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The Mind Of Christ

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1 Corinthians 2:16 – For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

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When we begin to consider a few of the wonderful qualities of the mind of Christ, it makes us really evaluate what is upon our minds:

First of all, Jesus made of Himself no reputation. Some people in this world are in involved in the interaction and entertainment for a name, fame or fortune. Let me remind all of us that Jesus came so that all could have life and a way unto Heaven (and not to give us an hours’ worth of entertainment on Sunday). We (while in the world today) should remember that we should make what we do about no one but God first and God glorified. If we put out more of God and less of ourselves, they will be drawn to something that will never fail them. Am I saying that we as leaders will fail? Yes. I am also saying that we need to remember who is in control of our leadership as well!

Secondly, Jesus took upon him the form of a servant while living on earth. We love to be in control, but never to follow or be ordered by others. We love to and want to place conditional prayers upon God, as well as putting conditions to serve and obey and truly expect everything to come to pass. A servant unto God will serve in spirit and in truth, through persecution and victory, and will not be moved from the calling that is placed within!

Finally, Jesus humbled himself, and became obedient even unto death. Honestly, even when we feel like the world is crashing around us and we do not hear a voice nearby, God is the still small voice that is there to lead. We have to remember that humbling ourselves allows the Godhead to have its place in our lives, and takes us to a place of complete obedience AND compliance in our lives! Let us begin to take on these high qualities so that we can be the true light of the world!

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Put Into Practice:

A simple way to know what is on your mind is to simply speak what is on your mind. This might be better practiced alone and may lead into prayer when done correctly. Take a few minutes and begin to just allow every thought that hits your mind to come out in spoken word. It may shock you to find what you actually will say verses what you normally suppress in the back of your mind. As you do this for a few moments, begin to start praying about the parts that are bothering you and allow God to help you in these areas. Growth never starts without some groundbreaking action!

Consider Your Environments

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Psalm 139:7-8 – Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

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I know people think I made a mistake with the title, but I truly meant to say the word “environments”. As we go about each day, we are in more than just one place in an ideal world. And in every setting are all kinds of things that you have to face. Some of these things might be encouraging to you, and some of them may attempt to pull you down.

If and when you are in control of being able to eliminate the vices and things that are hurting your walk with God, then I suggest you cut them loose. This may mean an item, a person or a place, but it is well worth the sacrifice. Sometimes we have to pay a price to draw closer to God, but it will always humble us and put us in a better place. Try not to think of it as losing things, but more along the lines of gaining better surroundings for God to exist in your life.

It’s a tough subject, but it’s one we have to remember. You’ll be surprised what you will see if you just take a minute to look around. God will help you with this, and you are not alone!

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Put Into Practice:

Examine the day that you just went through today or even the one you had yesterday. Think about all parts of the day that was leading you into a place that was discouraging or disheartening. It could have been a topic of conversation or even something that you may have been doing without even knowing what it would end up doing in the long-run.

Take just one part of anything that you found and dedicate your following day to focusing on not allowing this to occur again. Remove yourself from the conversations or the objects that would hinder you from being in joy or at peace. Begin to pray and seek for the comfort and leadership of God to lead you through the times that we find difficult.

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!

Where We Find Success

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John 12:24-28

[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
[25] He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
[26] If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
[27] Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
[28] Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

Jesus realized and knew his purpose, even in the midst of the trials and sorrow. You see, Jesus came TO the hour. He was not saved from it, but out of the hour! Sometimes we are in such a rut in our life and we often get so discouraged when we see no immediate results. And believe me, I know that without some kind of sign in front of us as proof of hope that it seems so dark out ahead. Here more than any other place is where we all go out in different directions, trying to find our “own way”. We’ll do it through our passion at our job, or at home, or at church, etc. We’ll go out and try to pull our own weight and bear the burdens of our trials on our own because we think that we can really handle it. Eventually, when we begin to crumble at the pressure, we have to turn to something. People always do. Whatever it is that we turn to is always different with each person, and can prove to be destructive without the leadership of God in your life.

I have learned a few lessons along the journey of my life. Unfortunately, I have also paid a great price to have learned them since most of my wisdom has came from mistakes made in my past. First of all, I have learned that we will never find ourselves through success, because we will fall to pride. When we obtain our monies and our popularity, it never fails that we always attribute it solely to ourselves. We never remember to give glory to God when it counts. I always hear to count my blessings, but we only normally count them when we are in grim situations. Pride has its place in our lives, and we have to learn to put pride in its place. We will never do it through the monotony of the daily or weekly routines; there are plenty of people out there that have been living the same life trying to put of God to find their answers out in this world. The sad truth of it all is that the satisfaction for their soul will never be there to find. And as we all know if you have been through the fire so to say, you know it if you have been through it!

We will only find success by stopping our complaining and murmuring. We have to begin to realize that we cannot do it on our own anymore. We will only begin to build confidence by the strength of God. We will only be able to endure the things that we cannot control nor understand by the peace of God as only can be given by the wonderful Holy Ghost. I cannot explain it to you. It’s just one of those things that you have, and when you have it, it will keep you through it all and help you stand through it all. We need to come TO the hour and stop trying to run from it. God can bring us through it a lot easier with us going forward than us complaining and having no faith. Faith moves God. Prayer and obedience moves God. So let’s move God and get moving! Let’s find our success through God this year!

Hannah’s Deserate Plea

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1 Samuel 2:1-10

[1] And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
[2] There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
[3] Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
[4] The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
[5] They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
[6] The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
[7] The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
[8] He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
[9] He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
[10] The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Hannah was willing to relinquish the very thing she was asking for.

What a heavy price she paid. When Samuel was born she only had him to herself for a couple of years before giving him up to Eli. After that she only saw him once a year when she and Elkanah went up to Shiloh for the annual sacrifice. Was the outcome worth the price? Hannah thought so because as she released Samuel into Eli’s hands she prayed another poetic prayer of triumph exalting God.

I believe that Hannah’s prayer and resulting sacrifice paid the price for the anointing that was on Samuel over his entire life. She thought she was asking for a child for herself but Israel got a Judge and a Prophet of unparalleled character and worth. God closed Hannah’s womb to see what that would produce.

Things could have turned out far differently. What if Hannah had chosen self pity when she found herself barren? How about discouragement leading to bitterness and bitterness to despair? She could easily have succumbed to resigned resentment or smoldering anger with God.

When we look at Hannah we see a woman who paid a price few would willingly pay. Yet after Hannah gave Samuel up to God, the Lord visited her again and gave her three more sons and two daughters. She was abundantly fruitful in her life but it all started with barrenness.

You Are One In A Million

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I write this blog today, not as one that we can really learn something from, but more as a word of encouragement to all of you out there, that might feel small or insignificant sometimes. Because at some point and time in our lives, we all get to that stage. So I hope that this is a blessing to you, just like it was strength to me when i was composing this.

When I hear the phrase, “One in a million“, I think of quite a few things.

First, I consider the fact that there is no one else in the world like me. There might be many that have similar traits and features, but there is not another that is JUST alike. God made us in his image, and though there are many great things in the world, just like the verse reads below, there is just something about us that is special.

Deuteronomy 4:32

[32] For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

So when I read this, I realize that even as I sit here, am unique. I have a special place in the world. I have a calling for something in other words. Consider this:

1 Corinthians 1:26

[26] For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

There are many people that could try to be what God has called you to be, to do what God has called you to do, but only YOU can truly do it. God made you to be that special singer, teacher, praise and worship leader, etc. Anything that you have that is unique that God has given you, that separates you, that makes you who YOU are, and abides in Holiness according to his will, is what defines that inner you that will make you grow to find that happiness we all search for.

I constantly see people out there on their journey of life, trying to do this thing on their own, trying to “find their self” out there, essentially trying to find the meaning to their life. The truth is, they already have the unique gifts and tools right there, and often times don’t want to use the great assets they have. Sometimes the reason is by fear, or by rejection.

I want those of us out there who are strong in the Lord to get a hold of these verses:

Matthew 18:12-13

[12] How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

[13] And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

We, that are on the path, who know the right from wrong, and know how to be leaders for Christ, should not be satisfied with just the 99. Don’t be satisfied knowing that there is one that is out there that needs help. They just may be the one in a million that could save the nation. They might be the person that writes the next Amazing Grace.

I encourage all of you, those of you readers out there, to know that you are special, in every single way that God has made you. In your life, in your mind, in your body, everything; nothing about us is terrible. We are the only reason we think so. We are our worst critic, and we often times beat ourselves down into depression, when in reality, if God was the one that made us, then we are in the image of the God of victory.

We were built to be victors! We were not built for failure! You are not a failure!

In closing, I speak on a more personal note as a testimony to myself to say that I can honestly say that I feel like one in a million. I count myself as one of the few that beat drug addiction, delivered solely and completely by prayer and the Holy Ghost. I wasn’t in a church; I was in a living room. I can honestly say that I also had given up college and hopes for a decent life, and God pieced my life back together, and got me back in school, graduated, and I am happily married and employed today. God even got me a job close to the church where we wanted to go.

And all the times where I thought I was forgotten, I totally laugh about it now. God never forgot about me. God left the 999,999 to come find me; I’m one in a million! Everything is possible if you put an honest life before him, pray hard, have faith, and never give up on God. Be encouraged this day!