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Monthly Archives: April 2013
Sometimes You Have To Lose To Win The Bigger Prize
When I think about all of the times that I have ever felt defeated in my life there was something within me that I could not realize at the time. Day by day after the bad times I felt so awful, longing to go back and change what had happened, making the statements like “I should have never went to begin with” or “Why do I even bother”.
Ultimately when we get stuck on the whys and whats of a problem we tend to lose the confidence that we possess within ourselves to succeed. In his walk on earth Jesus opened up something that totally went against the grain of our discouragement from not seeing or getting what we expect. Jesus began to teach with references to moving mountains speaking to peoples lack of faith from discouragement of not seeing it and boldly stated that through faith renewed in hope that you could ask and receive.
Matthew 17:20
[20] And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 21:21-22
[21] Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
[22] And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
The bigger picture is even when you lose through hope you can still have the bigger prize. Even when I do not see the blessing with hope within I still have strength to believe in faith regardless of the conditions of the situation. This can be seen in its simplest form when you see amazing people fighting cancer within their body yet they still have the mind power of a perfectly healthy human being. The power of hope renews the hope of faith. And with faith comes the renewing of the mind. And with a renewed mind comes the sanctification of the body through temperance (self-control) to not only keep you at peace but to be disciplined to continue and believe based on what you have knew of God to have done for you in the past!
So you know what? I will gladly take a loss in this life to hope and realize the strength of the spirit and long for Heaven’s gain! As I have said many times in the past, I strive for the mark, the prize of the high calling of God. Do we know what that prize really is? It is faith through hope and belief in Jesus Christ! When you reach the prize you win the race!
The Things We Take For Granted Are Things We Miss When They Are Gone
As I am learning day by day to be an ambassador of God’s love there is one fact that stands very clear to me: the things that we take for granted are things we miss when they are gone. I apologize if this sounds like a golden-age’ish trip to the past, but I assure you there is a revelation for you.
Starting out in my childhood I never really realized (and we typically do not as kids) how good life really was. Having little responsibility and having the only worries of what that note said that was passed at school was definitely a care-free time in my life. Sports were great…well…playing sports with an energy that did not run out was great! Christmas was a different experience as a child than an adult; for I can honestly say that the look on my face when I got presents I wanted let me know what pure glee felt like. I never knew that the experiences I would have with my family that we would seemingly be rushing through would be moments that I would give anything to have had more time in. There were people that I got to be around that were such a joy to my life that have passed away as I have gotten older. What I would not give for that chance to thank them with the same love they have shown me.
Moving on into my teenage years I plainly see my attitude was always objective with rebellious actions and always wanting more. I got what I wanted and thought I was entitled to it, as if being totally irresponsible and ungrateful were not enough in my opinion to deserve it. And even though my teenage years had a lot of bad decisions involved I am happy to say that there were some people that still attempted to invest in me. I had 3 teachers I specifically remember that took the time to make sure they knew I cared. I still remember their names and faces and now know what it was they were trying to do for me. I remember beginning to pay attention in church and seeing people do things that went completely against my outlooks and perspectives of things I thought were true as I was discovering life for myself. Yet there were those who still loved me even when who I thought I was changed all the time. Those people have never left my heart and I am so grateful that I was taught by example about what it means to love through God’s love.
I guess it would be safe to say that I am about in the mid-point in my adult life now. I’m not sure how much more time God will give me to live. Since I have been saved and delivered from my addictions life has totally changed. Something else changed: the numerous amount of people that were as a support around me began to let up little by little. I began to wonder if it was something that I had done to have people start only calling when they were in need of something. I thought I must have surely done something wrong to get in a situation where I always gave and never received a return. I went my entire life knowing one way and now was lost in this part of the journey. The one thing I had to learn in what seemed like the hard way at first was that God was there all along! I then began to learn about how much help I could have through God, that it was so much more than just knowing you had salvation. There was a relationship with God that began to bloom in my life that began to feel just like the people that were around me in my past. And now more than ever I now understand that this stage was a transition to God’s full purpose for my life. There are people now, as I have stepped into the faith, that are in great need of that person that will love through God’s love. Sure I could be sad about losing all of the loved ones and experiences I have had, but I now know why I ever got to feel the good times to begin with. It is now my time to pay it forward.
This ministry and the calling God has on my life was built by every good memory, good experience, and good person that invested in all of our lives. We were being built by people who had the love of God that wanted the best for us. When I really think about that my heart goes out for so many. I could never repay them all, just as much as I could ever fathom of repaying God’s free pardon of sin and love that has been shown to me. God’s love for all of us is shown to us so that we not only know God but show that same love in kind to others. It is so important to not stay selfish and always looking to find more for you. As you grow up and mature in your life God can teach you how to change from being selfish to selfless. In closing this thought I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the things I always took for granted are things that I wish I could get back. And though I cannot get back what I had I can still give out of what I had received. That is where the bible all of a sudden opened up to me like a flood and these verses hit me like I had just read it for the very first time.
1 John 4-7-11
[7] Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
[8] He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
[9] In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
[10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
[11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Who Am I?
To begin to know who we are we must first recognize who God is:
Genesis 1:1
[1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Ecclesiastes 3:14
[14] I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
Psalms 148:5
[5] Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
Psalms 119:90
[90] Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
1 Samuel 2:2
[2] There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
Revelation 19:6
[6] And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Isaiah 44:6
[6] Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Jeremiah 32:27
[27] Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
God wants us to recognize Him as the one true God and worship Him only.
1 Samuel 7:3
[3] And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
So who am I?
Our nature is human ( or Flesh) – made from the dust, born into sin, born to die, a sinner, full of faults and mistakes, righteousness is as filthy rags.
There is none Good in this world except God through us! It overcomes our human nature and brings us into a new standard of righteous living and leads us unto life eternal through Christ!
Ezekiel 16:1-6
[1] Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[2] Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
[3] And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.
[4] And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.
[5] None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.
[6] And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.
An outcast – father was an Amorite and mother a Hittite
Alone and helpless – thy navel was not cut; was not washed, was not swaddled-none eye pietied me; polluted in my own blood; course of life was headed for destruction-could not help myself and no one else could help
Like the man that went down from Jerusalem to Jehrico and fell among thieves and was beaten and left for dead – Needed someone to come for me as I was and where I was
He came looking for me – As He passed by he saw me for what I was but didn’t turn me aside and leave me to die in my sins. God through Christ had compassion and said live! He did not leave any of us the way that he found us.
If someone comes by and asks me who I am, I can say I am a sinner saved by God’s grace which came by Jesus Christ!
I am:
Blessed because my transgressions are covered, my rough places made smooth, my crooked paths made straight. His blessings overtake me as I go down life’s road
Washed though my sins were as scarlet they are now made white as snow
Forgiven because my sins are cast out into the sea of forgetfulness
Psalms 103:1-5
[1] Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
[2] Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
[3] Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
[4] Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
[5] Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
When I think of who I am now, some words definitely come to mind: Covered, Redeemed, Pardoned, Justified, Free, Delivered, Kept, Whole, Watched, Adopted, a Joint-Heir, Loved, Clothed and in my right mind, Glad, On my way home, more than a conqueror! I am also precious in His sight, standing on a Solid Rock, Anointed, and the list goes on and on. I will always be able to claim each of these, for they are eternal.
The journey of life sometimes brings us hardships, toil and trouble. We get weary, tired, discouraged, worn, lonely, homesick, perplexed, afraid, sick etc. But remember God’s grace and his salvation is greater than, goes further, and is stronger than the trials of life. These are but temporary and will soon be left behind. When life gets hard, encourage yourself with God’s word and His promises. Remind yourself of who you are and who your Father is.
So who are you?
04/20/13 – House Of Prayer And Praise – Benefit Singing
Wait On That Good Seed To Bloom
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Here is a devotional that talks about learning to wait and see the good seed that was sown in God’s love to bloom and be a blessing to others (and you too!)
Be A Lively Stone
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John 3:3
[3] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
The new birth is necessary. Why? When we consider the substance within us that is without Christ it is totally susceptible to the temptations of the enemy. Without salvation our soul is not prepared for what is to come when this vapor of life is over.
John 8:44
[44] Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
We had to be born again from sin and brought into a new life everlasting. We are made into a new creature through Christ, leaving the nature and failures/mistakes of the old creature behind. We no longer have to look at the past with regret and fear; for we have been forgiven and have overcome with the blood of Christ and the spirit of God!
John 1:12
[12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
If there is no spiritual birth through Jesus Christ there can be no spiritual life through the Holy Ghost.
1 John 4:9
[9] In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Life is only come through God’s manifest of the Holy Spirit! Without it our natural lifesource within our bodies will fail and will come short.
1 Peter 2:2
[2] As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
If there is no life there can be no growth.
Ephesians 4:13
[13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Without growth there can be no perfection (maturity) through our trials.
Romans 8:21
[21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
If there is no maturity there can be no liberty in the anointing of the spirit!
Romans 8:15-17
[15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
[16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
With no liberty we are not able to hold the inheritance of maturity through sanctification of the spirit on a consistent basis.
In other words…same old trial ups and downs, etc.
Without using the opportunities in our lives to grow by surrendering to God in the hard times we will find defeat in repetition.
Keep On Fighting The Good Fight
There may be some of you have been praying for strength in tough situations because you may have felt or feel like you are defeated. I know this sounds silly when it is being said, but sometimes one of the best things we can do is to keep on fighting through the confidence of faith in God. There is a lot to be said about people that still have the willpower to fight even when they are being knocked down. I like to call these sorts of folks “scrappers”. Scrappers may get beat up or overwhelmed from time to time but never lose the confidence to believe that if they keep fighting that they will win. Some of the most successful athletes in sports today were not the most talented or athletic but possessed the ability to keep fighting. I would take a scrapper any day over anyone who is not used to staying strong in the fight!
Though we may have moments where we feel like we are down for the count, I speak to your weariness and tell you to get back up and keep on ‘scrappin’. The devil can only go so far into your life before (through your faith) you take a stand and declare defeat unto the enemy! Paul, towards the end of his life, acknowledged his perseverance through his life and ministry by stating that he had fought the good faith and reiterated the same analogy to his real thought that he had kept the faith! As we are faithful to God when our human nature attempts to decline in confidence God will move in kind (through the holy spirit) to bless you in that right-now time. The bible identifies this by stating that God is a present help in a time of trouble. So when you are in the middle of the fight you can expect the second wind of the spirit to come! You are not alone in this fight. Do not let the struggle of the fight keep you from still believing that through Christ that you can still win.
Do not be discouraged. Stay confident in God. And as Paul encouraged his people I encourage you today with this same exhortation that God placed within my heart for you: Keep on fighting the good fight.
What To Do When Confronted
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Here is a devotion that will speak to what we need to display in our example as Christians when confronted!
Take Me To The Place Where God Is Real
By the almighty grace of God I write to you today with a renewed zeal within my spirit. In fact, I write each post, sing each song, and minister through the word being renewed within myself daily. In fact, the bible instructs in multiple scriptures to be renewed within your mind and for it to be frequently addressed. Some of you may wonder a couple things like a) what’s the point? and 2) why daily?
Throughout all of the bible you read the inspiring stories of triumph, victory and glory. When you hear people teach and minister over these moments do you ever ask yourself what it was within them that caused them to believe in the difficult times? I have often, especially in the most desperate moments of calamity; for when confusing is running rampart all about me I take moments in time and really try to understand where the men and women of God in the bible found their strength.
Take me to the place where God is real. I’m not just referring to counting your everyday blessings, but I am talking about a moment you can recall where you felt the presence of God strongly upon you. What happened in the moment when that transpired? Was there something amazing that happened?
I do not have to go very far back to find places throughout the history of my life where God was real for me. In a time when I needed deliverance from drug and alcohol addiction I found a very real experience through my sovereign savior. As I have testified in the past I literally felt the weights lift from the sin and attacks of my past. I was never the same. It was one of the pivotal points in my life where I went from knowing of God from others to knowing God for myself.
One of the key concepts that is part of the foundation for my life is that I am renewed in my present day from the blessings of my past. These same blessings are the stepping stones for my faith, leading me to know and believe that if God has performed miracles in my past that I can realize them through faith in my future! If I did not take the time to renew myself the faith I carry for a season may fade from my personal weakness.
I would have never thought the day would have come that when I would preach, teach or sing that I would see the crowd begin to get use to my obedience and therein decrease their active support. This day will come for anyone in an environment where you may be a part of a ministry in the long-term. So how do you stay effective for people that come in new? Take me to the place where God is real.
Every time that you will stir your faith by the blessings that were real to you it renews the hope within your heart to be effective and affectionate in your anointing for others. Put simply, it’s the strength that stirs the joy within you even when people may fail you.
So where is it for you? Do you remember where that moment that stirs your heart? Take me to the place where God is real for you!