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Time To Encourage Yourself

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1 Samuel 30:6-8

[6] And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
[7] And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
[8] And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

David and his men were sent to the land of the Philistines. Since most men of fighting age were gone to fight, the Amalektite raiders decided to take advantage of what appeared to be a lack of defense. Upon coming back from one battle David returned to a horrific sight. Everything and everyone was gone and all habitations were destroyed by fire. The men, already weary from the battle with the Philistines walked 60 miles march only to be completely devastated. In their weariness they blamed the person who proposed that they even stay in Ziklag to begin with! But David, being a man of faith and now dealing with an internal turmoil, did the only thing he knew to do. He encouraged himself! He gained strength through encouragement to fight on.

1 Samuel 30:9-16

[9] So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
[10] But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
[11] And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;
[12] And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
[13] And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
[14] We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
[15] And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.
[16] And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

600 went, they stopped by a brook, or what can be viewed as a temptation to give in and rest from the weariness and loss. Although 200 stayed the rest pursued. And in the weariness of marching on away from the brook God moved the solution in their path in an unexpected time. You see, they would have never got to the enemy without first showing love and charity to the abandoned Egyptian. They were victorious with 400 against thousands! And just when you think they were in the clear, they were presented with yet another internal strife. This was related to greed and selfishness. The argument presents itself as, “now that you have the spoils of victory how do you spread them out?”

1 Samuel 30:23-25

[23] Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
[24] For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
[25] And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

Not everyone is going to win every battle together, but you must remember to divide the spoils of your victory and portion with those who fainted before you in weariness. They seemed to have already forgotten who it was that helped them to get to the fight. We often forget who it is that had to help us encourage ourselves in a conflict of things that were closest and most valued.

In closing remember to have the same approach whether you are facing an outside enemy or an internal strife. Encourage yourself and allow God’s love to prevail and divide charity to everyone! Through and by this people can be drawn to a relationship with Jesus Christ!

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!

What To Do When Everyone Stops Listening? Pray! God Hears!

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There is a specific phase of life that we all go through at some point; for this specific case I will call it the “no one listens to me” phase. I have been in this place before and have some thoughts I would like to share in relevance to this topic.

You may be one out there that cannot get anyone to hear you out when you are attempting to actively convey your feelings. Not only do you feel like your words fall on deaf ears but what was heard is heard is often misunderstood. Others out there may be looking for someone to volunteer to listen (like a friend or family member) but they are too busy or are never available for devoting attention. In this type of behavior people without being aware will begin to prolong their troubles, having no place to deal with the issues, resulting in an attempt to bottle everything up inside. This is not only a cut off an outlet for expression but oftentimes leads to a decline in joy, peace and rest.

There have been other moments in life where people would talk to me about getting upset that no one else asks about their well-being (especially in hard times) and how it would cause them to value their friendship/kinship to them. I have asked back before, “well, have you tried asking first” but am often cut off with “they should ask me first!” Needless to say its amazing at the type of behavior that can not only produce a lack of care but a receive-only attitude.

It would be impossible for me to list every scenario, but what is important is that in some way we all arrive to a feeling or notion that we are alone and not heard. I write this to you today for you to be made aware of one of the most vulnerable and used moments that the enemy takes advantage of you to draw you from God.

So the question is, What to do when everyone stops listening? Pray of course!

I am confident in these words: God hears you when you pray! By Christ’s sacrifice for our sins we can and do have access for asking on behalf of our troubles! What a wonderful pleasure that is found when you talk to God! Surrender your heart to the Lord and begin to communicate in prayer and this will be the beginning of change through faith and obedience. Trust me, when you feel the power of the comfort of God you will begin to understand that you do not need anyone to understand other than God. This will not only comfort you but will allow you to be the leader to someone else to help them deal with their cares of life.

I also want to add this: Being social is not the same as being concerned. Being social will not involve additional effort other than that which promotes the popularity of an individual. Being concerned does not care about social status or popularity and allows a venue to demonstrate the love of God towards another person.

Winning The Battle Over Evil

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Matthew 12:39-45

[39] But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
[40] For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
[41] The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
[42] The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
[43] When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
[44] Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
[45] Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

This speaks to those who have heard God’s word and have outward reformation of self but on the inside have not converted to being a true follower of Christ. An evil (or unclean) spirit will allow for windows and seasons of time between its residence; however without the power and dominion to conquer and put to flight the behavior changes that come from it kill us spiritually.

The heart is swept by attempting to be reformed and holding trust in the outward self. If we could only begin to realize that this form of trust in self and not in God shows pride and still allows a person to be subject to many evils. This alone and more often than not makes us a direct enemy of the truth in God’s word.

Unless you are a temple of the Holy Ghost by faith in Christ evil spirits will still have an ability to take residence in your life (temptation, provoked to wrath, irrational decisions, violence, blasphemy, the list goes on and on).

Colossians 4:2-6

[2] Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
[3] Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
[4] That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
[5] Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
[6] Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Ephesians 2:8-14

[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
[10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
[11] Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
[12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
[13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
[14] For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

I am glad that we were crafted out of God’s workmanship, tried and proven with the authority of the power of the comforter (Holy Ghost) that provides an authority over every circumstance and vulnerable place evil attempts to dwell. Allow God to promote this power within you and truly unlock the phrase that “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”!

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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Shake The Dust Off Of Your Feet And Don’t Be A Dust Thrower!

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Feeling rejected? Wondering what the deal is with your ministry? Been discouraged by others recently? At some point I believe we have all been in that moment before. We have all had things that have presented themselves as very humbling experiences, right? Trust me, I have seen it all. While singing and speaking in times past I have had people in full blown conversations, texting on their cell phones, sleeping, leaving, shaking their heads, eating, posing an intentional distraction. I’ve had people turn down my microphone on purpose, get up and leave and return when I was finished, tell me to my face that I preach too long, and inform me that I would never preach at their church because I was too radical. I have had people inspired (all of a sudden) to have their personal bible study and not pay attention for the entirety. I have even been cut off right in the middle of exhortation simply because some were afraid of things getting a little too exciting. I wish I could say that one of these were my personal favorite experiences that helped me grow, but the truth is that at the time it really hurt to feel! I am happy to know that as I have grown that God has given me the wisdom in this area and I am going to share some concepts with you that have helped me stay effective.

When it comes to being effective in your ministry, one thing will always be clear in relevance to growth: in order to be a successful worker for God you must be able to continue in spite of facing rejection or a lack of support. The bible gives reference to the perfect scenario: “And whosoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.” This passage in Luke 9 opens up a very interesting thought and question I have today. Consider when you attend your own church and do your absolute best that you can and feel rejected. Does it mean that if you were not received that you are a failure and that its time to hang it up? No, in fact this should begin to allow you to understand the difference in the rejection of the word that you bring versus a rejection of just you.

A rejection of the word of God is often times perceived to be the dislike of a person. Think about the passage that refers to the bible principle that “light has no fellowship with darkness”. I send a word of encouragement to tell you that everyone does not despise YOU, but the word that is WITHIN you. If you are continually waiting for the perfect fellowship with people that you know need to hear a strong word then you are going to be waiting forever. I’ll be as bold to say that you will never have the FULL support of any church no matter where you may roam. Why? Because if there are those that are not walking in the will of God or have a relationship then a natural fear of change from their sin or unwillingness that simply cannot accept the word when they choose not to. So when we say to shake the dust off your feet as a testimony “against them”, it is simply saying to show others that you will not be moved from the call or the obedience that the call brings. Remember that Jesus was not even received in His own country and how you may not be either. You may just have a situation with a very simple solution: people that know you and grow numb to the value of your call need to see a strength within you that shakes off the bad when they ignore you!

Are we going to begin to dust ourselves off to show the strength of God? Do we realize that it is God’s word that conflicts with people and not a personal issue against us? If we can begin to grasp these concepts there will be so many church services everywhere that we all go that will be saved, salvaged and actually promote the strength of the God’s people to draw others!

The other contrast of this thought that I leave you with is to not be the person that throws the dust upon another. You may have a church where you just have a few that attend and know each other on a personal level. If you do and you find yourself almost getting “bored” with others, I speak with a spiritual urgency to start drawing closer to God for a greater love than what is on the surface. Being bored or complacent in church shows a lack in breaking down self. Remember that we need each other and that one day you will miss the worth of those around you when God moves them to another chapter in life.

Wow God, You Are Amazing

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How awesome is the God that we serve? How wonderful has God proven true for us? The amount of victories could never possibly be told. The benefits are excellent considering it is at a minimal cost to us. The joy is unspeakable. The peace is beyond understanding. The love keeps not only you but everyone who believes. When in God’s service your enemies will be caused to be peaceful with you. If you are faithful to see a mountain move it shall get out of your way. Not only are the hairs of your head numbered but your tears are even kept in a jar. The metaphors are speaking directly towards not only God’s knowledge of your life but the know-how to handle everything hard for you.

Not one battle has been lost. Not one time did the comfort of the spirit fail in its intended purpose. Not one moment of suffering has passed that God did not see and understand. Not one is sent away when it comes to having everlasting life. Not one is left behind even when we feel that all has forsaken us.

We not only have references to lead us into tomorrow, but we have the spirit of God to lead us to His perfect will. We not only have the ability to soothe our spirits with singing but will sing a song that the angels cannot sing. We are redeemed. We were purchased for a price that we were not worth. As many as believe in Christ will never taste the sting of death nor be bound for hell. We are a freed, healed and delivered people!

Take a moment to encourage yourself every now and then. You may be surprised with what you get up with after empowering yourself with just the simple thought of how amazing that God truly is!

Study To Show Yourself Approved….Did We Get It Wrong?

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When I think about studying to show myself approved, I remember hearing the same message through the halls and sanctuaries of many churches. I remember looking back on bible schools that were always set on trying to play games on memorizing the most bible verses. I also remember hearing as I grew up that there would be moments where you would need to be ready to share the text of the word of God. I’m sure that you may have some memories as well that bring you to the remembrance of that phrase, right?

The question I have for everyone today is, did we or have we got it wrong? Before you may jump to a quick conclusion of NO, please consider the reasoning that I share with you today and know that this is something that I not only learned in ideal but in experience as well.

To me, studying to show thyself approved goes so much further than knowing the bible word for word. In fact, attempting to do this would prove to be difficult as there are more versions to learn and memorize than what we even have time for to study! It goes further than learning Gods word to attempt to witness to someone by your head knowledge of the bible. When you think approved, think about the phrase “being pleasing to God”. Think about how that people at all times are watching your life, whether they believe in God or not. The bottom line is this, being approved in Gods word is directly correlated in how you live according to the word that lives in you that you actually use. In other words, we come out from being a hearer and wanting people to be drawn by listening to the true meaning of the word by doing it and letting it be a witness towards others!

Let people see the word that lives in you by your love and faith in how you live! Then in the end you succeed and win others to Christ!

It Is By Faith We Live

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Here is a devotional about faith and the many wonderful things it does for you when it is applied!

What A Wonderful Savior

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You know, I could use every single byte of space on this web site and would never be able to truly express from my heart the love that flows in my heart for God! We have such a wonderful saviour. I am so thankful for the cause of that cross; the one that gave us life and it more abundantly, joy unspeakable, peace beyond all understanding, life eternal, the list goes on and on! Most of the time you see a lot of emphasis spent here through worship and meditation, right?

Let us break out of the box just for a minute. As we all know that Jesus Christ paid the price for the sins that were before us, there was a (what I will call my R&R) redemption and revival! I was not only redeemed for the past or at-the-time present I could not repair (or even get through) but was also given by the power of the spirit of God the ability to be delivered from all temptations!

So today, I am in praise for our savior not just for what we know about in our present sight and perspectives but the things we never see. I praise God for the quick resolutions before a conflict, peace-making events that divert from harm, the healings unseen before sickness takes its terrible turn, the words that come through spontaneous sources that are the right now word, all of those things! God put so many more ways of showing us His love than we often recognize. I just want to be thankful (and grateful) this day for how my life has turned around from what used to be such a  life bound by darkness and misery! Praise the Lord for the ever-continual flowing gift of not only being able to be saved, but safe as well.