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everyday word

Understanding God’s Plan And The Opening / Closing of Doors

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Something in one of the areas of my life I’m praying for took an unexpected turn that really hit me hard.
When I prayed about this God gave me 3 specific thoughts:
1) Trust God’s plan when you are not given the outcome you are expecting. God in fact may be sparing you from something that would be more than you could handle
1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
2) Know that when God does open a door for you that you should feel peace and contentment in your spirit about the decision to move forward
John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
3) Know that when God opens the door that is His will for your life that no force, spirit or being can stand in the way of it
Revelation 3:8 “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”

The Difference

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Matthew 12:10-13

10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

I write this as a constant reminder of the fine life, the difference, between those who are reaching for those in the pit versus those lying in the pit: our choice to do the right thing. Jesus made the choice in that moment to do what was right in spite of tradition and those who would resist the miracle in the midst of them.

I am so glad for those who take the time to do the right thing! When I was first establishing my life in Christ there were a couple men that were kind enough to take the time to hang out with me, invite me to go play music at places and to take me to church when they did not have to. Though I may not have saw what was happening then I realize now they were keeping me out of the same pit that I had been in.

Sometimes doing the right thing will not be easy, fun or popular but is absolutely necessary for the blessings of the Lord to help others! The real question is, are we willing to do what is right in the midst of adversity for someone else’s benefit? If we are to have the mind of Christ, the distinction of showing that we are truly walking the walk and not just talking the talk, then we’ll do what’s right in spite of the things we face!

Finally, to Danny and Daniel, I thank you. I will never forget the impact you had on my life as friends and spiritual brothers in its most vulnerable time.

How To Win The Battle Over Rumors And Silence The Critics

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One of the key ways the enemy likes to try and create perceived “drama” related to you is through the process of rumors, envyings, strife and jealousies. People that have these feelings in their heart may use things against you, even inasmuch of a way as to take one good thing you have said/done and twist it to create potential trouble.  And to those whom are being active in ministry it seems to be (as the expression goes) “double the trouble”, trying to destroy the few good things are are accomplishing.

Here are 10 key points of what may be happening that you should expect the enemy to come out (through people and circumstance) and attack you.

When you:

1) Gain spiritual control over a temptation

2) Learn how to hold your peace when you are provoked

3) Overcome in victory over a previous drama

4) Love those who are provoking you

5) Give no regard to the jealous behavior

6) Are confident and bold in your calling

7) Begin a more regular praise/prayer/study routine

8) Begin to try and be more involved

9) Show a clear display of happiness

10) Attempt to encourage/witness to others

God did not leave us without the scriptures to begin and understand how we “fight” back.

Matthew 6:25-34

[25] Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
[26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
[27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
[28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
[29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
[30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
[31] Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
[32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
[33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
[34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 10:19-22

[19] But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
[20] For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
[21] And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
[22] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

When you read the phrase “take no thought” in these scriptures you can interpret this as “do not be afraid”. What may read at first glance as to not care truly means that we are not to live in bondage to anyone or to be in fear by our burdens. To interpret that as reckless abandonment would lead you unprepared in times that you are in need. So the ultimate answer to how you win over these kinds of people is to break the bondage of their control and lift the burdens of fear by the love of God. A perfect love will cast off every fear and release you from every bondage. Be as it may we as people will try anyway…but I will remind each and every one of us that despite our best efforts at times there is nothing else we can do or say that will fix anything the way God can. Sometimes even the truth as we know the truth of the circumstance or the rumor will not fix it. In fact, it just continues to fuel the resolve of the enemy. However, when the enemy sees that he can do no more harm when you show that great love of God he will turn loose. The enemy had to turn loose of Christ by the persecution of His body when Jesus was made broken for our sins. That is how we are able to live and walk as forgiven children of God! This is the same things we must do. We must endure the things that are said. Let the critics criticize, and let the judges judge.

So let the rumor-makers speak their lies, and let the trouble makers start all the trouble that they can. Ultimately the things they try to falsely create have no hold upon those that dwell in the love of God. As the lilies live, they continue to grow irregardless of the weather and boisterous wind. Their resolve to grow is steadfast even when the elements are against them. That is the same way you can continue to overcome! Learn to endure these storms. Give no regard to the things you know are untrue and stay strong in who you are in God. This much I know: those who lie will be revealed as liars, and those who walk righteously will not only be proven true but glorified and blessed in the process.

 

Learning From Your Mistakes: Part One – Your Broken Pieces Can Be Used For Your Good

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broken-pottery

“And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28 

There is no better of a way to learn how to be a stronger person than through the experiences of your life…particularly the ones we like to forget. The illustration above speaks to me greatly. You see, the keychain has a piece of a shard of pottery attached to it. This broken piece of pottery could have been easily thrown away since it has failed at its initial purpose of being a part of a vase, yet someone saw something beyond when it became broken. What was once an event that made the clay unusable has now been repurposed and is not contingent on its past nor what caused it to break.

I would love to be one of those people that has the perfect social media profile, having flawless pictures on instagram, writing tweets bragging of my exploits and trips to everywhere, using facebook to portray all the good angles of daily living. The fact of the matter is that no matter how much I want to think myself as having such a perfect life that I must admit that in essence I have been and will continue to be a broken piece of clay. There is not a wardrobe or makeup good enough that I would ever be able to cover every flaw of my body. There is no training for my brain that is good enough to help me to not forget memories. There are not enough public speaking classes I could take that could ever keep me from saying irrational words or speaking negative/doubtful thoughts. There is not enough therapy to keep me from having moments of weakness. Paul even spoke and said that at times we as mankind would sin and fall short of the glory of God. I have failed at many things and am not proud of a lot of parts of my life. In fact, when I use to look back into my past I would grow depressed and not see any value of my future. I was dictating my present state on my past  and having trouble realizing my future purpose. Feeling void and lost in my life caused me to lose my will and drive to succeed in life for myself and others I cared for. I praise my God in Heaven today for the amazing transformation of my mind and the newfound peace I received in my darkest hour!

Through all of these experiences God has led me to a great wisdom and knowledge in how to interpret the trials of my life and how to find my purpose. I am no longer defined by my lifestyle that was centered by drug and alcohol abuse; for I am redeemed by Jesus Christ and have purpose to reach out to those that are still bound and help them try to find a greater hope! I am not led to believe that I have to ever return to be that guy anymore. The person i am now has a new purpose for living! Peace and joy follow my footsteps AWAY from the things I was before. I have put all the things from my history behind me and am putting before my my hopes and dreams that by faith I will realize can come!

I had to realize that my failures and mistakes were not to define who I am but are used to help me being repurposed for what I was truly meant to do. The world we live in is a great big vase, trying to piece together all that is good yet not possessing the real glue that holds it all together. And every single time that you think everything is holding together you will find that it does not require very much to break it all to pieces again. Such is the life of a person without the wonderful relationship with God.

Today I reach out to those of you who are trying to refit your life into who or what you used to be. You do not have to be defined by the mistakes of who you were! You can be forgiven for all of your sins and learn from the person you used to be to discover a purpose greater than you could have ever known. We all must learn that through God we can be made perfect (mature) by the forgiveness of our past sins and the learning from our mistakes as we are quickened in these mortal bodies by the Holy Spirit!

 

When The New Chapter Comes Don’t Be Afraid To Turn The Page

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Most of my life I have had many experiences and emotional peaks that I wish I could go back to. These moments could never seem to last enough time: moments with family that has passed away, services at church with people that have moved on, vacations that had to come to an end, projects at your job that were easy but were done quick, people we have met along the way that we wish we could have done more for; the list truly goes on and on. And while I wish I could have moments like these all the time, I have learned that these are not moments that are just whipped up or easily created. They are natural phases of life, giving us as mankind a peek inside of what true joys and the utmost happiness is supposed to feel like.

On the flip side of the coin I can see many moments in my life that I rarely choose to look back to: times I have failed, times I have failed others, times I gave up too early, other times I simply quit just because my willingness was stubborn, times I should have shown love, times I should have held my ground; trust me, if you look you will find some things you wish you could never remember. And while we try our best to avoid the controllable things we can work to improve there will always be moments where we are tested that present opportunities for our not so good half to show itself in its fullness. These also are the not so glamorous chapters of life that in their own way begin to define who we are and how we learn from our mistakes.

I want to speak to those of us out there who are trying to live stuck in these emotional highs and lows: When the new chapter comes don’t be afraid to turn the page. While I wish that I could hang onto or keep some moments or situations going I now realize that we must learn to handle the good and the bad. For if we only knew of the good things of God we would never realize the power of redemption and resurrection in our trials. Do not be afraid to move forward from those things that have hindered you. Learn to use the good things of God to forgive others and to move on with your head held high. And as you move forward from the present hindrances you will find that out of something bad can come something good. Learn to embrace the things that come to seemingly destroy you; or as the bible tells us to do when it says for us to “rejoice in the midst of our fiery trials”. That is the spirit that comes from the text you read. At first it did not make sense to me but now I understand. Do not live in something that was meant to only be for a season. Shake it off and move forward to the next good thing that is out there for you to experience.

 

Ahhhhhhhhh! You Better Be Ready, People Will Surprise You!

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How many times in your life were you trying to do the right thing and walked into someones attitude that drained your joy? Have you ever got the worst end of someones problems just by trying to listen or understand? Has people that you least expected blindsided you with something you did not see coming? What about being blamed for something terrible that was simply a rumor and did not happen? Perhaps you have been judged based on the actions of others in your life even though their actions were not in your control. In many different ways through different people and venues has this act of anger has provoked people more times than we could comprehend! We all have been tested by enemies, ‘frenemies’, strangers, family, co-workers and even fellow Christians.I would say the attack that leaves me the most speechless is the kind that comes from people that are in upper positions in ministry. It is just one of those things that when it happens makes you see the kind of behavior that clouds peoples vision from seeing Christ in the church. I cannot say every moment in life will be wonderful during these stressful times but God and His infinite love will teach us all how to come through. We must learn to always be prepared for the confrontations in life that we can expect to happen, especially catching someone during their bad days.
Reading Matthew 5:30: “And if your right hand offend you, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.”
It is easy to realize that this is simply not talking about conflicts within yourself but conflicts that you would face that would prevent you from being forgiving and loving towards others. This scripture wants us to realize that it would be better to cut off the emotional attack through forgiveness as soon as possible; for lingering bitterness is like a poison to a persons soul, eventually destroying the spirit man and woman that dwells within.
Ephesians 4:26 reminds us that to not walk in anger that will cause us to sin irrationally from our feelings of bitterness and frustration. It also speaks to not allow that bitterness to stay within you, not even beyond a single day.
So what do we do when you have no choice but to face the confrontation head on? Through God’s love we must forgive.
One of the toughest parts about love is that you must learn to forgive. There are so many other alternatives that you could do to take the easy way out but forgiveness will not be an easy way to take. For example, if you force the issue and yell at someone, then consider what you got in return. You may feel justified for a few moments but through the actions you gave more hurt than you received in justice.I do realize that sometimes to forgive you must release someone from their silly and senseless behavior. I also know that behavior leaves you to feel that something should happen to right the wrongs they have caused. To forgive you must realize no matter what the offense that it is not your right to defend yourself through the feelings of your injustice. Although it may feel good in the short term to lash back out or speak your mind one must ask: what do you gain from your actions? What do people gain from your witness as a Christian if the expressions that you present match up with our image above?

Take Me To The Place Where God Is Real

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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!

So Where Did You Say The End Was At?!?

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Have you ever began something and started to wonder if there was ever an end to what you are going through? I am not sure where you may be, whether that be at the start and finish, but I can certainly understand what it feels like to get lost somewhere in between. Ever had one of those good ol’ “one thing right after another” days? There used to be some times in my life where I would honestly feel like, “Okay, well you know (talking to God in my mind), I guess this is it for me. I cannot keep this up anymore.” So I write this in complete empathy for those of you that are going through some real tough stuff. And unlike some people that tell you in ignorance to just laugh/blow off tough stuff I learned through tribulation that hard trials do not leave simply because you try to dismiss them of your own strength. It takes a divine power to overcome and be strengthened enough to rejoice in the fiery trials. Do not get me wrong about chuckling over stuff to find a smile; for laughter does great things like a medicine but remember that medicine is only part of a possible treatment and may not work depending on a situation or the sickness of their spirit. The will to live and the substance to which drives a person to keep fighting is what gets us from tangled heartstrings to the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The one lesson I have learned after going through things in my personal life: there will be a given end to any beginning. Sometimes the outcome did not turn in my favor but this did not leave the trial looping over and over again. There was a lesson learned at the trials conclusion. There were emotions that had been affected as a result of the consequences. Life as I know it changed with the outcomes of what had happened.

So where did you say the end was at?!?

There came a day when I realized that I had to stop fighting to reach then end and to actually fight to win the battle. An example? Depression has no end if you try to just wait it out. The only way you find the end to being sad is when you begin to fight the feeling. Addictive behavior only knows how to continue. You can only find the end of addiction when you begin to fight the battle to be free! I encourage all of you today with a very serious and sincere word from the bottom of my heart: fight to win the battle and not to just get through something! The best part about what I am telling you is that when we come into complete surrender of our heart and troubles we are reassured that all the while God is fighting our every battle!

How Deep Is The Sea Out There?

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ezekiel-47-chart-600

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!

Are You Gonna Let This One Thing Stop You?

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When I was tossing and turning in bed a while back my mind was brought to peace by a thought God was putting in my heart: “Are you gonna let this one thing stop you? Is your joy not worth more to you than this one thing?”

In that moment in time when I heard that word everything that was trying to keep my mind racing was brought into peace. I realized how small that I was letting God be in the presence of my current distress. Looking back on it now I know that this was one of my burning bush moments with God.

Reading in 1 Peter 4 brought this out even further to me:

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you:

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.

14 If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you; for the spirit of glory and of God rests on you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

So today I ask all of us who have those moments in our lives: Are we going to let one small thing take over our goals and ambitions in the grand scheme of our lives? Are we going to let the enemies around us take away from us the one thing that is essentially? Today I urge and encourage you to refuse to let the trials (though hard at times) overtake you. God’s peace and comfort is far greater than the pain of the trial. Never lose this revelation in your heart!

Where I am today is of far more worth to me than where I was yesterday. I cannot change yesterday and am not going to let the past attempt to rule the present! As a child of God we know that today is the day of salvation, or the day and time to use and redeem. Let your past stay behind you and only be a reminder of how that you have overcome trial after trial! And I say this in a very catchphrase way, but if God did it for you then God will do it for you again!