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The Everyday Word

Sometimes The Best For You Is Not The Best For You

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If I had to say one thing that we all have been guilty of at one point or another, it would probably be trying to keep up with a trend of some kind. Sometimes it could be as silly as having the latest gadget or gizmo (I hear the droid noise as we speak) or as serious as something that would shift your faith towards God.

You see, popularity and trends change just as quick as the direction of the wind: very often and seldom predictable. Even knowing these things, we will still try to follow after most of the latest things in hopes of some kind of true fulfillment.

I would hate to have to be the one to say this, but I suppose I have said worse in my life. The truth of the matter is, when we are not satisfied with God’s movements, we’ll often move our passion to something else. One day we’ll be on fire and active in church, while on the next we will be out in the world not able to be the true light of the world. This is an alarming trend that we are finding more often, and with this you find less stability in representatives of Jesus Christ.

People, especially youth in this day and age, are truly hungry for a passion they can live by. We as representatives of Jesus Christ need to provide them with the trend that we live by: Godly living in love reaching out to all that need salvation and spiritual fulfillment for eternal life. It’s simple yet necessary. We make it more complex than it should be. If people seeing you following after God and seeing you leading a life of joy, then when their life is finally in a place to where they can be led by God we as the body of Christ are able to lead them!

So remember: sometimes what we have in our lives that people are calling “the best” may not be what people need to be “the best” for them. People need Jesus Christ. People need salvation, a way of escape, and people that will love without condemnation! Remember who you are in God!

When It Starts To Get Bad Make It Better

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THE WORD

Matthew 5:23-25 –  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Plenty of people told me in my youth about how exciting life was going to be. I learned really quick as I started out that no person could have prepared me for the way life would surprise. There are all sorts of circumstances that occur that will challenge your walk with God. You can try to run as fast as you can from the trial but at some point you will have to face it head on. I wish I could say that it was going to be an easy experience that you endure, but often it ends up being tough. Conquering our life battles with victory is truly what defines you. What defines you and builds your character are the experiences you have and the decisions that you make (as well as the rewards and consequences of those).

I have discovered that no matter what kind of mess I am in that I can have redemption in a trial through prayer and repentance! We must yield our pride and ask God for forgiveness for our sins and transgressions! By God’s grace and mercy we have the ability to move forward and overcome. I would not be able to make it through life without the peace that comes by prayer! Do not live stuck in things that you think that you have live with to forever. Give God your issues and allow the spirit to dwell in your life in a greater way. Nothing is impossible to God, and is in fact but a small thing! I encourage you to remember who the God that you serve or and embrace that relationship. Do not let life get worse while you are still able to make it better!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Battle through something that has hurt you and pray that God will forgive you for your feelings of bitterness and anger. And as you overcome, pray God show you how to improve something that is within your means to do (forgive someone, being benevolent).

Even When We Cannot See, God Is There

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There are so many days when we are in question of what we deal with as well as what we go through. Often times it is truly hard to understand and grasp the true knowledge of the “why” and “what” on everything we face. I am reminded every day that when it does not feel easy that those are the days that we have to allow God to begin to be our strength. Those are the times that we have to allow God to build our faith. Most importantly, we have to remember that God is there.

It would be easy for me to sit down and give up on my faith. Or so we think…I say that because faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. How many times has God came through for us in our lives even when we were not aware of a way to be made through something? I could not begin to count!

It’s by His grace and mercy that we still stand today, and it’s by the blessings that He pours upon us that we continue to strive forward as servants of Him! And remember, that God will never leave your, nor forsake you; especially in a time when you are calling on Him to be near. When Jesus was on the earth, He spoke of a comforter that would come when He would go. That comforter is ever-so-present with us now, and is more than able to help us through the days that are hard!

God is there! He is with you! Remember that, and do not waiver from how far that you have come! You have came too far and done so many great things in your life to simply lay down from a few hard times here and there! Let’s face them together and believe in faith! By the Lord God above, we shall prevail in victory!

Break The Mold, Step Out Of The Trendy Fold

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I love God! I praise Him today for everything that I have in my life. He has done so much that could not even begin to start telling you in words through any media or venue! I did not always have this excitement about God in my life. I know, you might be thinking, “what?!?”. You see, I have been saved for a long time and it has been wonderful to accept Jesus Christ and to have salvation in my soul. However, I had been essentially in a place in my life where I was in a state of mind to not explore what the spirit of God can perform in my life. For many, this is a touchy subject, and I get that.

I encourage you to read on with me.

You see, the spirit of God is a wonderful thing. It’s the part of the ministry that does what we cannot do for others. It’s the part of worship and your love for God that gives you strength for another day. It’s the comforter to your heart and mind in a time of trouble in your life. After I got saved, there were many trials of my life that began to start to overwhelm me (far more than I could handle for sure). I started becoming someone that was in need of those things we read of that we know as the fruit of the spirit.

When I began to pray to God for more of Him in my life, the hunger and thirst for God began to be fulfilled. I know you might be wondering, “how did you know?” There was a day that came after allowing the spirit to work through me that I stood and gave a testimony like I never had my entire life. It shocked me. I didn’t know that it was possible. At first, it even felt wrong simply because it was not what I was always used to, you know?

Over the next period of time as I allowed God to shape me, I began to sing in a greater way (and I previously thought it couldn’t get any better!). And after I began to allow my lifestyle to be what God wanted it to be, my life was truly transformed by the Holy Spirit in a way that could not begin to explain. I started beginning to exhort which eventually led into preaching. The preaching has led into outreach and publishing, and still I seek more!

The great thing about it all is that a long time ago when I was in desparate need for a change that the Holy Ghost began to perform a miracle in my life. It changed my mind, body, and heart truly for the better. Each day as I allow the spirit to lead and teach me I become a better witness of God and servant to God.

My excitement is unwavering! I cannot say this excitement was always met with acceptance everywhere that I have been, nor can I say that it has always been easy to stand where you know people would consider that kind of excitement frowned upon.

This is what I leave you with today. We have to be an example to show that the spirit of God can be and is fluent in the day we live in. We show that by stepping out of the mold set before us and being who God has called us to be. Let it be shown and let God be glorified! For when you step out for God in obedience by the spirit, the spirit will reach out even when you have done all that you can! It makes the difference!

Step out and be a brave obedient vessel today!

In Whom I Believe

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Many world issues are all around us and among us. Nationwide issues are prevalent, and local issues (where we are at least) are in vast abundance. When we hear of all the problems that are going on, the first instinct is to immediately “tune it out”.

That scares me.

My question is, whatever happened to the day when God’s people prayed in whom they believed? I know at one point it use to dominate everywhere that I would go; you could not go somewhere without the presence of God being reflected in some way. Now? It’s starting to fade from the falling away of the conditioning of the children of God today. I wish I could say something better than that, but I like to speak things that will get us thinking. We are all included in that list, because we have to learn to go forward and not stop! Sometimes I know it seems silly to sit down and to pray for situations that are way bigger than you are, but we have to be reminded of two things: 1) We aren’t able, but 2) God is!

If we can remember that, and hold true to the promises of God, we could have enough to fill our prayers every single day. We wouldn’t dread to hear things that would “pull us down”; I would say we would take a different approach. People that came to Jesus were met with faith and power. When people come to us, what do they see? What do they hear? I hope that when people come to the church of today, they know about “in whom we believe”. I hope we do not forget who is alive and on the throne today, and hears our every prayer! Knock the dust off of your prayer voice and get going! The next time someone comes to you with something, just remind them that you are praying about it (and that you actually are for real)!

What Do They Remember The Next Day?

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THE WORD

Matthew 5:14, 16 – Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Whether you are serving in a church ministry or walking the streets of your hometown, one thing is certain: you leave an impact upon those that you come in contact with. How you bless people goes far beyond your songs and spoken words; in fact it begins from that moment forward as people see you live your life every day. People are looking at you as a witness of God, whether you are active in the moment of obedience or idle at the grocery store. The conversations and actions that we take each day are the very parts and impacts that are left with people.

It is easy to say that if people come to church to hear me speak that the next day they will think of me as that speaker, right? What about someone who never comes inside the building and just talks to you in passing? When they leave your company, what is it that they say about you? Does it include the influence Jesus Christ within you? Is the witness and spirit of God evident in your life? This is something that all of us need to work on more and more as we venture on in life so people can know of the impact God has had on each of us. Remember to be keen to what is going on around you and to always operate in love. Let God shine in your life no matter the surroundings or circumstance. Allow yourself to lead by example and not a worldly spectacle. Lead by what God’s spirit teaches you and not by your own understanding. God’s instruction, as given by the word of God, will never lead us astray. God’s spirit, as given to every living being who will believe, will never leave you comfortless. God’s salvation, as given by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, is the message we given by the life we live! Let that message live in you so people will remember God in you!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Perform an act of kindness that you often overlook (aka open a door for someone; offer to pay for something, etc.). Use the opportunity to simply invite them to the church you attend. It does not have to be complicated to be an effective opportunity! It works!

What’s The First Thing You Do?

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THE WORD

Luke 6:31 – And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Think about when you first wake up. You roll out of bed, hurry to get into the shower and start getting ready. You put your phone and wallet in your pockets/purses, grabbing your keys and hurry out the door …..wait! Plenty of times I am sure we have went throughout our entire day and wondered why things seemed to be harder than they had to be. Many times I often wondered why I have felt like I was not prepared like I could have been. By the time we realize what we should have done differently in a situation it is usually too late to change what has been done. All the suffering to our minds and others hearts could have been averted had we prepared with the game changer that God has given us to use for every trial: prayer! Prayer can help us be prepared for things that we can and cannot see. Through praying we also are able to keep a clear focus of our love and patience towards others. I say this giving caution: always take time for prayer. While worship brings you inside the gates of God’s presence know that prayer is the way into the inner courts of the anointing. Believe me, I speak from experience when I say this, it is definitely worth it! I could not tell you how much more fruitful life is including God in my life in the morning and not waiting until later. I need Him then too!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Remember in the moment (rather than later) to include God in your prayers preparing you for the day ahead. A prayer of preparation is easier to pray than to have to ask God to forgive us for anything we could have avoided if we were properly being prepared! Remember to pray each day! And if you barely get out the door in time, make more time (get to bed earlier)! Let us honor God by giving him some of our valuable time! As you make your daily prayer life habit this same habit begins to produces replicated behavior. And as your behavior changes from your prayer life it becomes a part of your character. The person that you are is defined by what is within you. Let prayer be a part of you and allow it to be first in every situation and present difficulty that may come upon you. It is no wonder that Jesus handled walking through the trials of life as a human so well. He prayed!

Learn To Sever What Does Not Make It Better

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One part of life that is always evident is that there will always be things that we fall back on in the event of something that puts us on the defensive or our backs against the wall. There are plenty of people and situations out there that have and will provoke things in your life that simply should not be a part of who you are. This is something that is tough to realize in principle but when realized can be powerful to the building of your Godly life.

You see, there are those people and objects in your life that whether we see it or not could eventually lead us into things we never thought we would say or do. Sin and temptation comes in many ways and forms and is not exempt for anyone. I know it’s not easy to address the things that define our mistakes for any of us, but if we can begin to learn from them we can start to move forward.

As part of my testimony now, drugs and alcohol were a big part of my life once. God has now delivered me from many of my personal hardships (as well as those things) and for that I am very thankful! However, there were some adjustments in my lifestyle that had to happen. I had to begin to sever ties to the things that pulled me to those addictions. I will guarantee you that it will never be easy doing on your own, but I can also guarantee that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you!

When we look back on our lives and all the things we have done, we cannot live in regret because we have zero control of the past. We can only pray for forgiveness now and move forward. We must begin to allow God to help me adjust our lives to the way they should be. And as we do, life begins to improve by severing the influences that pollute your ability to live in peace and joy in Christ.

Are You On That New Roller Coaster Called Work?

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When you get up in your everyday life, there is always going to be more than you can accomplish in one day ahead of you. People are sleeping less, and trying to do 36-48 hours of tasks in 24 hours nowadays. As we continue with this trend needless to say the wear and tear of it has to begin to show somewhere. One can often find their-self in a place where they do not have much to do and consider their self in a “good” place. On that same token, when we are overwhelmed with things that we must take care of, we consider ourselves “bad” and think we are not doing enough and try to do more.

I wish I could say everything that everyone else in the world might say, but I would be lying to you. First of all, I have learned to not base the progress of my life on the number of tasks I have accomplished in a day. I cannot base it on the amount of money I draw in either. I could do a 100 things and earn a 1,000 dollars in one hour, but does that really put me in a “good” place? Not really at all, to be honest.

Work is always going to be there whether you go a mile a minute or are barely creeping. And trust me, I am all for being a person who likes to get things done. However, there has to be a place in your life for God. Your standing with God in your life to me determines how “good” or “bad” of shape we can be. You see, I can be in the worst of situations in life and still be in the best shape, simply because I’m living a Godly and spiritual life and not letting my life be worldly and continually task-driven. In fact, I have found that I am only in a bad place when I am spiritually weak and am not able to handle everything in my life on my own.

We were made to live life with God. We were made to serve God. We should remember to keep him first, and all the other things in our lives will begin to work for our good! We were built to live life by faith! Remember to be full-time for God, and to let every other work be part-time! All of your works (and your Godly obedience of course) is to be purposed draw others to Christ!

What’s Your Superpower?

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One of the hardest things to do in a ministry is not necessarily the work that you perform for others. When you are in the moment there is a part of you that steps up to do what God is calling you to do. What I have came to realize after being part of several different active ministries through the years is that the hardest thing we have a hard time doing is recognizing our talents and strengths.

Music has always been my life, so it was always a given for me that at some point in my life that God would use me and my family through the gift of song. To me, that was a given; in fact it was almost too easy to realize. However when a song is over, there you are: standing there in front of the people God has placed in front of you, and what do you do next? That question was one that lingered a long time. I’ve begun to realize in my latter days that the parts of you that you feel as though are sometimes useless can sometimes be your most powerful tools.

You see, I began to open my mouth and be willing for God to help me to encourage people. I guess you could say that I went from just music into music with exhortation. I loved encouraging people through my testimony and what I knew of the bible at the time. I had a new-found zeal and excitement because I discovered something that God had in store for me ahead in my future. Now? I’m involved in the full-blown ministry! I could have never imagined that. No one could have ever told me that this was the life I was stepping into.

If you only knew the transformation that has took place in my life. God has taken all of my weaknesses and began to make me strong. Instead of being addicted to drugs, I testify of freedom in Christ and teach and minister others to freedom in Christ! Now, instead of just thinking of all the things we wish we could reach out and say to everyone, we have an avenue by reaching through our online ministry!

Learn to recognize what you can do, and be willing to do more! You never know how far you might go if you have a willing heart and made up mind before God!