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Motivation? More Like Procrastination!

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Who is ready for a top ten? Well, actually we only need one today.

One of the worst things we can possibly do as children of God is actually know what God has spoken in our hearts and not do it.

I can relate this point to an easy illustration: Just imagine someone that just fell into a pool on accident and did not have the ability to swim. And as you stand there someone yells out to you “you know how to swim, jump in there and save them!”. As soon as you hear this, immediately you think to yourself, “I know that I should, but I have so much going on in my life right now…I’m so busy at work…and I have a lot that I never get done at home…and besides…there is at least 3 other people here that could save this person other than me…so I will just chill out and know that I could but don’t really have to”, all the while the person that was drowning lost their life struggling to swim.

For some that might be a little much, but I hope it got you to this very sentence. When God speaks to us to help the lost and dying world and we present every excuse in the world, there are people that we are losing each and every day to things that are destroying them. God wants to work miracles in their life; there is no doubt about it. Sometimes, however, there is an appointed time for you to be that lifeguard and to launch out there and be obedient to the voice of God that speaks to you to say “God loves you” or “you’re not alone”. If there was ever a time that people needed the Savior, it is today! Don’t stand back and act like you have little reason to obey the Lord, for the lives of those that need God should be MORE than enough for us to remember to stay constant and always pressing forward to all!

Don’t put off your obedience anymore, step out and be a willing vessel today!

God Can Be Everywhere, Right?

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One of the toughest things that we have to be continually reminded of is that God is “always with us”. I preach it and write it so often that it makes me begin to wonder if that part of the mind refuses to believe it. I then begin to realize that it’s not the believing part that is hard, but the hanging on to the belief once it is there that is.

You see, a person can believe that God is everything and ever present in a time of trouble all day long. I know that with all that is in my mind, heart and soul! The part that begins to increase the difficulty is when things begin to happen to loosen the grip you have on that belief. When and if something comes up to discourage or remove your focus from about God, we lose it little by little. Before you know it we eventually go from feeling completely secure to feeling completely lost sometimes in as little as months, days, hours, or even minutes.

To me, the grip is as strong as your faith is. The more I am able to have faith in a time of trouble, the easier it is to hang on to God and to see a trial through to victory. I encourage you today to hang on to your faith. I am here to remind you that no matter how bad things look right now, that God has not left! God does has no intentions on going anywhere! The only thing that does is our faith! Keep the faith today in God! Remind yourself today by keeping the blessings of yesterday in your heart! Keep what you have today in your mind and know that there is more in your future!

The children of God are not a defeated people! We live in victory, and we should learn to live it! Get your minds and hearts in the mindset of Christ! Continually remind yourself daily that things WILL not be perfect around us, but as we strive for perfection God will prevail!

I hope that as we all continue to serve God together that we all play a role in being the “reminder” for someone, or in other words, that witness!

What’s The First Thing You Do?

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THE WORD

Luke 6:31 – And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Think about when you first wake up. You roll out of bed, hurry to get into the shower and start getting ready. You put your phone and wallet in your pockets/purses, grabbing your keys and hurry out the door …..wait! Plenty of times I am sure we have went throughout our entire day and wondered why things seemed to be harder than they had to be. Many times I often wondered why I have felt like I was not prepared like I could have been. By the time we realize what we should have done differently in a situation it is usually too late to change what has been done. All the suffering to our minds and others hearts could have been averted had we prepared with the game changer that God has given us to use for every trial: prayer! Prayer can help us be prepared for things that we can and cannot see. Through praying we also are able to keep a clear focus of our love and patience towards others. I say this giving caution: always take time for prayer. While worship brings you inside the gates of God’s presence know that prayer is the way into the inner courts of the anointing. Believe me, I speak from experience when I say this, it is definitely worth it! I could not tell you how much more fruitful life is including God in my life in the morning and not waiting until later. I need Him then too!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Remember in the moment (rather than later) to include God in your prayers preparing you for the day ahead. A prayer of preparation is easier to pray than to have to ask God to forgive us for anything we could have avoided if we were properly being prepared! Remember to pray each day! And if you barely get out the door in time, make more time (get to bed earlier)! Let us honor God by giving him some of our valuable time! As you make your daily prayer life habit this same habit begins to produces replicated behavior. And as your behavior changes from your prayer life it becomes a part of your character. The person that you are is defined by what is within you. Let prayer be a part of you and allow it to be first in every situation and present difficulty that may come upon you. It is no wonder that Jesus handled walking through the trials of life as a human so well. He prayed!

Do We Use Discernment Anymore?

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THE WORD

Romans 8:27 – And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

One of the toughest spiritual gifts to willingly learn and use is the gift of discernment. One of the ways you can understand how discernment works is when you are following the Holy Ghost during a church service to ensure you are obeying the perfect will of God, keeping things in a spiritual order as God would lead, and helping to prevent things that would disrupt the freedom of God from being in control. That is the long way of putting it but is where you might see it used the most.

To put it in an easier way, you would not just let anyone get up and minister to you without having a good spirit dwelling within them. You know (and discern) that through the light of God lives a person’s spirit and are you able to bear witness of that light through what they speak and obey. You can begin to use discernment every day of your life. Whether it comes to what you see or hear or what you do around or say to others, discernment can be used in all venues if you allow the spirit of God to lead you. God would not have you willingly walking around in sin if it can be shown to you to turn from it. We can begin to discern that it is not the right situation to surround ourselves with and can learn to change where we are and what we do. It is possible! As we pray we can begin to discern from people how they either have God’s love or are lost from God’s direction and are in need.

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Learn to be spiritually led each day! The best thing to start with is prayer and thinking upon the good things of God. Once you start there, build yourself up and see how much begins to change. You will be surprised! God would not have you live in darkness. God would have you be a light to it, compelling people to change. Learn to change your environments and get out when you know things are too much for what you are capable of dealing with. Remember, we often make our biggest mistakes when we think we are strong enough to discern it for ourselves and not with the spirit. God is the best leader and guide!

Who’s In My Circle Of Friends?

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THE WORD

Psalms 55:14 – We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

I Corinthians 5:11 – But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

There are many people that we have in our lives that we say are in our inner circle. These are the people that you communicate and reach out to when you are in trouble. When you have a flat tire on the road you may think of one of these people to call first before you even think of a towing company. Even though a towing company is more than able to help you it identifies the preference of trust that we have for others. Trust me, I love having people that I can count on. It is nice to have people in your life that will lend you a helping hand along the way!

One life lesson I have learned the hard way is that the power of people can only go so far. That person you try to call might not be available. Then, what? You feel alone without anyone. Let us go beyond the spare tire and consider our spiritual person. You could have a million contacts on your phone, thousands of friends on Facebook, and even roommates that live within feet of you! When it comes to your time of need people may (and will) eventually let you down. God should be first above our people, objects, and ideals. I encourage you to put God as the one you count on the most every day! If he is in your circle and the top priority in your life, anything that you ask in His name you can receive (bearing in mind that it is not something that is outside the will of God for us)! A friendship with God is the most important one! Remember that!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Perform this task no matter where you are in a situation: simply close your eyes and pray for God to help you. It is a simple gateway into more humble prayers that will definitely draw you into the right-now spiritual blessing that will help you through!

Giving All That We Have

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Luke 21:1-4

[1] And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
[2] And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
[3] And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
[4] For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

There is a difference in throwing our best in flesh versus our best in spirit. There is something to just coming in and going through the motions versus actually coming in and giving God a sincere effort from your heart. You can have all the wonderful gifts and talents of God, but without casting in all that you have, or in essence that which “all you can give” it cannot fully profit you. God does not want us to hold back nor be ashamed of what lives within us!

“All the Living” vs. “All the Flesh” is two completely different things! If I act and perform out of myself exclusively, it will only help temporarily or even not at all. It is only the things we do that are spiritual and done in love through faith believing that are truly sown and grow over time! That goes for things you do for yourself as well as others!

James 4:5-10

[5] Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
[6] But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
[7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
[8] Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
[9] Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
[10] Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

There is nothing wrong being down to being humble. God cannot use us if we are too proud or think that is “not required” of us to be obedient. God wants to be glorified and is only glorified through our actions in faith! Faith without our works is dead, or in other words cannot go any further than the thought of it. I am faithful to believe I can help people, absolutely. However, it goes much further when I believe that and step out in obedience to God, pouring out myself so others may be exhorted and lifted up in their time of trouble.

We can lose our so-called riches to inherit far greater things! Those things that we consider of worth in this world are made new and fade away. There is nothing that we could ever produce that will ever replicate or replace what God is supposed to fill inside of us. Jesus is the way, and the only way we can grow as an individual, ministry, or a church!

Matthew 5:29-30

[29] And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
[30] And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

If there are things that are standing in the way of your humbleness, work on you first, THEN IN LOVE, encourage, not MAKE others to move to work for Christ in the same manner!

It is better to lose things and it feel like a loss in the short term to gain the greater things in God. It only feels like a loss to us because we have placed such a high value upon it. Things like this should be a clear indicator to us that God is not first or above something that we are struggling with, and should be immediately addressed if the spirit convicts you of it! And it’s not a hard thing to give up with faith and prayer and continual coming to God!

Spirit Is Life

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The spirit of God serves so many purposes for us: It keeps our minds when we feel like drifting. It keeps our hearts when we feel broken. It heals our bodies when we feel weak. It goes forth and reaches out to others when we petition to God on their behalf. It does more and goes forth way beyond the mention of my few words, but to sum it all up: Spirit Is Life!

Will We Go Away?

John 6:61-67

[61] When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
[62] What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
[63] It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
[64] But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
[65] And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
[66] From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
[67] Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

The words of Christ should be something we pin up on our walls to remind ourselves: the words he speaks are spirit and are life. It also quickens us; one even would wonder what the purpose of quickening is. If you have people in the midst of your services that are in desperate need, God will quicken you to be obedient so they can know and feel the spirit for themselves.

We Must Serve

Luke 22:27-28

[27] For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
[28] Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

We have to learn to work in stability, and to be as ones that serve. We also have to continue! My first steps to the Lord were obviously the easiest to take, but once I come to the understanding of the spirit, I have to learn to serve others with the love that God has place inside me (via the spirit).

What The Spirit Does

Matthew 4:19

[19] And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Matthew 5:6-14

[6] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
[7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
[8] Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
[9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
[10] Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

We are the light of the world! We are the fishers of men! We are the appointed ones to go forth and be the arms and heart of Christ; to love others and reach out to them as Christ reached out to us.

We might face persecution for the preaching and execution of the gospel. We cannot let this make us give up or quit what God has called us to do; for we not only shall be blessed, we are blessed when we face it.

The Goal Of The Spirit

Hebrews 13:13

[13] Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Let us take that wonderful spirit that is within us, and take it forth as a light of the world so that they can be drawn unto Jesus Christ! It’s the only thing we could ever give that will ever last!

Making Myself Remember

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As we are on our journey with God, there are plenty of moments that attempt to come along and steer you away. There has to begin to be something stirred up from within you to remind you of how powerful that God is inside of you.

So how do I make myself remember? How do I stir up? How do I fight growing numb?

2 Peter 1:12-14

[12] Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
[13] Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
[14] Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

What we stir up within keeps us. What keeps us is what defines us. What defines us is what people see!

There are plenty of reasons to make yourself stay stirred up, so that you define yourself in some of the following examples:

  • discouragement
  • depression
  • suicide
  • addicitions
  • sadness
  • anger
  • bitterness
  • spitefulness
  • hatefulness
  • rebelliousness
  • being unwilling
  • unhappy
  • easy influenced
  • hard-hearted
  • vengeful
  • disobedience

Needless to say, this list goes on and on. I have to often remind myself as well as others that we are ALL subject to fall unto something, no matter how strong that we consider ourselves.

Hebrews 10:22-31

[22] Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
[23] Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
[24] And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
[25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
[26] For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
[27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
[28] He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
[29] Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
[30] For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
[31] It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

We cannot forget or forsake the fact that assembling ourselves together is a powerful factor when it comes to the spirit of God. If we work together, a church can have an amazing service. On the opposite token, if we work against one another or refuse to make any efforts we will not be in the place that God intended for us to be.

Let us begin to consider one another once more. Let us promote unto good works, or in other words, let us only work on something if it is going to allow growth for the greater good of God in someone’s life. People that are going to be coming in that are in desparate need cannot have us in a place where we will not encourage them. We have to be ready, in and out of season!

We are held accountable for those that come in our midst that do not receive what God had intended due to the lack of obedience of the church. We can get past that if we are always stirred up and fluent in the spirit!

Face Your Confusion and Worries With God

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1 Corinthians 14:33 – For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Psalm 71:1 – In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

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Normally I do not share personal details of this magnitude but I thought I would start this piece out with this: One of the most requested items that people come and ask me to pray for is either direction for their life or outside problems that they are worrying themselves to death over.

It is a big burden to walk around with these concerns on our hearts each day. I also do not think that this is something that people can easily just “shake off” without some assistance either. Luckily, we have something within us that gives us the ability to ward off all of the woes and worries of life. What is it you ask? God of course!

You see, the peace of God surpasses all understanding and will give you comfort when you cannot find it in logic or the facts you have before you. God works in things seen and unseen and goes before you even unto what you do not even know. We can begin each day alleviating our confusion by beginning to obtain peace in our mind! When the weight of burdens attempt to come and be more than we can bear, those are the times when we are to do more than watch. I believe that is why it said to “watch” AND “pray”.

Be aware of things, but don’t let the circumstance pull you down. Pray and begin to let God pull you out of the pits of every single issue that would steer you away from the focus of God’s will for your life!

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Put Into Practice:

I really encourage you to participate in this exercise as we have many things that we are in question of or are confused about. Take one to two minutes and dedicate it to finding something (it will not take long) that is really bothering you that you cannot do anything about. Once you have it on your mind perform these simple steps: humble yourself in prayer, openly admit to God that you do not have the answer, and then openly establish your trust in God by believing and building your faith.

Please do not go past this page before completing this. I encourage you more than anything to get down this very moment and take God at His word to realize we can lay our confusion down and begin to realize a more greater love and trust with our unbreakable Godly relationship!

Singing And Speaking At Sweet Hill Church

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It would be safe to say that it was quite the journey to get there from where we all live, but it sure was a beautiful trip there! As many times as we have been on the road, it always gives us times to reflect on all the wonderful times we have shared together going on the road and working the ministry for God. Oh the stories we could tell!

We had a wonderful time at Sweet Hill! We were ever-so welcomed, and it was just a wonderful place to go in and feel right at home. It was so great to see the amount of youth that they had in their church. A lot of places are losing sight of the youth, but this was not one for sure!

We enjoyed the singing as always, but we sure missed Mona! Speaking was great as well, I always enjoy getting out there and obeying God more and more.

I am definitely proud of all those that came up for prayer and want to let them all know that we will continue to pray for everything that was brought to us. Just because we only come one day does not mean you ever leave the burden of our hearts. We hope to come back and visit soon, and we will post the dates when we do!