 4:18). Sometimes we torment ourselves worrying about things that might go wrong. Did you know that if we dwell on those things long enough, they are more likely to go wrong? As it says in Proverb 23:7, "For as he thinketh in his heart so is he," with that in mind, just know that we can't let our guard down - we must have the sword of the spirit - which is the word of God going on in our hearts and minds continually.

When fear comes knocking on our door, let's open the door with faith! Don’t allow fear to come inside and take a seat; stop it right there at the front door. Fill that fear up with the word of God; tell it "I’m blessed and highly favored by the Lord," "No weapon formed against me shall prosper," "I’m too blessed to be stressed," or any other positive saying that reminds you that God is on the throne and that He is not a God of fear! Keep in mind what Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thought’s of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

We must stand against fear and be firm in faith - just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego did. King Nebuchadnezzar tried to instill fear in them by telling them that if they did not serve his gods or worship the golden image, they would be put into the midst of the fiery furnace. Those young men didn't allow fear to set in, instead, they spoke words of faith - "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Daniel 3:17-18). After they were put into the fiery furnace, the king said, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the mist of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (Daniel 3:25). Those young men chose to disobey the worldly king and to stand with their spiritual King; they did not bow down to fear and the Lord was right there with them!

That’s the kind of God we serve - when we take a firm stand against fear and speak powerful words of faith, our God is right there to deliver.  Oh, what an awesome God we serve! Friends,when fear knocks at your door, open it with faith!

With all that said, let the Church say amen... and AMEN!

Let's Keep A Thankful Heart!

Thankful: Being glad that something or someone exists, etc.

We know that when we want to keep something safe that it's our job to protect it, guard it, and preserve it, right? Well, we need to do the same thing with our hearts. There is so much going on in the world; in our cities; in our homes - and that stuff is trying to keep us SO busy that we won’t have time to have a thankful heart. But what a blessing it is to have a mind to keep a thankful heart! As I Thessalonians 5:16-18 reminds us, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

We should not mark just a single day to be thankful - being thankful should be an environment we live in; a state of mind - and it should be something that we carry with us daily. If it’s raining outside - we have an umbrella of Thanksgiving. On the other side of that coin, if the sun is shining too bright - we still have that umbrella of Thanksgiving! If the road is too crowded, we have our own lane of Thanksgiving. It’s that environment of thankfulness that we carry around!

You might be wondering - how do we keep a thankful heart? Well, like we talked about earlier, we have to build an environment around it and make a point to be thankful every single day! 

When we get up in the morning and we turn the faucet on and water comes out - we need to be thankful that we have running water! When go to brush our teeth, if we open the drawer and there is toothpaste waiting there for us - we need to be thankful! By doing that, we are creating an environment of being thankful for everything, whether it’s big or it's small AND regardless of whether it makes us happy or sad. 

Now, if you turn the faucet on and the water isn't getting hot fast enough for us and we let out a sigh of disgust or we open that drawer and the toothpaste that's waiting for us isn't the kind we want and we turn around and complain, what kind of environment are we creating?? Let me tell you, we are creating an ungrateful environment all around us. When we get in our car and it doesn’t start right away - especially when we are in a hurry - what do we do? Most of us start complaining, and when we do - what are we creating? A climate of ingratitude, that's what!

Let me share a little story with you a out someone who turned a negative situation into a positive one. There was once a man who was robbed by a thief, but he guarded his heart by being thankful. Instead of complications, he simply said, "I've never been robbed before, and although that thief took my money, he didn't take my life! And while he took all I had on me, it wasn't that much. I'm thankful because it was I that was robbed and not I who robbed someone else." I don't know about you, but I'm not sure that I would have been able to have the same perspective if I were in that gentleman's situation!

What did the scripture tell us in I Thessalonians 5:18?  To give thanks in everything! Imagine if we started to practice that kind of thankfulness.

What an awesome and powerful way to start each day - with a mighty attitude of Thanksgiving!

With all that said, let the church say amen... and AMEN!

Let's Strive for Perfection!

Perfect: Having no defect or fault; flawless; accurate; absolute
Perfection: complete

The word “perfect” as the bible uses it of men, does not refer to sinless perfection, nor does the word mean that we are flawless or absolute. The Old Testament characters described as “perfect” were obviously not without sin, but as they grew into the knowledge of the truth, they began to walk in perfection.

In our quest for perfection, we are like plants. We start out in a seed stage, but through nourishment, we grow and become mature. In Philippians 3:12 Paul tells us, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

We are NEVER going to be perfect while on this earth, Jesus is the only perfect one to walk this earth. God's law is perfect; His will and His way are perfect. Fortunately, He does not expect us to be perfect, even though that's exactly what we should be aiming for. Aiming for perfection means that each day, we are walking in the highest level of maturity and sincerity that we have grown into. In simplest terms, to walk at the highest level that we've grown into means that we have to "walk the walk." Some might even say, "once you know better, you do better." For example, once I come to understand that I must forgive in order to be forgiven, God expects me to be mature enough to do that; mature enough to aim for perfection. So no matter how many times I feel as if I’ve been walked on or walked over, I still must be mature and upright in my heart, and I must forgive; because God expects it and on my Christian journey, I must strive for perfection everyday.

It’s imperative that we achieve perfection in every area of our Spiritual Journey. The Lord wants us to be mature, upright, and sincere in our love, holiness, and patience and every good work. Maturity is achieved progressively, of course, which means that everyday we can strive for perfection! Matthew 5:48 tells us, "But ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (i.e. mature, upright)

The Lord knows that I’m not perfect. In fact, I often feel like I'm not where I should be in Him, but I thank Him because I’m definitely not where I used to be! As I feed daily in His word, I learn, and I grow. Every day I can practice striving for perfection, because He is going to make sure a situation will come my way that will give me the opportunity to show my level of maturity and/or sincerity. Thank God that He realizes that we are all WIPs - works in progress!!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!

Pride Will Steal Your Blessing!

Pride: A feeling of pleasure, because of something achieved or done

God hates pride! When pride comes in, we will not seek after God. He won’t be in our thoughts; instead it will be all about us. Pride will hinder our spiritual growth and steal our blessings. It is also one of Lucifer’s most successful strongholds. Pride puffs us up, until we're like a big balloon. When that balloon is full of air, it can swell so big that one cannot grip it with a single hand. But when God lets the air out of that balloon, it becomes very small.

Being prideful is the exact opposite of being humble. 1 Peter 5-6 tell us; "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." When pride is working, it wants to exalt itself; it wants credit for everything. Pride can even cause us to admire ourselves and condemn others - in other words - we overlook our faults, but seek out the faults in others. Pride will have us thinking that we look big and talk big, but rest assured that God has a remedy for that too.

We can become so driven by pride that we try to gain all we can in this world. We become so anxious, so restless and so discontent simply because we want more. Think about it my friends, what good will it do if we gain the whole world and lose our own soul? What has it profited? I don’t know about you, but I have never seen a hearse pulling a u-haul full of the deceased's possessions behind it on the way to the Church. And don't let us get a job that we think is beneath us, pride tends to work over time then!

Remember, those who walk in pride risk God letting all of the air out and bringing them down; just as King Nebuchadnezzar was brought down. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, and majesty, and glory and honor that the people feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his Kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: (Daniel 5:18-20). That feeling of pleasure, for what he thought he had achieved, caused him to lose it all.

God loves us and He wants to sit on the throne of our hearts. LET HIM DO SO! When you find yourself puffed up with pride, just confess it, repent over it, and move on. Our God is an awesome God - He forgives and He loves us - let’s love Him back and He will exalt us in due season.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

Stay Connected to Your Source!

Source: The beginning, origin, starting point, foundation

Jesus is the source of everything, period. He is the beginning, the end, and everything that goes on in the middle. He is our source of life. The Word says in Genesis 2:7, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." That alone is enough to let us know that we are not the source - the Lord is.

Jesus is our source of power, strength, energy, love, peace, forgiveness, and joy. Let's use an iron as an example. In order for that iron to get hot, it has to be connected to a power source. We have something in common with that iron. If we want to have power, peace, love, etc. we also need to get connected - and stay connected - to the power source; the source of everything, Jesus Christ.

As John 15:5 tells us, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." Just as the iron when it gets disconnected from its power source, if we don’t abide on the vine, we have no power.

Have you ever felt like praying about a situation is a waste of time? Let me assure you that it’s by no means a waste - instead, it’s an investment that pays big returns! Let me share a situation with you: 1 Samuel 4:1-2 tells us what happened to the children of Israel when they did not get connected to the source before they went to battle against the Philistines. Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. The children of Israel were so confident in themselves that they didn’t bother to go to the source first. What a big mistake!

Jesus is the source of everything; He’s the origin, the beginning and the starting point. We must always remember to stay connected to our source of power - that can change us from useless to useful; from death to life; and from defeat to victory!

With all that said, let the Church say amen...and AMEN!                                 

                                                                                                          

Are You Looking for Someone to Fill a Vacancy?

You know how you get those forwards in your email that warn you to share it with "x" number of friends by "this" time or "something bad" will happen?! Well, I finally received a forward that I thought was good enough to forward/share! 

This is by no means written by me, nor do I claim to be the owner of this content - again, I just thought it was too good to keep to myself! 

If you're looking for someone to fill that vacancy in your heart or your life, consider this resume:

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The Resume of Jesus Christ 

Address: Ephesians 1:20 

Phone: Romans 10:13 

Website: The Bible . Keywords: Christ, Lord, Savior and Jesus 

____________________________________________________________

Objective 

My name is Jesus -The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you my resume because I'm seeking the top management position in your heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume. 

____________________________________________________________ 

Qualifications 

• I founded the earth and established the heavens (See Proverbs 3:19)
• I formed man from the dust of the ground (See Genesis 2:7)
• I breathed into man the breath of life (See Genesis 2:7)
• I redeemed man from the curse of the law (See Galatians 3:13)
• The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me (See Galatians 3:14) 

Occupational Background

• I've only had one employer (See Luke 2:49)
• I've never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or disrespectful
• My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me (See Matthew 3:15 -17) 

Skills Work Experiences 

• Some of my skills and work experiences include: empowering the poor to be poor no more, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at liberty them that are bruised (See Luke 4:18)
• I am a Wonderful Counselor (See Isaiah 9:6)
• People who listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil (See Proverbs 1:33)
• Most importantly, I have the authority, ability and power to cleanse you of your sins (See I John 1:7-9) 

Educational Background 

• I encompass the entire breadth and length of knowledge, wisdom and understanding (See Proverbs 2:6)
• In me are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (See Colossians 2:3)
• My Word is so powerful; it has been described as being a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path (See Psalms 119:105)
• I can even tell you all of the secrets of your heart (See Psalms 44:21)

Major Accomplishments 

• I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all times (See Genesis 1:26)
• I laid down my life so that you may live (See II Corinthians 5:15)
• I defeated the archenemy of God and mankind and made a show of them openly (See Colossians 2:15)
• I've miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead!

There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here. You can read them on my website, which is located at: www dot - the BIBLE. You don't need an Internet connection or computer to access my website!

References 

• Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healing, salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural guidance 

In Summation 

I will properly direct your paths (See Proverbs 3:5-6) and lead you into everlasting life (See John 6:47)

Now that you've read my resume, I'm confident that I'm the only candidate uniquely qualified to fill this vital position in your heart. When can I start - Time is of the essence (See Hebrews 3:15).

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With all that said, let the church say Amen... and AMEN!

Compassion Is All About The Lord!

Compassion: Suffering with another; to spare; to have deep sympathy, pity, love, mercy

As I was going over the original blog that I wrote for this week, the word compassion in the text stood out to me. At the time I thought, "I don’t want to talk about compassion, I want to talk about being like the Lord." Of course, when I finally looked up the word compassion, I realized that being compassionate IS like being like the Lord! So praise God for allowing me to talk about being like Him AND having compassion! 

Let me take a few minutes to share with you the Lord's deep sympathy, His love, and His mercy. I know we all know the story about Jonah and the great fish. Did you also know that he didn’t want to go and preach to the people of Nineveh? In his defense, the people of Nineveh were very wicked people who had no regard for the Lord. The city was noted for its cruelty and violence. Jonah felt they deserved to be punished - just as many of us would feel - but God, in His great compassion, sent them a warning - via Jonah and his preaching. Those wicked people repented, and God did not punish them. How compassionate and merciful is our God?! He wants to forgive us - and will if we would just repent.

The Lord also gave us an example of compassion through His touch. His willingness to touch others, to heal the sick with that touch is evident in Mark 1:40-41: "And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean."

In order for us to learn compassion, we must turn to the source of it - the Master Teacher who demonstrates His mercy and compassion to us daily, just as He did when we were still sinners. Even though we were unworthy, He made us worthy. Even though we were/are sinners, He made us righteous. Even though we may occasionally find ourselves in the kingdom of darkness, He transfers us into the kingdom of light. It's simply God’s nature to show compassion - His heart is full of it and He wants the hearts of His people to be like His own. He wants us to have that kind, loving feeling that results in kind and helpful actions towards others; while expecting nothing in return. If you're lacking compassion - simply go to the source and ask for it!

With all that said, let the Church say amen… and Amen!            

Honesty Is The Best Policy!

Honesty: Free from fraud or deception; truthful

It takes courage to be honest; but if we want to see God's blessing working in our lives, we must learn to be honest. God rewards honesty, integrity, and faithfulness. We may get away with not being honest for a while - but God knows. Not only does He know, but His word tells us that we will reap what we sow.

Honesty is a reflection of what’s on the inside of us; our actions are a reflection of our faith; and the truth in our actions is a part of being a good witness. Learning how to become a more honest person will also help us keep a clear conscious. If there is something you don’t like, by all means just say, "Lord - I really don’t like this, but help me to do it if it’s Your will." Just be honest with Him, because God is not going to bless a lie. The Lord - and other people - will forgive us if we will simply be truthful.

While it is sometimes tempting (and easy!) to lie, misrepresent ourselves, or down play uncomfortable truths in an effort to avoid conflict; dishonesty is never good for our relationships. Remember - speaking the truth and living the truth helps those around us come to the truth.

If something is built on dishonesty, it shall surely fall down, so we must be honest in our heart about who we are. If someone is dishonest with you or about you - you can’t do anything about that - you're not them. What you can do something about is what’s in you.

We should strive to be honest in all things, to all people - even our children. After all, they're people too and it's just as wrong to be dishonest with/to them as it is to any other person. God is looking for honest people; how can He bless us with much when He can’t trust us with little?!

No one can be consistently honest without making a commitment to tell the truth. Speaking the truth and being honesty in all things is a mark of a healthy relationship. John 14:6 tells us that "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." This means that when we follow dishonesty, then we are moving away from the Lord. Being honest is about following in God’s footsteps - for He cannot and has no need to lie. Trust in the Lord enough to be honest in all things, my friends, so that you may draw nigh to Him.

With all that said, let the Church say amen… and Amen!

Yes Jesus Loves Me!

Love: Intense affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

As children most of us sang a song that said, "yes Jesus loves me." Although many of us might think of this as a "children's song," it's important that we remember that the words of this song still hold very true today even though we are adults. The song goes on to say, "because the Bible tells me so," not only does the Bible tell us so, but the Lord also shows us everyday, in every facet of our lives that He loves us.

I know we have all heard the poem about the footprints in the sand, but let me refresh your memory, just in case:

"One night a man had a dream... 

He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord, and Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; One belonged to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before them, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life, There was only one set of footprints. 

He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it. 'Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, You would walk with me all the way; But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, There is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why in times when I needed you the most, you should leave me.' 

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child. I love you, and I would never, never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."  (Margaret Fishback Power)

Jesus' love for His precious children has not changed; He still wants to carry us during our times of trials and suffering. But, He’s a perfect gentleman - He will not force Himself on us - we must allow Him to do so.

"Yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me - for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, for they are weak but He is strong."

The Lord loves us so much; He’s just looking to show Himself strong in our lives. It doesn’t matter what the situation is - He’s only a pray away. Yes, Jesus loves YOU!

With all that said, let the Church say amen… and Amen!  

If You're Going to Pray, Why Worry?!

Worry: To be concerned or troubled, to irritate

The Word of God clearly teaches us not to worry, but I know this is often easier said than done. It may be human nature to worry, but remember, it’s not God's nature for us to do so. We would all be much better off if we would learn to lean on God and ask Him for help. He cannot take care of our problems, worries, or our concerns until we learn to turn them loose and give them to Him.

I once heard Joyce Meyer say, “Worry is like a rocking chair - it's always in motion, but it never gets you anywhere.” When we worry, we torment ourselves and it wears us out - mentally, physically, and emotionally. And you know what? After we've worn ourselves out, we still haven’t fixed or changed the problem! Let’s do as the Word says in 1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for he careth for you."

Do you think Peter was worried after he was put in prison? Although most of us would have been, it seems obvious that he wasn’t, because Acts 12:6-7 tells us that "Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains... And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands." The saints of God weren’t worried, instead, they were offering up prayers without ceasing and God delivered.

Worry is the opposite of faith. Worry is caused by not trusting in God to take care of whatever our situation may be. We must humble ourselves as the Word says and trust God in all things. Of course, things are going to come up that causes us some concern, but that’s when we have to turn it all over to God and say, "Lord, I trust you to make the right decision for me."

My friend mother would always say, “if you are going to pray - why worry? And if you are going to worry - why pray?" We must learn what our responsibilities are and stop trying to do God’s job! Worry steals our time, our peace, and our faith. Let’s save ourselves some time and give our concerns, our troubles, and our irritations to God.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!                             

Acts Of Kindness Can Make All The Difference!

Kindness: Quality or state of being kind

Kindness is a choice - it costs nothing, yet it is so wonderfully fulfilling. There are days in my life when things aren't going the way I expected them to go, but when I take my mind off myself and show some kindness to someone else, I usually feel better about myself and those things that weren't going my way that seemed SO important, often become less important. There is just something so powerful about unexpected acts of kindness that even the least emotional people can't stay untouched by such acts.

When Paul was sent to Rome, there was a storm at sea and they became shipwrecked. In Acts 27:44, we find that all aboard escaped safely to land. Acts 28:2 goes on to tell us that the natives of the land showed the people unusual and remarkable kindness; they kindled a fire and welcomed and received them all, since it had begun to rain and was cold. Paul and the rest of the voyagers landed on THEIR LAND, yet the natives weren't hostile, instead, they acted kindly to help keep the travelers warm. Now, that’s the kind of act the Lord calls kindness.

More often than not, when we met a person he or she is carrying a burden inside. A simple, heartfelt smile from us may bring them hope. Opening a door, saying hello, or offering a helping hand may make a major difference in someone’s day. And while we are not doing it for a reward, it's an added bonus that our God rewards kindness. 1 Samuel 15:6 provides us with a great example, "And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites." The Kenites showed kindness to the children of Israel and the Lord rewarded them by sparing their lives.

Our words and thoughts can sometimes be perceived as being mean and thoughtless even when we don't intend them to be. For this reason my friends, we must strive to always have a smile on the inside so that it reflects on the outside. We also must remember to be kind to ourselves, as being kind to ourselves is the first step toward being kind, patient, and loving to others. Every act of kindness, whether large or small, can produce joy, peace, and happiness in yourself and in someone else. Kindness is a choice and it’s free - so let's strive to make good choices!

With all that said, let the Church say amen... and AMEN!

Our Destination Don't Define Us... It's Our Journey!

Destination: The point or place to which something or someone is directed

Journey: A trip from one place to another over a long distance

We are on a journey filled with different lessons, hardship, heartaches, joys, celebrations, and a lot of special moments that will ultimately lead us to our destination. The destination I’m speaking of is to live eternally with Jesus Christ.

It's important that we make the most of this God-given energy we have been given, because we will undoubtedly be faced with challenges throughout this journey that will test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along the way, we will certainly stumble on obstacles, but in order to follow the right path, we must learn to overcome them. Sometimes these obstacles are really blessing in disguise, we just don’t realize it at the time.

On the headstone of people that have passed on you will see when they were born and when they died, but those dates are not the most important thing - they don't define the person buried beneath them. Instead, it's what that person did between those dates that defines their character and their integrity. And ultimately that's what will take them to their final destination.

My friends, we must become busy doing the Lord’s business on our journey. As we are told in Hebrews 10:22-23, "Let us draw near with a true [sincere and honest] heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)."

Our journey will not always be smooth, so when we find ourselves filled with heartaches, and disappointment let's just refer back to our manual - The Holy Bible - every instruction and every direction is right there.

Remember, everything that happens on our journey happens for a reason. Sometimes that means we must face heartaches in order to experience joy. Just keep in mind that at the end of the day, the person that trusts God enough to get up and face the next obstacle is the one that wins. These worldly situations are only temporary setbacks; we must stay focused for our eternal destination depends on it!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!             

Don't Do the Right Thing the Wrong Way!

Right: Correct, proper and fitting
Wrong: Incorrect, not suitable

When God calls us to do something, He will also equip and instruct us in how to do it. God is a God of order and He has a plan of how He wants us to carry His plans out. All too often we want to do things our own way. Although our hearts might be right and our motives might be right, if we mess around and do the right thing the wrong way, there could be devastating consequences.

Let’s use David for an example: David and all Israel wanted the Ark of God with them because the Ark represented God’s presence and His Glory and it would bring blessings to them instead of a curse to them... and who wouldn’t want God's presence & His Glory?! The Bible tells us that David gathered all Israel together and they went to Kirjath-jearim to bring up the Ark of God. They carried the Ark in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab - which was not God's order. The people were so excited that they played before God with all their might, with singing, with harps, with cymbals and with trumpets.

1 Chronicles 13:9-10 continues to say "And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God." The Lord had taught the Levites how to carry the Ark and in Numbers 4:15, we see that the sons of Kohath were told "they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die." God wanted His Ark carried on the shoulders of consecrated, obedient, and praising men and women.

Uzza's motives like David’s, were likely pure, but they disregarded the written word of God. He did what was strictly forbidden. How different might have things been if they had taken the time to inquire of the Lord. Often times our great ideas and good intentions turn into disaster and they not only affect us, but they sometimes also affect others around us - even when our motives are pure/good. Before we put our hand out to redeem a situation, we need to remember to take a step back and inquire of the Lord to ensure that we are moving in the direction He would have us to move.

Let’s go before the Lord - especially since He’s only a prayer away - and seek His order, His way, and His plan of how He wants things done; because as we've seen, even when something might appear to be the right thing to do, we can easily do it the wrong way.

With all that said, let the Church say amen... and AMEN!

There's A Battle Going On!

Battle: A struggle, to engage in a war or battle

As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle of some sort on a daily basis and we are either the victors or the victims of that spiritual battle. Fortunately for us, in many situations we have the ability to choose whether we play the role of victor or victim (Praise God!). The reason we have a choice is because the battle I’m talking about is the one we fight within.

The first place we lose the battle within is in our own thinking. If we think something or some situation is permanent, then it is likely to be permanent. If we think we've reached our limits, then we probably have. If we're laid up sick and we think we’ll never get well, then the odds are that we won’t. It's imperative that we change our thinking - we must see any- and everything that’s holding us back - every obstacle and every limitation as simply temporary.

If you're out there thinking, "whew, she's not talking to me this week," think again! You can easily see an example of this - just go out of your way to do something for someone and them not reciprocate when you need them to (or you don’t reap the same in return). I bet it'll be a battle not to show any anger or what you are really thinking. What we fail to realize is that we are not responsible for what that person did to us; though it may affect us, their actions are not our problem. It's how we respond to what they did to us that is our responsibility.

Clearly, this is one battle we don’t have to leave home to fight. However, we must get dressed for it. Ephesians 6:11-14 tells us to "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness"

My friends, we may sometimes lose the battle, but we don’t have to lose the war! No, for we have a deliverer and a savior - His name is Jesus and He is only a prayer away. He's also the only one that can change us and help us to win these battles that wage within.

With all that said, let the Church say amen... AMEN!

Singing THROUGH the Rain!

Singing: To use the voice to make musical tones; a form of praising.
Soldier: A skilled warrior; to push forward.

There are circumstances and situations that are going to come that were preordained and tailor-made just for you and me. Now in our journey we must walk through them to see what's on the inside of us and how much we really trust God. We must be singing soldiers, because one day there will be a battle (i.e. circumstance or situation) that we are not going to want to fight.

We have to remember that these battles were preordained, so we must have the attitude that Paul and Silas had when they were locked up in prison (Acts 16:25) -- they understood and recognized what the will of God was for them and that He had already pre-purposed the situation. The scripture tells us at midnight that Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and He delivered them - just as He will deliver us when we become singing soldiers.

Paul and Silas had the right attitude, they knew the battle was in the mind and they did not want to be the victims they wanted to be victorious. The fight is in our thinking, even though the situation was bad, they did what a singing soldier would do, praise and fight through it.

Ephesians 5:17 - "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." The Lord wants us to understand that He's the head of all things - the author AND the finisher.

Never forget that we are singing soldiers - when circumstances arise, we must start speaking to ourselves in psalms and spiritual songs - singing and making melodies in our hearts to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). This doesn't mean that we are going to be perfect all of the time - but we are soldiers - we get up and we push forward.

Psalms 96:1 tells us to sing unto the Lord a new song - NOT a song of murmuring and complaining. A new song - something like, "Lord you are too Holy, too just, too righteous to allow anything to cross my path that's not for my good and your glory."

My friends, keep trusting, believing and being a singing soldier and you will see that He will show up and show out for you.

With all that's said let the Church say amen... and AMEN!                        aa

Attitudes are Contagious... Is Yours Worth Catching?!

Attitude – A mental position, the feeling one has for oneself

Contagious – The transmitting of a disease by contact

God wants us to have an attitude of gratitude for all of the marvelous things He has done for us and for who He is; not one of murmuring, complaining, too controlling or too defensive, depressed, or discouraged. It’s so important for us to remember that our thinking process - which produces our attitudes, which in turn produces our actions - plays a major role in our lives, as well as the lives of others. As Proverb 23:7 tells us, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..."

Whether you realize it or not - attitudes are contagious and can be transmitted to someone else at the drop of a hat. Let’s take Lucifer for example - Lucifer had a massive attitude of pride. He really thought he was all that! So much so that he exalted himself. You can read of his boastful thoughts in Isaiah 14:13-14: "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the side of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." That was an attitude of pride. And it was very contagious. If you know the story, you know that a third of the angels caught that same prideful attitude and ended up getting kicked out of Heaven!

Unfortunately, we often try to control our circumstances, our future, and the people around us with our attitude of anger. We must rid ourselves of that diseased perception of reality, because in all actuality, we are demonstrating that we want to be a god... and we saw where that got Lucifer, right? Instead, we must understand that we are creatures and we will never be the creator. The Lord wants us to take on His attitude and His character, so the positive things that people see in us will flow out to them.

Despite what happens during the course of a day, we must conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. In other words, no matter what unexpected disruptions, frustrations, or difficulties come our way, we are to respond with a Christ-like attitude. Some people may never read their bible, but they will read/see you and your attitude towards the challenges you face on a daily basis. Philippians 2:5 reminds us to let the Lord be an example for us: "Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus," can  be interpreted as 'let the same attitude and purpose and humble mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.'

Jesus maintained a perfect attitude in every situation - whether being nailed to a cross or being betrayed. He prayed about everything and worried about nothing. We too must seek God's guidance about every aspect of our lives and allow Him to work out His perfect will in our lives without our interference. So I say again -Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?

With all that said, let the Church say amen… and AMEN!

Where is your Faith?

Faith: A belief in the value, truth, or trustworthiness of someone or some thing, belief and trust in God

As Hebrews 11:1 tells us, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Even though we know God’s intentions for us are always good, don't we often get frustrated when we don't understand the why, when, or how of the situations we are facing... or am I the only one?! The thing we must remember is that if we know everything about everything, God would have never told us to have faith!

When we go out to start our car each day, most of us don’t stand there and wonder if it’s actually going to start. No, we simply get in, turn the ignition and have faith in that car and it's ability to start. In fact, most of us don’t give it a second thought - we just know that car is going to start. That’s the same kind of faith the Lord wants each of us to have in Him. If He has healed you from a sickness or a disease, it doesn’t matter what signs appear later on to make you doubt it; you have to know that God has healed you, and that you are indeed healed!

When we ask something of the Lord - as long as it lines up with the word of God - we must have enough faith to know that it’s already done! Keep in mind what the Bible says in James 1:6-8, "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."

When David went out to fight against Goliath, he said "...who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God" (I Samuel 17:26)? David had so much faith in God that he was not at all afraid of a giant. "David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine" (I Samuel 17:37). Although David was just a teenager, he had so much faith in God that he did not waver in the midst of such a humongous obstacle. That just goes to show you, it doesn’t matter how small you are or how big you are, all it takes to overcome is having faith in God!

The word tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Mind you, we don’t always have to be in church to hear the word - we can simply read our bible. In fact, you can read it out loud so we can actually hear the word. Remember, we walk by faith, not by sight. Just because we don’t see our prayers answered within the next week, that doesn’t mean that it's not going to happen! Besides if faith is the evidence of things not seen, that leads me to think that if you can see it, it's probably not faith!

Faith is a key element required when you are going on for God. As Hebrew 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him." I want to please Him - don’t you?!

With all that said, let the Church say amen… and AMEN!       

If You Pray for Rain, You Better be Prepared to Deal with Some Mud!

Rain (verb): to offer, bestow, or give in great quantity
Mud (verb): to cover, smear, or spatter with mud

In the natural, when it rains, there is usually going to be some mud left behind. Things work similarly in the Spiritual realm. However, we cannot allow our Spiritual mud to take us down like quicksand; instead we must understand that it is preparing us for the greater things in life. We must learn to endure, for after all, we're the ones who prayed for rain! It’s not up to us to decide what comes along with that rain.

A long time ago, I had a family member who prayed and asked God for a way out. Their spouse had a serious drug problem, to the point where they had become afraid for their life. It was also a bad environment for their two kids. The spouse would wake up at night saying he saw things climbing the walls and he thought there were snakes in the bed with them. My relative become a nervous wreck and began praying for a way out (or in this case, the rain). Wouldn't you know it, nearly two weeks later their house burnt down (can somebody say MUD). As many of us would, she began asking the Lord why He would allow their house to be burn down. She then heard a voice that said, "you asked me for a way out." What she didn't realize was that burnt house was just step one in the process of her getting out of that rough situation.

Isaiah 49:15 says, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." My friends, the Lord won’t forget his children. Just remember that when you pray for rain, you had better be prepared to deal with some mud!

Ladies and gentlemen - if you are praying for a mate, you might as well put your boots on RIGHT NOW! I don’t think I need to say any more on that particular line of thinking... I'm sure that we all know what time it is in regards to that!

Even on the job, we might pray for a promotion or for another position. Our God is so faithful and will bless us with it in His time... but look out, because there is likely to be some mud coming right along with it. Mud in the form of longer hours, less freedom, and possibly less family time. You might find that people who used to be your coworkers will now try to take advantage of your relationship or that the boss seems to be harder on you than they are with Jim or Jane. And that’s just a bird's eye view; there are so many things we have to deal with. Just remember, "... promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge; he putteth down one, and setteth up another" (Psalms 75:6-7). Both the rain and the subsequent mud all comes from the Lord.

So here's the good news - God is too Holy, too Righteous and too Good to allow anything to cross our path that is not for His Glory and for our good. He allows the mud to show up so we can learn to trust in him and not in others and to help us grow. The Lord wants us to get to a place where it doesn’t matter we're knee-deep in a pile of mud; we simply accept His headship with thanks and praise.

With all that said, let the Church say amen… and AMEN!

Remember: God Wants Us to Live!

Live: To have a life rich in experience; to exhibit vigor, gusto, or enthusiasm in

Jesus said in His word, "I am come that they (we) might have life, and that they (we) might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).  The Lord doesn’t want us to simply exist - He wants us to LIVE!  There are so many people out there that are simply existing - they're murmuring and complaining and blaming others for their misfortunes. What those folks don't realize is that, in all actuality God is the head. He wants us to come into agreement with Him and confess that where we are is His master plan; we are exactly where He put us and He’s the one that can deliver us because He’s the one that has it all in control.

Jeremiah 29:4 tells us, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon." As the scripture continues, verses 5 and 6 reminds us that God is telling us to live - regardless of what our situation may be, we must live; "build houses... plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.... take wives, have children, give your daughters to husbands, and your sons to wives that they might have children that we may increased and not diminished." Whatever your case (or situation) may be, don't forget that the Lord has allowed it. He allows things to bring us down just so He can take us higher -- but we must be mindful to praise Him and be thankful in all those situations.... after all, there is always something to be thankful for even when it doesn’t appear to be!

Verse 7 of Jeremiah 29 says, "and seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace." Your city could be your job or things going on in your home or with your kids or co-workers; but when those things come up to interrupt your day, you should immediately start praying that the Lord would give them peace, because in that peace you will have peace.

Jeremiah 29:10 and 11 reminds us, "....I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you... for I know the thoughts (plans) that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil to give you an expected end (future). The Lord will come and visit us a whole lot quicker if we allow that joy on the inside of us to work on the outside. 

My friends, remember that God is the head over all things and all situations. You and I might not be planting gardens or getting married; but we are here doing something and whatever it is, God wants us to LIVE right here where we are!

With all that said, let the church say amen... and AMEN!

You Can't Move Forward If You're Always Looking Back!

Forward: to advance onward; to send ahead

Backward: toward the back; in reverse order

My friends, I know this sounds obvious, but sometimes things have to be said aloud for them to sink in: we can’t go forward if we are spending most of our time looking back! It’s like we can’t let go of the very thing that got us in the position that we are in to move forward. Have you ever seen a swimmer win a race by looking backward?! Of course not - he or she is trying to reach their goal - they simply don't have time to waste looking backwards.

I know this sweet lady who once had a beautiful house on the water. When she reached eighty years old, she decided the house was too much for just her and decided to sell it. Luckily for her, she sold when the housing market was very good, which put her in a position to have a brand new house built that was the perfect size for her. However, she can't see the beauty of what God has done for her because her heart and mind are still so focused on what she had. Every now and then, she still goes by the old house and when she does, she complains about how the house looks, and about how the yard is being maintained. She can’t enjoy the present for looking at the past.

Think about the children of Israel - they had only been out of Egypt three days when they started complaining! Exodus 16:3 tells us the story, "And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger." While the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt, they cried out to God and He gave them something better, but once they were out of bondage, they couldn’t even enjoy the manna God sent down from Heaven because they were so busy looking back on the bread they once had.

Of course, we really didn’t have to go ALL THE WAY back to the children of Israel. We can just look at people we know in the work place. Some folks have worked hard and have performed well in the role God allowed them to have. As a reward, when a higher position became available, God honored their hard work by moving them up. Now, he or she can't move forward and excel in their new position because they are constantly trying to micro-manage the position they left behind. So you tell me, how are they going to move forward if they spend all of their time looking backward?

Friends, let's not miss out on all of the beautiful things that God has placed in front of us by wasting time looking backward! We must learn to let whatever God has moved us from go completely so that we can move forward to the bigger, better things that God has for us.

There is SO much that can be said on this subject, but I don’t want to be like that Pastor who went to the dentist for a set of false teeth. The first Sunday after he got his new teeth, he only preached for eight minutes. On the second Sunday after he got his new teeth, he preached for ten minutes. On the third Sunday, that Pastor preached for 2 hours and 48 minutes! After church on that third Sunday, the congregation asked him what happened to make him preach so long. The Pastor replied, "on that first Sunday, my gums hurt so bad that I could only talk for 8 minutes. On the second Sunday, my gums hurt so bad that I could only talk 10 minutes. But this third Sunday, I put my wife’s teeth in by mistake and I just couldn’t shut up!"

So before you all start wondering whose teeth I put in today, let the Church say amen… and AMEN!

Have the Courage to be Courageous!

Courage: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.

My friends, did you know that while courage can open the door for favor to enter, it also implies a firmness of mind and will withstand in the face of danger. Courage is also being brave in the face of fear. Courage is having the willingness to do the right thing in the face of danger, pain, significant harm or risk. Courage means that you don’t give up; you try new things and admit mistakes. This week, I would like to share with you three steps of courage.

1. Feeling Fear, Yet Choosing to Act - Let’s take Esther for example, it took courage to put her life on the line, but she did it, knowing if the King refused to hold out the golden sceptre that she would surely die (Esther 4:11 and 5:2). Courage is not the absence of fear - it's having the strength to triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Being terrified but going ahead and doing what must be done is courage. The one who feels no fear is a fool, and the one who lets fear rule him is a coward.

2. Persevering in the Face of Adversity – The Shunammite woman mentioned in II Kings 4:23-26 demonstrated much courage. Her Son was dead, but she never said those words, her courageous words were, "it shall be well." Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we would make up our minds to walk boldly through them! Courage doesn’t always roar - sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, "I’ll try again tomorrow."

3. Standing Up For What Is Right – Daniel took a stand. He didn’t stop praying to his God even though he knew a decree had been signed that he was not to do so. He also knew what the consequences of his actions would be - the Lions den. Despite this, Daniel 6:10 tells us that David faithfully open his window and prayed to his God three times a day as he had always done. Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. The greatest heroes stand because it is right to do so, not because they believe they will walk away with their lives. Such selfless courage is a victory in itself.

Just as the Lord took care of Daniel, Esther, and the Shunammite woman, He will do the same for us! He said time and time again in the word of God to be of good courage. Good courage is having the right attitude; being positive; serving the end desired; seeing yourself victorious and believing that all is well. Just as we have to exercise our muscles in order to strengthen them in the natural, the Lord has to place situations in our path, so we can exercise that spiritual courage that He has already placed in each of us!

Go and be of good cheer and, more importantly, of good courage!

With all that said, let the church say amen… and Amen!

Sowing and Reaping!

Sow: To scatter or throw seeds on the ground for growth

Reaping: To gather by reaping, a harvest

Sowing consists of scattering seeds for growth - either upon the ground in the natural or upon the soil of our hearts and minds in the Spiritual. Regardless, every seed that is sown and is allowed to grow up will be reaped by the owner of that seed, whether it be naturally or spiritually.

The principle of sowing and reaping is very simple. If we plant wheat, and we maintain that wheat properly, wheat  will come up and wheat is what we will reap. In the natural, farmers know and accept this principle. That means that they don’t plant corn then cry foul when wheat comes up. No, farmers understand that he must plant corn if he expects to reap corn.

Galatians 6:7-8 tells us, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

In the natural, we sow wicked plots, schemes and plans, and then have the nerve to expect a fruitful harvest. Instead, we reap disappointment and wickedness. We even sow discord among the brethren. In Proverb 6:16-19, the Bible says, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:... A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

One way we sow discord among our brethren is by dropping a seed of suspicion about a brother’s or a sister’s spiritual integrity. Once we've said what we had to say, we're likely to forget about it - but the person who received the seed of discord does not. Instead that small seed grows into a great big tree of doubt and disbelief concerning that sister or brother's spiritual integrity. Eventually, all unity between the two brethren is broken. What we (the seed dropper) will reap is God anger for sowing seeds of discord.

In the Spiritual, God wants us to sow seeds of righteousness - righteous deeds of truth - so that we can reap a harvest of God’s mercy. Righteousness means to feel right, to be right, to think right and to do right. Righteous thoughts will always produce righteous words and righteous words will produce righteous actions. It's our choice - whatever we sow, we can be assured that we will reap the harvest of it. If we want love, we must sow seeds of love; if we want joy and peace we must sow seeds of joy and peace. God’s law of sowing and reaping is irrevocable whether good or evil, it’s going to produce after its own kind.

With all that said, let the church say amen… and AMEN!