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Monthly Archives: March 2011

Consider Your Environments

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Psalm 139:7-8 – Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

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I know people think I made a mistake with the title, but I truly meant to say the word “environments”. As we go about each day, we are in more than just one place in an ideal world. And in every setting are all kinds of things that you have to face. Some of these things might be encouraging to you, and some of them may attempt to pull you down.

If and when you are in control of being able to eliminate the vices and things that are hurting your walk with God, then I suggest you cut them loose. This may mean an item, a person or a place, but it is well worth the sacrifice. Sometimes we have to pay a price to draw closer to God, but it will always humble us and put us in a better place. Try not to think of it as losing things, but more along the lines of gaining better surroundings for God to exist in your life.

It’s a tough subject, but it’s one we have to remember. You’ll be surprised what you will see if you just take a minute to look around. God will help you with this, and you are not alone!

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Put Into Practice:

Examine the day that you just went through today or even the one you had yesterday. Think about all parts of the day that was leading you into a place that was discouraging or disheartening. It could have been a topic of conversation or even something that you may have been doing without even knowing what it would end up doing in the long-run.

Take just one part of anything that you found and dedicate your following day to focusing on not allowing this to occur again. Remove yourself from the conversations or the objects that would hinder you from being in joy or at peace. Begin to pray and seek for the comfort and leadership of God to lead you through the times that we find difficult.

Loves Goes Further Than Hate

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THE WORD

Luke 10:27 – And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Throughout my life there have been many instances where I wanted to get upset because of some situation and act upon my frustration. It is safe to say that every human being in the world faces this challenge. Let us remind ourselves today that actions and words coming out of our own hatred and anger will not change anything, but in fact turn you away from the love of God. Remember how that acts of love, no matter how great the trials we are facing, have a greater impact than acts of hate. If your act of love is to simply hold your peace after someone worked against you then you must show God’s love and preserve your peace!

This concept of merciful thinking may be hard to implant into our minds yet we recall that the word of God teaches us to deal with persecution by rejoicing in our tribulation. I can assure you that without the strength only received by the joy of the Lord that finding peace of mind will be difficult.  In fact, by attempting to interpret this concept within our own ideals we may find ourselves laughing as Abraham and Sarah did as they attempted to believe in their elder ages of what seemed like an impossible turn of events that God had spoken would come to pass (about the birth of their future son Isaac).

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Some of you that are reading this page struggle with your anger more than others; for this reason let me speak to you directly and encourage you: as you are starting on this new path of groundbreaking love to find a spiritual mentor, pastor or counselor to help you with your first few situations.  And as you grow in God continue to keep your emotions in check through all the amazing tools that God has given you and you will never be moved in the faith that you have. This is not impossible!

Consider Your Daily Habits

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We have things that go on each day: tasks, to-dos, routines, etc. Whatever you would like to call it is fine, but there are things we always have each day that we always do. What I would ask you to consider is to think about where God is in your day. I would highly encourage you to try and include Godly activities in where you have time, and if you do not do it now to make time for it.

Here is an applied example: If you cannot do it (by it I mean any Godly works) at work, do it BEFORE work. If you don’t want to read the bible or pray when you get off because you are too tired, read BEFORE you go in the morning. If you are not a morning person, read during your lunch hour while you eat. I’m not trying to be picky, but we have to be more considerate of where God fits in the midst of our busy lives. And just because I am using an example of doing something once doesn’t mean that I’m not recommending doing them more then that!

Always remember: seek the kingdom first, and all the other things will be added. In other words, make God a top priority, and the other things will come through God and not via a struggle through your own hand. Have a great day!

Words Are More Than Words

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THE WORD

Deuteronomy 32:1 – Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

Psalms 15:1-3 – LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

We write them in emails, Facebook walls, IMs, text messages, tweets or even speak them in person; for with words that come from our lips, hands, phones, tablets, and keyboards come a great power and responsibility for how you will convey them each and every day to those that are surrounded around you. Whether they are to encourage someone or to tell a person who upset you what you think about them you have an intriguing ability to express yourself to someone else through words. Always be aware of the words you speak as well as the words you hear. Communicating and listening can have a direct impact on your life in many capacities, and as the word of God gives reference to the power of life and death being in the tongue, you must be cautious! Trust me: people are reading, watching, listening, observing, feeling, receiving, etc. of what you speak, no matter the medium you use to use your words! As the bible refers to conversation about our business being “yay yay” and “nay nay”, make sure to keep things clear and to the point without using words that would tear down another person.

PUT INTO PRACTICE

I encourage you to dedicate one day to only speaking or writing encouraging words about the top three things that bother you. You will find that if your feel funny speaking positive and faithful statements then you are not accustomed to it happening enough to be comfortable with it. As you succeed with this good practice, continue to do it as many days as you can until you have built a good habit in your character.

Do Not Fail In Your Calling

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It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday world and let the calling of God fade in our lives. I’m here today to encourage you to do what God has placed in you. If you are a singer, sing with all of your heart! Learn a new song and surprise your church members next service. If you are a teacher, do something out of the ordinary next time. If you are a minister of the gospel, preach it out in a way that will get right to the heart! If you do charity ministries, be creative in a brand new way! Let people know through the desires in your heart and the positive outreach of your work that your fire has not gone out!

Do Not Be Surprised By Anything

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Proverbs 4:23 – Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

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Although this sort of reminder is now becoming more popular in today’s world, I feel it necessary to give a reality check about preparation. There are going to be many situations that will come up in the months, weeks, or even days ahead that will take you by surprise! These occurrences may be good or bad, wonderful or tragic, or simply just something you could not have put together in your mind to ever happen. There are also going to be circumstances, objects, or people that will be involved. Now that I have presented the reality, I would like to also give the solution to this reality: We cannot always be prepared, but we can be guarded! Regardless of how you put it all together before it happens, you have to learn to get yourself in the mindset to always be on guard in your mind through prayer. God has began showing me that in theory thought I may be surprised I can still be on guard and protected by the covering of His spirit!

I have learned as of late that the only thing you can put your trust in is God. Some of the best things are learned the hard way, right? Wrong! I cannot stress enough that the hard way is not the best way! Do not wait until you are in a real bind with your guard down before you begin to trust in God. God is the only foundation that will be solid that gives you a place you can seek for peace over the worries of your mind. I believe that is why the word of God talks about watching and praying. It bears more significance now more than ever!

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Put Into Practice:

When it comes to testing yourself for being surprised, there are many things that came to mind that could be fun and silly and would more than likely leave you forgetting this quickly. What I would like to do instead is to go a step further than a physical activity.

Think and consider a time where you heard something that did not affect you at first but did over time. Think about another time where something you hear had an immediate effect on you, bringing forth emotions that are normally not exposed in an everyday scenario. Perhaps you may have opened a letter in the mail or read an email about something that affected your finances, or you were informed about the passing of a loved one. There are many things that you could get a hold of here, but I would just ask you not think about the event, but the reaction.

Begin to pray and seek God to prepare you for the “next time”. Sometimes we will have a good run for a while before something else will arise, but God wants us praying daily and continually so that we can abide in all of the benefits of the spirit. By doing this I can boldly guarantee that you will handle the situation much better than you would have without prayer and a guarded heart!

In The Absence Of Others

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THE WORD

John 16:32 – Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

John 14:18 – I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

There was a time in my life when I was praying for God to help me when I did not have many friends. After having a breakthrough prayer I began to realize the bigger picture God was trying to get me to see: When we are in a place where we do not have the presence of others (physically or mentally) to give us encouragement, you can find comfort and spiritual fulfillment through the Holy Ghost, even in spite of the absence of others.

One of the best examples to study this concept is when you read about David in one of the worst moments of his life. He and his victorious army returned to a destroyed city. Ziklag was in ruin; everyone as he knew it was pitting against him, blaming him as the sole culprit of the massive loss of their families and homes while they were away in battle. Bear in mind he also lost everything and was forsaken by everyone yet David still found strength through his trust in God to encourage himself. God will be closer than a brother! To know this promise of God helps with everything that you will ever need even when others cannot be there for you. Life may take you many places, but God will always go with you, whether other people will choose to be for or against you. Never forget that!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

The next time that you feel sad, do not make an attempt to reach out to others immediately. Create an environment set apart that will promote your communication to God. Begin to seek God in prayer and pray for a breakthrough over these lowly feelings and enter into victory by the spirit! Learn to get past the hindrances of always feeling like we have to communicate every issue to everyone through in-person/online mediums. If you never allow situations to occur so you can encourage yourself through God’s spirit then when the time comes that you need encouragement from others you may be let down.

Sometimes Tears Are Necessary

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Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 – To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

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Prayer is definitely an essential part of your life, and truthfully a time to cry out to God, no doubt. However, sometimes God places people on your mind that might humble you or make you feel less than happy. I’m here to tell you that sometimes it’s good to feel the burdens of others. It often reminds me that life is not always just about ME. That is God trying to let you know he needs you to cry out for them today.  Say a prayer for someone else today, and let the tears flow for someone else’s need.

I cannot guarantee that when you get down praying today (or when you decide to) that you are going to rise up feeling as good as you did when you began. There have been times in the past that when I started praying that the burdens for others began to remind me that the call on my life is far greater than me. In that moment my selfishness really showed up and demonstrated just how much my love for others was.

When you decide to really be honest with yourself, you will allow yourself to cry, jump, scream, or any form of expression as long as you know it is what God is requiring of your life. As for me personally (even as a man), sometimes tears are needed. It gets me past all of my “I got this” and “I do not need you” attitudes and makes me realize just how much I need God.

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Put Into Practice:

Allow yourself to be humble before God. Find a quiet place (and if you cannot ask for one or make one if you must) and begin to meditate upon the Lord. Focus upon allowing yourself to be humble and to recognize the parts of you that “cannot do this alone” and “have no control over this”. You fill in the blank on whatever “this” may be to you. Remember, this is of no benefit unless you give it a legitimate shot! It is just you and God at the end of the day, so go for it!

Humble your spirit so that your faith can begin to grow in you each day. Personally, I would say that out of everything that I did out of the entire book that this may have been one of the most difficult. You can almost find yourself simply out of habit finishing sentences with what I would like to call the “prepositions of defeat”. Stop speaking things that would simply make you think “there is no way” or “that would be impossible” Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. We are starting right out of the gate believing in something that we are hoping for, so start hoping!

Pick And Choose Your Battles

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THE WORD

2 Chronicles 20:15  – And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Exodus 14:14 – The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

When we deal with everyday problems and the trials of life it can be hard to be calm in the midst of the storm. As our emotions begin to influence our judgment we may begin to spiritually decline. And as we decrease spiritually the lack of love is reflected in our irrational actions with little regard to try and improve the situation.

So the question is: What will you reap from that which you sow? If you sow something in anger or revenge then chances are that you will reap the by-product of these poor decisions. If you sow things with love (especially when the situation is provoking you emotionally) you will find that your feelings will be lessened in their ability to lead to bad decisions. God wants us to have peace and patience in everything that we do. Always remember to pick and choose your battles each day, and try to find the true worth of what you are fighting for. Sometimes it is best to walk away and let God give you peace first. The spirit of God will guide and fight for you in your every endeavor! Remember that!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

If you observe someone letting their emotions get the best of them you may just learn something. It may be by the change of tone of their voice or body language but it is easy to pick out when someone may not be thinking clearly. Put yourself into check the moment this attempts to happen to you. What was done that provoked you? What was said that bothered you? What happened that caused you harm? As you find the answer, pray and examine the right choice that you can make instead of the one you immediately feel.