04.30.09
NO MATTER WHO WINS
One of the things I notice about people is competitiveness among them. Even children of God do not seem exempt from this. Though competition is not harmful and can be good for us, we can let it lead to jealousy when another seems to do better than we are doing and we tend to forget we are to walk in love and be encouragers of others.
We are all created for different works and even though we do not all do our work for Christ the same way, we are all still doing what God created us to do. We are different parts of one body; the body of Christ. The eye does not do the foots job. The ear does not do the hands job. Just this morning I was explaining to my daughter that we are all individuals who are created for a purpose, but together we all are to do our jobs differently. Even though I am a Bible Teacher, I may not teach the same way someone else does. Is anyone wrong as long as they are teaching the Word of God? If methods and deliveries are different is one better than the other? No, we are gifted by God to do His will so we can each reach someone the other may not be able to reach. We are all one body working TOGETHER! We need to understand that no matter who “wins” God wins and He is still in control.
Here is a great list I found of a great mindset about worrying who is doing better or who is the winner.
No Matter Who Wins……
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.
ISN’T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL IN CONTROL?
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04.29.09
When My Heart is Overwhelmed
From the ends of the earth,
I cry to you for help
when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety, Psalms 61:2
David wrote this prayer request for security and assurance either when he was forced to escape during the days of his son Absalom’s rebellion or when he had just barely escaped from one of Saul’s many crazy attempts on his life. David’s soul was obviously very overwhelmed and he felt all the temptations we all feel when we are in the midst of severe trials and tribulations. When we are faced with these trails our temptations are the strongest to act in a unbecoming manner or step out of the will of God because we are troubled by our circumstances.
In this troubled world we live in, now more than ever, we need to seek God and His strength; knowing that He will never abandon us.
When we like David cry unto God for help when our heart is overwhelmed, His all surpassing strength is always readily available to help us! It is comforting for us to know that there is a place of shelter for us to run to and cry out to our Heavenly Father. He is our towering rock of safety that no enemy can penetrate or come against!
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04.28.09
Rules From God
1. Wake Up!! Decide to have a good day. “Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalms 118:24
2. Dress Up!! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7
3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. “He who guards his lips guards his soul.” Proverbs 13:3
4. Stand Up!! For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. “Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good…” Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up!! To the Lord. “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up!! For something higher. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6
7. Lift Up!! Your Prayers. “Do not worry about anything; Instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.” Philippians 4:6
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04.27.09
I AM Blessed That Settles It!
Your tongue is a very powerful. With your words you can either call down blessings from heaven or bring curses (failure) into your life. The Bible so gloriously tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21). In other words we eat what we have spoken! If we have spoken lack we eat lack. If we have spoken death we eat death. If we can understand how powerful the words spoken out of our mouths are in our lives, we would change what we say! We would not let frivolous words like “that kills me” or “I could have died” come out of our mouths.
Today I want us to use our mouths to bring life and blessing into our lives. So we are going to speak and declare over our lives today!
Thank You, Lord, that the blessing is working in me, on me and around me. I declare that I am blessed when I come in and blessed when I come out. Jesus came to the earth to restore the blessing that Adam lost in the Garden of Eden when he sinned and because I am a child of God, I have a covenant right to the blessing! I declare that like Abraham, I am blessed to be a blessing until all families of the earth are blessed. Because of the blessing of God on my life, I am empowered to prosper in every endeavor that I take on and every project that I begin. I am blessed on my job and all my relationships are blessed. Like Joseph, those in authority over me see the blessing of God on my life and I have favor as a result. Thank You, Lord, for blessing me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. I am powerful, wealthy, influential and blessed! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Scriptural references:
·Deuteronomy 28:6-8
·Genesis 28:14
·Genesis 39:3
·Ephesians 1:3
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04.24.09
A Reminder to Happily Serve
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04.23.09
Facing Doubts
Have you ever thought about what we would do if Jesus walked as a man on the earth today and performed the miracles He performed in the Bible? Many of Jesus’ followers were eye witnesses to the amazing miracles Jesus worked in His life here on the earth. They watched firsthand as Jesus turned water into wine, restored sight to the blind, healed infirmities, and brought the dead back to life. Pay particular attention to Martha who had spent much time with Jesus; He had been at her home on many occasions and yet she doubted that He could perform such a miracle when Jesus called Lazarus to rise from the dead and walk out of the tomb (John 11)! She allowed her grief and her five sense realm to dictate to her what her belief should be. She knew in the natural that Lazarus had been dead too long; too long for even Jesus to do anything about – or so she thought. Yet even though Jesus knew she had doubts, Jesus called to Lazarus to come forth and right before Martha’s doubting eyes she watched Lazarus walked out of the tomb alive and well!
I believe that most of us today would probably doubt as well. Twitter would be full of tweets, blogs would be over run with accusations, and news TV shows would continue to sow seeds of doubt and discord among the nations, of the lies and tricks of this man named Jesus. We would have trouble believing that such a miracle could really happen. However, in the face of our doubts, no matter how strong or cynical, Jesus is still the miracle worker. He is still the one who today heals, frees, and even raises those from the dead!
Do we trust that He can do anything in our lives today? Do we trust that He can and will provide our every need? Do we trust He can open blinded eyes in the natural and in the spirit realm? Do we trust He can and will do even the miraculous?
We cannot let our doubts keep us from experiencing Jesus’ life changing power. We must trust Him and stand back and watch him work in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Only trust Him, only trust Him, only trust Him now!
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04.22.09
Bloom Away!!!!
“I will bless the person who puts his trust in me. He is like a tree growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water. It is not afraid when hot weather comes, because its leaves stay green; it has no worries when there is no rain; it keeps on bearing fruit. – Jeremiah 17:7-8
I am sure you have heard many different people talk about blooming where you are planted. Well today I am no exception. I have people always ask me what to do in tough situations or what do I think God’s will is for them. I feel it always comes back to the same thing; do what you can do now for God – bloom where you are planted!
God the Father is an amazing father; he never abandons His children (Joshua 1:5). However, when things fail to turn out as we have planned, we begin to question the Lord and His leading. But as His children we should not be led by our circumstances. We, because we know how to behave, should make the most of our circumstance while standing on the Word of God.
In Acts 27 we see the apostle Paul’s voyage to Rome. This journey was slow and difficult; the winds were blowing persistently- finally the vessel landed in a place called lee in Crete. Paul warned the crew that they were going to be in great danger, however Paul’s advice was not followed. As a result, the storm beaten vessel drifted aimlessly for fourteen whole days. Paul was saved by the narrowest margin as he swam ashore holding on to a piece of wreckage. He could have chosen at that moment to think God had completely forgotten about him, but he knew God had not.
Paul was not disheartened by this life-threatening struggle. As they were sailing on the rough seas, he urged his companions to take heart and assured them several times they would be kept safe according to the Lord. The three months stay on the island became very fruitful. As he had done before, Paul proclaimed the message of God and performed many miracles there (Acts 28:1-10).
In another occasion, Paul was imprisoned while he wrote to the Philippians. The hardships Paul faced did not alarm him. His goal was to preach the Gospel and he did not question his goal even though he had been arrested. He bloomed where he was planted and proclaimed the message of the Gospel to his captors (Philippians 1:12-14)!
We are to trust the Lord. We are not to be in despair when our plans fail or when our life abruptly changes direction. We are to know that God is in control as long as we allow Him to be. We are to stand on the promises He has already given to us; knowing He never let’s His words turn back to Him empty (Isaiah 55:11). Our responsibility is to trust Him no matter what it looks like and we are to be like Paul and make the most of the situation and bloom for God right where He has planted us.
What are you facing right now that has you feeling as if you are being tossed to and fro? Find the promise in the Word of God that He has already given you and stand on that promise! Then bloom right where God has you, it may feel like a pile of manure but we all know manure is only fertilizer, so bloom away!
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04.21.09
Today I have a question
I was thinking and praying for my pastors this morning as I was preparing my coffee in my favorite blue coffee cup. I began wondering how many Christians pray daily for their pastors?
It is imperative that we daily pray for our pastors, their family, their marriages, the church we attend, and the staff of our church.
The Bible clearly tells us that we are to pray for those God puts in leadership over us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2:
‘Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayer, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.’
This also includes those in leadership over us in every area of our lives, however today I want to encourage you to pray for your pastors.
I find it interesting that people think they can tell a pastor how to do his or her job. Would you ever think of telling a surgeon how to operate on you, or your banker how to do their job.
Pastors are no different. I can tell you that I have found that the more you make someone a priority on your prayer list every day, there is no way you will be able to talk about them or complain about them.
I encourage you today, start praying for your pastor every day. Pray that he/she will be after God’s heart, that they will know the Word of God and teach it in it’s entirety, pray blessings beyond measure on their life!
Do this and watch what God does!
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04.20.09
7 People Who Will Never Step Out of Their Comfort Zone
By Ellesse Chow
A few months ago, a friend came up and told me she’d been offered to join a new department in her company. It was something radically different from what she was previously doing, so she was having second thoughts about accepting it.
“Isn’t that what you want? To get a change from what you are already handling? This will be a great break!” I beamed with enthusiasm.
“Yeah, but…” she rattled on, giving 101 reasons why she felt it would be a bad move.
As I listened, I began to sense an invisible shield surrounding her, keeping her closely tucked into a small enclosure where she felt she would be “safe” and “protected”. I tried my best to give her a You-Never-Know-Unless-You-Try pep talk, hoping that it would help her break out of the cocoon, when suddenly she blurted out “It’s easy for you to say that because you’re not in my position”. Click! The cocoon was locked. Tightly.
At that moment of time, I’d decided to keep my comments to myself. It’s hard to break a nut. It’s even harder to break someone out of their comfort zone cocoon, without them putting some effort from the inside.
As more and more similar cases surfaced since that last incident, my final conclusion is, it’s futile trying to break someone out from their comfort zone because such cocoon comes with a self lock mechanism. Unless a bolt of realization strikes them, something like an awakening call, they’ll never unlock and step out of their comfort zone willingly.
You’ve probably met some of these “cocoonees” before. Here’s the top 7 list of people whom I think will never step out of their comfort zone… errh, unless they start doing something NOW.
Skeptical Joe
Often caught attributing other people’s achievements to their background or good fortune instead of their hard work, he usually says things like “If my dad is as rich as his, I’ll probably be as successful as he is” or “What’s the big deal? I could do better”. Well, envy breeds fury, isn’t it? If only he can use his jealousy to push himself out of the cocoon, I’m sure he’ll have a lot of achievement than to sit there and whine. He is also the first person who will be waiting (while still in his cocoon) to catch anyone scouring back into the comfort zone.
Mommy’s Child
He is the type of guy whom his mom will plan everything for him. From the type of career path he should be treading on, the kind of people he should be going out with to the color of underwear he should be wearing (ok ok, I admit I’m a bit exaggerating). His mom did such a good job that there’s nothing much for him to worry. The irony is, it’s quite common for the Mommy to hand over the reins to the Spouse when she finally decide that he has grown up.
Timid Chicken
Timid chicken likes to cluck away, often saying things like “What if this…”, “What if that…”. He’s so worrisome and fearful of the future that it can be quite infectious. But the sad thing is, he doesn’t know and terms his fearful talk “a reality check.”
The Opportunist
He’s always telling others he’s waiting for the right opportunity. But the truth is, no time is the right time. In the end, he’ll just keep on waiting. Even when the opportunity really strikes, he doesn’t know, because he never know what the right opportunity is in the first place.
The Perfectionist
He’s the type of guy who’s constantly doing research, trying to find the best business model, write the most comprehensive business proposal. Often, his research leads him to some feedback that it’ll not work, which entice him to conduct even more research. Before he know it, his entire lifetime is spent researching.
The Scientist
This is the type of guy who wants evidence in everything, such as proof that this new career path or choice of lifestyle will be best decision for him. He usually spends his free time asking people their results with the ventures or choices that they’ve made. More often than not, their so called “evidence” is not substantial enough to warrant the effort of him moving out of his hibernation.
Once Bitten Twice Shy Tortoise
Give this person some credit because he did come of the cocoon once. But he gave it all up just after 1 or 2 bad experiences. Little does he know that it actually takes more courage to walk back into the comfort zone than to just keep walking forward. Why? Because he will find Skeptical Joes waiting to pouch on him and say “See, I told you it wouldn’t work.”
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04.17.09
Not By Our 5 Senses
Yesterday I talked about living in the five sense realm and waiting for manifestations before we believe. So many people say I will believe it when I see it! It is common for our carnal nature to doubt. What our senses want is proof. Thomas was saying the same thing when they were in the upper room. He wanted proof of Jesus’ resurrection. However, Jesus’ answer to Thomas was “…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That my friend is you and I. We were not there, we did not see, but yet we believe everything that happened.
In his letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul tells us that believing without seeing is the lifestyle of all who follow Christ (2 Corinthians 5:7). When we are wondering what will happen and we cannot see the whole picture, that is the best time in which our faith has the opportunity to grow. That is also when doubt can begin to creep into play causing us to waiver. This is the time we have to choose: do we turn to Jesus and give him our full trust and faith, or sit in fear of what may or may not happen.
If there is an obstacle in your life right now which is causing you to fear and doubt, turn that obstacle over to Jesus. His Word says He cares for you, so cast your cares onto Him (1Peter 5:7)! Remember it is during those times of fear and doubt that we have the opportunity to turn Jesus and He can help us walk by faith and not by our five sense realm!
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