I write this today with a very humble heart, because I am so grateful for what God has done for me. There are many trials that I have faced in my life to which I would have counted myself out or defeated or even done with life, yet God had another plan. Through the love of my wife Angela, God has shown me how magnificent that He is. Through the way that she has stood throughout all of time no matter if I was on the mountain or in the valley, God has shown me what patience means. Through the way she looks over my irrational behavior and times when I was weak and discouraged, God has shown me what forgiveness and mercy means. It is one thing to hear people say your whole life to wait one day until you just “know” what these sorts of principles are, but I feel like that God has given me the most wonderful person in the world to show me each and every quality that I would have never seen otherwise. God gave me someone to be able to make it through life instead of giving up a long time ago. Today I thank my wife for sticking with me throughout all of the changes in life. I celebrate this day with her and I pray that each and every one of us examine and magnify the great things about one another! I thank God for His love and the love that He has given me through letting me meet such a wonderful person!
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home1/heartof6/public_html/blog/wp-content/themes/responsive-mobile/includes/functions-extentions.php on line 35
everyday word
Helping To Heal And Healing To Help
I come in a very open point of view with the word I share today. I have been in prayer as of late and my heart has come to a word of encouragement for each one who is so wonderful to read this. When it comes to the discussion of healing for your life it can oftentimes be confusing as to how we should begin to allow God to let change come into motion. For example, I know when I have a head-cold and could probably see a quicker move if I changed my behavior to reduce my chances of it coming around again. Yet without any reaction or change to know is better direction for healing in my life, I prolong a sickness that could otherwise be moved quicker.
God is looking for us to be more proactive to react and change when we hear the word of the Lord to help heal each and every one of our troubles and trials. If I learned to not just be a hearer but a diligent doer of it then I am reducing the likelihood of the same thing occurring again of the same magnitude. This could be a test of patience, anger, moving you from depression, helping you through finances, etc. that list could go on forever. My point to you is that the healing of the Lord is for way more than just our bodies! It is for our minds as well!
So remember this: using the healing that God performs in you to allow you to be changed once and forever. After your wonderful change, use that experience as part of your witness to draw others! That is how others can begin to be drawn for their own change and the beginnings of that brand new life in Christ!
If You Hold Your Peace, You Will Find It
There is no height or depth of a distance that I would go to find peace sometimes, especially the kind that will help me to stand still in the presence of God! It is when we have true peace over things that we are able to hold our words when we are angered, right? I praise the God that I serve because I know of the experiences that I have had to know this first hand. Just remember to allow God to guide you in your conversation and you will not find yourself in a place where you are confused and feel like you are slipping in your confidence.
When it comes to being a powerful witness, it’s important to carry your confidence with not just words, but in the peace in your mind and heart by the spirit you carry within. Sometimes it’s not how much we can give or how much we can say but simply how we can be there by being a Godly comfort to one another. And as we learn to do that for one another, it becomes easier for ourselves (and vice versa). Some of the greatest influences I have ever been encouraged by never said a word to me; they were simply there and gave me a hug.
The greatest thing that I could say today is that when you want to give something in abundance that you must possess it. To give great wisdom and powerful moving encouragement you must first receive that word of the Lord and apply it! As you grow and begin to build up your life you can begin to let your words speak to others in a way you have never seen before!
Replacing Old Things With God’s Brand New
I thank God for the many blessings I have been given. There is no doubt that I have been blessed beyond measure, even when one would beg to differ in comparison to worldly possessions. All the great things of the wonderful God that we serve do not always necessarily come as things in monetary value. If you consider this concept with me, you would also know that some of the best gifts that God has given are to replace things that you have lost.
I have lost many possessions, but nothing compared to the day when I came to the truth in my mind and realized that I would lose my soul without a relationship to Christ. God gave me the gift of salvation to replace my hopelessness of feeling so lost and is by far my single greatest possession.
You have to understand something today: the decision to replace it was not hard. The part that proved difficult was dealing with the part of me that was intimidated by what others thought about me. After I realized that beginning to believe in Christ was what I needed, the feelings grew stronger. I had fear, plain and simple. God was wonderful in replacing my fears with confidence. How? Through the work of other children of God, of course!
So this is my simple thought today: we must allow God to be the strength in our weakness, regardless of what it is. You could be in bondage to addiction, or having problems at home or at work; however I assure you that there is nothing too hard for God. Simply believe and submit to the call that He places in your life and do not fear. Be established and help others in their time of need!
New Beginnings and Old Endings
Welcome to another year in your life! If you are reading this today, than God has a spectacular plan in store for you in the upcoming future. One would ask, “how do you know this about me when you do not know me?”, and my response is simply this: it is God’s pleasure to do great things and to be glorified through your life!
As you embark upon this next few months, do not make resolutions that will fall through just as they always do. Make some fresh commitments to Christ and get out there and start beginning to make a difference in your life and the lives of others!
Do not let another year go by with doubt and regret. Step out and do the things you were afraid to do before. Be more obedient and faithful to believe in what God is trusting you to do. There are lives hanging in the balance all around you, whether you may realize it or not.
Most importantly, remember your self worth and the worth of your walk with God. Never forget its value in the good or bad times and always remember to utilize every part that God has placed in you to give you strength for the trials ahead.
May God bless you abundantly this year, and I pray that everyone’s churches and ministries go further than they ever imagined!
The Spiritual Experience
I remember when I was growing up and how I used to daydream of being a spectacular musician. There were so many long days and nights of practicing and learning that I never thought that I would be able to play anything at all! After such a long time (or at least it seemed like it anyway) there began to be a steady progression and I learned to love the overall experience of working on myself to be better at music. It is still something that I have to work on each day and without the effort I would eventually be in lack or without the proficiency to play like I could.
With that said, I also remember the day the spirit of God entered into my life. I never thought my life was going to get better from where I was, but after getting saved I began to follow what the spirit would lead me to do. These sorts of things could be a thought to yourself in the moment or an audible voice when you least expect it, leading you down a path of righteousness. I assure you the only time that God is leading is when it is right and fair and in love for your neighbor.
Learn to allow God’s spirit to lead and guide you each and every day. There is something to be said about the spiritual experience, especially when we do not have it. It is your lifeline for leadership and knowledge in applying what you need to do and how to abide in the rest of God when you have no solution. In order for it to be fluent, keep in practice and work in it every day through prayer and close humble devotion to God. It is well worth the practice to succeed at life!
Learning To Adjust To Adversity With God As Your Guide
One of lifes unpredictable pieces represents the part of it that changes it the most: the people around you. This is something that with each and every one of us at some point I’m sure have tried to fight or change the opinions or perspectives of, but never succeed. As you are reading this, please consider your own life as well as to how much you are able to adjust to others.
When I walk in the wilderness or mountains, there are so many different objects that you can interact with in many ways and with all senses. By comparison you can find unique things and people that differ all around you. I have walked through the mountains and seen some people admire the beauty of the rocks while others would throw them. I have seen others take plants as something special while others step on over it without even knowing what it is. In essence we are the same way with the way that we become preferable to some and not others. That’s how you can classify why it is easier or harder to love; for in a lot of the cases it is within how we perceive them to direct our feelings. I have also seen people destroy trees and smash rocks to try and fit them for other purposes as well. Even if you alter the original state of an object, it still does not negate from the fact that it was an object before it was changed, right? So what are we getting at today?
There are going to be plenty of people out there that you attempt to reach out to that may be totally different than what you are used to (or even prefer!), but that does not mean that God does not love them the same nor that the opportunity for salvation and deliverance isn’t just as free. We as children of God must learn to love all of God’s creation and learn to appreciate and love one another. With that said, doing this is a huge adjustment but not impossible!
Trust God to help you stay adjusted to have a love for all and and charity for those in need. Never forget that you are God’s creation regardless of all of life’s adjustments. Hang in there and cling to the promises of God today!
Those Who Love God First Stay Together
I could not count the amount of messages that I have either posted on the site or preached in person that has been in reference to unity or coming together. God has been laying upon my heart over the past few months to stay on this topic, and I cannot help but wonder why (but of course it’s for a good reason).
When you begin to consider the building up of your church or ministry, you have to really consider how solid your foundation is and what exactly it is based on. In continual seeking of God you will find how much that you are a part of that wonderful family. On the same token, church and ministry need to be built on the same premise. As you work with people, remember that they are people that you must love as Christ has loved you.
With that said, strive to keep love in your hearts and as the center for your personal willpower to keep helping others and showing charity. Remember that though you may not be direct family but in God’s family that we are all one! The more that we remember this simple thought, the more we can learn to come together more often with success!
It makes me think of the phrase that repeats from that old hymn, “Makes me love everybody and that’s good enough for me”. God bless each and every one of you.
Learning To Let Go And Let God
One part of life that everyone must face that may be considered the worst is when we go through times of transition. This could be when you are changing jobs, moving between homes, losing and gaining friends, or the many cases of the unknown. However unfamiliar the case may be, change is always hard to face when the time comes for it. It seems like that no matter how much a person can prepare for something that there is always going to be room for some kind of emotional baggage or breakdown. I’ve heard all the classic wisdom that people have tried to tell me on how you can be “almost” prepared. I’ve also read just about every single thing you can that would try to lead you in the right direction for having the right perspective. The fact of the matter is that when it comes to change, there is never enough preparation on ones’ own.
I am so thankful today, and will forever continue to be for the great comforter of the spirit of God. I have found that in the best and worst of times that the spirit is my all in all. My prayers have sometimes been in desperation or in faith, but the spirit of God comes to lift up the weariness that I am in. It’s as if God comes to fill the void of uncertainty. It makes me understand in tough times that wholeheartedly God is truly the strength in my weakness. We need to always be bold enough to acknowledge that we cannot take life on alone. As we continue through the obstacles of life, let us learn to let go in times of weakness and let God take control!
I encourage you today to allow the presence of God take your tears and worry and lead you by comfort into joy and peace in Him.
Take The Time To Take Your Time
No matter the situation it seems we are in, there is always the part of us that is demonstrated in the moment: the need to love or care for others on demand. I admit first and foremost that at times it is hard to do, or even feels impossible as emotionally affected as we can get. Let me share some quick tips with you that has been inspired by God and the wisdom of some great elders to me.
1) If someone takes the time to have a conversation about you or something that concerns you, make sure you take the time to return the favor by doing likewise (or indicating why you can’t). We should always be subject to one another and do unto others as we would have them do unto us! Doing so demonstrates a love for people which in turn demonstrates love for God and beyond yourself. It’s very key to note that it’s in the very small things you do in your every day life that will demonstrate the power of your ministry.
2) Take time to help those who cannot help you. It is so easy just to either deny people simply by the right of judgement or denial that they really “don’t need me to care”. What we neglect to realize is how much of a difference being charitable can be. Remember to help those who cannot repay, for this truly shows the kind of love that Jesus gave to us when he gave His life for us!
3) Finally, the time we have to live is a gift from God, so do not waste it! Live in love and live for loving others! Make time for God each and every day not only in prayer but in acts of love and kindness towards others. Beyond that, have a heart that will show that driven love and kindness beyond what would try to drag you down!
Use God’s time to build yourself up as well as the lives of others!