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God

One Foot In Front Of The Other

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2 John 1:6 – And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

3 John 1:3-4 – For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

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I know sometimes it feels like it is going to take “forever” to ever see the great big move that we stand in need of. I am learning, however, that with each new day that there are great big moves that God wants us to make in kind. We cannot have it all without changing a great lot in turn. God requires us to “move up” by the lowering of ourselves before Him. If we are willing we must begin to live closely to God by raising our standards of Godly living, by increasing the amount of daily/weekly obedience inside/outside of church, and most of all by not letting our daily bread (faith) be cut down with our own doubts and fears.

When you talk about the correlation of obedience and discouragement from waiting on the great things, we often live in a loop of “I can do it, but do not want to” or “I am incapable therefore I will sit back and stop”. God does not want us to be in either of those states; frankly He does not accept it. If we read into our bibles in detail, this fits the profile of what we would like to call lukewarm.

So what do we say today? Declare to your mind, to yourself, and to others that you are going to see it come! Start building your faith now and see what great victory you build out in your future! I send out a word of encouragement to you out there that is down and out and feel like there is no hope to live by: just keep one foot in front of the other one and let God lead you, and you will find your victory!

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Put Into Practice:

I am not sure if this has been done before, but I hope that it proves to be just as effective as it has been for me before. I would like for you to start your “faith chain” today. All you need is a pack of sticky notes or some cut-up paper and some tape. You can spread this out to work on every day or you can work on building it all at once. It’s up to you.

First, start out with a small thing you having faith in God for. Once you think of it, write what your statement of faith should be and make sure to include that need. For example, a good one would be “I believe that God is going to make me to be a happy person today.” Once you have one or a few (I would say about 5-7 at a time), stand before it and recite it to yourself every morning in a commonplace right before you head out before your day. As you see one completed, keep it as a future statement of victory! It’s a great way to believe! I encourage you to give it a try!

With Any Help Done In Love Comes Help From Above

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One of the toughest things to ever see or hear about are to do with people that are in need of help. We as children of the Lord have a calling to always be moving to the aid of the weak. I try to remind myself each day when I feel weak that there is someone out there feeling weaker than me, and that God needs me to be strong on their behalf. God needs the body of Christ to be strong in the days that we live in, and to definitely move in the gifts and acts of charity.

To me charity comes in many ways and forms. It can come in the form of a good or service, but at any rate is given in a selfless act from one to another. If you have a special calling or ability in your life that God has placed upon you, never hold back what it is that you have inside. People need you. If you happen to be having a good month financially, think of some way that you can lose a little so that others can gain. And if you don’t have a lot and feel like you are powerless, you can ALWAYS pray and stand in the gap for others. It’s a powerful thing!

Make it a goal in your day, week, month to do something that bears a significant impact that is completely selfless. Pray before you do it and dedicate your selflessness and service to God. And in all acts of kindness, shine a light to those that do not know Christ and lead them to a perfect salvation!

Exchange Your Goods

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Revelation 3:19-20 – As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

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I observe more often than not the fact that people will try to live with more burdens in their life than they have to. There are things that we have to learn to turn over to God, learning to put full trust in Him. We can kid ourselves with the “I’ve got this” and “I don’t need anyone” perspectives, but one day the void of loneliness or the true weight of the burden will hit us.

It can be noticed with someone very quickly if you take the time to pay attention to their personal behavior. On the same token, if you take the time to look at all the things that may be upon your mind there very well may be behavior traits you notice as well! I know even as you read this you might be thinking (or trying to persuade yourself) that “there is nothing wrong with me”. I’m here to burst your bubble via the bible and remind each and every one of us that even at our best that our righteousness is as filthy rags. So when we consider that even at our best that we still need God, consider the next thing to do: put God first!

Consider making a trade-in on the “junky” stuff that would weigh you down for quality goods from God, and have a better life by coming to the realization of who He truly is. Doing this gives you more than I could write in a few sentences! It does more than words could say! Coming in to the fullness of a spiritually fulfilling life also gives you the fruits that you may bear of things that will not rust or corrupt or let you down in the long run!

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Put Into Practice:

It’s always easier to start with objects when you can, so find something that you know that takes your focus off of God and put it into a box lay it in a room that you seldom go into. Leave it in there for at least a week and begin to pray that God would give you the ability to overcome any holds that it would have upon you.

If this object is something you still feel like that you need even after a week, leave it in the box. This is usually a good way to identify things that we are bound to. We cannot do this with the things that hold us in mental bondage, but there is no need to fear; for God is more than able to help you with each and every problem you have. Get yourself with a good group of faith believing spirit-filled prayer warriors and ask them to participate in 5-7 days of evening prayer meetings, where you begin to focus on 1 thing for each and every person that needs to have help from something.

Just remember if you are bold enough to believe, God is bold enough to do it!

Loves Goes Further Than Hate

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THE WORD

Luke 10:27 – And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Throughout my life there have been many instances where I wanted to get upset because of some situation and act upon my frustration. It is safe to say that every human being in the world faces this challenge. Let us remind ourselves today that actions and words coming out of our own hatred and anger will not change anything, but in fact turn you away from the love of God. Remember how that acts of love, no matter how great the trials we are facing, have a greater impact than acts of hate. If your act of love is to simply hold your peace after someone worked against you then you must show God’s love and preserve your peace!

This concept of merciful thinking may be hard to implant into our minds yet we recall that the word of God teaches us to deal with persecution by rejoicing in our tribulation. I can assure you that without the strength only received by the joy of the Lord that finding peace of mind will be difficult.  In fact, by attempting to interpret this concept within our own ideals we may find ourselves laughing as Abraham and Sarah did as they attempted to believe in their elder ages of what seemed like an impossible turn of events that God had spoken would come to pass (about the birth of their future son Isaac).

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Some of you that are reading this page struggle with your anger more than others; for this reason let me speak to you directly and encourage you: as you are starting on this new path of groundbreaking love to find a spiritual mentor, pastor or counselor to help you with your first few situations.  And as you grow in God continue to keep your emotions in check through all the amazing tools that God has given you and you will never be moved in the faith that you have. This is not impossible!

Consider Your Daily Habits

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We have things that go on each day: tasks, to-dos, routines, etc. Whatever you would like to call it is fine, but there are things we always have each day that we always do. What I would ask you to consider is to think about where God is in your day. I would highly encourage you to try and include Godly activities in where you have time, and if you do not do it now to make time for it.

Here is an applied example: If you cannot do it (by it I mean any Godly works) at work, do it BEFORE work. If you don’t want to read the bible or pray when you get off because you are too tired, read BEFORE you go in the morning. If you are not a morning person, read during your lunch hour while you eat. I’m not trying to be picky, but we have to be more considerate of where God fits in the midst of our busy lives. And just because I am using an example of doing something once doesn’t mean that I’m not recommending doing them more then that!

Always remember: seek the kingdom first, and all the other things will be added. In other words, make God a top priority, and the other things will come through God and not via a struggle through your own hand. Have a great day!

Do Not Fail In Your Calling

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It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday world and let the calling of God fade in our lives. I’m here today to encourage you to do what God has placed in you. If you are a singer, sing with all of your heart! Learn a new song and surprise your church members next service. If you are a teacher, do something out of the ordinary next time. If you are a minister of the gospel, preach it out in a way that will get right to the heart! If you do charity ministries, be creative in a brand new way! Let people know through the desires in your heart and the positive outreach of your work that your fire has not gone out!

Sometimes Tears Are Necessary

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Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 – To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

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Prayer is definitely an essential part of your life, and truthfully a time to cry out to God, no doubt. However, sometimes God places people on your mind that might humble you or make you feel less than happy. I’m here to tell you that sometimes it’s good to feel the burdens of others. It often reminds me that life is not always just about ME. That is God trying to let you know he needs you to cry out for them today.  Say a prayer for someone else today, and let the tears flow for someone else’s need.

I cannot guarantee that when you get down praying today (or when you decide to) that you are going to rise up feeling as good as you did when you began. There have been times in the past that when I started praying that the burdens for others began to remind me that the call on my life is far greater than me. In that moment my selfishness really showed up and demonstrated just how much my love for others was.

When you decide to really be honest with yourself, you will allow yourself to cry, jump, scream, or any form of expression as long as you know it is what God is requiring of your life. As for me personally (even as a man), sometimes tears are needed. It gets me past all of my “I got this” and “I do not need you” attitudes and makes me realize just how much I need God.

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Put Into Practice:

Allow yourself to be humble before God. Find a quiet place (and if you cannot ask for one or make one if you must) and begin to meditate upon the Lord. Focus upon allowing yourself to be humble and to recognize the parts of you that “cannot do this alone” and “have no control over this”. You fill in the blank on whatever “this” may be to you. Remember, this is of no benefit unless you give it a legitimate shot! It is just you and God at the end of the day, so go for it!

Humble your spirit so that your faith can begin to grow in you each day. Personally, I would say that out of everything that I did out of the entire book that this may have been one of the most difficult. You can almost find yourself simply out of habit finishing sentences with what I would like to call the “prepositions of defeat”. Stop speaking things that would simply make you think “there is no way” or “that would be impossible” Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. We are starting right out of the gate believing in something that we are hoping for, so start hoping!

Look At Your Limits

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2 Corinthians 13:5 – Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Psalm 26:2 – Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

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As you are embarking on your day today, let us take a moment to consider our limits. Limits are commonly defined as the furthest extent of one’s physical or mental endurance. More often than not the limits we consider dominant are the ones that are self-applied.

There have been so many times that I have seen the limits go on me and others over the silliest of things. I have literally seen church services die out (in a matter of minutes) and not be fruitful or successful to the pulling down of strongholds because the body of Christ had limited themselves because of their lack of belief in Christ! The saddest part of all was that the only people that truly lost out in the end were those that were truly lost. God is looking for a people that know that they are not limited by what the mind would try to present in a time of trouble.

Take the time to remind yourself today that God has no limits. A great thing to tell yourself each and every day is that “I am as strong in God as I allow myself to be” All the tools that you need to get you where you need to go are already there for you; you just have to begin to use them! Take the limits off of yourself, and be who God has called you to truly be!

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Put Into Practice:

Verbally recognize some limits that you have put on yourself. An example may be “I do not allow myself to praise God like I should” or “I do not pray like I need to” I am asking you to do it verbally because we often can hide it or deny it more easily mentally. Sometimes speaking it out loud makes us consider what we say.

After you think about a couple self-applied limits, pray that God help you to take off all of the limits that you have set on yourself. Learn to be greater than the bondage applied!

Open Your Eyes And See

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I’m always looking for something of a great metaphor to compare my life to. I’ve heard many comparisons to how fast that life goes. There was only one that really stood out to me:

Life is totally like a roller coaster. You start out with no idea how anything is going to go, and before you know it, you are already through the first part of the ride, wishing you could go back to your childhood. And as the ride of life goes on, you start going around curves and quick jumps up and down you have never faced, seeing temptations and feeling new things for the very first time. And before you know it, your teenage years through high school are over.

The ride keeps on getting more and more exciting, leading you to want to get to the next part quicker, graduating college and finding that first job. Even perhaps finding the love of your life and starting a family. Then you run into the ups and downs that don’t make you feel as good. In fact, life gets so hard that all we want to do is shut our eyes and hope that the next part isn’t as bad as the hill we just came up and down.

Now we’ve been on the ride for a while, so now we think that we know what is ahead of us based on all the spins that we’ve already made, we grow wise from all of our prior experiences that we have dealt with so far. But before you know it, eventually something hits you; you now realize that just as quick as the ride started, and all the fun that it was, that you can now see the end of the ride in sight.

And as for everyone, the ride finally comes to an end, with people all around you, watching how you handled the ride, observing just how well you took it. And just like that, the next generation is on board and ready to take off on the same journey, not really realizing what’s ahead.

When I think about all of this, it makes me realize, that no matter how fast my ride of life is going, that if I let God be a part of it, I have that security for my soul. That no matter what ups or downs are in front of me, that I will be content with my life, and knowing that when my ride is over, that there will be a even better place to go, with far more beyond my own imagination.

This all brings me back to a scripture. I’m posting the whole thing, and letting you read for yourself, to find how it speaks to you:

Psalm 139:

1 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Singings, Website, and Radio OH MY!

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Where do I even begin? I guess I can just start by summing up everything that has been going on in my life (as well as the rest of us in Heart of Grace) by saying this: whew!

During the holidays and into the turn of the new year, we took some time from being in the ministry as a group and being more focused on drawing closer to God as individuals. Sometimes you have to devote that time, for it’s necessary to be able to continue together!

With a long story short, we are finally in a place where we are ready to start hitting the road for another few months and to be amazed at what God has in store! We have already done a couple singing appointments recently with many more to come!

I have been working every day continually to try and make our online ministry the best that it can possibly be. We’ve done some rearranging, retagging, recoloring, needless to say the renovations are not done yet! Our goal is that this site be a place that people can go to and find strength and encouragement! And based on some of the feedback we have got, we’re getting there!

The radio ministry has been a blessing, and will continue to be! Please join us and check us out online every saturday at 2:00 PM EST on our web site. The instructions on how to listen are there!