Monthly Archive

John 15:19The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.
John 16:17 They do not belong to this world any more than I do.
1 John 2:15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

We are strangers here.  If we fit in with the world, we should to reassess the depth of our relationship with God.  Great relationships require priority and sacrifice.  So, obeying God’s Word should be our sacrifice for Him, and spending time with as well as honoring Him should be our priority.  Do a status check – how well do you blend in with the standards of the world?

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The best thing about this scripture is the devil is walking around like a lion seeking who he MAY devour. The word “may” in this verse means an attempt. The devil will attempt to devour all of us but, through Christ he will not succeed. Through Christ we are guaranteed the victory.

The devil will attempt to devour us with thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. Satan will attempt to plant thoughts of sin, depression, fear, anxiety, worry, frustration, etc in our minds just to get us to go against God’s word. We must combat these thoughts, ideas, and suggestions with the word of God. If these thoughts, ideas, and suggestions don’t line up with the word of God, we must uproot these unrighteous thoughts, ideas, and suggestions from our minds.

Don’t be the victim be the victor!

Be Blessed!

Inspired by Apostle Price

Hebrews 6: 10God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

When standing in faith for something, continue to stand patiently.  God is good; He will fulfill His Word and His promises to us.  Our job is to have faith (no doubt) and be patient (resilient and unshakeable).

John 21: ¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

Notice with every answer of “yes I love you,” Jesus requires action. God is not into “lip service,” He’s into action behind our words.

We can say we love God all day but, until action is behind our words we are only giving God “lip service.”

Q: How do I show action?

A: We show action by obeying His commandments. (John 14:15)

We have to take a stand and put action behind our words.

Be the voice for God and feed His sheep by teaching, preaching, or explaining the true Word of God to others.

Be the arms of God and show compassion for others who are need of a loving hand.

Show your love for God through your obedience.

Be Blessed!

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Notice, in this scripture God never acknowledged the darkness. He only used His authority to declare the light in those dark places. We too have this God given authority to use our mouth mixed with faith to speak and decree light into our dark places.

-If you’re sick don’t acknowledge your sickness only speak healing.

-If you’re down, don’t acknowledge your depression only speak joy.

-If you’re frustrated don’t acknowledge your irritation only speak peace.

-If you’re confused don’t acknowledge your confusion only speak of wisdom.

Whatever negative thing you may be dealing with speak life into that situation.

Inspired by Pastor Bill Winston

Be Blessed!

Colossians 1:9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

1.    We ask God to give us knowledge of His Will, spiritual wisdom and understanding.
2.    Then, we make a choice to act on that insight.
3.    We then make decisions that honor God.
4.    Therefore everything we touch is abundantly blessed.
5.    And finally, the ultimate perk: we get closer to God!

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.

The Word of God considers presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God as reasonable. It’s not too far of a stretch to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. Have you ever heard the phrase “that’s the least you can do?” When we present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, “that’s the least we can do” for God.

Definitions

Living Sacrifice- daily sacrificing the lustful desires of the flesh to please God.

Holy- Conform your mind to believe God’s word only. Whatever God says is right or wrong; you believe and say it’s right or wrong. (Nothing spooky)

Acceptable Unto God- God will not accept us on our own. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we’re made righteous and acceptable in God’s sight.

Live your life right for God, it’s the least we can do.

Be Blessed

1 Corinthians 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

Worldy wisdom can only go so far compared to the wisdom of God.  And our God is so awesome that He decided to compensate for our lack by giving us His thoughts through the Holy Spirit.  So, when we ask for the Holy Spirit, He then lives in us (Luke 11:13).  But, as a part of God, He is not intrusive. He will only provide His wisdom when asked (when we are submitted to Him).  And the more we adhere to this Godly wisdom, the more we give Him authority to direct us.  Praise God for a direct connection to the source of Wisdom!!

Acts 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will you have me to do? And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.

Often times we get so caught up in our blessings, our needs and desires until we forget to ask God what He wants from us. To be used by God, we have to be vessels for God. To be vessels for God, we have to ask God what He wants from us.

Never forget to be willing to be used by God because we are His hands and feet on the earth.

Inspired by Smith Wigglesworth

Colossians 1: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

God is meant to be placed first.  In everything we do and every part of our day, we seek and put Him first.  We praise, honor, and worship Him, first.

In addition to making Him a priority, everything was created with the intent to worship God.  So our purpose is to worship Him with our jobs, organizations, activities, and everything we put our hands to.  We make decisions and actions pleasing to God in everything that we have been given authority over.

Isaiah 30:¹ “Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;
² who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.

The best way to get results from God is consulting Him in everything we do. It doesn’t have to be a major event for someone to consult God. We should consult God in even the minutest situations.

The New Testament says it this way [Matthew 6:³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.] When God sees that we consult Him in everyway, His Word says all the things we need/desire will be given to us.

Start consulting or seeking the Lord in everything you do.

Be Blessed!

Matthew 26:39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

At times we may not feel like praying. We may not feel like attending church. We may not feel like reading the Word of God (Bible). We may not feel like giving up a certain lifestyle (sex, drugs, alcohol, etc).

In case you missed it, Jesus didn’t feel like dying on the cross. If Jesus never died and rose for us, we would feel the heat of hell at the end of this life.

God may ask or require us to do something we may not feel like doing but remember the sacrifice His Son made for all of us.

Be Blessed!

Jeremiah 1: 5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”  8And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!” 17 “Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them.18 For see, today I have made you strong… 19 They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

God has created each of us with a distinct purpose.  He knows us and still loves us and has set us apart to do His Will in the earth.  So, our role is to listen to Him.  We follow His prompting.  We fight with His Word and we obey what He says to us.  And, we win. Circumstances do not dictate the outcome.  Every time we are obedient to God’s direction, we are victorious!

Psalm 95:3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods

When waiting on the manifestation of our needs/desires, the devil will attempt to cloud our minds with a dissatisfaction of God’s timing and His handiwork. The devil will attempt to cover up or make us forget about all the wonderful things He’s done and magnify the things that hadn’t happened yet. While you’re waiting on the promises of God, praise God for all the wonderful things He’s done in your life. Praise God for the ways He’s made and the situations He’s helped you with.

Be Blessed!

Love like God. Learn about God. Live out loud for God.

Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Salvation is our first priority.  But, after salvation, we should build such a relationship with God that we fall in love with Him (because He first loved us, 1 John 4:19).

And because we are so in love, we sacrifice our fleshly desires (to live for us) to our spiritual desires (to live for Him).  So, let us commit to worship God with ourselves daily!!

A person is not saved because they go to church.

A person is not saved because they read their Bible.

A person is not saved because they speak in tongues.

A person is not saved because they pray all day.

A person is not saved because they give their tithes and offering in church.

A person is not saved because they don’t get intoxicated.

A person is not saved because they abstain from sexual immorality.

A person is only saved when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A person is saved if a person declares with their mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9). The things that were previously mentioned are simply what saved people do.

For example, a professional football player works out, eats right, studies film, and gets much needed rest. Just because an average person works out and eats right doesn’t make them a professional football player. Only a professional contract with a team makes them a professional football player.

As time goes on a saved person will learn to do the things saved people do but, it’s a day by day process.

So…

For those who are newly saved, don’t stress yourselves out trying to do everything on the list above in one week. Everyday make an effort to do God’s will: )

AND

For those who are already saved, don’t criticize/judge others who are not “acting like Christians” in your mind because we are all still a work in progress.

Be Blessed!

John 6: 26Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

Our daily purpose is to live for God.  When we obey God, he blesses us, just as a parent would spare no expense for the betterment of their children.  But, God’s role in our lives is not that of a genie.  We should not come to Him to see what He can do for us.  We come to Him seeking what He has for us to do, and as we honor Him, we’re blessed (Luke 11:28)!!

Exodus 34:7 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].

Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”–and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

Iniquity is that sin(s) that tempts us the more than others. Some of us are tempted towards fornication, drugs, or adultery more than others. We all have a tempting sin. Iniquity is a sin that usually comes down from previous generations.

For example, John’s father and grandfather were alcoholics. The next thing we know, John becomes an alcoholic. Some people call it a generational curse but, the Bible calls it iniquity.

To be delivered from iniquity we need to be washed by the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, iniquity, and unrighteousness. This doesn’t mean the desire to sin disappears but, through the blood of Jesus we now have a choice to give in to our iniquity or not. We forsake our iniquity by renewing our minds with the word of God. If our thoughts don’t line up with the word of God, we must remove those thoughts and replace those thoughts that line up with God’s word.

For those who are having challenges with sins ranging from lying to homosexuality you can be delivered by the blood of Jesus and the renewing of your mind.

Be Encouraged!

Exodus 34:7 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].

Transgression is when we sin against another person.

For example we may lie to someone or we may deceive someone of what they truly deserve.

God wants, willing, and is waiting to forgive you of ALL your transgressions. Do it today.

Psalm 71: ¹⁴But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

No matter the circumstance, we hope and we praise.  We never give up because we know that we serve an awesome God and we have the victory regardless of what we see now (Deuteronomy 20:4).  Praise God!!

Exodus 34:7 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].

Sin is when we deliberately go against the word of God to please our flesh.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  We not only have to confess our sins to God but, Proverbs 28:13 tells us to forsake our sin as well.

For example: If we got drunk. We must confess our sin of getting drunk and not do it again.

God wants, willing, and waiting to forgive you for ALL your sins. Do it today.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually,

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Psalms 46:10 God says, “Be still and know that I am God.

We begin with salvation, but we live by our greatest sources – our connection with God:

1. Prayer – This is how we communicate with God.  We acknowledge, thank, confess, and request during prayer. We are instructed to pray without ceasing, or ask God to consistently intervene’ (Fred Price, Jr.).
2. The Bible – When we speak with God, we can use His words to ‘remind’ Him of who He is or what He promised.  The word is God (John 1) and God cannot deny Himself (Numbers 23:19).  So, when we use God’s word when speaking to Him, He has to follow through (Numbers 14:17).
3. Quiet Time – God’s communication with us: Just as we listen to people during a conversation, the way we hear God is to take time to listen.  He gives us joy, peace, instruction, purpose and more when He speaks to us.

2 Timothy 1: ⁸ Do not blush or be ashamed then, to testify to and for our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake, but [with me] take your share of the suffering [to which the preaching] of the Gospel [may expose you, and do it] in the power of God.

⁹ [For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago].

When God manifest something great in our lives we don’t have to hide it in shame. We should openly give thanks and praise to God for what He’s done. When God delivers us out of the mess we place ourselves in; be vocal and tell God THANK YOU.

Some of us seem to hide some of the things God has done for us. When we’re in public settings, we seem to hide our thanksgiving to God. Some of us seem to be ashamed to pray over our food in public. We have no reason to be ashamed. God has been too good to us for us to be ashamed. The very fact He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins should be a reason enough to say thank you. Don’t be ashamed, be vocal!

Be Blessed!

Luke 18:1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

Mark 14:1 They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.”

Psalms 46:10 God says, “Be still and know that I am God.

Prayer breaks barriers and moves mountains.  We pray to thank God, cast our cares and concerns to God, and to intercede for others.  We worship Him in adoration and humility of such an awesome God’s love for us.

But, the other component that is often forgotten is listening.  Just as we listen to people during a conversation, the way we hear God is to take time to listen.  If you do not already, challenge yourself (even set a timer if needed) to spend some set amount of time daily doing nothing.  Do not dwell on the thoughts that will attempt to crowd out His voice; ignore the notifications on the phone – just be still and give God an opportunity to speak.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

The only fight believers have to fight is the fight of faith.

How do we fight the fight of faith?

We fight the fight of faith by holding on to our faith in any and every situation. The devil is constantly attempting to place situations in our lives to make us lose our faith. Our job is to hold on to our confession of faith. Our job is to continue to believe what God’s word says no matter what the situation looks like. Our job is to trust God to the very end.

Hold on to your faith and don’t let it go.

Be Blessed!

Matthew 10:  ³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

If someone asked you do you represent the Kingdom of God by believing Jesus is your Lord and Savior in a corporate/public (non-church related) setting?

What would you say?

Would you say…

1. None of your business.
2. I don’t discuss religion.
3. Maybe…why?
4. Boldly answer Yes I do.

If Jesus was standing in front of us when someone asked this question, most of us would choose answer “D.” However, since we can’t physically see Jesus standing there some of us may not automatically choose answer “D due to the environment.” Whether you believe it or not, Jesus is always there.

Never forget or be ashamed of Jesus, the One who did and is doing so much for you as you read this.

NIV Psalm 19:12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 13Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

We can sin in two ways:

(v. 12) Hidden Sins: we may sin without realizing it because we have not yet learned or been convicted of it (human err).

(v. 13) Blatant Sins: when we knowingly do what is wrong we are rebelling. Continually doing this separates us from God (although He is always there waiting for us to repent and commit ourselves to Him).

We open ourselves to God’s authority, ask forgiveness for those hidden sins, admit when we miss the mark for known sins, pray that God keeps us from these rebellious sins, and take action to not allow ourselves to fall into the same sins (Ephesians 4:22-24).  Praise God for the opportunity to get it right!!

Deuteronomy 8: ¹² Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them,

¹³ And when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all you have is multiplied,

¹⁴ Then your [minds and] hearts be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage,

We’re on our best behavior when we’re standing in faith or believing God for something we need or desire. We pray and read the Bible daily, we attend all the church functions, and we even watch church on TV. We do our best to impress God so that we can receive our blessing.

Once God blesses us, things start to change. Our church attendance drops, we replace our prayer time with pointless conversations on the phone, and church TV is replaced with reality TV. It’s kind of like we got what we want so we’re done sucking up to God.

We continue to live this way until another need or desire enters the picture.

God deserves better than that. When He blesses us with our needs and desires that should be even more reason to praise and worship God. That should be even more reason to do all the things He commands us to do.

I’m guilty of this one myself but, I had to change. Be a consistent Christian; by living your life always wanting to please God. The only change we should do is for the better.

Be Blessed!

2 Timothy 1: ⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

As God’s people who have received His Spirit (John 14:16, 17), we are different now.

1. Because God’s Spirit does not make us fearful, we choose to cast our cares on the Lord and trust Him. (Psalm 55:22)

2. Because God’s Spirit gives us power, we recognize and declare that we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)

3. Because God’s Spirit gives us love, we choose to love to others even when they seem undeserving. (1 John 4:12)

4. Because God’s Spirit gives us self-discipline, we submit our mind, bodies, and souls under the authority of God. (James 4:7)

Praise God for the gift of His Spirit!!

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

When it comes to faith, there’s a difference between believing and trusting God’s word.

A person can believe all the miracles God performed in the Bible but, they may not trust it can happen to them. So they try to do it themselves instead of relying on God.

A person can believe and know God is capable of supplying their needs but, they may not trust His timing or method. So they go into debt by charging their needs on credit cards.

A person can believe God can heal them but, they may not trust God to make them whole. So they sulk and have a defeatist attitude regarding their current health condition.

Trust in God and don’t worry about anything else. He loves you and He will take care of you.

Be Blessed!

1 Thessalonians 5: ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Galatians 6: ⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

When that person cuts you off, curses you out, speaks negatively of you, breaks your heart, or does anything against you, pray positively for them.  Not a threat type of prayer, but a prayer for their salvation, revelation, and blessings.  For, we sow what we reap, and think of the abundance of blessings can we reap for ourselves by blessing those that persecute us.  So, before we rise to anger, instead we choose to pray and sow a positive seed for ourselves in the process of it.