Is Anything Too Hard For God!

Hard: difficult to perform, endure, or comprehend.

Throughout the Bible, there are a number of examples of the Lord asking His people if there was anything that He couldn't do. The Lord asked Abraham, is anything too hard for the Lord? As the Lord spoke with Jeremiah, He asked him, is there anything too hard for me? We get his answer in Jeremiah 32:17, "Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee." The word hold true to this very day, there's nothing too hard for God.

There is also no promise that is too hard for God to keep. In Genesis chapter 18, we are reminded of the story of Abraham and Sarah. God had promised Abraham a son with Sarah, when he was a hundred years old and Sarah was ninety. Picking up the story in verse 10 of that chapter; "And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him... Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?... Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son." Those of us who are familiar know that’s exactly what happened!

Our gracious Lord woke us up this morning. If you think you woke yourself up when your alarm went off, try this one day - take your alarm clock to the cemetery and see just how many people get up when your alarm goes off. It was definitely not you or your alarm - that was the work of God! Let's allow that to serve as a reminder for us that there is nothing (not any thing, no part or portion. In no way, not at all) that is too hard for God. If some of those five thousand men (not counting women and children) were here; those men who were in the desert, hungry and tired when Jesus feed them with those two small fishes and five loaves of bread; they would surely attest there’s nothing too hard for God! Matthew 14: 19.

My friends, God’s power is limitless; there is no person He can’t change, no problem He can’t solve, and no situation He can’t fix! Just as He did for Abraham and Sarah, and those five thousand in the desert, He will do for me and you. There is nothing too hard for God and there is no promise He can’t keep!

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

Let's Show 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!!
                                                                                                               

God Can Change Your Nothing Into Something!

Nothing: one of no interest, value, or importance
Something: some undetermined or unspecified thing

Have you ever thought about how God can take something we would call insufficient or unimportant, something of no value, and turn it or them into something spectacular?

Example #1: He took a little shepherd boy and made a king out of him.
Example #2: He took a scared young man and made him a mighty man of valor.

Simply put: God is God all by himself and He can do EVERYTHING but fail!

Let's look at example #1: David was just a young shepherd boy taking care of his father's sheep on the back side of the mountain. When the Lord sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be king - David's father never even called him to the sacrifice, because he thought David was insufficient. Jesse caused seven of his sons to come before Samuel, but the Lord did not chose any of them. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." In verse 11, we find Samuel asking Jesse, "Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest and, behold, he keepeth the sheep." Samuel then had Jesse send for David, "for we will not sit down till he come hither." When David finally arrived, "...the Lord said, arise, anoint him: for this is he" (1 Samuel 16:12). How awesome is that it doesn't matter if we are young (or if we are old!), God can change the existing situation or the existing person to be EXACTLY what He would have them to be.

Moving on to example #2: The Lord took Gideon and made a mighty man of valor out of him. Judges 6: 14-15 shares the first part of the story: "And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." Isn't that just like us?! The Lord askes us to do something and we immediately start making excuses!! Gideon was scared and he felt very insufficient. But thank God for His mercy and His goodness toward us!

One of the things that these two men had in common is that they both ended up having to fight - David against Goliath and Gideon against the Midianites. But fortunately, God was with them just as He is and will be with us. He turned both of those "insufficient" or "unimportant men" into people who were valuable and important.

Remember, God can change us and our nothing situations into something extra-special - He just wants us to be willing and obedient!

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

Live Life With A Purpose!

Live: to be alive, to be active
Purpose: a desired goal, an intention

You probably hear every day of people who appear to be living with no direction or no desired goals; people who seem to be going through life aimlessly - not really living or enjoying God's beautiful creations. Whether we have one dollar in our pocket or one million, there should still be joy and a real purpose for our lives. Although people might feel like if they don't have a pocket full of money, they are not being blessed, but I'm here to tell you that such thinking is not the case. Blessings are not always monetary. In fact, I would venture to say that if you wake up in the land of the living, then you are being blessed, because that means that you still have an opportunity to repent for your sins, to be thankful, and to be alive with a purpose - then that's being blessed!

I feel like we would be tremendously blessed if we woke up each day saying, "Lord, it's not what you can do for me, but instead what would you have me to do for you today? Often times, we forget that we were not created for ourselves, but we were created for the Glory of God and for His purpose! With that In mind, we should approach everything that the Lord lays on our hearts to do with a cheerful heart and purpose... and that purpose should always be to please our Heavenly Father.

You may not be working right now, but that does not justify you having a pity party. We must instead expect things to turn around and for new doors to be opened. Maybe your situation isn't that you don't have a job - it could be a sickness in our body, or maybe our finances are very low. Whatever the case may be, we are all still blessed because we serve a living God who owns everything in Heaven and in earth. Everything includes jobs, sickness, and finance problems, so be thankful and remember that He said in His word that He would be our provider - it's up to us to give Him that opportunity to provide for us.

Live with a purpose, my friends. And if you feel like you don't have a purpose or like you don't have anything specific to live for - well then, live for Jesus and wait for Him to give you the purpose that He wants you to have. Let's not drag our feet by moping around and complaining about this or that, because it's too easy to lose our focus when we are not living each day with a purpose. Our main intention should always be to be thankful and to ask God for direction, because it's within those directions we will likely find our purpose!

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

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!

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, fires, hurricanes, covid-19, and the 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!                    

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, if we are not sending or setting a good message out 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!                      

                                                                                                                 

Afflictions Have A Purpose!

Afflictions: hardships and trials

All Christians have afflictions -- if you think about it, either you have had afflictions; you are in the midst of an affliction; or just keep living -- you will most certainly face affliction. The good news is that all of our afflictions have a specific purpose behind them. Psalms 34:19 tells us, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Not only does He deliver us out of those trials, but He also comforts us throughout. This allows us to comfort others who are facing affliction AND allows Him to reshape us into His image and to take us to the next level.

The Lord occasionally uses affliction to bring us back to Him. David said "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." David also said "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statues." After experiencing  some trials and hardships, David later said, "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." Like David, we are all guilty of putting God on the back burner every now and again, but the Lord knows just how to bring us back to Him. So Praise God for the afflictions that bring us closer to him!

The Lord also uses afflictions to test us. You may be familiar with the story of Job and how the Lord allowed him to be afflicted... a few times! Job complained mighty, saying, "God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. I was at ease, but He hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by the neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark" (Job 16:11-12). What's important is that Job's suffering was not random or without purpose. The Lord was reshaping Job by getting those things out of his heart that was not like Him. But I'm pleased to report that the end results were awesome! Job eventually passed the Lord's test(s) and he came out on the other side with twice as much!

Remember my friends, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). God is not trying to kill us; He only wants to perfect us because He loves us!

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

Lay Up Your Treasure In Heaven!

Treasure: wealth stored up or held in reserve, something of great value to keep as precious, or appreciate

There are many things in life that we value - some folks value their houses; others their cars and their massive amounts of money. There are really too many things to mention here, but the bottom line is that the Bible tells us "Lay not up for ourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).

The Lord wants our hearts to be focused on Him. He doesn't want us to be wrapped up in the various things that we call our treasure here on earth. Matthew 6:21 says; "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." We have to reverse the way that we think and the way that we order or rank things - we need to make Jesus our treasure; the one that we treasure as great value; the one whom we keep as precious and the one whom we deeply appreciate.

Our treasure in Heaven will never fail us, so we can start by turning away from the love of earthly things and turn to God with worship and praise for Him. We can do this by showing love to every one and/or by giving of our substance and time to people in need. Let's not be so wrapped up with the gifts that God has given to us that we forget about the giver.

Don't misunderstand what I'm saying here - it's wonderful to have nice houses, cars, and plenty of money. What I am saying is that we should not make them our treasure, because our time here on earth is temporary, however, our time with the Lord is an eternity - so be sure to always make Him your precious treasure; the one you value the most.

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

The Devil has Plots, but God has PLANS!

Plot: a conspiracy, to scheme secretly
Plan: a method for achieving some thing, have in mind an intention or purpose

In Jeremiah 29:11 the word of God says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." In other words, God knows the plans He has for you. Those plans are of peace (or calm) and not of evil (misery, woe, and affliction). We should trust in His plans for us and know that God had an answer to whatever our situation is BEFORE He ever put us into it. Now, on the other hand, all the devil has are plots - schemes to steal, kill and destroy - because you know that's his job. As we see in 1 Peter 5-8, the devil is like a roaring lion, walking around looking for lost souls to devour.

The devil's plots are those burdensome, hurtful, and ugly situations that we all find ourselves in every now and then. The thing we have to realize is that the Lord allows these situations to happen, because they are a part of His master plan. God has plans for us and those plans are designed to get us where He wants us to be. When it's all said and done, God's people always come out blessed. I heard T. D. Jakes say the other day that blessings and burdens go hand-in-hand - have you ever considered that? Well, if you think about it, another way to say that is this -- if we can be faithful to do what we know is pleasing in the sight of God in the midst of the devil's plots and schemes (i.e. the burden), we will come out on top (i.e. blessed).

Let's look at the plot of Haman, as told in the book of Esther. Haman is next in line behind the King with everybody in the kingdom bowing down to him - with the exception of one man, Modecai. Haman was so angry that he hatched a plot against all of the Jews because he was angry with one man. Haman had the gallows (structures made for hanging criminals) built for Mordecai, and then had the King to send out letters calling for the destruction of all the Jews. Little did Haman know that God had a plan! The evil that was plotted against the Jews was returned to his own bosom. Haman was hung on the gallows that was prepared for Mordecai and Mordecai was exalted! The word said that Mordecai was great in the King's house; next to the King, wearing royal apparel and the King's ring.

God allowed this plot to elevate Mordecai, before and in the midst of that storm, the Jews were fasting, praying, and calling on the name of the Lord -- all of the same things we must do. God is the head of all things, so we must trust Him. If we can do that, God will bring us out in His time and we will see His awesome intentions, purposes, and plans for our lives!

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

Our Words Have Power

Words: a message, a brief talk or command

Powerful: possessing energy or great force; having authority

Let's go back to the beginning where God created the heaven and the earth; since He created everything with words. If you look at Genesis 1:3-6, each scripture starts with "and God said," "and God said," and so on. God created everything simply by speaking it into existence. Since His word tells us that we are made in His image and He created with words, in a way, we can also create with words. Now, don't get me wrong - this is not to say that we have the same power as God (not even close!), but there are some things of Him within us. Proverbs 18:21 says; "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." In other words, we will eat death or life with just our words. Our words are powerful, so let’s make sure that we're speaking life.

I remember this time when one of my friends was angry with their supervisor, who was scheduled to go out of town for the weekend. In that moment of anger, my friend said; "I hope she ends up with two flat tires!" Wouldn't you know it - that’s exactly what happened! Words are like seeds - you plant them, water them, and they grow. That's why it's crucial that we plant seeds of life, because they have power. So, let the weak say "I am strong;" let the poor say "I am rich;" let the sick say "I am healed!"

If we want to change something in our lives, we should start with our words, because words can hurt you or they can heal you. I've often heard this saying; "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me." Well, I'm here to tell you that is not a true statement; words are powerful and they can sometimes cut deeper than a knife. If those words are sharp enough, it's likely that you will never forget them. Even though you may forgive the one(s) that spoke them, they are always in the back of your mind.

Let’s store up words of love and words of peace, because we express our feelings with them. We can inspire ourselves and others; we can build ourselves and others up, or we can tear ourselves and others down. Our words have power, so let’s speak life; such as, "I’m blessed and highly favored by the Lord;" "I’m blessed in the city and out of the city;" and "I’m the head and not the tail." We must use our words wisely, my friends, because while they can be forgiven, there's a great chance that they may never be forgotten.

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

Don't Let Your Mouth Write Checks Your Flesh Can't Cash!

Words can sometimes be like an egg dropped from a great height - you can no more call them back than you can ignore the mess they leave when they hit the ground. As Ecclesiastes 5:6 tells us, "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that is was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?"

There is so much power in the tongue - we can speak life or death to our situations. For that reason, it's imperative that we learn to speak life! Let me share with you the 12th chapter of Numbers, which details about what happened when Miriam and Aaron spoke against their leader (aka Moses): "And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman." 

The chapter goes on to tell us about how the Lord spoke suddenly unto Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and came down in a pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam, who came forth (verses 4 and 5). The Lord was angry with the words they spoke against Moses and as a result, Miriam became leprous, and she was shut out from the camp! Miriam and Aaron allowed their mouths to write a check their flesh couldn't cash!

If we feel as though things are not going the way they should - maybe at work or even at home - we need to be mindful of the words that we speak regarding them. Let's learn to hold our tongues against them and instead lift the situation up to the Lord. It’s His job to deal with those situations or those people; it's our job to pray honestly for them.

I know you have probably heard on the news the story about the seven year old child that was recently kidnapped and held for three hours. As you might remember, the entire time he was being held captive, he sang the song “Every Praise” by Hezekiah Walker. You might wonder what was that young man doing? Let me tell you - he was speaking words of life to his situation. The song says, "God my Savior, God my Healer, God my Deliverer, yes He is." God was truly that child's savior, his healer, and his deliverer that day. At the end of three hours the kidnapper let him go. We can really learn a lesson from that seven year old; his words spoke life into what I imagine was a scary situation and God gave him life!

That's why it's so important to guard what we say, because with those words, you can either open the door for God to move on your behalf or you can open the door for the enemy to sneak in and devour. Speak only positive words over your situations, yourself and your family so your mouth won't write checks your flesh can't cash!

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

The Heart Is Deceitful!

Deceive: To mislead by falsehood, to lead unto error.

If I’ve heard it once, I've heard a thousand times, "God knows my heart!" And you're right, my friends, He definitely does - but let me share with you what  Jeremiah 17:9 says about our hearts; "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Well let me tell you, only God knows - He knows our every thought and every hidden motive. I’m sure that you've heard people say, "I’m following my heart." If I could give you one word of advice it would be -  don’t follow your heart; follow Jesus - He’s the only sure thing.

Our heart is so deceitful that sometimes we think that we can actually deceive God Himself, but let me tell you - that's impossible, especially when you consider what the Word says in Hebrews 4:13, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."

We certainly know how to deceive others - we know how to make things seem perfect on the outside, when corruption is working on/through us deep inside. For instance, our heart might have us thinking that we are doing something good when we unload other people’s dirty laundry on a friend. This is not being a friend, it's only the imagination of deceit. We can put smiles on our faces and mislead man, for they only focus on what they see, but not the Lord: "...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

The Lord knows what’s in our heart and in Mark 7:21-23 He identifies thirteen things that are evil and defile the man: "...evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness."

So with all those things in us, it’s easy for our heart to deceive us. God wants to give us a new heart and create a right spirit within us, but first there is some thing we have to do. We must invite Him into our heart as our personal savior and acknowledge the fact that those 13 evil things are there. We must then repent for them and He will give us a new heart. After that, we have to get busy in prayer so that the word of God can starve your old heart and feed your new heart until it comes into the likeness and image of Jesus Christ.

Jesus loves us and He is more than willing and able to help us get rid of those things that are not like Him. Thank God for Jesus!

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!                             

Forgiveness Is A Must !

Forgiveness: To pardon, to give up resentment. to grant as a favor, a gift.

You know how we always like to receive presents from people? Well, what about giving yourself a gift? I'm talking about the gift of life - Forgiveness.

No matter what we perceive has hurt us or has caused us shame and grief, we must always remember to forgive. Forgiveness is our path to healing, not to mention, it's what God expects us to do.  If we offend someone; we must quickly repent. If someone offends us; we must quickly forgive. Ephesians 4:32 reminds us, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Forgiveness is big with God, because it's an expression of His love. When we choose not to forgive, we are putting limits on ourselves... as well as on the Lord. We are holding back on His love, His joy, and His peace that we should be showing one to another - instead we carry around all sorts of unprofitable weight.

Matthew 18:21-22 says, "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (In case you were wondering - that’s every 2 ½ minutes.)

Forgiveness is a choice - if we are on the receiving end of someone’s unkind words or if there were unkind deeds that were done to us in the past, we have a choice. We can choose to forgive and move past barriers that will separate us from others (and from the Lord) or we can tie God hands with our unwillingness to forgive. How easy is it for us to forget that we have made mistakes in our life?? Keep that in mind next time you're holding a grudge. We must forgive others so that we too can be forgiven.

We have no excuse for holding grudges; for not forgiving others... while Jesus was hanging on the cross He said, "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Surely we can do the same, right? Especially since we're not hanging on a cross! Forgiveness is a gift - one that we can all use and one that we all need.

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

We Need LoveThat's Based On Action!

Love: strong affection, unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for others

This week I would like to remind us of just how we need to love one another. Just in case you've forgotten - "love" is an action word. Unfortunately, we just don't see much love in action these days. All you have to do is turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper and you will hear about all kinds of unloving things going on in this world... it's sad, but it's true. If there was love in the world today, things would be totally different.

So let's talk about a few things that love is:

1.  Patient: Love doesn't have a short fuse. When we practice love, we don't easily lose our patience with people. Love never gets angry with others or says "This is your LAST chance to get this right." Love is very patient, it is always willing to wait for God's perfect timing. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, "Charity (love) suffereth long." In other words, Charity, or love in this case, is long suffering, and people who show love are willing to tolerate the shortcomings of others.

2.  Kind: Love speaks softly and is very caring. Love is kind, but it's often tough. "Kindness" doesn't mean that we always have to give people exactly what they want - that's not necessarily kind. Love sometimes means saying no to our children when we know a situation is not right for them. Kindness means telling the truth (nicely, of course) even when it might hurt a friend. It's our love for them that drives us to keep them out of harms way and give them what they need (time, space, more love, etc.) to heal. 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that, "Love is kind."

3.  Envieth Not: Love is not displeased with the success of others. That's because true love desires the success of others. If we were to list our blessings, we would quickly realize that there is never a need or reason to be jealous and we would / could / should be content with what we have. 1 Corinthians 13-4 reminds us, "Love envieth not."

Simply put, Love is a decision without any conditions or circumstances.

Of course, there's a lot more that I could share about love, but I realized that if we would simply be patient with one another, show kindness to everyone (even if we have to go a little out of our way), and stop wanting what others have, the world could truly be a better place. Remember: if you have questions about what you have vs. what someone else has, just take inventory of your blessings! God is love! So let's learn to love one another not just in words, but in action as well.

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

Kindness Will Bring Blessing!

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!                 

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!                       

Prayer Is Not A Request, It's a command!

Prayer: a devout request

Having a prayer life is so important because that's how we communicate with God. Without proper communication, relationships tend to fall apart. Take, for example, a marriage - if a husband and wife don't communicate, their marriage will fall apart because there is no connection. The Lord wants us to stay connected with Him. That's why having a prayer life is a command and not a request. Of course, the Lord doesn't need our prayers in order to perform His will in our lives. However, the act of prayer is a display of humility and a reminder that we are not in control!

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the word tells us to pray without ceasing. In other words, pray all the time. Prayer should never be our last resort, friends. It should be our first response, because it's really our secret weapon. We can't be everywhere, with our eyes on everyone we love -- but our prayers can! My friend shared a story with me about how the Lord woke her up in the wee hours of the morning one day and she knew that she needed to pray, so she did. The next morning, her daughter called and told her she had just been in an accident and had been hit head-on. Praise God, the only damage to her was from her air bag. What a blessing! My friend's prayers were already there in place. We can't be everywhere, with our eyes on everyone we love -- but our prayers can!

When we pray my friends, we must believe we are going to receive. Acts 12:5 tells us, "Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayers was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." Verse 7 continues on to tell us, "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." When Peter went where the saints were praying and when they opened the door, they were astonished (surprised) to see him there. That's exactly what they were praying for, and  when God answered, they were amazed! When we ask God for something, let's make more of an effort to believe that we are going to receive!

Remember, complaining won't fix things and it won't solve any issues - but prayer can and prayer will change things. Pray and believe and you will receive, after all prayer is not a request, it's a command!

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!       

We Need Much Wisdom!

Wisdom: knowledge guided by understanding

Wisdom is a highly regarded and cherished attribute in the Bible. It's so important that we get and use it and as James 1:5 points out - it's very easy to get: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

We need wisdom in every aspect of our lives and it's right there for the asking! Jesus is the source of it - in fact Christ is wisdom. We don't need to seek wisdom from this person or that to see what they think, we should instead seek wisdom from the Lord. Afterall, it is His master plan, and He is the orchestrator of it all.

The Word of God tells us that wisdom is crying out in the streets, in the openings of the gates, and in the high places (Proverbs 1:20-21). The question I pose to you is - Are we listening? 

In 2 Chronicles 1:10, Solomon prayed; "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?" This prayer pleased God so much that not only was Solomon given the wisdom and knowledge that he asked for, but he was also given riches, wealth, and honor like no other king before him:

"And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 

Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like."
2 Chronicles 1:11-12

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind being on the receiving end of such! And the awesome thing about it is that the Lord will do the same for us if we will ask for it as sincerely and humbly as Solomon.

Let me share with you two points:

1.) Wisdom can and will deliver us from evil. Proverbs 2:10-13 tells us that, "when wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things, who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness." Wisdom can and will lead and guide us from evil, but we must pray for it every day.

2.) The rewards of having and using wisdom are given to us in Proverbs 3:2 and 4: "...length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man."

There are so many benefits to having and using wisdom. It can teach us how to raise our children, how to respect our spouses in marriage, and even how to manage our finances and make sound decisions. So I say again - I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind being on the receiving end of such!

My friends, I leave you this week with Proverbs 4:7, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding."

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

God Is A Balanced God!

Balance: Equalize; to be an equal counterpoise

God is balanced! He created hot and cold, big and small, peaks and valleys, up and down, good and evil, pain and pleasure... and the list goes on. The Lord doesn't like an unjust weight - you know, where it's always cold and never hot; where it's always pain and never pleasure. Imagine a scale where one side is always up and the other side always down - thats unbalance. Our Father doesn't want us to be one-sided. He adds to the other side of the scales just what we need in order to be balanced.

Proverbs 11:1 tells us that "A false balance is adomination to the Lord: but a just weight is His delight." God is a balanced God. If we always had sugar and never had anything else to balance that sugar out, we would have one bad stomache ache, right? We're not going to always have pleasure and never have pain - if we didn't have pain, we wouldn't appreciate the pleasure. The same goes with hot; we would be most miserable if it was always hot and never cold to balance things out.

The Lord has a reason for all of this - He allows us to have valley experiences - those painful situations, so we can learn to praise Him, to trust Him, and to lean on Him. In these times - those valley experiences - He seems so far away, but let me assure you, He's right there. You see, if we never had a problem, we wouldn't know that He could solve it. When He sees that we have humbled ourselves and have come into agreement with His headship, then He puts pleasure in the scales on the other side. That way we have the same amount of pleasure for just as much pain as we had - that way the scales are balanced. As it says in Proverbs 16:11, "A just weight and balance are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are his work."

Just remember - you must have humility before exaltation - that's God's order. Joseph had much pain, but there was a lesson in each situation and God came back and balanced the scales tremendously and as a result, Joseph was highly exalted. Just think - that could be YOU!

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

The OTHER Commandments - Part II

Command: To give an order to

Last week, we discussed the first four of eight commands that the Lord commands us to do. I pray that you were blessed by the first four. This week, let's take a look at the last four commands. We started in I Thessalonians 5:16 last time, and we're going to pick up in verse 20 today.

5.  Despise not Prophesyings. Prophesying means preaching and teaching. Some people prophesy of the present and the future; despising those prophesies means that we don’t want to hear any more teaching or preaching. Since prophesying tells us what God is saying about what’s going to happen or what’s happening right now, we must not despise those who are bringing the word of God to us and we must not shun it. Instead, we should open our ears and our hearts to receive the words the Lord is sending to us. Prophesying is not always about giving a message out, no, most of the time it’s just about listening to the word of God. Let’s not despise inspired instruction, exhortation or warning.

6. and 7.  Prove all Things and Hold Fast to that which is Good. We don’t need to hold fast to something if it's not good, but before we throw it away, we should prove it. You prove something by searching the word of God to see if that’s what the word is saying. When we take the time to dig into the word to see if that’s what the Lord is saying, He will give us a clearer vision of it and He will quicken it to us. We must be able to prove that God is the head of all things and that He is in all things. Always go back to the word, prove it, study it and then allow God to unveil His word to us.  We can (and should) hold fast to the name of Jesus. We should lift it up and  refuse to let it go, because it will save us.  Proverbs 22:1 tells us that "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold;" to that, we must hold fast.

8.  Abstain from all Appearances of Evil. Even though we may not intend to be evil in a certain situation, if it looks evil to someone else, God says that we should abstain. People are always watching and looking to see if what we are doing is Christian-like (i.e. if we are behaving the way they believe a Christian should behave). If what you are doing looks evil to them, they may start pointing fingers. It’s not always the case that we have done something wrong, however, that may be everybody else’s perception of the situation. If there's a possibility that something we are doing could appear to be evil to someone else, we should stay away from it... even when we have no evil intentions in our mind and our heart is pure. Just remember, if it appears evil, go the other way!

I'll leave you with these words from I Thessalonians 5:23, "And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through, separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete and found blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah." (Amplified Bible)

As always, be blessed my friends!

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

The OTHER Commandments - Part I

Command: To give an order to

Did you know that there are things that the Lord requires us to do? I'm not just talking about those 10 Commandments that you're already familiar with. No, there are 8 OTHER things that the Lord commands us to do. If we start practicing them NOW, they will become a habit for us and we shall be blessed by doing them.

1.  Rejoice Evermore. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22) This means rejoicing eternally, not because we got a new house or a new car. We’re not talking about rejoicing over material things here on earth, as those things are temporary. No, instead, we are talking about rejoicing in our spiritual blessings. Think about it - how much weight does God put on natural things? None - because those things are temporal - they are going to pass away. We must find something that’s going to be eternal. What do we know that’s eternal? The word of God, the spirit of God, and the will of God – that’s what! Those things are eternal and that’s what we should be rejoicing about.

2.  Pray Without Ceasing. How do we pray without ceasing? By having an omnipresent pray closet. Meaning, no matter where we are, we are in prayer. We don’t have to go in to an actual closet or to church to pray. We could be driving down the road and in our heart we begin to pray. As we walk down the street, we can be in communication with the Father in our heart; we can have an intimate conversation with Him wherever we are. To pray without ceasing means to keep in constant contact with the Father in our hearts - giving Him thanks, repenting for our sins, forgiving those that have wronged us, and bragging on how good the Lord is to us on a daily basis. Be sure to have your omnipresent prayer closet so that you can pray without ceasing.

3.  In Everything Give Thanks. What does “everything” include? Exactly what you think – EVERYTHING! If you opened your eyes this morning, you should be giving thanks. If our heart is still beating, if we are still taking breaths, if we can lift our hands, if we can walk - we should be giving thanks! That means that we give thanks every minute, every hour of the day. We always have something to give thanks for. Now, this may seem crazy to some, but this is what makes us a peculiar people. Every step we take today; every breath; every heartbeat is new and worthy of praise!

4.  Quench Not The Spirit. The Spirit provides us with power, guidance, fire, anointing. What happens when we quench it? We diminish its power and the influence that leads us, guides us, and directs us. The Spirit is the very thing that guides us to the Lord. We don’t want to shut down the power that convicts us of our sins and corrupts things in our being, so that we can get rid of them. The Spirit of God needs to be able to move and search the deep areas of our heart so that we can see what’s there. BUT, if we quench that Spirit, we shut it down. We must allow the Spirit to lead and guide us.

Next week I will share the other four; so stay tuned! Until then, be blessed my friends!

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

Anger Gets Us Into Trouble... Pride Keeps Us There!

Anger: strong emotion, wrath, rage
Pride: too high an opinion of oneself; feeling of elation

This strong emotion called wrath, and the one called rage can be found almost anywhere. If you don't believe me, let someone cut you off in traffic! These emotions are in our home, in our workplaces, and believe it or not, in our Churches too. Just let someone sit on your favorite pew or in your favorite seat or park in your parking spot! And don't mess around and hold a position in the Church - that's when that thing called pride (that high opinion of one self) will surely rear its ugly head up. Take it from me, when we feel like someone has done us wrong, we should go to that person and try to reconcile the situation before we allow pride to take over. It's very possible the other person might want to work things out as well. However, we will never know if we don't try and more than likely, all parties involved will suffer.

Anger and pride can be extremely dangerous weapons, and when the two are working together, they can easily drive people to violence. Look at all of the killing in the schools, and people killing others just because they lost their job. People get very angry, and Mr./Mrs. Pride walks in and gets them thinking, "those people are not going to do this to me and get away with it;" and "who do they think they are?" It's really best not to react in the moment. When you are done wrong or when you are insulted, take a deep breathe before you respond. Often times we get so interested in winning the battle, that we never even try to solve the problem.

Look at Haman in the Book of Esther; he was so caught up in the fact that Mordecai (a single man) would not bow down in reverence to him that he wanted all the Jews killed. His anger got him into trouble though. Haman had a gallows built for Mordecai to be hung; however, his high opinion of himself ended up getting him hung instead. Let's take heed to what Proverbs 16:18 tells us, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

Remember, God knows that we are human and he loves us just as he created us. He said in His word, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26). Verse 27 goes on to say in the Amplified version: "Leave no (such) room or foot hold for the devil (give no opportunity to him.)" We must follow in the footsteps of Jesus: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy."

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

Praise God that We are Free from the Control of Others!

Independence: Free from the control of others

First, I want to thank God for allowing America to be free.  And that we were born into a country that’s free to worship, that has the freedom of speech, freedom from dictatorship, and freedom from one world order. We should thank God daily for the freedom to worship without being afraid, without having to go underground, and without being afraid to carry our bibles in public. John 8:36 tells us, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

In the days of Daniel, all the presidents of the kingdom said “…whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for 30 days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions” (Daniel 6:7). Even though Daniel knew that the king had signed the decree, the Bible tells us that “he went into his house… kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." Some of you all might know this story – when the king found out that Daniel had defied his decree, he was cast in the den of lions. How blessed are we that in our day, here in America, we can freely serve our Lord and Savior whenever, however, and as often as we please without any fear!

The Declaration of Independence that was signed on July 4, 1776 allowed us to become a free country. These days, we celebrate Independence Day with parades, lots of good food (BBQ anyone?!), and shared time with friends and family. Quite often, there’s a family reunion or two, and we celebrate with fireworks and honor our flag and freedom. But in the midst of all the celebrations, let us not forget our troops, those men and women who have sacrificed so much to protect our country and keep it free. Remember to pray for their safety and well being, as well as for their families.

And most importantly, let us not forget our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in all of our celebrating, for He is the one who made this day and (every other day) possible. Let’s give Him our highest honor and praise!

God Bless America!

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

Courage in Three Easy Steps!

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 about 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 to having 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!

Some Of Our Responsibilities As Christians!

 Responsibility: Accountability for one’s action; Obligation

We all have responsibilities - in the home, in the workplace, or maybe even in the Church - regardless of where we are, we typically have some sort of responsibility in some shape or form. However, our first and greatest responsibility is found in Mark 12:30, where the word says; “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

So we know that loving the Lord our God is our #1 responsibility. Did you know that it's also our responsibility to be thankful? And not just in the good times. The word also reminds us “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Another obligation for us as a Christian can be found in 1 Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast (firm), unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. We must not be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. We should always stand firm on the word; not on what we think or feel, but on what the Lord says.

We also have a responsibility to manage our money, time, our energy and our talents. How can the Lord bless us exceeding, abundantly if we aren't able to manage the small things He put us in charge of? Also, we have a responsibility to attend Church, have a prayer and study life, to be soul winners. After all, it would be pretty hard to share God's word if we don't know it, right?

So, as a recap:
1) Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
2) Give Thanks
3) Be Steadfast abounding in the work of the Lord
4) Manage our Resources appropriately
5) Maintain a personal relationship with the Lord and to bring others to Him

Often times people focus on what others are doing or what they are not doing, but keep in mind that we can't make choices for other people and besides, what they do (or don't do) simply isn't our responsibility. Let's stick with God's plan for our lives and take the high road, because to the low road is WAYY too crowded!

Let's keep our heads up, our focus up, and be very attentive to the responsibilities God requires of us.

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

It's Not Our Position That Defines Us, It's Our Disposition!

Position - place, situation, status.
Disposition - tendency, temperament, inclination liking, or preference.

Men and women of integrity, men and women of uprightness - we can't be influenced by what this one might say or what that one might say. What people say or think about us does not define us, what you think about yourself is far more important. In this life, people are going to talk about you if you do something, and they are going to talk about you if you do nothing. Good or bad, it's human nature for people to talk, but we don’t have to buy into that talk! Another important thing to remember is that it's not our title, our situation, or our status that defines us - it's our temperament, our inclination, our liking, and our emotional mood.

If we are happy and have a happy spirit, we are more likely to be kind to people and to show love toward others. In fact, when we are happy, we will often go out of our way to put a smile on someone else’s face - especially if they are sad, depressed, or maybe even frustrated about things going on in their lives. That’s someone we might work hard to lift up so they can feel what we are feeling. It’s our disposition and temperament that define us, so let's stir up the happy feeling that God has put in each of us, so we can be like mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord.

Consider Joseph, his emotional mood certainly defined him. Joseph was put into a pit, sold into slavery, and put in prison for something he wasn't guilty of. In all these things, he did no wrong. He had such an excellent spirit during these times that he was put in charge of all the prisoners. You see, it wasn't his position that defined him, it was his disposition - his positive attitude and happy spirit.

What another person does or does not do should have no effect on us. Sometimes we have to allow others to make their mistakes - don't talk about them and run them down to others - let’s simply pray for them, give it over to the Lord, and move forward.

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

We Have to Give God Something to Work With!

Prosperous: to be successful; to achieve success

In our day to day lives, we always want God to bless us with this thing or that thing, but how often do we stop and think about what we need to do to receive those blessings? In order for us to get what we want, we have to step out on what God has put in our hearts to do. It's pretty hard to be blessed when we don't put something out there to be blessed. Take for instance, a person with a God-given talent to sing, but doesn't do so. How can the Lord bless their beautiful voice if they don't use it? How can they achieve a successful career in singing if they don't allow God to make it prosperous?

If we want to be blessed, we've got to give the Lord something to bless. Take me for example, I wanted to write blogs and I believed in my heart I could - but if I had not picked up a pen and paper to write, it would still be a desire or a great idea in my mind. Instead, I stepped out of my comfort zone in faith and I gave the Lord something to work with. Now, I may not have completely achieved success, but I have given the Lord something to work with and I have no doubt that He's going to make it prosperous! Have you ever heard the old saying, "if you take one step, God will take two?"

Look at David when he was tending his father's sheep - his sheep were attack by a bear and a lion. David didn't just sit there - no, he took a leap of faith and went after the bear. Because David put action to his faith, God caused him to be successful - He allowed David to take the sheep out of the bear's mouth. Not only was he able to take his sheep, but he successfully killed the bear as well. Now, what if David had just thought that he could protect the flock, but never put forth any effort to do so. It seems pretty reasonable to believe that the bear and that lion would have eaten all his sheep. David's willingness to step out on faith also led to his defeat of Goliath. Here was David - a teenager - and Goliath - a giant - but when David heard him defy the armies of God, he didn't hesitate. I bet it never crossed his mind that he was just a child, nor did he allow what his brother said in 1 Samuel 17:28 (his brother thought that David was coming just to show off), effect him in any way. He knew of his past success and wasn't afraid to give God something else to work with!

That's the way we must be my friends, if we want to be successful in certain areas of our lives. We have got to give God something in or from us to make prosperous. If we want money, we have got to give, because when we give, God has something to work with. He can make it (and us) prosperous and allow it to come back to us. Let's give the Lord something to work with each and every day!

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

Going from Grateful to Ungrateful in No Time Flat!

Grateful: thankful or appreciative for benefits or kindness.

Ungrateful: not thankful; showing no appreciation.

Have you ever thought about how easy it is to be grateful when things are going your way? I know that I can't just be speaking for just me when I say, "It's VERY easy!!" What about when things exceed your expectations? Have you ever thought about how easy it is to become complacent or even ungrateful? For example, think about some simple things: we know that we need rain in order to have the pretty green grass, beautiful flowers and beautiful gardens, right? So when the rain comes, we are initially so grateful. But what happens when it rains longer than we think it should? Those same folks who were grateful for the rain can become the first folks in line complaining about the number of days in a row that we've had rain! We don't typically mean any harm, but we can easily become ungrateful and we start complaining about the very thing we were so happy to get.

Look at the ten lepers in Luke 17:12-17. When those lepers saw Jesus entering into the village, they (all 10) "...lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us," and Jesus said, "go show yourself unto the priest and it came to pass, that as they went they were cleansed. One of them saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice, glorified God, and fell down on his face.." at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks. Jesus said "...were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?" Surely the nine were very appreciative for being cleansed, but so ungrateful that they did not come back to give thanks.

The children of Israel are another example. They were grateful to be out of Egypt from under the hands of their hard task masters, but by the third experience on their journey, they started to murmur and complain about the very one that had brought them out. They sang God praises after He made a highway in the midst of the Red Sea, but not too far on the other side  they started complaining, "would to God we had stayed in Egypt." They were very grateful in short term, after crying out to be delivered (or ungrateful) in the long term.

But as it turns out, we really don't have to go that far back for an example; most (dare I say "all") can look in our own lives. For instance, some of us might have prayed long and hard for a spouse, but when we get blessed with one, about six months in some of us probably wish that he or she would change, when most of the time it's us that need to change! When we were going to the altar, we were so grateful, but six months later, it's all "woe is me!" We find ourselves becoming ungrateful and we start wondering where did I get this woman or man from and why didn't I see that they were like this before?! 

Let's learn to be grateful, my friends, for the Lord is not under any obligation to even wake us up in the morning! So let's first be grateful for Him, for people, places, things and for the person that the Lord has allowed us to become. Instead of talking about the things we don't have, let's celebrate all the many blessings that we do have in our lives!

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

Everyone Has An Opinion!

Opinion: a conclusion held without positive knowledge

Everyone has an opinion, but I think it's safe to say that not every opinion needs to be heard. Once we understand that we can heal or that we can tear down with words, hopefully we realize the importance of using wisdom before we speak. The word informs us in James 1:19, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." While we may truly mean well, we have to keep in mind that our opinion is our "conclusion held without positive knowledge."

In other words, we don't always know the true facts - we only speaking what we think - which we all know is simply our version of reality. When we speak without wisdom, we can easily hurt a family member or a friend, not to mention grieve the very spirit of God. Like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, when they offered their opinion against Moses and Aaron. They said unto them, (this was their opinion) "ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord"(Numbers 16:3).

That was truly their opinion, neither the Lord, nor wisdom or knowledge were found in those statements. If it had been, the earth would not have opened her mouth and swallowed them up, "with all that appertain unto them, and went down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord" (Numbers 16:30). They should have kept their opinions to themselves, because it grieved the spirit of God and caused them to lose their lives.

James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." We have no excuse, we can always go to the Lord before we give our opinion to someone else. He loves us and He won't rebuke us for coming to Him to get wisdom. So let's be careful about how we throw words around, as they may come back to swallow us up! Not to mention, every opinion simply does not need to be heard.

As you may have heard people say, "Opinions are just like noses - everybody has one." Just remember that just because we have one, it does not mean that it needs to be heard!

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

Let's Declare Our Declaration!

Declare: announce, proclaim, to state emphatically.
Declaration: announcement, the act of declaring.

This declaration was emailed to me and it blessed me tremendously; so much so that I wanted to share it with my friends.

Friends, because you are the righteousness of God, angels have been sent to minister to you. They respond to the word of God, which you speak. Therefore, loose angels with the words of your mouth.

So say today, let the Lord, who takes pleasure in your prosperity, be magnified. In the name of Jesus, command the angels to bring to you prosperity in your spirit, in your home, in your body, in your family life, and in your finances.

Declare promotion and command the angels to bring promotion into your life. You have a blood-bought covenant promise from God Almighty to multiply exceedingly. Therefore, confess that you are exceedingly fruitful and blessed, right now, in Jesus' name! Command the angels of God to go and bring this covenant to pass in your life now! You have the power to get wealth, and release the angels to bring wealth into your life.

Declare right now that you are healthy, healed, delivered, and freed from the bondage of sin. You are the head always, and never the tail. You are above only, and never beneath. You lend, not borrow and everything you put your hands on shall prosper.

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

The Lord Wants Us to be Prosperous!

Prosperous: to be successful; to achieve success

In our day to day lives, we always want God to bless us with this thing or that thing, but how often do we stop and think about what we need to do to receive those blessings? In order for us to get what we want, we have to step out on what God has put in our hearts to do. It's pretty hard to be blessed when we don't put something out there to be blessed. Take for instance, a person with a God-given talent to sing, but doesn't do so. How can the Lord bless their beautiful voice if they don't use it? How can they achieve a successful career in singing if they don't allow God to make it prosperous?

If we want to be blessed, we've got to give the Lord something to bless. Take me for example, I wanted to write blogs and I believed in my heart I could - but if I had not picked up a pen and paper to write, it would still be a desire or a great idea in my mind. Instead, I stepped out of my comfort zone in faith and I gave the Lord something to work with. Now, I may not have completely achieved success, but I have given the Lord something to work with and I have no doubt that He's going to make it prosperous! Have you ever heard the old saying, "if you take one step, God will take two?"

Look at David when he was tending his father's sheep - his sheep were attack by a bear and a lion. David didn't just sit there - no, he took a leap of faith and went after the bear. Because David put action to his faith, God caused him to be successful - He allowed David to take the sheep out of the bear's mouth. Not only was he able to take his sheep, but he successfully killed the bear as well. Now, what if David had just thought that he could protect the flock, but never put forth any effort to do so. It seems pretty reasonable to believe that the bear and that lion would have eaten all his sheep. David's willingness to step out on faith also led to his defeat of Goliath. Here was David - a teenager - and Goliath - a giant - but when David heard him defy the armies of God, he didn't hesitate. I bet it never crossed his mind that he was just a child, nor did he allow what his brother said in 1 Samuel 17:28 (his brother thought that David was coming just to show off), effect him in any way. He knew of his past success and wasn't afraid to give God something else to work with!

That's the way we must be my friends, if we want to be successful in certain areas of our lives. We have got to give God something in or from us to make prosperous. If we want money, we have got to give, because when we give, God has something to work with. He can make it (and us) prosperous and allow it to come back to us. Let's give the Lord something to work with each and every day!

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