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!                        

Let’s Walk in Integrity!

 Integrity: uprightness of character, honesty, state of being complete or undivided.

The Lord desires that we always act the same - it doesn't matter whether we are sitting in Church or if we're standing in the grocery store - He desires integrity. Too often I've seen too many people in the Amen section at Church, but once they're out of that environment, they let their hair down (so to speak) and you began to see the real them. That's not walking upright or honest before the Lord. God is a God of integrity, so it should be a high priority for us to follow in His footsteps.

In today's world, integrity is almost a thing of the past. In these perilous time, there are Pastors lying in the pulpit; Teachers crooking the truth; and Politicians saying anything they have to just to get your vote. It's like the word integrity is almost unheard of, but it's just as important today as it ever was. Back in the day, a hand shake was as good as a done deal or an agreement - not so much these days. These days, some people's signature doesn't even count for much because they are not upright in character. Friends, when we walk with an undivided heart our words are our bond - when we say yes, it means yes, and when we say no, it means no.

Some people lose their integrity because of fear; others because of gain. For instance, the Prophet Balaam loved rewards; he tried to curse God’s people for a reward (Numbers 22:6). We could say he had a divided heart even though he was a Priest and a Prophet, he still tried to cursed God's people (definitely not an upright heart). On the other hand, Daniel had an excellent spirit of integrity. He walked upright before God, he took a stand and did not bow down to the King (I'm sure you're familiar with the story). In turn, God took a stand for him (Daniel 6:22). People of integrity have no problem seeking God and allowing Him to be their strength; they will go the extra mile with a smile knowing that God is in control.

Psalms 25:21 says, "Let integrity and uprightness preserve (keep) me, for I wait on thee." We are consistently going to be in the company of people who talk right, but walk left - just remember that walking in integrity is rock solid. Deuteronomy 32:4 informs us, "He is the rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without  iniquity, just and right is He." What an awesome example of integrity! If by chance we have allowed our integrity to slip away, just know that it's not too late to repent and ask for forgiveness. God is a God of forgiveness and of love; He will welcome us in with open arms.

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

Deceit is the Same as Being Dishonest

Deceit is a lie or a dishonest action. Let me give you an example we can all relate to. Let’s say your spouse comes home and you’re SO angry that if someone stuck you with a pin you would just burst. He or she asks you “What’s wrong” and what do you say? “Nothing.” You’re so angry that’s all you can answer. But that “nothing” is dishonest and misleading. My friends, it’s deceitful.

Proverbs 20:17 tells us, “Food gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel” [just as sin may be sweet at first, but later its consequences bring despair]. Another way to say that is that while the words of deceit might seem sweet at first, afterwards its true nature is surely to be exposed. Let’s look at another example. In Genesis 3:12-13, Adam and Eve both passed the buck. Adam claimed it was the woman, and the woman said it was the serpent that beguiled here. To beguile means to deceive. Look at how the serpent made the deceit sound sweet at first. But then later, the truth was exposed and Adam male and female were cursed and put out the garden.

Deceit causes people to get angry with God and therefore they slide back from God’s will. But the truth makes us go forward in God, the truth enlightens us, and the truth makes us bend our will in subjection to the will of God. “Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord” Jeremiah 9:6.

Be enlightened, beloved, and go forward in truth!!

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

Because We Have Hope!

Hope: to cherish a desire with anticipation; to want something to happen.

Hope reduces feelings of helplessness, increases happiness, reduces stress and generally helps our quality of life. There are three points I would like to share with you today about being hopeful. Before I do, I want to remind you that for hope to work, we must believe in what we are hoping for.

1. Because we have a Hope, we can rejoice in the Lord and we can pray without ceasing. In every situation and in every circumstance we can give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Because we have Hope, Psalms 5:11 tell us, "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." It’s easier to rejoice and be joyful when we have Hope.
2. Because we have Hope, we can overcome temptation. Psalms 121:1-2 tells us, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord; which made heaven and earth." We can increase in happiness and reduce stress by simply putting our Hope in God. The word also says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
3. Because we have Hope, all fear is gone. Psalms 27:1-2 reminds us, "The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. The word also says, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed: for I am thy God: I will strength thee: yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).

So my friends, be Hopeful and know that God is with you!

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

We Need Mercy, Not Judging!

Mercy: compassion shown to an offender
Judging: to form an authoritative opinion

We are creatures of habit - we love forming an opinion, regardless of whether we are right or wrong. Most of the time we assume that we know what’s going on based on what the situation looks like, regardless of what really might be going on. Fortunately for us, that's not God’s way - His way is to show love and compassion one toward another.

The word says in Romans 7:18-19: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." If we were to be honest with ourselves, we would easily see that we are all like those two scriptures.

None of us are perfect - no one is - so instead of forming an opinion (especially when you have no idea of what’s really going on), try having some compassion. Compassion on the ones you feel have offended you and on people in general, because most of us are like Paul - we all want to do good, but we don’t always succeed - so we need some mercy and not to be judged.

God had mercy on us (and continues to have), if He had truly judged us - none of us would be here today! He realizes that we need much mercy. Think about Joseph. His brothers put him into a pit AND he was sold into slavery - yet when they came to him for food because there was a famine in the land, he didn't judge them. Instead, he had mercy on them and feed them until the famine was over.

Don't condemn or judge, just show mercy to all mankind.

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

The Secret Of The Peace Of God!

Peace: a state of calm and quiet; freedom from disturbing thoughts or emotions

I want to tell you a secret.

That secret is how to have the peace of God. I want to tell you how you can be calm and free from disturbing thoughts or emotions - even in the midst of a storm. In today’s world, we so often hear of suicide, heart attacks, and people with so much stress that they are simply existing and not living. Friends, this should not be so. Philippians 4:4 tells us to; "Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say Rejoice." When we do this - rejoice always - it allows people to see that we are unselfish and considerate in all we do - no matter what is going on!

Verse 6 (TLB) "Don't worry about any thing; instead, pray about every thing." The fact is worrying does not add to our lives - it only takes from it. After we have prayed about whatever storm we might be facing and we have given God thanks for it (after all, we might as well give thanks, because He's allowing it). “Then the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." This peace comes as we stay focused on Jesus and what His word says.

Philippians 4:8 goes on to tell us what we should think about; "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

The secret of God’s peace is found in Isaiah 26:3-4: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

As it turns out, this is a secret we should be sharing with everyone we know! To find the peace of God - rejoice in Him always and keep your mind on Him!

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

Run YOUR Race!

Run: to contend in a race: to go without restraint
Race: a contest for a desired end, to run swiftly

So many times in this walk of life we play this "game" where we try to keep up with others. We see someone else buying a new house and all of a sudden, we want a new house. We see someone else start a business, and then we start talking about that business plan we supposedly had all those years ago. We see people getting married and having babies and the next thing you know, we're all up in our boyfriend's or girlfriend's faces pressuring them to marry us and have some babies. We see someone get a promotion when we wanted or expected that promotion and our wheels start turning - we start thinking about that long list of things we've done and start wondering why they got promoted and we didn't.

Often times we forget to think about how much those people have prayed, or how much they have sacrificed or the amount of years, tears and sweat it took to get them where we see them today. Most of the time we want God to give us everything on a silver platter -- but we haven't even paid the price for a platter yet! On this walk, it's imperative that we keep our eyes on our own walk and run at the pace that God allows us to run. As we talked about in the examples above, when we take our eyes off our own walk, it's way too easy to start comparing and grumbling about what someone has. That's when the slippery slope starts crumbling - when we've taken our eyes off the prize and taken on an ungrateful, envious, and jealous heart.

My friend, let's run our own race at our own pace, because when we move ahead of God, we miss the grace that He has set up for us at that particular time. Don't forget that God has us where we are for a reason and for a season. Don't base your walk on others - some are further along than others and some run faster while others run slower. Wherever you are in your race, simply trust God and keep moving!

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

Who Knows? God Knows!

Trust: believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of.

Encourage: give support, confidence, or hope to (someone).

Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us; "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." The word also says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Proverb 3:5). Those scriptures may be easy to quote, but I bet that we can all testify about how hard they are to live by - especially when tragedy and loss touch our lives. It's in those moments when we don't understand that we find ourselves asking "why?" My friends, when you don't have an answer for "why," then suffice it to say  that God knows. And in His infinite wisdom, there will be times when we pray and He gives us answers, and there will be other times when we pray and He gives us peace.

In those tragic moments (and really all the other moments too), simply ask God for what you want and then thank Him for all that He has already done for you. If it's His will for you in that time, then you will experience His peace... and prayerfully, that peace will surpass all understanding. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live for Him. We truly serve an awesome God!

Always remember in this life, there will be rain, but the sun will also shine. So in those times of rain, remember that God knows and that He is working things out for our good and for His Glory. 

Just a few words to encourage you that God sees, hears and knows all things. Put your trust in Him.

With all that 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!               

Don't Let Anyone Steal Your Joy!

Joy: a source of happiness, gladness of heart

In our day-to-day existence, there are just so many things that can steal our joy if we allow them to. The fact is, there will always be situations and circumstances, but it's important that we refuse to allow those situations and circumstances to steal our joy. You see my friends, Satan knows that if he can steal our joy, we will walk around in anger, depression, and even fear. And then before you know it, those things will try to consume our lives to the point that it feels like there's no source of happiness and no gladness of heart... no matter where we are or what we are doing. This is the reason why we must refuse to let anybody steal our joy.

Nehemiah 8:10 tells us: "Then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength." You see, true joy is not the things of this world - it's not because we get a new house, a new car, or a fat bank account. If it were that simple, the suicide rate wouldn't be so high, and we wouldn't see or hear about so much bad news. We simply cannot allow ourselves to lose our joy - because we don't control ANYTHING! Our job is to put and keep our focus on the one who can give us true joy and peace. The world didn't give us this joy, so why should we let the world take it away??

Of course, every day won't be filled with ice cream and cake. Let's face it, our children, our spouses, our co-workers, our finances, every pain in our bodies, and even some of the people right next to us in the Church will try to get the best of us. But I'm here to tell you that we must count it all joy and turn it over to the one who has all the answers... and is truly the only one who can fix it. When we give it to Him, He will turn our sorrow, our anger, and our distractions into JOY. But first, we need to do our jobs - refuse to let anyone steal our joy!

Let's stay focused on our source of happiness - He wants us to have gladness in our hearts. You don't have to take my word for it - you can read it for yourself! "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalms 16:11).

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

Believe and Trust in God!

Believe: accept as true, to have a firm conviction about something

Trust: to place confidence, to rely on

Some people believe that hell is right here on earth, while others believe that all they need to do is be a good person and they will spend eternity with the Lord. There are people who believe there is no God, while others believe only in their riches. Today, I want to share with you how we should believe in the real and true God - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's look at Daniel. Daniel believed in his God and accepted God's word as the truth when He said; "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). And wouldn't you know it - all the Presidents of the Kingdom, the Governors and the Princes, the Counsellors, and the Captains - basically everyone with any type of power - then consulted together to establish a royal statute AND make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days shall be cast into the den of lions. As you might know, Daniel continued to pray to his God three times a day as he had always done and as was decreed, he was put in the den of lions. Daniel 6:23 tells us that Daniel was taken up out of the den, and that no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. That's the type of confidence we must have in God. If we're able to do that, He will deliver us from our situations, just as He did for Daniel.

Friends, when God is for you, tell me who can be against you? No One! But it's essential that we do our part by believing and trusting in Him. God said that He would never leave us or forsake us, so that means wherever we are, God is right there in the midst. We don't have to worry about other people and what they might do (or might not do, for that matter), because with God at the center - they might dig a ditch they intend to be for you, but they will be the ones to fall in.

If your faith ever begins to get weak, just stop and take a minute to remember what He did for the three Hebrews boys, for Daniel, and the many wonderful things that He has done for us -- that should be enough to snap your faith right back into place!

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

Lay Up Your Treasures 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!!

Prayer is so Important!

Prayer: a supplication or expression addressed to God; an earnest request; communication with God

Prayer is an opportunity to spend time with God and to make our requests known unto Him. It's also how we develop a deeper relationship with Him. Prayer is so powerful, just like in the natural, the more you talk to a person, the more you learn about them and the more that it makes the friendship stronger.

Oh, how we need to pray. My friends, we don't know how to go out without God nor do we know how to come back in. However, when we spend time communicating with Him then He is able to teach us how to behave ourselves when we go out and when we come back in. 

I can't tell you just how much prayer can be a powerful weapon in your life. We have the opportunity to offer up our petition before God 24/7. It doesn't matter how big or how small the battle is - He's right there to fight them... all we have to do is call on Him.

Remember, the word tells us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2). The word also tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Another reason that prayer is so important is because it's how we gain power and we learn how to trust in Him. 

God loves to hear from His people - whether we are praying for guidance or simply giving thanks. The act of communicating with Him draws us closer to Him. Just remember to keep it real and be honest - because He already knows the real deal anyway, right? So simply tell God the truth!

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

God's Grace and Mercy

Gracious: showing kindness, full of compassion, to bestow God blessing upon us
Merciful: full of compassion, favor, tender mercy, pity

As you may know, names speak of nature. By "nature," I mean one's own character or type. "Merciful" and "Gracious" always work together to bestow God's nature and blessings upon us. Friends, that's just who God is; He's not some mean God who sits on the throne just waiting to beat us over the head when we do something wrong. No, the God we serve was merciful before sin; He is merciful during sin; and He will still be merciful after sin. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever.

Exodus 34:5-7 tells us, "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation."

The Lord stood by Moses and proclaimed the names of the Lord. He wanted Moses (and He wants us) to learn and get familiar with His names or His nature, so that when we are in the midst of our storm, we can just call on the name. When we need God's mercy, we must call on His merciful name - in Hebrew, that's Jehovah Khaw-oom. When you do, His mercy is going to show up and keep those things back that I so rightly deserve. When we need grace, we should call on His gracious name - Jehovah Khan-noon - and He will show up and graciously give us what we don’t deserve. If you are not familiar with His Hebrew names, just call on "mercy" and "grace," God knows His names (even if we don't). However, we must call on His name with believing-faith and He will show-up and show-out on our behalf!

Let me share with you a testimony of my own: my formal pastor went to the doctor with his daughter, who wanted to have a specific procedure done that day. The nurse at the doctor's office said, "no, we can't do that procedure today; you'll have to wait another month." He and his daughter left, but while they were on the elevator he asked his daughter if she really wanted to have the procedure done that day. Of course she said yes. Guess what they did next? They called on the merciful - Jehovah Khaw-oom - and the gracious - Jehovah Khan-noon - names of God. When the elevator reached to first floor, he told his daughter, "let's go back up." So, they did just that - they went back to the doctor's office and told them again what she wanted to have done. You better believe that the second time the nurse said, "Can you come back this afternoon? We will do it today." That's what I mean about "believing faith." God's names are powerful; all we have to do is use them. They are full of compassion and tender mercy!

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

Coming Under Authority

 Authority: The power to determine, or command

The top brass from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps were arguing about who had the bravest troops. They decided to settle the dispute using an enlisted man from each branch.
The army general called a private over and ordered him to climb to the top of the base flagpole, then let go with both hands and salute. The private quickly complied.
Next, the admiral ordered a sailor to climb the pole, polish the brass knob at the top, salute smartly and jump off. The sailor did as he was told and landed on the concrete below.
Finally, the marine was told to do exactly the same as the army and navy men but in full battle gear, pack filled with brick and loaded weapon carried high. He took one look at the major general and said: "You're out of your mind, sir."
The marine commander turned to the others and said: "Now that's guts!"

The thing about authority is that it exists to keep us in line as well as to keep law and order. For example, when we come to a stop sign, the mission of that stop sign is to save our life, but if no one stops, it would be total chaos. However, if everyone stops appropriately and looks both ways before going forward, then we would avoid accidents and the mission of that stop sign gets accomplish. Authority is here to help us. Unfortunately, we don’t always like coming under certain types of authority. Even Jesus humbles himself and came under authority, so why don't we think that we should have to??

Hebrew 13:17 tells us, "Obey them that have rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." We will never be in authority if we can’t come under authority.

Let’s take a look at the words of encouragement to Joshua; the Lord said, be strong and of a good courage. Verse 5 in Chapter 1 of that book reads; "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee." Joshua became a great leader, simply because he learned how to come under authority. And you know what? Joshua made it into the promise land!

The Lord wants us to come under the authority of our leader as that leader must come under the authority of the Lord. We too will be blessed and the Lord will be with us as He was with Joshua.

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

Stay Encouraged!

Encourage: to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope

We are seeing trouble everywhere, All you have to do is read a newspaper, turn on the tv or scroll through social media. Within the first minute or two, you will be overwhelmed with news of all the things that are happening in the world. Friends, I'm here to tell you that it's enough to blow your mind! But more importantly, I’m here to remind you that no matter what it looks like, God has it all in control. God allowed these things to happen and He's the only one who can fix it. Our aim should always be to please Him in every facet of our life. As believers, it’s vital that we never give up on God and that we don't ever stop believing that He's right there in the midst of whatever’s going on. He's everywhere acting as our help, our sustainer, and our salvation - basically, He’s really everything that we need to survive.

The Word tells us, "So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen, the troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever" (2 Corinthians 4:18, TLB). With that in mind, let’s continue to run on for the Lord. Like we talked about just a couple of weeks ago, He's coming like a thief in the night. We don't know the time or the day, but we do know that we must be ready.

Remember, my friends,our heavenly payday is coming after a while, so our aim should be to please the Lord always in everything we do and in everything that we say. After all, we serve an awesome God! A God that died for us, so that we could have everlasting life. Until that day, let’s commit to living in victory and not defeat; to living in prayer and not in worry; and to keep fighting the good fight and not giving up. My friends, keep living, keep loving, and keep looking forward to the joys in heaven!

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

Seek The Lord First!

 Seek: to look for; attempt to obtain.

You know my friends, we are always looking for something - be it, good, bad, or indifferent. I think it's just in our nature. The great thing about that is the Lord doesn't have a problem with us seeking to obtain -- as long as what you're trying to obtain is in the will of God. The word tells us in Colossians 3:1-2; "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Some of us like to seek things of the world for our own selfish interest. For instance, we try to see how many houses we can buy or how many cars we can obtain. Others even push others down to elevate themselves in order to get the highest positions at work. That's not to say that those things are wrong necessarily; in fact, God's desire for us is that we should have those things. But there's an order by which we must obtain these things. We must seek first.

Here are three things we should be seeking:

• God's Kingdom. Matthew 6:33 tells us, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." God said in His word we can have the desires of our heart, but we have to do something first... SEEK

• True Wisdom.  Proverbs 2:7 says, "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly." We need true wisdom to obtain and to keep what we have obtained.

• Another's Benefit.  Ephesians 4:32. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you." It's not all about us, the Lord wants us to bless others as He has blessed us. So let's start by giving, forgiving, and being tenderhearted.

When we look for things and at least attempt to obtain them in the order that God wants us to; we won't have to try SO hard to chase things down. That's not to say that you won't have to do anything (remember, faith without works is dead!) - but it won't be as hard. The Lord will see us doing things in an orderly fashion and He will then bring those things to us. Let's remember to seek the Lord first.

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

How to Get the Peace of God in Your Life!

Peace: Not quarrelsome; free from disturbance; calm

Even in today's world - full of torment, unrest, disturbance, and in the midst of trouble on every hand - we can still have peace. The peace that I'm talking about begins within, where we know that God is with us every step of the way; where we realize that God is the head over all things. Once we really understand that on the inside, it will be reflected on the outside. The word tells us in Isaiah 26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." In other words, when our mind is stayed on Him, we are free from disturbance and  we will have calmness in him.

You might be asking yourself, "Self, how can I get this calmness?" Well fortunately, Paul gives us some answers in Philippians 4:4-7:

Step 1 (verse 4): "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice." We must rejoice because it is written that the joy of the Lord is our strength. My aunt often talks about how the Lord will give you peace in the midst of your storm. For her, these are not just words - when she lost her only child, it was then that she truly realized that God was her peace. 

Step 2 (verse 5): "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." In other words, let every one see your calmness, show that you are unselfish, and be very considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon! 

Step 3 (verse 6): "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." As that old song says, don't worry about a thing; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what your needs are and don't forget to thank Him for His answer.

After we complete these three steps, verse 7 finishes it off for us: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

By following these steps, you will experience God's peace, in an abundant way - which is more wonderful than the human mind can understand or even imagine. His peace will keep your thoughts and your heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

Remember the Lord said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I into you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let is be afraid" (John 14:27).

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

God Specializes In Your So-Called Failures!

Specialize: To focus one’s efforts in one field of activity or study
Failure: The state of failing, a breaking down in health, action, or strength

Our God is an awesome God! He didn’t call us because of any special talent that He’s has given to us, or because we were wise, nor because we were strong. In truth, God is looking for a people that are weak.  

Paul tell us that not many that are noble, not many that are mighty are called; God is looking for someone who is so weak that they will have no choice but to depend on Him. God is looking for failures; for people that can’t make it on their own. He’s looking for people who are so low that they can't even pretend to be Super-Righteous or Oh-So-Holy; He’s looking for the folks that didn’t know how they were going to make it until they found God.

You might be asking yourself why the Lord would be looking for those types of people? Why? Because He specializes in failure, that's why. He specializes in people who are trying to get some place, but are struggling so much that they can’t make it to the next stop. Some times those people even falling down and say, "God help me," "God give me strength," "Pick me up Lord!" That’s what He’s waiting on - those that are so broken down and humble that all they can do is cry out to Him. Not those who think and act as if they can make it on their own, those who just DARE someone to get in their way - you know the type, right? Well, you better believe that is not the type of person that God is looking for.

Even as Christians, we occasionally get too strong and we get to the place where we say or think that we don’t need God. We may not always say it out loud, but our actions certainly reflect it. Like when we get so strong that we think that we don’t need to pray everyday; or when we begin thinking that we made it to this place of great success all by ourselves. Guess what, friend? God is not looking for a people like that.

Let me share with you a quick example of some people who came up short when they tried to make it on their own. Luke 5:3-6 tells us, "And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

In our example, you see that Jesus put the Word in first - he taught the people the word first and then blessed the people next. He did that because the Word is where success comes from; whether it’s natural or spiritual. If you're feeling a bit like Simon - maybe you feel like you've toiled all night and you still have nothing - let me tell you that there is hope, but not until we acknowledge that we don’t know everything; that we are weak and that we can't do anything without the Lord. It's at that point of "failure" that the Lord can work with us.

Our failures serve as a reminder that we have left something critical out -- that something is the Word. Get in the Word and turn your failures over to the Lord... because He specializes in them. We no longer have to depend on ourselves, all we have to do is put the word in our ship (or in the present, put the word in our heart).

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

God will Make a Believer Out of Us!

Believer: to have a firm conviction about something

If we chose not to humble ourselves and give God the glory that He so rightly deserves, then we will be very sorry. We have no strength or power within ourselves to do anything, so let's give God the glory He so rightly deserves. I want to share a story about a man who didn't give God the glory that he deserved. Instead, he gave the glory to himself.

As you can imagine, God made a believer out of Nebuchadnezzar! He got so full of himself that he said, I, By My Own Mighty Power, have built this beautiful city as my royal residence, and as the capital of my empire. While he was still speaking these words, a voice called down from heaven, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you: you are no longer ruler of this Kingdom. You will be forced out of the palace to live with the animals in the field, and to eat grass like the cows for seven years until you finally realize that God parcels out the kingdom of men and give them to any one He chooses." That very same hour this prophecy was fulfilled.

Nebuchadnezzar was chased from his palace and ate grass like the cows, and his body was wet with dew, his hair grew as long as eagles feathers, and his nails were like birds claws. "At the end of seven years I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity return, and I praised and worshiped the Most High God and honored Him who lives forever, whose rule is everlasting, His kingdom evermore. all the people of the earth are nothing when compared to him; He does whatever He thinks best among the hosts of heaven, as well as here among the inhabitants of earth."

"No one can stop Him or challenge Him. Now, I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of Heaven, the judge of all, whose every act is right and good; for He is able to take those who walk proudly and push them into the dust" Daniel 4:31 - 37 (TLB).

My friends, let's stay humble so that God can use us. Our strength and our might all belong to the Lord.

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

Preparing for Jesus! Part 2

Inquire: ask for information

Require: cause to be necessary

As we talked about last week, we should be preparing for Jesus before hand as if each day were our last. As the Word tells us, He's coming like a thief in the night at a time when we don't expect - that's why we must be ready. We get ready by preparing our hearts, minds and souls every day. 

Matthew 6:33 gives us a blueprint for getting ready: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." In the Strong's Concordance, the word "seek" means to worship, to desire, to plot and plan purposefully, to inquire and to require. Last week, we looked at the first three words. This week, let's dig into the last two words a little more.

Inquire: When you inquire about things, what are you doing? You are asking. If we speak God’s word back to Him in prayer, what did God say he would do? Perform it! He will meet the needs in our lives according to His purpose and will if we would simply inquire. We should, everyday inquire of the Lord, "what is your Will for me today, what is it you want me to do, where do you want me to go, what is it you want me to say?" So many things revolve around us just having a conversation with the Lord and asking the right questions. Without asking, we don’t know how to go out and we don’t know how to come back in. As the Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not onto thine on understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.”

Require: Last but not least, we must require or cause things to be necessary. As you prepare for Jesus' arrival, you are required to do these things every day. Do we worship only once and then we're done? Do we plan things out one time? Do we desire and inquire one thing only? No! We do it repeatedly, over and over again everyday. If I want the Lord to do things for me or see Him move in my life, it is a requirement that I do these things daily.

Have you ever heard people wondering why the Lord doesn't seem to be working for them? Well first, that person's still breathing, so He is! And two, it’s more likely because he or she is refusing to believe what the Word of God tells them. These things only work if you work them.

Don’t misunderstand, the Lord has no problem with us doing things or having things. He simply asks us to "seek Me first." He’s the one watching over us, waking us up each morning, and tending over us throughout the day, even as you read this right now. Let’s put Him first by preparing for Him everyday!

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

Preparing for Jesus! Part 1

Preparing: to make ready before hand for some purpose, use or activity.

We should be preparing for Jesus before hand as if each day were our last day. When we are expecting house guests, we start getting things prepared in advance. We stay up late at night cleaning, cooking, and doing whatever it takes to get things right for them. My friends, there is one who's coming who's far more important than any other guest. We don't know the day or the hour, so we need to be getting prepared now, because once He gets here, it will be too late.

Remember, He's coming like a thief in the night at a time when we don't expect - that's why we must be ready. We get ready by preparing our hearts, minds and souls every day. Matthew 6:33 gives us a blueprint for getting ready: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." In the Strong's Concordance, the word "seek" means to worship, to desire, to enquire, to require, and to plot and plan purposefully. Let's take a look at these words a little closer.

Worship: the first thing every morning, we should be expressing our thanks to the Lord. We should express to Him how important He is and let Him know how much he means to us. In other words, let Him know that we value Him more than the things we want to do. This worship must come from our hearts, deep within us, if not, then we have missed our first level of seeking. 

Plot and Plan: When we decide that we are going to do something major, we first plan. If we plan to live Holy, we can't change our lifestyle on the spot just because unpleasing situations are upon us. No, we must stay focused. When we are going to work, we don't typically roll out of the bed and go straight to our vehicles. We have a plan of activities - we clean ourselves up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and then we head off to work. We must have a plan when it it comes to serving God as well. We get up earlier so we can worship Him first and recommit each day to serving the Lord that day - no matter what happens. 

Desire: If we didn't have a desire to seek God, how would we ever do it? People can't do this for us on our behalf. We must worship, plan and have a desire for ourselves. We simply wouldn't get very far based on someone else's desire. When the Lord sees our worship, planning and desire for Him, He's going to provide our natural and spiritual desires for us. Sometimes we block our blessings, because we choose not to Worship, Plan or Have a Desire to please the Lord. Don't be THAT person - stop blocking your blessings!

Check back next week as we continue our conversation on preparing for Jesus.

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

We Need the Sun AND the Rain!

Rain: to fall as or kike ran, to pour down.
Sun: the shining celestial body around which the earth and other planets revolve and from which they receive light and heat.

God is so awesome, He knows when to allow the Sun to shine and when we need the Rain to fall in our natural lives, as well as our spiritual lives. Our God is truly wonderful, He gives us joy and pain; hot and cold; sunshine and rain. He's such a balanced God that He knows when we need each one and exactly how much of each we need in that moment. He gives us one, for example pain, in order for us to appreciated the other - joy.

We don't always like it, but consider this - how could we appreciate the Sun if we never experienced the Rain? If we only ever experienced the Sun our grass, flowers and gardens would burn up, but God in all His mercy allows the Rain to fall, so those very things could grow. He also does this in our personal life. If I never experienced sickness, then I wouldn't know that God is a healer. If I were never broke, I wouldn't know that God is a provider. The test and trails He brings to us are to teach us about ourselves and our inner workings. We will either be thankful for our situations or we will choose to murmur and complain.

We simply need to trust the Lord and know that He won't give us more Rain or Sunshine than we need. The Lord allows things to happen in our lives because He has something far more important for us to learn. We can choose to get bitter and not profit from it because of our attitude, but trust me, you can be assured that it’s going to come back around. It's not going to always Rain and the Sun is not going to always shine. We must make up our mind to have an attitude of gratitude for whatever God allows to cross our paths.

Just remember - the Sun is shining somewhere even when it rains, so rest assured the Sun will come back out in your life again - no matter how bleak the outlook might be. Trust and believe, my friends. As Psalm 9:10 tells us, “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”

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

Bloom Exactly Where You're 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!

It's Not What Others Think About You - It's What You Think About Yourself!

Think: To reason and work out in the mind; to visualize

As it is told in Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." It doesn't matter what Jim says, or what Jane says - what's more important is what you think about yourself!

Friends, we must never put ourselves down or criticize ourselves by using words like "I’m so stupid!" or "I'm such an idiot!" These are not just phrases or words - they hold power. As the scripture above says, if we think it, it becomes our reality. So if we think we are stupid, we will eventually become stupid. We must feel good about who we are and what we think about ourselves. Of course, we have to be realistic - we are not perfect and we should not allow pride or arrogance to take over. What I’m saying is that you must love yourself and have a good opinion of yourself - because if you don’t, neither will anyone else!

If it's one thing that I’ve learned in this life, it's that people are going to talk about you! Whether you do something or if you do nothing - folks are going to talk about you! So keep that in mind and don’t let someone else's opinion dictate who you are!

Think about yourself as Jesus thinks of you. After all, He died for us, so He obviously thought we were special and well worth it!

Let's speak positive words about ourselves (and about others to help them on their journey!); words like "I’m blessed and highly favored by the Lord," "I’m an overcomer," "I am fearfully and wonderfully made," and "I carry the DNA of the all might God within me."  

Others can only put you down and cause you to have low self esteem if you allow it! Remember, it’s not what others think about you, it’s what you think about yourself that counts!

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

Grow in Grace - and in Knowledge!

Grace: Sweetness, Loveliness, Loving kindness.
Knowledge: a knowing, understanding.

Not only does God command us to grow in grace, He provides us with grace. Each day we can come and get a fresh new application of grace and knowledge of Him.

2 Peter 3:18 tells us to "... grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory both now and for ever." Each day we can get sweetness, loveliness, good will and loving-kindness from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If there is anything we need as Christians, it is to grow in sweetness. You know, at times we can be rude - maybe even hostile! If we aren't mindful of it, we can easily get to the point where it makes us feel good to be sharp-spoken and quick tongued! As you already know, we can't draw people to the Lord when we behave like that! Instead, non-believers look at us and think, "well if that's what being a Christian is, I'm better off not being one!" So remember, while our flesh may love it, God's word tells us to grow in grace, sweetness, and loveliness. Now, I don't mean physical loveliness here, I'm talking about the spiritual beauty of a personality that is lovely and sweet.

I still remember one of the prayers my Grandmother often prayed, "Lord let me grow old and be sweet!" God truly answered her prayer, she lived to be in her nineties and people all around our small town talked about the sweetness of Mother Wade. Just as the Lord did it for her, He will surely do the same for me and you... providing we seek it!

God also provides knowledge. True knowledge includes wisdom and understanding, so as we grow in the knowledge of the Lord, we grow in understanding and wisdom. A lot of misunderstandings and quarrels arise because people lack the spiritual knowledge to understand one another. Many times as a situation or a decision is presented to us, we think/say, "I’ll do this or that; I can’t see anything wrong with it." Well my friends, that’s precisely the problem! We don't have the insight to see what's wrong with a certain action and we don’t know how to handle situations because we haven’t gone to the One who provides true knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

Just as Paul, David, and Joseph came out victoriously in the battles they faced, we can do the same - IF we grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

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

Wait, I Say On The Lord!

Wait: to stay in place, in expectation of

We are in this microwave generation where we want things to happen right now, some of us live our life in a hurry, because we want what we want right now. The word says in Psalms 27:14. "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord." The Lord is all knowing, all seeing, and everywhere all at the same time, so if we would just learn to wait, He has us right in the palm of His hand and He has every situation in control.    

For instance, if we’ve asked the Lord for a mate, then we don't need to run out there and try to find one. We just need to wait patiently on the Lord. We have to take on the nature of Isaac. He was so confident in the Lord that he went out and meditated on exactly what kind of wife he wanted. The servant of Abraham went into the country where Abraham’s kindred were to find Isaac a wife. Isaac had learned how to wait and had total confidence in the Lord. Abraham’s servant laid out a fleece before the Lord. He said, when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, I will say to her "give me I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink" and she say to me, both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman who the Lord hath appointed out for my master’s son. And before I had done speaking in my heart: behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder: and she went down into the well and drew water: And I said unto her, let me draw, I pray thee. And she made haste and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, drink and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also" (Genesis 24:43-46).

Can you see how good it is to simply wait on the Lord? The Lord loves us, He wants us to be of good faith, good courage and to wait in expectation on Him. I can assure you that if you will do that, then He won't let you down. He knows how to answer our prayers - we don't even have to lift a hand - we just have to meditate on what we want and He will bring it to us, just as he did for Issac!

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

Have An Attitude of Gratitude!

When I read this it blessed my heart, so I wanted to share it with my friends and I pray that it blesses you as much as it blessed me.

A preacher was driving home one night with his wife and two daughters in the car. It was raining and dark and because of the intensity of the rain he could hardly see past his headlights. On the way he had to drive over a huge bridge. There were signs posted all along the bridge that said, "Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers." There was an institution for the criminally insane near the base of the bridge and sometimes people would escape from it and try to hitch a ride. On this particular night, as he turned his car on to the bridge, he had to drive exceptionally slow because he could hardly see the road. Somewhere near the top of the bridge, a man suddenly appeared in the headlights. He was soaked, standing in the middle of the road with his shirt off frantically waving it over his head and screaming.

This preacher's wife began to say, "Oh please don't stop, try to drive around him!" But the man was unavoidable and there was nowhere for the car to go to miss him. So he had to stop the car and as soon as he did, the man slapped his hand down on the hood of the car and was screaming at the top of his lungs. The preacher looked over at his wife and told her to lock the door after him and not to unlock it until he returned. He opened the door and stepped outside... He was immediately soaked from the rain. As he approached the front of the car to grab the man, all of a sudden he could make out what the man was screaming, "THE BRIDGE IS OUT!" THE BRIDGE IS OUT! A BUS LOAD OF KIDS JUST WENT OVER!" As these words registered in the pastor's mind, he looked back at the car with his wife and two daughters inside. He wrapped his arms around the man and wept in gratitude. To help spread the word - and save lives - the preacher stood there with the man for the next half-hour in the middle of the road, waving his jacket above his head screaming, "THE BRIDGE IS OUT!" THE BRIDGE IS OUT!

For a lost and a dying world, "THE BRIDGE IS OUT!" For a people heading toward a Christless Eternity, "THE BRIDGE IS OUT!" Where are the men and the women who will stand in the middle of the road and forbid people to perish. Hell has opened its mouth wide and many people are speeding into it. Where are those who will stand in the gap, on the street, on the highways and on the byways to forbid multitudes with the gospel of Jesus Christ from going to such a horrible place place? SPREAD THE GOSPEL!

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!

We Need Love 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!

The Best Benefits Package on the Market!

 Benefit: an act of kindness, help, aid and/or support.

When we go on job interviews, they give us details about the job - including information about the benefits package. In fact, sometimes we take jobs based primarily on the company's "great benefit package."

Some companies offer on-the-job training; a certain portion of your salary when you are out sick; pension plans; medical and dental plans... but in the back of your mind, you're always aware that the company might go out of business; it might get bought out; or the company might have to cut out some of those "great benefits" in order to keep their overhead down. 

But let me tell you about someone that offers EXCELLENT benefits and His benefits are here to stay! You can have total confidence in the fact that He won't go out of business; He will never have to cut back because of overhead and we will never have to worry about Him going bankrupt! 

Do you know why? Because He owns everything. He said: the silver is mine, the gold is mine, the Earth and everything that dwell therein (He is awesome, He is great and He is more than enough). 

Now, using the Book of Psalms, Chapter 103, let me share a few of HIS benefits:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

• Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases. 
• I can attest to that. Some years ago I needed a healing. I said, "I want to be healed, Lord because that's one of my benefits" and I received the healing that I needed
• Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption; who beautifies, dignifies and crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies
• Who satisfies your mouth (i.e. your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation) with good; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's (strong, overcoming and SOARING)
• The Lord executes righteousness and justice (not just for me, but...) for all that are oppressed
• The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy
• He will not always chide or be contending; neither will he keep his anger for ever or hold a grudge
• As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those that fear him (with reverence, worship and awe).
• For He knows our frame; He earnestly remembers and imprints (on His heart) that we are dust.

He gives us these benefits as an act of kindness - we don't have to be interviewed for them; we don't have to wait to be called back. The thing we need to do is accept Jesus in our lives as our personal savior. Then we begin working for Him and He has so much, SO MUCH more to offer... but best of all - eternal life!

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

Rest in the Lord!

 Rest: to stop work, peace of mind or spirit, free from anxieties.

There is nothing like being one of His - just a sheep in the pasture where we don't have to worry about providing the way. We don't have to worry about providing the pasture (food), or providing the stream (water), or anything else. When we learn that we are just a sheep in His pasture, we are free to feel rested and secure. That's the way it should be - we don't have to worry about what's going to happen today or what's going to happen tomorrow. All that is in God hands. Now, if we were the boss, we would have to worry. I'm so glad that I can turn it all over to the Lord and just rest as I walk along with Him. We should be enjoying our journey, not trying to control it.

God promised to give us rest - we don't have to buy or borrow it - we just receive it as a gift. Matthew 11:28-30 tells us, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

We can't burn the candle at both ends - either we are going to rest in God or we are going to try to fix things ourselves. The Lord will let us wear ourselves out to the point of total exhaustion on the inside until we finally see the light and give that situation to Him. Once we do that, He will give us rest and He will refresh and comfort us.

When our children are doing things that we know they shouldn't be, we have to give it to the Lord and rest in what He has said in His word. If it's our spouse, our job, or anything else, we must learn to cease from our actions. God said in His word that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Isn't that awesome?!

I don't know about you, but if I could fix things on my own - I would start with myself! But I can't fix me or anyone else. I'm not in control and it's not my responsibility. It's imperative that we learn to trust God to fix things and that we learn to rest in Him.

Our responsibility is to sit still, in quietness and in confidence, and believe that He can help, save, and deliver in our most urgent need. Remember - we are not the boss, nor are we in control. Psalms 37:7 says, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." If we don't see our prayers answered today or even tomorrow, that doesn't mean it's never going to happen. Again my friends, I say wait on the Lord and rest in Him!

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

Be Sure to Tend to Your Own Garden!

Garden: A place for growing things.

We can't spend all of our time tending to other people's gardens and leaving our gardens unattended. Of course, I'm speaking of our Spiritual Garden here - our hearts. We don't always mean to get wrapped up in other people's gardens, we're usually just trying to help - by trying to comfort, give advice, or just lend an ear a little more than we should. What we're forgetting in those moments is that the Lord doesn't need our help - everything and everybody is in the Lord's eyesight and under His control. We must allow God to fulfill His great purpose in their lives, and stay focused and pray that He will do the same in our lives. I'm not saying that we should NEVER get involved in other people's lives, because it's wonderful to help others - when appropriate. What I'm saying is that we shouldn't get consumed to the point that we neglect spending quality time with the Lord getting those un-Christ-like things out of our hearts.

Let's take a look at Moses; Moses spent so much of his time in the camp among the people trying to work out their issues. The word tells us in Exodus 18:13, "…that Moses sat to judge the people and the people stood by Moses from morning unto the evening." He spent so much time working out their issues that he didn't deal with his. These same people caused him to miss going into Canaan's land and some of them got to go in! Moses missed it because he was so angry with them, he disobeyed God. Numbers 20:8 tell us how the Lord told Moses to "speak ye unto the rock," but Moses lifted up his hand, and with the rod he smote the rock twice. Perhaps if he had spent more time working in his garden (his heart), pulling out the weeds of anger, things might have gone differently. Think about it for a minute - some of the people he spent his time helping went into the promise land and all he got to do was look over into it. That's not to say that Moses wasn't a good leader - because he definitely was - it's just an example to let us know that we should not spend so much time taking care of other people's gardens and leaving ours undone.

It's imperative that we stay focused on our gardens, so we don't allow anger, bitterness, and evil thoughts take root and start growing. Just like in the natural, if we don't keep our gardens chopped and well-tended to, weeds, wild vines, and grass will take root and grow all over the place. Remember, God is a Sovereign God. He knows exactly what others need, as well as He knows what we are in need of. Let's be sure to set aside some quality time and energy to nurture our relationship with the Lord.

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

Who does the Devil Think He is?

 Devil: the chief opponent of God. The personal supreme spirit of evil.

Sometimes we get so busy that we start to lose focus of who we are. We start dragging; we start getting irritated about small things; and we may even stop praying and studying as much. It’s in those times that we begin to get spiritually weak... and the devil starts to get real busy. That’s when he starts filling our hearts and minds with evil thoughts; we become angry when there's no reason to be angry; and we start thinking that we deserve better. Friends, I’m here to tell you today exactly WHO we are and WHOSE we are.

I don't know who the devil thinks he is, but it's obvious that he doesn't stop to consider who we are. We are the children of the Most High God. We serve the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the master and owner of everything. Need a little more? We are the seeds of Abraham and under the Abrahamic covenant. Jesus loves us so much that He died on that old rugged cross, so that we could live and spend eternity with Him. Ladies and gentlemen, we are the children of The One who loves unconditionally.

Not to mention, we are the righteousness of God. We are so special to Him that He paid the ultimate price for our sins, our iniquity, and our transgressions. They were all nailed to the cross some 2,000 years ago. On one side of the scale, we might seem like we are nothing to some folks - a regular old plain Jane (or John); but on the other side - we are special and precious in the sight of God. We are the apple of His eye and He has us in the palm of His hand. Like the song says, we are blessed in the city, and we are blessed in the field! We are the head and not the tail; we are above and not beneath! We are champions with the DNA of the Almighty God.

If it ever looks like the devil just doesn’t get it - your job is to let him know! You stand tall and tell that ole devil, “I am the redeemed of the Lord, blood bought, ‘a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light’” (1 Peter 2:9). We are so incredibly special to the Lord, so do our part by putting His chief opponent in his place.

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

Is There 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!            

Dear Lord, Please Heal Our Land!

Heal - to make sound or whole. To make free from injury or disease.
Land - the people of a country.

Even though the situations surrounding us appear to be chaotic, we should be taking comfort in our knowledge that God has it all under control. And it's not up to us to fix it. That's not to say that we shouldn't do our part - wear a mask, be thankful, pray, etc. - but in the grand scheme of things, many of the circumstances we're facing are beyond our control and are too large for us to fix alone. So instead, our job is to humble ourselves, use our weapons (prayer), seek His face and get out the way so that He can solve all issues. 

We must allow God to heal the land. He said in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I sent pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Seems pretty straight forward to me!

The Lord is letting us know that He has the power and the authority to shut up whatever He pleases. However, if we humbly seek His face, turn from our sins, and pray honestly and sincerely, He will solve all issues. Take the Tower of Babel for example. The people got on one mind and one accord, and said let's build a city and a tower whose top may reach heaven. Before you knew it, they were well on their way with building the tower. And the Lord said, behold, the people is one, and they have all one language, and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do (Genesis 11:6).

Can you see how powerful we could be if we were to humble ourselves and pray? If we would seek the face of the Lord and turn from our wicked ways, we would then hear from heaven and the Lord would forgive our sins and heal our land. The word didn't even say they were praying! It just said the people had the same goal in mind and look at how powerful they were - now imagine if we added more prayer and unity to our chaos! Just think of all we would be able to accomplish if we could get all of our minds on one accord. Prayer is the key, my friends.

Consider what happened at the Capitol last week, COVID-19, and all of the sickness around us. This is no surprise to God. Remember all these things were written from the foundation of the world. Let's do our part and the Lord will most certainly do His part. Don't forget - He loves us. Who else would give their only begotten son and allow Him to die for us?

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

We Are Coming Out Of This!

Coming: arrive, arise, approach
Out: exhaustion, or completion

At some point, everybody is going to go through some trouble in this life. Haven't experienced any troubles yet? Keep living. Sometimes the situation can be very troublesome - like an unfavorable report from the doctor or a pink slip at work, a bad addiction, your children going every which way except the right way, or even Covid 19. There may be times when we don't have enough money to make ends meet or there maybe a sick spouse that prevent their partner from going to work. Trouble comes in all sorts of packages. If you don't think so - I'll say it again - just keep living.

II Corinthians 4:17-18 reminds us; "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are not seen are eternal." In other words, we shouldn't focus on what you can see right now - the trouble all around us - but instead we should look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. Those troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

Just like God took you in to it, He will allow you to come out of it.. in due time - HIS time. We will never know our true strength until we go through something. We would never know the magnitude of God's power or His love if we were always on a bed of ease. Fortunately, that's not God's way. No pain, no gain, my friends. That means that whatever we are going through, He will surely bring us out of, in His timing.

We must remember to count it all joy, because when it's too much for us, it's just right for God. Psalms 50:15 says; "I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you, and you can give me glory." (The Living Bible)

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