Whose Approval Do You Want?

Approval: favorable opinion or acceptance.

So often we seek the approval of others instead of focusing on getting the approval that really counts. We seek to get the approval of others in the way that we dress, the cars we drive, and the way we think. We even try to gain a favorable opinion from others by the decisions we make. My friends, this should not be the case! Especially if it means that we neglect to get the approval of God, our Father. If we're not careful, we will find ourselves using all of our energy trying to please others and trying to be accepted by them and in the process of all this, we'll end up being totally miserable, because we wind-up outside of the will of God. First, let's seek God for His approval, before we worry about anyone else's. After all, His opinion is the only one that really counts.

In 1 Samuel 15:3 God told Saul, "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."  Just a few verses later, we find that "...Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them." Instead of being obedient after receiving the word of God and seeking His approval, Saul listened to the people and allowed them to do what they wanted to do in order to be accepted by them. As a result of his actions, Saul was rejected from being King. Now, if you were in that situation, knowing what you know, whose approval would you be seeking?

Life would be awfully miserable if we spend it trying to please everybody else, so lets not lose focus by trying to get the praise of man more than we seek for the praise/approval of God. If we allowed it, people will tell us how to live our lives, how to raise our children, and will even tell the pastors how to run the Church. We must remember to seek God's opinion in all things and be the people that He has called us to be in order to fulfill our destiny. While we may disappoint man, we should seek the approval of God and make every effort not to disappoint Him.

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

It Ain’t What It Look Like!

Faith: firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust

Things sometimes appear to be one way, but that doesn’t mean that the outcome is going to be what we think. The word plainly tells us to walk by faith and not by sight. We should take heed to that scripture, because things ain’t what they look like!

Let’s take a look at the children of Israel when they were leaving out of Egypt – the Red Sea was in front of them and Pharaoh was behind them. Exodus 14:10 and 13 tells us, “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord… And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” Even when it appeared that the children of Israel were doomed, God was RIGHT THERE even in the middle of their storm – so you see, it ain’t what it look like.

Even if our children are living a life we don’t approve of or there might be friction between husband and wife. Maybe it seems like there are not enough finances to meet the need or things simply aren’t working out the way you thought they would. Just keep on praying and believing because things ain’t what they look like!

And think about Abraham and Sarah – they prayed for a son, but it didn’t seem as if it was going to happen. Their situation also appeared to be doomed, but God had promised Abram a son and despite him being 100 and Sarah being 90, they bore a son! That’s just another example to show you that it ain’t what it look like!

It’s so important to walk by faith and not by sight, because sight alone will fool you. Just keep trusting in our amazing, awesome and loving Savior Jesus Christ and He will show you that it ain’t what it look like!!

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

One Must Encourage Himself / Herself!

Encourage: inspire with hope, to give help

When nothing else seems to work, you have to encourage yourself in the Lord. How do you do that? George Mueller says "Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you." So start with the word of God!

Although we are children of God, that does not alienate us from experiencing discouragement. We've all been there, right? Those times when everything around you seems so big and so heavy that it feels like nothing can bring you up out of the gutter. It's in those times that we must go to the Word of God. In it we can always find love and comfort. Remember, Jesus loves us and He "roots" for us. We may not always be able to depend on our friends stopping by and encouraging us, and our Pastor may not always be able to make a house call. Rest assured that even when man fails or is unavailable, Jesus and His word will be right there to encourage and comfort us.

Since we can't be encouraged if we meditate on the lies of the devil, it's critical that we must start speaking the promises of God. For instance, if we are sick in our body, instead of being fearful and worried, we should go to the Word. Like Psalms 103:2-3, which tells us to "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Or 1 Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." At first we may not believe God's promises, but I guarantee you, if you say them long enough, they will become a part of you and you will believe them. And even better still - God will perform them!

1 Samuel 30:3 & 6, tells a story of David: "So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. Verse 6: "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons, and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." His men could not encourage him because they were all angry and had crying, until they had no more power to cry. God is a God who cares and a God who's always there.

David encouraged him self in the Lord and he asked God for direction. When he did, the Lord told him what to do and he and his men got their wives, sons, and daughters back AND they got everything else the enemies took back! Only the Lord can do that and He will do the same for us!

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

It's Vital That We Pray For One Another!

Vital: very important, essential to life.

Pray: to address prayers to God; to ask or request.

Prayer is always to most valuable thing that we can do for ourselves and for others. One thing prayer is not -- a waste of time. When we pray for people, God, in all His mercy and grace, will turn those prayers around and pour them back into our bosom. Of course, we shouldn't pray for people simply because we are looking for something in return! We do it because we are showing forth the love of God and God commands that we pray one for another.

When we pray we are having a long or short talk with a great God. It’s how we communicate with Him. We should never make praying for others a chore, instead we should do it with joy as Paul did in Philippians 1:3-4. Paul says; "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with Joy." Now, here is Paul - in prison, with chains on and chained to a Roman guard - praying for others! He wasn’t complaining about his situation; on the contrary - he was praying for others with Joy!

We can also take a look at Job 42:10: "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." Even though God is ultimately responsible for others - it's still very important that we pray for others. That's the opportunity He gives us to contribute - the person we are praying for gets their needs meet and we get blessed in the process! Remember, our love grows and we grow, as we pray for others. Just because we see people with a smile on their face outwardly, it doesn't mean they are truly happy and smiling on the inside, so as a part of our daily walk, let's do pray for one another.

The Word does not tell us to just pray for the ones who are good to us. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

We are ambassadors for God in this world and He never ceases to love and care for us. In turn, He wants us to have that same kind of love and spirit toward others.

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

What Can Separate Us From The Love Of God?

Separate: divide, become parted from, disconnected
Love: warm affection, delight in, admire passionately

What can separate us from the love of God? Nothing - absolutely nothing!

There is no place we can go and no place that we can hide that can divide or disconnect us from the warm affection of our God (isn't that awesome?!). Psalms 139:7-12 (NLT) tells us, “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night - but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.” You see, my friends, NOTHING can separate us from the love of God.

Roman 8:35 says; “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation (misery, trouble, affliction), or distress (severe trouble, mental pain), or persecution (oppress because of religion), or famine (very hungry), nakedness (exposure), or peril (danger; exposure to injury), or sword (weapon with long blade for cutting). Verse 37 says; “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” or plainly put, the love of God is in all those things, in fact, if these things were to happen to us, we should trust and believe that God has ordained it and that He's in ALL of it.

If we could ask Jonah, I feel pretty confident that he would tell us that even when he was in the belly of hell, the love of God was there. When the three Hebrew boys were in the fiery furnace, the love of God was there and protected them in a mighty way. I heard the testimony of the miracle man, who told of how he laid face down in a fire for 17 minutes, and all he could do was pray. God was there, when the fire department found him, he had been moved out to safety. Truly, the love of God is everywhere.

This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe, but it's true! Nothing can separate us from the love of God... NOTHING!

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

Create an Environment of Thankfulness

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!

What did the scripture tell us in I Thessalonians 5:18?  To give thanks in every thing! Imagine if we started to practice that kind of thankfulness - what would that entail for you today?! Think about how many times you would have been thankful before you got to work; before you started doing whatever you had planned for that day, if you were being thankful for every thing.

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 Be Our Own Hero!

Hero: one greatly regarded for achievements or qualities

Today, let's say in our heart that each one of us will be our own hero today. Now, I don’t mean that we can do it all ourselves without the help of the good Lord above. What I mean is that so often we wait for others to bless us instead of us being out there looking for someone that we can bless. If we can let go of that type of thinking, then that will open the door for the Lord to change our ways. Once our thoughts and our ways are changed, then we will have such an attitude of gratitude that we will be looking for someone that we can be a hero to. Let's go forward not looking for our hero to come along and rescue us; let's instead see who we can offer our strength and our qualities to.

Sometimes we don't have to go looking for a chance to be a hero - sometimes the opportunity will present itself to you, much like it did with David. You might remember that David didn't leave his father’s sheep to be a hero. Out of obedience to his father, he went to the army camp to take food and to see how his brothers were doing, so he could bring his father word of how they were. However, when he got there, he heard Goliath defy the army of the living God - just as he had done morning and evening for forty days. David did not stand around scared like the other men, looking for a hero to come and rescue him - he stepped up and became the hero. It was like David was saying “who does this devil think he is defiling the army of the living God??” We all know how the story goes, through the grace of God, David slew Goliath and became his own hero that day (1 Samuel 17:17-50).

David’s story reminds us that we don't have to worry about what makes us a hero, it's not about our size or our supernatural powers - David was just a boy herding his father’s sheep at the time. Being a hero is more about our obedience, our faith and our love for one another. Remember, with the help of the Lord, there is no giant that is unbeatable! We can go from a zero to a hero in no time flat if we purpose it in our heart! Say it with me my friends - “today I will be my own hero!”

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

Praise The Lord For His Goodness!

Praise: to express thanks to or love and respect for

Do me a quick favor, please... take a quick minute to take a deep breath.

Breathe in... and then breathe out again...
Breathe in... breathe out...
Last time - breathe in... and breathe out...

My friends, if you were able to complete that simple task, the Bible tells us that we should be giving thanks - Psalms 150:6 tell us, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord."

Our exercise proved that we indeed still have breath - so according to the word of God, we should ALWAYS have a praise of thanksgiving in our hearts, minds and mouths! We should never have to wait specifically for the month of November or for the last Thursday in November to give praise and thanks, for the Lord our God is indeed worthy of it!

As it says in Psalms 118:28-29, "Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."

Remember, it's not up to the U.S. government to designate a day in November for us to be thankful - it's up to US to make up our minds to be thankful for all that the Lord has done for us on a daily basis! "I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation" (Psalms 118:21).

Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!( Psalms 107:15). Not just during this season, but every day.

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

Don't Give Up On God!

Give Up: Acknowledge defeat; abandon.

As the songwriter said, "Don't give up on God, 'cause He won't give up on you - He's able." Our God is able to do everything but fail - just because we don't see changes over night, or even in a few weeks, that doesn't mean that He's not working in the background. It also doesn't mean that He doesn't love us, or that He doesn't want to bless us. It just means that it's simply not time yet.

Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." So you see my friends, we don't think the way the Lord thinks, so we must trust Him and we must have patience. Don't give up on God, don't give up on your dreams, don't give up on yourself, and don't give up on your children! You might be thinking that your situation requires help or change now, now, now; but God's requirements might be to wait, wait, wait!

Look at the woman who had the issue of blood for twelve years. She had spent all that she had, but had not gotten any better. However, she never gave up. When she heard about Jesus, she went into the crowd, touched His garment and she was healed immediately (Luke 8:43-44).

Sarah, on the other hand, had no patience. God told Sarah and Abraham that they were going to have a Son, but she gave up on God and tried to fix the situation herself. You see, according to Sarah, it was taking too long, so she gave her handmaid to Abraham to marry and to have children with her - but what Sarah didn't understand was that was not God's plan. Even though Hagar did have a son, she ended up turning against Sarah, which resulted in Abraham having to send them away - all because Sarah gave up on God.

Friends, Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or can even think of, according to the power that worketh in us. Be of good cheer and don't give up on God, 'cause He won't give up on you!

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

We Are Connected One To Another!

Connected: join together, unite, associate in the mind

There are those who have actually grown up with the misguided notion that they can have their own Church right where they are and as such, they believe that Church attendance is unnecessary. How tragic it must be to be satisfied with a religion that's based on isolation. Time and time again, the scriptures confirm our need for one another. Not to mention, Hebrews 10:25 tells us, "Let us not neglect our Church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of His coming back again is drawing near" (The Living Bible).

We shouldn't be isolated because the Bible tells us that we need one another; after all we are all the body of Christ. We are members connected to one another, and because we are connected, there are things that we should be doing for and to one another.

• First, we must Love one another. Love is the  glue that's going to hold us all together.

• Next, we must Accept one another. Roman 15:7 tell us, "Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God." Simply put, we need each other to survive.

• The word goes on to say that we must Admonish (to warn or correct) one another. Of course, we should probably examine our own life first and not try to make everyone tow the line according to our expectations. Instead, let's encourage one another to be like Jesus. Colossians 3:16 says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

• The scriptures also tell us to Edify (to improve morally) one another. "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" (Romans 14:9). No one wants to go to Church and get beat down verbally - the world does a good enough job of that. So instead, "let no corrupt communication proceed out of your  mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."

As Christians we are connected together, and we need that time of fellowship together - we really need one another to survive. So, if you don't have a church home yet, make it your mission to find one!

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

My Prayer for You

I Pray That You Have:

Joy: A strong feeling of great delight, unspeakable and full of Glory

John 15:11 - These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full

Peace: A state of harmony that surpasses all understanding

2 Thessalonians 3:16 - Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

Success: Achievement, in each facet of your life

Joshua 1:8 - This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Friend: Supporter, that sent from God

John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Love: Thats everlasting

John 15:12 - This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Knowledge: That ye may not perish

Psalms 119:66 - Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

Special Memories: Of all the Lord has done

Proverbs 10:7 - The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

A Rejoiceful Day: That the Lord has made

1 Chronicles 16:10 - Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

A Path: That leads to the blessing of God

Psalms 119:35 - Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

Dreams: That become realities for you

Genesis 28:12 - And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

And Appreciation: For all that God has made you and for all He has done for you!

Psalms 97:12 - Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Send this to everyone you're praying for and anyone whose day you desire to brighten.

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

Seven Steps for Walking in 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 this previous 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!

Bloom Right Where You Are Planted!

Bloom: To flourish

Planted: To put or set in the ground for growth

Most seeds bloom exactly where they are planted. That's because the sustenance it needs to survive is provided above the ground right where it was planted. Beneath the ground, the plant is also provided with nutrients which allows it to take root. Once that plant takes root, it tends to flourish, right there where the seed was planted. We can be just like that seed -- meaning that we can bloom exactly where we have been planted -- but we must have something to work with. As the plant gets nutrients beneath the ground to help it take root, grow and bloom; we must use what's beneath our surface (or what's inside of us) to help us bloom. In our case, our root system is our foundation and it's our foundation that anchors us. We must have a vision inside of us that's set on victory, so when situations pile up on us, we can easily push through them and blossom right where we have been planted.

Of course, we know that everyday isn't going to be a good day. Without a doubt, there will be all kinds of unpleasant things going on all around us - we may get bad news about a loved one or we may lose our job. Though we may feel like we’ve never had such difficult struggles, if we can just keep on believing, keep on hoping, and keep on pulling from the sustenance we get from above, our God will see that we are going to bloom right where we have been planted and He will turn the situation around!

Paul and Silas are a great example of this. Paul and Silas were planted in jail, beaten with many stripes with their feet in stocks, but still managed to blossom right where they were. In spite of their situation, Paul and Silas didn't complain. Instead, Acts 16:23-25 tells us that at midnight they prayed and sang praises unto God. Now, that’s what I call blooming EXACTLY where you have been planted! There is a light in every situation, we just have to choose to see it and act on it!

Remember, when struggles come our way - we are not buried in that spot - we are simply planted, so we can bloom!

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

Cast Your Cares Upon Him!

Cast: Throw or fling, deposit, throw down
Cares: Worries, pains, anxiety

We should always cast our cares upon the Lord, because when we spend time worrying, we are belittling God and exalting ourselves. When we doubt God it's like we're saying that He is incapable of handling our situations and as a result, we have to hold on to our problems until we can fix it ourselves. Trust me when I say, God knows exactly how to fix any issue or situation that comes your way. In fact, He had a solution before you ever had a problem. My friends, God is able to do everything, and we are not able to do even the slightest thing without His guidance. We must start being obedient to 1 Peter 5:7, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you."

Carrying around burdens and being worried about every single thing will eat up all of your energy and weigh you down. You'll eventually get to a point where you seem like you are making tracks, but in reality, you are getting nowhere. Matthew 10:29-31 tells us that not one sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it (do you know how many birds are in the sky?? That's a lot of birds to keep up with)! The scripture also tells us that the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So we shouldn't worry or fret! Anyone who's THAT detail-oriented can certainly keep up with any minor issues we might have!

Surely you and I are more valuable to Him than many sparrows, right? The Living Bible version of that scripture says simply "Cast all your cares upon the Lord, for He careth for you." Fortunately for us, our God's heart is so tender toward His children. Just as ours is with our own children. Most of the time, we love it when our children have enough confidence in us to come to us when they need help. I mean - talk about having a tender heart! We tend to melt when our kids need us and we will often go out of our way to meet their needs when we can.

Think about how God changed things for Hannah. Hannah had no children and the word says that, "...she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore" (1 Samuel 1:10). She could have kept all that inside of her, but Hannah knew that her help would come from the Lord, so she cast her cares on Him. He heard and answered her prayer by giving her the male child that she prayed for. Hannah's story lets us know that there is no reason for us to be weighted down and that our cares should be cast, not carried. "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved" (Psalms 55:22).

The way we cast our cares on Him is by coming humbly before God and by willingly giving Him our situations. And whenever those little situations come back to worry us - and believe me, they will - we must simply say, "thank you Lord for this situation, you are the head over it, and you have it completely in control." We must believe and have faith in our merciful heavenly Father and He will strengthen us, help us, and uphold us!

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

We Can Have Everything and Still Have Nothing!

Everything: all; something that is extremely or most important

Nothing: naught; something or someone of no importance or significance

My friends, have you ever realized that we can have everything that money can buy and still have absolutely nothing of true importance? What I mean is, we can have all the food we can get; all the most beautiful and expensive clothes; and just about everything else that our hearts desire, but if we don't have Jesus - well then, we still have nothing. We all have a place in our hearts that only Jesus can fill and without the spirit of God living there we are empty, miserable, and have no peace. There are so many restless people out there that want more and more, who never stop to realize that what they are really longing for is the Lord our God.

I once worked for a lady who had millions of dollars, beautiful cars, a big beautiful home, and more clothes than she could ever possibly wear. Even though she had all those things and was in good health, she still had no joy. Her house was filled with people every day, but she still felt empty. She was so unhappy that she drank alcohol all day, every day. She had everything the average person would ever want, but yet she had nothing. The ingredients that were missing in her life were Jesus, His word, His love, and His peace. You see, you can have all the material things that money can buy, but if you don’t have Jesus in your life as your personal savior -- well then, you have nothing.

Take Pharaoh for instance, he had every material thing a person of his day would want - men servants, maid servants, even slaves to build his cities - but yet he was so wicked to God's people. He had it all, but still he had nothing (i.e. naught; something or someone of no importance or significance). He did not have the love of God or the word of God ruling in his life.

Friends, God is more than anything we could ever possibly have. When it seems like you don't have anything, remember that if you've got the Lord, then you have everything you could possibly need! People, places, and things won't fill that empty void in your heart - only Jesus can!

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

God Will Turn Our Midnight Into Day!

Midnight: the transition time from one day to the next

As 12:00 midnight closes one day, 12:00:01 am opens another. That means there is always going to be a midnight in every day. Midnight is also known to some as a time of darkness and gloom, but I'm here to tell you that midnight does not have to be that way for us. It's really all about what we do in and with our midnight experiences that determines how long we will stay in them. Let me take a couple of minutes to share with you some examples that will get you to 12:00:01 in a very short period of time.

For instance, let's think about Hezekiah. The Lord sent the Prophet Isaiah to tell Hezekiah to get his house in order, because he was going to die and not live. Now to me - that feels like a midnight situation - a time of potential darkness and gloom. However, instead of Hezekiah getting angry with God and falling into a bed of depression, He turned his face toward the wall and cried out to God. God heard him and added fifteen more years to his life (Isaiah 38:1-5). Midnight will come to all of us, but how we handle it will make all the difference.

Let's take Paul and Silas - they were put into prison for casting out a spirit. They had been beaten with many strips, and their feet had been put into stocks, but at midnight they prayed and sang praises unto God. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed (Acts 16:23-26). Not only were Paul and Silas singing and praising God in the midst of their midnight experience - they were also bearing witness to the goodness of the Lord in a most difficult situation - and look at how their situation changed!

Now, keep in mind, God doesn't always take us out of our darkness and gloom. No, sometimes He get into that situation with us, just as He did for the three Hebrew boys.

Friends, when we are going through our midnight seasons, we must remember to cry out to God. He's the only one who can fix it; the only one who can change our midnight into day. Let's keep a heart of gratitude, because this midnight season shall pass. As the scripture says, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalms 30:5).

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

Jesus Take The Wheel!

Independent: Free from the control of others

Satisfaction: Anything which brings about a happy feeling

As believers of Christ we can't always be in the driver's seat; sometimes we have to take a backseat to the one that owns the car! Keep in mind that the Lord doesn't just own the car - He owns everything in Heaven, on Earth and even beneath the Earth! If He can handle all of that, I feel pretty comfortable saying that He can handle being in the driver's seat of our car or situation. So why don't we ride gracefully on the back seat and just be thankful that we are in the car!

We certainly don't want the results that King Herod got when he tried to drive. Acts 12:21-23 says,

“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.  And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”

King Herod TRIED to take the driver's seat and you can see what happened! As God said in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another.” We must take heed and remember to give the credit to its rightful owner.

My friends, it's not our wisdom, our strength, or by our power that the Lord has allowed us to obtain things in this world. It's only through His love, His grace, and His mercy that we have these things. I'm thankful for a loving God who knows how to give good things to His children. In turn, we should bless His name and tell others of His love. He wants us to shine - not so we can take the credit, though - but so that others can see Him through us. Let us be reminded that it's God who gives us the power to obtain wealth and wisdom, and God who gives us the ability to do whatever we are going to do.

On the other hand, Abraham is a wonderful example of the way the Lord desires us to be. Genesis 14:17-20 tell us that when Abraham returned from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, he blessed the most high God as the one who had given him the strength and energy to win the battle and to become victorious over the enemy. He didn't get all puffed up or boastful as if he was triumphant all on his own.

Let's be sure to give God the glory for everything and get rid of our independent satisfaction - aka pride - thinking or acting as if we are the ones who made us successful. Let's give the Lord what he solely deserves - praise and glory. Remember: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5)!

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

                                                                                                              

Take the Battle to the Lord!

Battle: fight, struggle

2 Chronicles 20:15 tells us, "for the battle is not yours, but God's."

Is it just me or does it occasionally feels like it's hard for you to surrender your fights and your struggles to the Lord? I think it's just human nature to always try to fix things - which is crazy, because really - who can fix it better than God?! But yet, here we are trying to find the perfect solution for every problem.

Well my friends, I'm here to tell you that is not God's way. In fact, it kind-of shows a lack of trust in Him. Haven't you heard people say, "Nothing's too hard for God?" If we truly believe that, then why are we trying to fix things ourselves??  why aren't we just giving it all to Him? I imagine that it must hurt the Lord so much to see His children cry and not come to see about them. If you have kids of your own, I'm sure you know what I mean. So let's stop acting like we can win every battle on our own and allow God to work on our behalf.

Let's look at Asa. Asa was a King who did good and right in the eyes of the Lord. When Zerah, the Ethiopian, and his army came out against Asa, he knew exactly what to do. Instead of trying to fix the problem himself, he "...cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power; help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord thou art our God, let not man prevail against thee." And wouldn't you know it - "...the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled" (2 Chronicles 14:11-12). Even though Zerah's army was much bigger, it didn't matter. There is simply no battle or no struggle too big or too hard for our God!

For Asa, the good news didn't just stop there! If you continue reading the story, you'll see that not only did God defeat the Ethiopians, but He also gave Asa and his army all their possessions! The word says; "...and they carried away very much spoil" (2 Chronicles 14:13). How awesome is that? King Asa didn't try to fight the battle alone - no, he was much smarter than some of us! Instead, he cried out to the Lord. We must follow Asa's lead, and not make the Lord our last resort. Not only will God fix the situation, but He will also reward us - just as He did for Asa and his army.

The point I'm trying to make here is that we should never become uneasy in the midst of our day-to-day struggles and battles. That's because God has the power, the authority, and the ability to do just what He said He would do! So remember, fight your battles on your knees by crying out to God. As the song writer said, "If I hold my peace and let the Lord fight my battle; victory, victory SHALL be mine!"

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

Our Life Preaches A Sermon!

Sermon: A message

Our life preaches a sermon, regardless of what we are or what we pretend to be. Someone is always watching - especially if we are proclaiming Christianity. There is always someone in the background waiting and watching to see how we are going to handle the different challenges that we face every day. What they want to see is if we are going to talk the talk and walk the walk. One way or the other our life is going to preach a sermon!

Have you ever considered that you and I are the only Bible some people will ever read? Therefore we have a responsibility to be living epistle, which everyone can clearly read (II Corinthians 3:2). There should be something distinctive in the life of God’s people that makes them stand out to the world. After all, the word tell us in 1 Peter 2:9 (Amplified): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, (God’s) own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." You see, our lives should be preaching a message of light and should be a witness to people that God is real.

It doesn’t matter if we are the Preacher, the Sunday school teacher, the choir director or a member of the congregation - our life is going to send a message - whether that message is favorable or unfavorable is up to us and the decisions we make. Keep in mind, we must lead by example. If we are living according to the word, our message will be favorable. However, if we are "holy" in Church, but live a completely different life outside of Church, well, that’s unfavorable, as we are not sending or setting a good message out to/for the people around us. They may never say anything to you, but they will surely share it with others, and of course - God sees it all.

Remember, the Lord loves us and He wants to give us everything that we need. He gets great pleasure when our lives are preaching a message about Him and His love. As I said, we may be the only Bible some will ever read, so we want our lives to always line up with the word of God!

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!               

God Is The Same On The Mountain Top As He Is In The Valley!!

Valley - Broad depression
Mountain - a high place

We often wonder where the Lord is when we are going through our valley experiences. Have you ever asked yourself why He hasn't intervened in a situation you are going through? After all doesn't He see how people are treating me and you? Doesn't He hear every single word people are saying about us? Sometimes it seems as if He's so far away, but the truth of the matter is, He's in the same place that He is when we are on the mountain top as He is when we are in the valley. We never stop and think about where He might be when things are working in our favor. But I'm here to tell you that He's the same today, yesterday and forever.

Take Job for example, when he first started going through his valley experience. At first, things were simply happening to people around him and to his material possessions. Through those things, he was able to remain pretty positive - "...Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).

BUT when Job was personally touched, his attitude changed tremendously! Job 23:1-4 finds Job looking for God: "Even to day is my complaint bitter... Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments." In other words, Job wanted to argue with the Lord about his situation - just as we do today! When sickness attacks our bodies; our children go haywire; our finances come to an all time low; and/or we experience the loss of a job - we murmur and complain, just as Job did. However, I assure you that God was/is in the same place then as He is/was when we are on the mountain top!

I'm using Job as an example, but really we can look at our own lives. Who among us hasn't had situations where we wondered where the Lord was? If you haven't - KEEP LIVING! Let me share with you - God is real and very much alive. And I'm pleased to tell you that He's the same whether we are in the valley or on the mountain top! We must remember that God is going to test our faith. He's not going to change - so let's not allow our situations to change us. Keep being thankful, keep praising Him and I guarantee that He will allow you to feel His presence, regardless of whether you are on the mountain top or in the valley!

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

This Is Not A Rehearsal!!

Rehearsal: a practice exercise

This is not a rehearsal! This is the only practice we get; when God says enough - it's over, there is no second chance. We have all seen performers (actors, singers, dancers, etc.) perform. One of the great things about their jobs is that if they make a mistake, they can typically go back and practice until they perfect whatever it is that they are doing. It's not so with life; on this journey if we fail to make Jesus the Lord of our life, and choose to do our own will instead of living a life that’s pleasing to the Lord... once life is over, there is no returning to this earth to fix things or change things. This is not a rehearsal; we must make every day count.

I can't stress enough the fact that God should be first in our life. It's imperative that we know who the boss is - and just in case you were wondering - it's not us! We owe everything to the Lord, right down to the very air that we breathe; therefore we will have to give an account for how we have lived our lives. We can't be people tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine; we must live and breathe totally within the will of God.

The Lord wants us to enjoy life, He said in John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." He wants us to enjoy His beautiful creation and all of the wonderful things He has blessed us with. Of course, we are living in perilous times, but we don't have to become a part of those things, our responsibility is to stand firm on the word of God. If we do fail (and every now and then, we probably will), there is blood to cover every sin - we just need to use it quickly to get back in agreement with God and continue to go forward.

My friends, I say again - this is not a Rehearsal! Revelation 22:12 informs us that His reward is with Him, therefore, once we're gone, we cannot return to this world and fix all the things we should have done years before. All along the way let's encourage ourselves, as well as others, and learn to love others as Jesus loves us.

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

He is The Author And The Finisher!

Author: one that originates or creates, one that writes or compose a literary work
Finisher: to bring to completion, to come to the end of a course

Have you ever thought about Authors? In many ways, an Author is also a Captain and a Chief leader. They spend their time creating the story line, working out the plot, developing the twists, and then writing the perfect ending. There's a lot of planning that goes into writing a good story. If the planning or the story itself gets off track, in most cases, the author can "right the ship" or to steer it back on path - just like any other captain or leader would do.

Have you ever thought about God as an Author? He's our creator, right? Before the foundation of the world, He spent time writing our story, thinking about the twists and turns our lives would take. And like a captain, He's had to steer us back on the right path more than a time or two. Psalms 23:2-3 tells us that "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Likewise, He's the one who's going to bring His master plan to completion: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever" (Psalms 23:6).

That doesn't mean our story will be all sunshine and rainbows. There will be dark times. He will allow us to get off track here and there. Not because it's the right thing for us to do. Sometimes He allows us to follow our own plans because He's giving us the opportunity to chose. To chose Him, and his master plan/story for our lives. Even after we have hit a few bumps in the road, and had a few heartache and pains, He will allow us to get right back on track with His story line for us and will allow us to complete His plan for us.

Consider Jonah. Jonah felt like he could be the Captain of his own story. You probably know his story well, but just in case you don't, here's the highlights: Jonah went to Tarshish when the Author told him to go to Nineveh. The Lord allowed Jonah to deviate from the plot that had been developed for him. But like any great author, the Lord developed a twist in the story line - He allowed a great fish to swallow Jonah up!

The Bible says, "out of the belly of hell Jonah cried out and the Lord heard his voice, and spake unto the fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land" (Jonah 2:1-10). We must not forget, the Author wrote the plan, so if we get off track it's going to cost us something and we will still have to finish that chapter of the story that God has written for our lives; just as Jonah still had to go and preach to the people in Nineveh.

When in doubt; when you don't know what to do in a situation; just read the book - i.e. the Bible - that God left for us  as a road map or a guide for how our story should go. If it's still not clear - just ask the Captain, "Lord, what would you have me to do in this situation?"

Remember, He's the Author and the Finisher, whatever He starts, He will surely finish it. Most importantly, He's the best author out there, so He doesn't need our help! He wrote the plan, all we need to do is listen and obey! Jesus loves you, my friends.

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

Let's Serve the Lord With Gladness and Thanksgiving!

Gladness: Being happy, being willing to help, grateful, joy and pleasure.

Thanksgiving: An expression of one gratitude, a celebration.

I realize that there is a lot going on in this world today, in fact, it’s enough to blow your mind, but I think it's important that we keep in mind that we didn't start those things and we can’t finish them. Of course, that's not to say that we shouldn't pray for our country - we absolutely should - especially as we see murder, sickness, and flooding going on in the world - and that's just the short list! However, after we have taken those things to Jesus, we must leave them at His feet. This allows us to move forward and serve Him with gladness, with joy, and pleasure as His Word has instructed us to do. We should never allow serving God to become a chore. Instead, let's strive to always serve him with an attitude of gratitude.

In the amplified version of Psalms 100: 1-5, David gives us some amazing advice:

"Make A joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing! Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He who has made us, not we ourselves (and we are His)! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations."

Serving the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving is easy! We can accomplish this by mentioning His Name to others and by acknowledging all the wonderful things He has done for us. Our God is awesome and truly worthy to be praised, so my friends I invite you to magnify the Lord with me, and let's exalt his name together!

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

Pray Without Ceasing!

Pray: To communicate with God. To ask earnestly for something.
Ceasing: To bring to an end. To Stop.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 reminds us to "Pray without ceasing," which means that we are to pray continuously. My friends, we are living in perilous times, where some people love only themselves and their money; a time were some people are proud, boastful, ungrateful, hard-headed, disobedient, and prefer "good times" and the "high life" to worshiping God. These people are all around us, interacting with us; our families; our children. Can you see the importance of praying without ceasing? If all of this wasn't reason enough, simply listen to the news or read the newspaper. Unfortunately, most of what you will see, hear, or read is bad news.

Now let me share with you the good news! Prayer is a major factor when we are walking with God. Jeremiah 23:23 says, "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord and not a God afar off?" The Lord is letting us know that He's not afar off, He's omnipresent (everywhere at the same time). So if we are praying without ceasing that means our prayers are everywhere with Him, right? We can't be everywhere, but our prayers can (how awesome is that?!). We should never stop praying for our children or grandchildren, especially if we know they are going down the wrong path. We just learned that while we can't necessarily be there in the valley with them holding their hand - our prayers can... and God is there too. You know, even if your kids are on the right path, they still need someone to pray for and with them. I don't know about you, but I know for sure that this is why I am where I am today, because someone loved me enough to pray for me without ceasing.

Every significant choice we have to make should be presented before the Lord. If we are not praying and seeking the Lord, then in essence it's like we're saying, "I'm sufficient all by myself, and I can make my own choices," when the truth of the matter is, we DESPERATELY need the Lord, so let's start or continue to pray without ceasing. When we are communicating with the Lord, we are acknowledging Him as the head of our lives.

Remember, our God is faithful, He has promised to answer when we pray, so if you're ever feeling down and depressed just know that Jesus still hears you and will answer prayer. James 5:16 tells us that "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (KJV) or "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working" (ESV). Prayer changes things, so let's be mindful to pray without ceasing!

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

It's Always Good To Be A Blessing!

Blessing: a beneficial thing for which one is grateful; something that brings well-being.

So often we want to be blessed. Our fleshly nature always wants to know, 'if I go out of my way to do that, what’s in it for me?' More often than not, if we can't see the silver lining in something for us; we are not real anxious to do it. We must keep in mind what the Word of God says, "it's more blessed to give than to receive." Also, whenever we are a blessing to others, we don’t have to sound a trumpet just to make sure that everyone knows!

Our ultimate example (Jesus) didn’t come to be served - He came to serve. God is so faithful that He will not allow any of our acts of kindness to go unnoticed. If we could learn to look to the Author and Finisher of all things, we would realize that it's okay to be a blessing rather than always wanting someone to bless us. You see, man is limited, but God is not! When He blesses you, you are truly blessed!

Ruth was a good example; she was such a blessing to her mother-in-law. When Naomi lost her husband and both of her sons, Ruth did not leave her, she went back to Bethlehem with her. When she went to the fields to glean ears of corn so they could eat, Ruth wasn’t looking for a blessing - she just wanted to be a blessing to Naomi. Boaz, who was a mighty man of wealth, saw Ruth gleaning in his field and inquired about her. After hearing how she had been such a blessing to her mother-in-law since the death of her husband and sons, Ruth quickly found favor in Boaz's sight. To make a long story short, Ruth became the wife of a mighty man of wealth simply because she was willing and able to be a blessing to someone else.

The word says to give honor where honor is due, so I want to give honor to my dear sweet Aunt, who does SO many things for other people without ever looking for a blessing - just simply wanting to be a blessing. When our mother passed away some years ago, she stepped in and became a mother, a friend, and a sister to me and to my siblings. She visits people in the nursing homes, in the hospital, and has been known to take on small children as her own grandchildren. On top of all that, she also ministers in what ever capacity that she can to her other nieces and nephews; and carries the elderly to the bank, to the grocery store, and to their doctors appointments. When my husband's mother passed away, she took him on as well. We love you and we thank you Auntie Lorine for being such a wonderful blessing to each of us and never looking or expecting to be blessed!

The Lord is our great and mighty rewarder, so let’s be a blessing to someone today and not wait to be blessed!

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

He's the Potter, We are the Clay!

Potter: One who makes earthenware vessels.

Clay: Earth that is pliable when moist but hard when fired.

There are many different ways the Lord uses to describe His relationship to His people. Today, I want to share with you how He’s the Master Potter and we are the clay and to inform you that the Potter has a mission! This mission is to take worthless clay and turn it into vessels of honor, which means that He has to mold it, shape it, and transform it, in order for it to be useful to Him. Isaiah 64:8 says it best; "But now, oh Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."

It doesn’t matter what condition we're in when He finds us; God is more interested in taking the worst of us and changing us into the best He has to offer. Like the clay at first, our condition is initially worthless - it must be shaped, molded, and transformed, so that it can be used. We were worthless to God in our sinful condition, but thank God, He saw the vessels we could become. But first we must invite Him into our lives as our personal savior; at that point, God can begin His process.

When clay is first brought in from the fields it is unusable; it is usually hard and full of impurities. As the clay must first be refined, so must the Christian first be refined before we can be shaped into a vessel by the Master Potter. The clay has to be put into the kiln and expose to fire to be harden. We  too must be tried by fire in order to be strengthened. Look at Joseph for instance - Joseph was sold into slavery and imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. When he was tried by fire, he maintained a positive attitude toward the Potter, became a vessel of honor, and was made the second most powerful man in Egypt.

Jeremiah 18-6 says; "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." In other words, just as the clay yields itself to a potter, we as Christians must submit to the authority of God. He’s in complete control and whatever the fire is that He puts us in has been tailor-made just for us.

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

Let's Always Have an Attitude of Gratitude!

Attitude - the state of mind toward some thing
Gratitude - the state of being thankful

An attitude of gratitude means making it a habit to always express thankfulness and appreciation
in every arena of our life - on a regular basis - for the small things as well as the big things. My mother would always say, "Every day is not going to be a good day, but be thankful that it is as well as it is."

If we have gratitude within us, we will be better equipped to endure the hard times like a good soldier. That attitude of gratitude is within our system, but sometimes we have to dig a little deeper to find it! Occasionally, what weaken us as Christians is when we get down, we get discouraged, and/or we get bitter about things in life. It's during those times that we must remember that God is the orchestrator of it all. The things that we encounter day-to-day are not intended to kill us, but instead to bless us - so let's get an attitude of gratitude! That attitude will help keep our spirits built up, and will help keep us strong.

There has never been a time in the history of the world when we (as a people) have had so much and yet many of us remain so unthankful. Friends, we ought to be eternally grateful to God that we have all that we have. Think about all that you have to be grateful for: we have eyes to see, legs to walk, air to breathe, food to eat, a mouth to praise God, and ears to hear His word, now that's MORE than worthy of our praise and gratitude. Oh, how we should be expressing thankfulness for God's blessings on a daily basis!

Ingratitude is dangerous! To return evil and ingratitude to God or man for the goodness we have received could be devastating for us, as it was for Haman in the book of Esther. All the Kings servants bowed, and reverenced Haman except for one man. Haman was so angry that he wanted that man hung, instead Haman himself was hung on the very gallows that he had built for Mordecai (nobody wants that!).

Let's instead have an attitude as Joseph had. Although he was put in prison for something he wasn't guilty of, his attitude was so good that he was put in charge of the whole prison. He stood on the scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that tells us, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Later when Joseph was let out of prison, he was blessed tremendously, because he kept an attitude of gratitude! Let's be like Joseph in that respect.

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

What Love Does and What Love Does Not Do!

Love: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for others.

I know that most of you are familiar with that song that says, "what the world needs now, is love, sweet love, that's the only thing there is just too little of." Have you ever stopped to think about just how true that little verse is? Can you imagine how peaceful and loving this world would be if love was shown as God intended it to be? Children would not be killing parents and parents would not be killing children. There would be so much less hatred, less robbing, and fewer killings, instead we would be sharing the real love of God.

Let me take a few minutes to share with you a few things about love:

• Love is a commandment and not a request. 
• Love is kind
• Love is greater than faith, greater than hope
• Most importantly, God is love

1 John 4:11 says, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Not because they do good things for us, and not because they boost our ego - but out of a pure heart.

According to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, here's what love does:

1. Love suffers long. We have to get over these things we have in us - you guys know we're not trying to suffer long, we have no patience or time for that, right?! But that's not like Jesus because Jesus is love.
2. Love rejoices in truth
3. Love bears all things
4. Love endures all things
5. Love covers a multitude of sin. 

My friends, we ALL need this kind of love!

Conversely, here's what 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 tells us that love does not do:

1. Love does not vaunt itself. 
2. Love does not behave unseemly
3. Love does not seek its own
4. Love thinks no evil

In other words, Love is never haughty or selfish or rude, love does not demand its own way, it's not irritable or touchy, it does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice it when other do it wrong! WHOA! I know I'm still working on some of these things - what about you guys??

Thank God that He is loving, extremely patient, and eternally kind. Remember, God so loved us, so we ought to love one another!

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

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!                        

Plan now, Reap the Benefits Later!

Good Morning Friends! We thought we would go a little old-school today and remind everyone of the importance of a plan. If you don’t have a spiritual plan in place and oxygen is still flowing through your body, it’s not too late to develop one! Be encouraged and be blessed!

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Plan: Method for achieving something; to have in mind as an intention or purpose

Works: The action or labor required to accomplish something

Jesus has the Master Plan; His works and plans were finished before the foundation of the world. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "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." Jesus has a plan for us - now it's up to us to have one as well.

If you were building a house, you would have a blueprint, right? Every day you would go over your plans so you would know where the walls were supposed to go, where the closets should be and where those all-important bathrooms would be. How much more do we need a spiritual plan?

God's works and plans are already within us, we just need to pull them out. We can do that by:

1) Planning to make Jesus first in our lives by seeking Him early each day. Isaiah tells us to seek Him early while he may be found and call upon him while He is yet near.

2) Planning to spend time in His Word every day because His Word is our blueprint; our roadmap. If we don't faithfully refer to our blueprint, how will we know what the Lord's expectations of us are? How will we know how He wants us to live our lives? How will we know where to put our walls up to successfully shut out the enemy? We need our roadmap to teach us how to love and show love; how to be thankful and grateful and how to forgive. Simply put - His Word shows us how to get back to Him.

3) As we are told in I Thessalonians 5:17, we must plan to "pray without ceasing." Prayer is our communication with the Lord - would we go months without communicating with our best friends or spouses? No, we're typically communicating with them as often as we can - whether they want to hear from us or not! The Lord actually wants to hear from us, so we need to take every opportunity we have to speak with Him.

Our works are to believe in Him, as His works were to believe in the Father that sent Him. As the scriptures tell us - He did nothing without the Father - and we are to do nothing without Him. 

When our spiritual plans are in place, our natural plans will be added unto us.

                                                                                                                                    

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

Got a Vacancy that Needs to be Filled??

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!