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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!

God Is The Equalizer In Present Difficulty

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Sounds like a boring title, right? Even the concept when thought upon is the kind of thought that we already know yet when understood in real application becomes fully realized.

There have been many situations as of late in my life that I thought that would have been super easy to overcome. You know, little things, small issues, minor confrontations, etc. In my mind before such things came about I honestly felt like I was ready for as we say “anything”. When a person is in the preparation phase you tend to have a great lot of faith and confidence that seems to flee when trouble decides to come around! As we read this passage:

Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. (Romans 2:9-11)

I know and am thankful for the balance that God created for all of us. When people act as though they are better than you, please know and remember that this is behavior that is out of balance of the word of God. I encourage you to use the great love of God to overcome any situations where you feel this kind of act coming against you.

Knowing that God had no respect of person humbles me to know that when God delivered me from my addictions that I found God the same as one who may have failed less than I. I am also thankful that even when people choose not to embrace the power of worship that this does not prohibit the ability for others to enjoy it also.

Here is the revelation that God gave me: there is no situation where God does not provide the balance for us. None!

As we pray and seek God greater there is a comfort in times of trouble, peace in times when we lack understanding, and joy as our strength when we are in a state of weakness:

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

So in closing I would strongly urge you to never forget that you always have God and even when it seems the situation is lopsided that God is there watching over all with no respect of person. In fact, that same love he shares for all will bring us together as we learn to live in his love!

Tradition Will Make The Gospel Of None Effect

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Matthew 15: 1-9

[1] Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
[2] Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
[3] But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
[4] For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
[5] But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
[6] And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
[7] Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
[8] This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
[9] But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society. Every type of group (family, community, church, religion, organizations, etc.) has traditions. If we are not very careful, we will make the Gospel of none effect by tradition. In Matthew 15 we find the Scribes and Pharisees are in opposition against Christ because the Disciples didn’t follow their tradition of washing their hands before they ate bread. Their intent was to find fault with Christ. Jesus ignored their tradition because He knew it was not scriptural. Knowing their hearts, he did however speak to them of a commandment they were not keeping. Notice the commandment was from God whereas the tradition was of a carnal nature. Jesus told them they were not honoring their father or mother but were giving their estate to the Temple so they wouldn’t have to take care of their aged parents. This freed them from their responsibility. But Jesus told them they had made the Commandment of God to Honour their father and mother of none effect by their tradition. I have visited many churches over the last few years and have found each church worships somewhat differently. Should I be offended that one church may worship God differently than I or should they be offended if I worship God differently than they? No, tradition should not matter but only that God is worshiped in spirit and truth.

I don’t want to worship in vain which means that my worship would not be accepted by God although it might meet the standards of man. I want to worship with my heart no matter how it may impact my flesh or those around me. I might look foolish and act differently from others but whatever God wants I want to be willing and ready to do. The Pharisees were offended at Christ because He didn’t follow their tradition. It is okay if others are offended as long as I am following what He wants in my life. If those around you get offended because you are obedient to God’s call on your life, then let them alone and press forward. This is what Christ did. He let them alone and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon where there was a Canaanite woman with a daughter who needed healing. If you are willing, God has much in store for you to learn and obtain. For years, I was wrapped up in traditions. I wasn’t listening for God to speak or for God to give me knowledge but I was taking the knowledge that another person had passed onto me instead of seeking God’s will and guidance for my life personally. Don’t be guilty of doing something because this is the way it has been done for years but ask God, Lord what would you have me do, where do you want me to be, what do you want me to say, what do you want me to do. Lord, I want to be what you want me to be. Please forgive me for not being effective in my life and in my worship of you.

God Is Love, And Love Will Make The Difference If You Let It

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If I told you today that when you began to share your feelings with me that I would turn a deaf ear, what would your reaction be? Likewise if you walked by me to say hello and we were as close as family and I looked away or pretended you were not there…what would be your thoughts or feelings? What if I told you that this lack of compassion has began to lay dormant in the hearts of people everywhere (even in church!) ? I know at first you would want to say no but consider within yourself the amount of love you have for not just people that are close to you but people in general.

When you consider the amount of time that is being spent towards God versus what we spend for ourselves, the love to which we have for what we spend time for is truly reflected. It cannot lie and will tell on us every time. Let’s examine both contrasts of this. If I seek God and am before Him with it as my first priority, then the love in my heart is towards God, which in turn creates a love and compassion for others that is not naturally there. Now if I seek for myself all the time, then the things that I lust for and seek after are what I love, right? This could mean that you could have someone broke down on the side of the road and yet you speed on by to make sure you catch your tv show. This could also mean you do not participate in church actively because you love the social aspect of church more than the spiritual. Some often discuss this topic as selfish love for carnality or as a love for one’s self. Let me just make note here that just because the love of many will wax cold does not mean you lose the capacity to love, it is simply love redirected for the love of things greater than God (which makes us spiritually dead or cold).

In looking at both of these, it is reminding me to seek God not only in a church or group setting but on a very personal level. For when you do, the love of what you cherish will flow out and your natural desire and likemindedness will be to help others and lead them to Christ! Help us at this ministry continue to never pass anyone by and love everyone as they should be! People need a loving generation of the body of Christ!

Personal Perspectives On Pain, Discouragement, Growth, Humility

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When you are in growing stages in your personal life I am finding that there are many different phases to the art of growth. I would be lying if I said that coming to this realization has always been the easiest concept to grasp. I am so thankful today for the times in my life that I have been in a place where God was able to show to me mightily that He reigns and is in control of all things.

We have been heavily involved with our building project at the church we regularly attend. And by heavily, I mean to say that we are consumed in all parts: mentally, physically, and spiritually. There have been days where the load has been light and the faith in your heart seems never ending when you think of the finished product. Then there are the moments when you are in the harder days working yourself until you cannot stand as you wonder “Lord God, when will the help we need come”. I stood on a lift hanging about 45-50 feet in the air and realized I was in a growth stage. It hurts. I was hurt. I went home just to lay down and cry inside and out and (in my own flesh) wonder what more I could do to move it forward. I began to think of how much more could be done if there was more help, but in doing this I began to feel low and sad before the Lord. This did nothing but attempt to perform a work of discouragement to my heart. Sure there are all kinds of people that offer advice and how you can begin to overcome the way you feel, but sometimes you simply cannot hear it for how low you feel. In this moment I realized that discouragement is a real spirit that attempts to weigh upon the hearts of people.

The next thing I began to think was, “who could I confide in?”. All of the people that you could consider or run through your lists of “trustworthy candidates” could never compare to the comfort of God. Sometimes the only way growth can begin is when you cast your cares before God. It allows you to be lighter, to have more clarity, and to be able to actually receive joy. Once I got past attempting to reach out just to be more upset, I began to call out on God in my mind. As I began to, God worked a silent miracle: my heart was touched with humility. The love of God began to rush through my mind and work its way into my heart. Then it finally hit me like a flood.

I know now that all of the scars, cuts and bruises that you would sacrifice for a literal building is a representation of the way we face persecution spiritually. The efforts that are given are efforts given to God in love, even our acts of physical obedience. I have now realized that when I face mental discouragement that it is just a part of growing and being able to be stronger. When things or people attempt to discourage me, it has to flee and can only through the comfort of the spirit of God. And all for what? The ability to lead others, of course! Jesus Christ walked this world with a love without compare, giving Himself through all He could do while He lived and the greatest gift of humility when He was crucified on the cross.

So today? I press on. I may end up aching in my body, being hurt in my heart, or being persecuted greatly in my mind. I continue the cause of the cross. I continue so that I may exercise humility and love for all that need a better life like I did. At the end of the day, we are here to grow and continue and pursue the mark of the high calling! Let your calling shine and your obedience be fluent. Be benevolent and never waiver due to the lack of giving in others. Show yourself to be a true witness of the love of God! Learn to recognize growth and embrace where God is trying to take you!

We Are Children Of The Free

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Galatians 4:1-6, 21-23, 27-31

[1] Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
[2] But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
[3] Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
[4] But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
[5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
[6] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

[21] Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
[22] For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
[23] But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

[27] For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
[28] Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
[29] But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
[30] Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
[31] So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Paul was talking in reference to the free and bond that we are not bound to the natural part of ourselves; for we are children of the free, which was given by the death of Jesus Christ! I am so thankful for living a brand new life now not under the same form of bondage that I was once under before. For my life was once miserable and without purpose; yet the love of God entering into my life has restored what was once seemingly gone forever (at least to my point of view).

Genesis 21:8-14, 15-19

[8] And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
[9] And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
[10] Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
[11] And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
[12] And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
[13] And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
[14] And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

[15] And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
[16] And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
[17] And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
[18] Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
[19] And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

Reading about this lets me know that even though that Abraham had to send away the one that was not given by the promise of God that God did not leave Ishmael in life without a purpose. We are not without purpose in life, and we are not without a promise to achieve something in God! And if we can just learn to cease attempting to always do things our way (as Sarah tried to here) we would not put ourselves in our own bondage!

Genesis 22:1-2,7-13

[1] And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
[2] And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

[7] And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
[8] And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
[9] And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
[10] And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
[11] And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
[12] And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
[13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

God will make a way when there seems to be no way! God will also move for us in magnificent ways if we will take great steps of faith. Abraham was definitely taking a great literal step of faith here, and at times I often wonder if anyone is left in the world with this amount of faith! We must strive to aim for this kind of faith and willingness, to heed to the voice of God even as to the willingness and humbleness of a child to do something when instructed.

Galatians 5:24-26

[24] And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
[25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
[26] Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Those that are saved have given up their sins and have received forgiveness by Jesus death, to which brought the atonement. No matter how powerful our affections and lusts for this world are, the death of Jesus is above all of the sins that we have!

Here are some other scriptures that are some food for thought to add to this message:

Leviticus 17:11

[11] For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Matthew 16:24-28

[24] Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
[25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
[26] For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
[27] For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
[28] Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

To deny = to destroy our natural desires

To take up = to take up the spiritually living being inside of us

To follow = to stay and continue in

Romans 12:1

[1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

We need to present to God the forgiven soul, and we are not there, we must pray and get there!

Those Who Love God First Stay Together

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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.

What Moves You? God Does, Right?

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When you begin to read of certain events in the bible, the sad ones to me start to reveal the defeat or downfall of people. There is always a direct correlation in the lack of either the belief in or stirring up of God within. Even as I personally go through things from week to week, it is very easy to lose sight of what we are striving for. With our best of intentions we are always aiming to do our best to help others by default.

As life continues to come with new surprises, many of these things will try and delimit the amount of time and level of passion that we hold in our hearts for God, thus eventually bringing our talents and gifts to help to a grinding halt. Staying in a halt state after a while will lead to a point where we try to assume full control and things become unglued and beyond our ability.

What I would like to address is that part of us that gets “moved”. Typically we are emotionally driven with most of what we do. A very big problem with that is too often our emotions get skewed by one event which adjusts us for the rest of everything else. I know (even to me at times) it seems impossible to keep our emotions in check, but it is vitally necessary to not let your emotional self overdrive or overpower the spiritual self. Life will not always be driven by feelings; for life has little guarantees or the types of emotional victories you can achieve. Being spiritually grounded always guarantees and presents the qualities of the spirit of God, which at baseline produces peace, love and joy. As you grow with the basics, you are able to add unto your faith many more virtues that can build your character and help you to reach out to others on a more continual constant level.

Be spiritually moved and driven for your motives, goals and intentions. Let go of yourself and let God be your guide and lead you to the impossibles you never thought you could do on your own!

Let’s Break Up Some Ground

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2 Kings 3:16-17

[16] And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.
[17] For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.

There was no water for the army until the ditches were dug. We cannot begin to see the supply and provision of God until we learn to start breaking the ground in our own lives. Even though one might be persuaded that it is nearly impossible to do in hard times, God has provided more than enough of a provision to give the ability to do so!

2 Kings 4:3-4

[3] Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
[4] And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

There was no oil until the vessels were gathered. We have to learn to bring all of the things that we go through under subjection and to give God our full trust. When we find ourselves not knowing what to do and not knowing how things will come to pass, it should prove as a good indicator that we are not trusting God like we could be. Learn to trust God in a greater way and you will find the peace that surpasses all understanding!

2 Kings 5:10-11

[10] And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
[11] But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

There was no healing until the leper had dipped 7 times. Until we learn to begin to obey God in spirit and truth we will not learn how to overcome all of our battles. With the spirit of God as our guide and love in our hearts there is nothing that you cannot do. If we begin to be as proud as Naaman was we very well may miss out on the very thing that we need God to perform in. Simply learn to hear from God and do it. It’s not complicated to do in principle, but in getting the mind to direct the rest of you to apply!

Hosea 10:12

[12] Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

There was no harvest until the way had been prepared, the ground broken up. As we learn to bring ourselves to a low and humble state, God can begin to use us. God cannot use a ministry or a church with an attitude or a chip on its shoulder. We must learn to work together and be humble and work out everything that is holding us back!

Joel 2:12-13

[12] Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
[13] And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

There was no reconciliation without repentance! If we simply acknowledge our sins and ask God for forgiveness and to be saved, you can be! Simply confess your faults to God with a sincere heart and ask Jesus to be your Savior! You will never regret your decision!

Singing At Jellico Highway Church Of God

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We had a great time, and especially enjoyed going somewhere local and close by! It was great getting most of the whole family to be there for it; for sometimes you never know when you will have another opportunity to get together to enjoy church together!

We had a variety of denominations in the crowd, but it did not matter for the service whatsoever. I have found (and can testify to) that no matter where we are scheduled to go that as long as everyone has the love of God in their hearts that everyone is usually fixed upon the true purpose of a church, which to me is the reaching out to those that need the relationship with Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life.

You know it seems silly, but there have been more times than not that people will want to know your specific doctrines before they will ever even give you the time of day. When we get in that place in our lives we cannot enjoy our own worship let alone the offerings of others. Irregardless of how you practice religion, you should always stand for Jesus Christ everywhere! And I can speak on behalf of our ministry and say that whether we get inside, outside or somewhere in between, it will always be about bringing out the message of the love of God and salvation of Jesus Christ!

On another note, I’m so proud of everyone working in the ministry directly and indirectly. It’s great to see how far that God is bringing everyone that is involved and how quick it is transpiring! There is no telling where we will be soon from now! We look forward to another opportunity to get back over to Jellico Highway COG! Thanks for the freedom and liberty!