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Finding Your Spiritual Identity

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I Corinthians 2:14-16

[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
[15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
[16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

This was Paul’s message to the natural person. It was the type of person that Paul was most concerned over.

A Natural person

–        Has not been born again

–        Cannot understand spiritual things

–        Thinks the spiritual things are foolish

–        Turns away from the bible with thoughts and imaginations

The destiny of the natural human being without Jesus Christ is destruction. The need that all mankind has is salvation.

Romans 3:23

[23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

All people are naturally lost

John 6:37

[37] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

All people can be saved

Once we are saved we are no longer without hope. Something amazing happens!

I Corinthians 2:11-13

[11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
[12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
[13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

The Spiritual person

–        Was once a natural person

–        Salvation through faith in Christ has transformed them

–        Was once doomed, now delivered

–        Was once lost, now found

–        Was once bound for hell, now bound for Heaven

–        The spirit teaches the spiritual person

–        The spirit discerns (understands) all things

–        Sees the work of God in the world and in their personal lives

–        Spiritual things are not easily understood by others

Jesus warned of these things: John 15:18-20

[18] If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
[19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
[20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

V 16 – As we become spiritual we put on the mind of Christ

I Corinthians 3:1-4

[1] And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
[2] I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
[3] For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
[4] For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The Carnal person

–        Is confused

–        Knows what is right but does not do it

–        Knows the world is lost but clings to it

–        Is like Lot lingering in Sodom

–        Needs full commitment to Christ

The natural person lives for the moment. The spiritual person lays up treasures in Heaven. The carnal person tries looking in both directions. Finding the balance in your life is done successfully when the spiritual part of you leads.

Keep On Fighting The Good Fight

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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.

How Deep Is The Sea Out There?

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In the spirit of comparison I would like to share with you a thought about the perspective of “going deeper” in the Lord. This phrase carries multiple meanings across many different people. Some people consider going deeper to be related to your commitment to work in the church, while others see this more in a spiritual context and encourage submitting to the anointing of God. You could also consider the fact that some would be this to be well-versed in the word of God or to even love people in a greater way. What I write today is not to address what I feel like the depth means literally but more about the philosophy of understanding depth in God.

Ezekiel’s vision of the waters opens up the ideal of seeing different depths in the same body of water according to where you are standing. If you had to evaluate for yourself just where you feel like you are standing in the waters, where would that be? The one concept that I want to open up for all of us is that we always need to remember that there is always more to be had of God. How does one know this, you ask? First of all, I do not express enough about how that everyone with the ability to has the capacity to do more when it comes to volunteering and charitable works for your community. I could also say that when it comes to praise and worship that everyone has some room to take that risk in embracing what we feel that stirs our hearts. It would also be easy to say that we could all read the bible and pray more. If I continued this list it would continue on forever!

The point that I want to make to you today is to not be deceived into thinking that there is only so far that you CAN go. If you want more of God in a spiritual way I am happy to say that it is there for the taking! If you have the desire to do a great work in your community then there are projects you can jump in and be a part of. If you are ready to start singing and using your voice for God there is a choir/group waiting for you somewhere! Do not be satisfied with staying on the bank! As it reads in Ezekiel, “that every thing that liveth which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live…for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh” (Ezekiel 47:8).

Anywhere the rivers of the spirit of God are working is where healing can take place! Anyone that is willing to submit to a deeper work and anointing will reach out and heal this land and nation! Do you now see that potential area you can acknowledge you could be deeper in? As for me I say take the plunge!

I Feel Like A Stranger Sometimes

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As of late I have continued to reiterate an important lesson about entering into fellowship with other Christians in church, and that is: the way you worship God and obey him in your callings will leave you feeling like a stranger in a foreign land (and that’s okay!).

Our ministry has called us to go into a variety of venues, denominations and people. The varieties and traditions of worship that churches and other facilities have range in a great spectrum that starts from being completely reserved with inward expression to outward showings that are very vocal and visual. In short, we have just about seen every possible worship that you can around people that love God. And no matter the venue or place it is truly evident (and discernible)  that when you are within a place or people that truly love God you can feel it. I am going to share something that is rarely shared or talked about openly. You see, there can be moments arise throughout your walk with God where you will find yourself in a conflict of disagreement when either hearing of or observing a style of worship that may vary from yours. This happens so much, especially in the current passive generation, that praise and worship has now been reduced to only being valid in certain windows of opportunity and seldom accepted if beyond the depths of a person’s comfort level. People that are not very adopting of others actions in church typically exert the behavior of talking about what they see in a negative context, putting down and not attending churches where they do not agree, and of course never operating in that type of expression. Trust me, as a minister I have more complaints about what people did not like versus what they actually enjoyed. The results may surprise you more than you know!

Here is one nugget from the word that I must share: While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. (Psalm 146:2). A comparison often unused in the bible is that David, being a strong man of war, was humbled not only by the love in his heart but by his open expression of worship to those around him. There are some of you “tough guys” out there that would be interested to know that this same David danced in the streets in public with the cause of magnifying God!

For me personally I love to express my love for God in a very radical way. I also want to note that this was not always the case either! In fact, I was very backward and sort of an introvert when it came to any expression of my love for God. You may have caught me to be barely willing enough to admit that I even go to church somewhere. You may have also caught me being in question of other people. The sad part of all of this is not that there are people that are missing out on worship, but that there is so much objection to the joy of worship. When did the day ever come where people stopped enjoying their ability to be thankful?

All that I know today is that I will continue in what I enjoy. I will not hold anything against anyone about their worship, whether it be quiet or radical or not at all. I will continue in serving God and fulfilling my every happiness in the joy of serving him. As it was written in the bible, I will let the praises be continually in my lips. But most importantly, I will always continue to outwardly (and radically) express to the God I serve how thankful I am for all the amazing things that have been done for me. It may make me feel like a stranger in a foreign land, but I am still God’s no matter where I may roam.

Always encourage worship, and encourage others by yours! Please do not be a stumbling block to someone on their way to their breakthrough; be a stepping stone by showing them the depth of your thankfulness to God outwardly!

Do You See The Web? Take A Double Take!

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When you look at the picture at first glance it is not obvious that a trap has been set. Such as the same way with our adversaries of life, right? And as some insect is flying by with no regard to caution they become stuck followed by being destroyed. This visual example is easy and is easily laughed about but is ever so true when it comes to being more aware of your spiritual environment. As we walk on with God it is ever so important to always remember to watch and pray, or what I like to call the double take. You see, just attempting to watch something may not reveal its true intention at first. That is where prayer comes in! Praying brings our spiritual being to the forefront, causing our focus to be on things we may have not seen at first or even things we neglected to even see at all. The bible speaks to this sort of awareness in a passage that says in short that “a person who walks in the light will not stumble”.

To be in the light is to come clean in your life before God, and to use your light in this case is to examine the environment of things that may try to harm you! Please be aware of the enemy’s tactics and traps by living clean (walk in the light) and giving a double take to what’s around you (watch and pray to battle temptation). By doing so you will avoid being so easily swayed and discourage when we are in our appointed tests! So in conclusion, you may not see the traps but God can lead you to not fall in them by being nigh unto prayer and letting the spirit lead you!

How To Interpret Dreams And Visions: Understanding God’s Warnings And Guidance

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I for one have always been amazed when I read the word of God, especially the parts that are tied into dreams. In this book Perry Stone discusses the dreams that we know of in the bible, as well as his explanations on how to begin to understand some of the dreams that we all have. There are some wonderful testimonies of his as well as others that talk about the way God has used dreams in their lives. If you are a dreamer and want to begin to have a better understanding of dreams that are from God (and those that are not), then you need to grab a copy of this today!

And always remember when you are done with one, pass it on or recommend! That helps the ones who work so hard to write them!

Check out: How To Interpret Dreams And Visions: Understanding God’s Warnings And Guidance – ISBN 978-1616383503

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God’s Promises For Your Every Need

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When it comes to reading there is one thing that works the best for me: it has to be short readings at a time! With that said, I finished this book in roughly 8-10 days. I love the way that the chapters are laid out in it. For example the header says for the first chapter that “Jesus Is Your…” followed by a list of subsections like “Savior” and “Security”.

If I had to pick a section that I loved the most it would definitely be the chapter that talks about “What the bible says about praise”. I am always looking for scriptures and teachings to better help the promotion of praise in the church!

I recommend and hope you can find a copy to enjoy as well!

And always remember when you are done with one, pass it on or recommend! That helps the ones who work so hard to write them!

Check out: God’s Promises For Your Every Need – ISBN 978-1-4041-1377-0

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It’s All About…What?

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Love! It’s all about love!

Everything that you ever read in the bible that was centered around Jesus Christ was centered around love! When I think about trying to put on the frame of thinking and have the “mind of Christ”, it makes me think about love. The list goes on and on: love for my church (and giving to my church), love for the people in church (and out of church), love for the gifts and callings that God has placed in our lives (and using them), and a love for the desire to do what God is calling! It’s short and sweet today. I love God because He first loved me. I love God because of the many outpourings and blessings that always come so undeserving. I love the mercy and grace that we walk in, for without it we would just be lost in life without hope.

Remember to love those around you and to do those things for them in love. Anything that we do otherwise that would be in wrath or not in Godly character cannot be the full and complete witness that God had intended for your life. Make the most of an impact by being in full demonstration of the love of God! It’s fullness within you will pour out and rub off on others and people will not be able to resist it! They will either join in with the fellowship of what you bring or will have to get away! The love bug will get them one way or another! In other words, the spirit of God through conviction by the demonstrated love of your witness is a very powerful thing today!

It’s all about…love!

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!

The Power Of Life And Death

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THE WORD

Proverbs 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

We know through the classic passage in the bible that there is the power of life and death within our tongues. If you have gone to church any time in your life, I am sure that you have heard a message related to this subject. It was probably delivered in the context that we need to watch what we say about others, watch our words, etc. Let us discuss!

First off, we know that the passage begins with our tongue because it is one of the first outlets that our thoughts can begin to become amplified. If I am not happy about something and want to take it out on someone else, then I can use my voice to cut down someone else simply from my thoughts coming forth through my voice. We know this example, but as we know enhancements of mediums (Facebook, Twitter, Texting, etc.) to communicate have brought this to a whole new level.

The reason I talk about this is now is that our voices are becoming one of the lesser mediums used. There is more trouble caused from the outing of our thoughts through the internet because we have not learned to control ourselves and to understand just how far those words travel. As the leaders and believers of Christ we must choose to use the power of life, especially in the new avenues personal expression! A person’s thoughts and words are expressed in greatest effect by their actions. How you carry yourself and let others see you lead your walk with God makes or breaks the witness you display. Sometimes it could be very easy for me to step out and do something irrational through my words and actions, but I know it would not solve anything for anyone (not even me)! Learn to perform your actions that it promotes the power of life in yourself and those around you! Choose life!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Take a single day to make a list and write something positive for every negative thing you say or write about someone or something. You may be surprised how much you hear or read from yourself without realizing the amount of times that it happens! Try it!