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Jesus Is Where The Need Is

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Matthew 8:2-4

[2] And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
[3] And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
[4] And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Christ is found with the leper, those so ill all had forsaken them. The spirit of God wants to perform works to where the needs are, yet when we are not in the place to let it dwell within our temple (personal life) we may miss that very season of time to see it done.

John 5:5-8

[5] And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
[6] When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
[7] The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
[8] Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

Jesus is found where friends neglect and religion and tradition loses its ability to have compassion. I am so glad I was not saved by the church service timesheet structure. I am glad that when we break our own rules sometimes that we come to realize that God is neither on a timeframe nor structure. There is a Holy appointed structure; it is called the will of God! There is also a guide to following it as well? It’s the word of God that lives in you and that which you read from the pages of life (bible).

Matthew 9:27-31

[27] And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
[28] And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
[29] Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
[30] And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
[31] But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

Jesus is found where the blind will not only walk in faith but believe!

Matthew 18:28-35

[28] But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
[29] And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
[30] And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
[31] So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
[32] Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
[33] Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
[34] And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
[35] So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Christ is found where the poor are persecuted and are put under bondage!

When I Think About Trouble…Ummm…Yeah Don’t

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When our minds are not able to be in focus to our walk with God, it is truly hard to utilize and understand the true power and fulfillment of the promises and blessings that God has given and will give in the future.

That’s a big statement, but when applied each and every day can be SO true. If our mind gets continually stressed with a thought that is always on our mind, that is very easily representative to a wound that we refuse to bandage; for not allowing God to begin to lift the care from your mind and replace it with peace defeats the purpose of know about the peace that surpasses all understanding. If we do not allow God to lift us up when we are down by accepting the joy of the Lord, it does us little good to know about it!

So when trouble decides to pay you a visit through any medium of communication or situation, begin to focus upon God and not the trouble! Refuse to let something so small compared to God win the battle of your heart and mind. When we are not able to attain to higher faith we are not able to lead others to it. If I cannot believe God for the small things in life I would definitely have no business even writing this today. We must trust God! We must believe! We must have faith that if God has done it for you or for others through given testimony or experience than it can happen for you through prayer, faith, belief and obedience!

So when we think about trouble, think about God and how that this so-called “trouble” has to begin to flee at the very mention of God’s power. And always remember, the only time we never win with God is when we don’t choose to believe we’re winners!

Break The Mold, Step Out Of The Trendy Fold

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I love God! I praise Him today for everything that I have in my life. He has done so much that could not even begin to start telling you in words through any media or venue! I did not always have this excitement about God in my life. I know, you might be thinking, “what?!?”. You see, I have been saved for a long time and it has been wonderful to accept Jesus Christ and to have salvation in my soul. However, I had been essentially in a place in my life where I was in a state of mind to not explore what the spirit of God can perform in my life. For many, this is a touchy subject, and I get that.

I encourage you to read on with me.

You see, the spirit of God is a wonderful thing. It’s the part of the ministry that does what we cannot do for others. It’s the part of worship and your love for God that gives you strength for another day. It’s the comforter to your heart and mind in a time of trouble in your life. After I got saved, there were many trials of my life that began to start to overwhelm me (far more than I could handle for sure). I started becoming someone that was in need of those things we read of that we know as the fruit of the spirit.

When I began to pray to God for more of Him in my life, the hunger and thirst for God began to be fulfilled. I know you might be wondering, “how did you know?” There was a day that came after allowing the spirit to work through me that I stood and gave a testimony like I never had my entire life. It shocked me. I didn’t know that it was possible. At first, it even felt wrong simply because it was not what I was always used to, you know?

Over the next period of time as I allowed God to shape me, I began to sing in a greater way (and I previously thought it couldn’t get any better!). And after I began to allow my lifestyle to be what God wanted it to be, my life was truly transformed by the Holy Spirit in a way that could not begin to explain. I started beginning to exhort which eventually led into preaching. The preaching has led into outreach and publishing, and still I seek more!

The great thing about it all is that a long time ago when I was in desparate need for a change that the Holy Ghost began to perform a miracle in my life. It changed my mind, body, and heart truly for the better. Each day as I allow the spirit to lead and teach me I become a better witness of God and servant to God.

My excitement is unwavering! I cannot say this excitement was always met with acceptance everywhere that I have been, nor can I say that it has always been easy to stand where you know people would consider that kind of excitement frowned upon.

This is what I leave you with today. We have to be an example to show that the spirit of God can be and is fluent in the day we live in. We show that by stepping out of the mold set before us and being who God has called us to be. Let it be shown and let God be glorified! For when you step out for God in obedience by the spirit, the spirit will reach out even when you have done all that you can! It makes the difference!

Step out and be a brave obedient vessel today!

Learn To Sever What Does Not Make It Better

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One part of life that is always evident is that there will always be things that we fall back on in the event of something that puts us on the defensive or our backs against the wall. There are plenty of people and situations out there that have and will provoke things in your life that simply should not be a part of who you are. This is something that is tough to realize in principle but when realized can be powerful to the building of your Godly life.

You see, there are those people and objects in your life that whether we see it or not could eventually lead us into things we never thought we would say or do. Sin and temptation comes in many ways and forms and is not exempt for anyone. I know it’s not easy to address the things that define our mistakes for any of us, but if we can begin to learn from them we can start to move forward.

As part of my testimony now, drugs and alcohol were a big part of my life once. God has now delivered me from many of my personal hardships (as well as those things) and for that I am very thankful! However, there were some adjustments in my lifestyle that had to happen. I had to begin to sever ties to the things that pulled me to those addictions. I will guarantee you that it will never be easy doing on your own, but I can also guarantee that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you!

When we look back on our lives and all the things we have done, we cannot live in regret because we have zero control of the past. We can only pray for forgiveness now and move forward. We must begin to allow God to help me adjust our lives to the way they should be. And as we do, life begins to improve by severing the influences that pollute your ability to live in peace and joy in Christ.

What’s Your Superpower?

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One of the hardest things to do in a ministry is not necessarily the work that you perform for others. When you are in the moment there is a part of you that steps up to do what God is calling you to do. What I have came to realize after being part of several different active ministries through the years is that the hardest thing we have a hard time doing is recognizing our talents and strengths.

Music has always been my life, so it was always a given for me that at some point in my life that God would use me and my family through the gift of song. To me, that was a given; in fact it was almost too easy to realize. However when a song is over, there you are: standing there in front of the people God has placed in front of you, and what do you do next? That question was one that lingered a long time. I’ve begun to realize in my latter days that the parts of you that you feel as though are sometimes useless can sometimes be your most powerful tools.

You see, I began to open my mouth and be willing for God to help me to encourage people. I guess you could say that I went from just music into music with exhortation. I loved encouraging people through my testimony and what I knew of the bible at the time. I had a new-found zeal and excitement because I discovered something that God had in store for me ahead in my future. Now? I’m involved in the full-blown ministry! I could have never imagined that. No one could have ever told me that this was the life I was stepping into.

If you only knew the transformation that has took place in my life. God has taken all of my weaknesses and began to make me strong. Instead of being addicted to drugs, I testify of freedom in Christ and teach and minister others to freedom in Christ! Now, instead of just thinking of all the things we wish we could reach out and say to everyone, we have an avenue by reaching through our online ministry!

Learn to recognize what you can do, and be willing to do more! You never know how far you might go if you have a willing heart and made up mind before God!

The Evidence Of Things Not Seen

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Hebrews 11:1  – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

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I would like to talk about the other half of the phrase of faith, which is said in the bible to be “the evidence of things not seen”. Carrying from the same theme from the last page, I would like to define evidence: The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid; Information given personally, drawn from a document, or in the form of material objects, tending or used to establish facts in a legal investigation or admissible as testimony in court; Signs; indications

Most of what persuades about evidence is usually defined by things that we can be persuaded with by sight. And yet, when we read the word of God, we base our faith upon evidence of things we cannot see. For those who do not believe God, this is ludicrous. It is often referred to as being “absurd” at the ideal of people believing in faith to a higher power. When you think about it, it would be easy to understand this point of view if you did not know the experience of having an everyday relationship with God. That is why it is so important to have one! I am proud to say that in big and small ways that I practice faith every day! I pray, believe and trust God for things that I could only reach by hope in God and not my own power. That is how that we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us! By faith! Remember that we cannot always base our hopes on what we can see, but we build our faith in the hope through Christ the way will be made for you!

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Put Into Practice:

At some point in each of our lives we have had to either experience or know someone who has went through a time where they were losing a loved one. When someone is slowly dying and deteriorating, there are two different ways that people can really handle speaking over it: with or without hope. I know in my own personal experiences that throughout some of my loved ones that I saw slowly leaving this life that in my heart I was hoping continually. My mind was not going to be persuaded that they were getting worse, even when I began to hear reports that tried to persuade me otherwise.

The point that I am trying to get across is that we have to begin to face some of our worst situations with speaking hope and things that are not as though they are. Give this a shot: find one thing that you know that you have been working on to a change for a while and truly speak (or write down) a sincere statement of faith. If you are bold enough, speak it faithfully to someone else. If you are even bolder, speak it to someone else and ask them to help you pray. Seek God and begin to allow your faith to build. That is how it begins! It builds by the great things that God has done in the experiences of your past and the hope that you build for the future victories that are ahead of you! And as you make it through another mountain, it is yet another step up closer to a faith that you will not leave!

You Are Made To Overcome

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Romans 12:21 – Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 John 4:4 – Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

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We hear the phrase so often that “you are made an overcomer”, right? That part of the phrase is empowered with the part of “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony”, right? One would be quick to say yes in words, but as I observe in the ministry each and every day I find people that sit persuaded that they are “powerless” and have yet to realize the fullness of the power of an overcomer.

Being powerless was not the mindset that God laid out before us to possess. Power was endued from on high so that we could obtain all the qualities of God to fulfill in the areas that we lack in and need strength! Peace came so that we could find joy in the middle of our tough trials. You start unlocking more peace with faith, and faith begins to build and is brought out in you as it comes with works in your life! I work through my troubles by using the blood of the Lamb. I am a redeemed, blood-bought child of the living God! We should never forget the almighty powerful God that we serve! His provision is far greater than this world, and gives me more than enough and far more than I could ever fathom!

When I am in the midst of personal trials I remind myself to use the words of my testimony to stir myself.  When I begin to grow stale in the midst of a routine life: going through the motions, feeling like everything is the same thing, I go back to a time where I remember that I was in desperate need, and God met my every request! I should never doubt that power and should never feel like that I am powerless! We as the children of God have to stop being deceived by our own discouragement and use the very things God gave us to get up and overcome!

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Put Into Practice:

Here is a challenge that I encourage you to do the next time you are at a church service or function: give your testimony! Simply follow your heart and share the great things that God has done for you in your life. Let the spirit of God lead you in your words and do not be afraid to be humble! Surprise yourself by opening up and giving God glory for the multitude of things that have been done and are yet to come!

I can honestly say that I took this challenge a long time ago and that my life has never been the same. In fact, I can honestly say that I wish that I would have stepped out speaking for God a long time ago.

The Basic Fundamentals

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Sometimes we get so involved in trying to do all of the complex things in life that we forget about the basic fundamentals. It’s easy to remember to pray, to read the bible, to make sure you put money in the offering plate, to offer a testimony during service, to sing a song of praise, to do just about anything that you could think of. I could sit here and write you out an entire checklist of to-dos that most of us accomplish with perfection. The bible even talks about us striving for perfection, to strive for that mark, of the high calling.

I want to make sure that we don’t miss the most important part of all.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

[1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
[2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
[3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
[4] Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
[5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
[6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
[7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
[8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
[9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
[10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
[11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
[12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
[13] And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

We can offer all of ourselves to the world in every possible way, but without charity, it is essentially meaningless. If we are going to do things with an attitude in other words, we are in the wrong spirit. If you come to church without charity, how will you ever be able to have compassion on the people that come in that are truly in need?

Let us open the eyes of our hearts and always remember that even though we all have many great callings and talents, that the FORCE behind them should always be charity. And if you feel as though you are lacking in that area, pray that God will fill you with more. He can give you patience and understanding with the people that would make you feel as though you could not be charitable to them. I know it’s hard to be this way to everyone, but it’s possible. God showed the most charity of all when he sent Jesus as the sacrifice for the world, that we would be forgiven and have a pathway to Heaven through salvation.

Always remember to be charitable to ALL those around you. In other words, let love be what’s in your heart ALL of the time. Remember the basic fundamental of Charity, for it will carry you far in drawing those loved ones to Christ!

The Parables Of Prayer

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The Friend at Midnight – Luke 11:5-10

[5] And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
[6] For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
[7] And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
[8] I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
[9] And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
[10] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

One word sticks out when it comes to reading this passage.

Inconvenient. I’m sure a lot of people found it or will find it inconvenient to do the work that God has called them to do, but nonetheless with the love and willingness will be bless for the good work. The question that comes to my mind is, will WE as a church be prepared when they come knocking when it is inconvenient for us? Because I’m here to tell you that they ARE going to come. And they will come when you least expect them, and especially when you do not want them to. Those are the tests of a church versus the tests of an individual. Those are how the churches bear the infirmities of a weak and come together to help people.

At first, we are going to want to be selfish and refuse to help. We will not want to sing our song, give our testimony, hug their neck. We’ll say, “Lord I’ve done this all before for someone else” or “Lord I’ve done this 1,000s of times”, but as the passage reads we are FRIENDS so we MUST give to meet the need. I hope that the church never fails before the given time when God calls us to come home. I hope that people always have a place to come where they will feel loved and have the natural conviction power to draw them to an altar to find salvation. We can go to God in this manner, but we as a church must prove ourselves by asking for God to keep us as a body strong in prayer!

And remember, if it ever feels inconvenient for you, check and see why in your heart. You’ll find the problem.

The Unjust Judge – Luke 18:1-8

[1] And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
[2] Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
[3] And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
[4] And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
[5] Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
[6] And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
[7] And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
[8] I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Persistent. This man, this judge, had no regard for God or man, and yet, after continual persistence from the widow, avenged her. God has no regard for the enemy, and if we continually seek him, our adversaries will be destroyed. Wouldn’t it be good if we began to have a heart that was persistent and never tiring after God? I hope and pray that we began to be determined to never let go until we see the needs met. We do not have time to stop. We do not have time to let people slip through our fingers and not make Heaven their home.

The Pharasee and the Publican – Luke 18:9-14

[9] And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
[10] Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
[11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
[12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
[13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
[14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

“I not as others are” Two points here with the first one being more important than the latter. Having the outlook of “I not as others are” should probably be a good indicator first of all. If we ever get ourselves to a place where we esteem ourselves so high, God has to bring us back to a place where we are abased (lowered, brought down one way or another). And I don’t know about you, but I would rather be a humble person in general and give glory to God where it was due rather than abusing pride in things that I should not take the credit for. If you ever see yourself soaring high in confidence and feel above others, you better take the “I not as others are” test. Because it might be time to be abased.

“God be merciful to me a sinner” If all we can say is God be merciful to me a sinner, it’s good enough for me. You have to admit that you stand before God as a person with flaws and mistakes. Come on. You are not perfect, and will never be. And on your best day, there are handfuls upon handfuls of sin that you cannot control. He that humbleth shall be exalted. In other words, you don’t have to lift yourself up at all when your low before God, it does it for you. It shows on you. There’s a glow, a confidence, there is just something about you. Perhaps then that is the sweet Holy Ghost that encourages you along the way, huh?

Be A Friend And Lay It Down

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Let’s start with scripture:

John 15: 13-17

[13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
[14] Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
[15] Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
[16] Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
[17] These things I command you, that ye love one another.

This series of verses have probably been preached in many ways, and I personally have sat and heard this taught in many ways, but God showed this to me in a whole new view. Sure it might be old news to you, so let it be a refreshing thought to your mind.

Jesus Christ came and died for us that we would have grace through him, and that we would have salvation, therein, giving these verses meaning in the significance in the physical sense of laying down one’s life.

But how does it apply to me now in the life I live today? What does it mean to be a friend now? It’s not meaning for you to go and lay down your physical life for someone else. Christ made that sacrifice that our sins be forgiven and that we find the path to Heaven through salvation. Praise God for that.

The meaning goes a little deep then that. This is what God was showing me. See, there are many people that come into our churches, which come into our midst no matter where we are, that need us to get past ourselves, to lay down ourselves, our flesh, so that we can be about God’s business, and help them find the path to Christ.

God has ordained us to bear fruit, to speak the great things about him, to be that witness, therefore, to share our testimony, and not to be stuck up or too proud to share what God has done for us; in other words, to not be too busy for someone in need. We need to be more Christ-like then ever in these days that we are living in, for we are the only light that people will ever see. And if we are not shining the light, how will they ever find the way through the darkness they walk through every single day?

Be willing to lay yourself down, just as Christ did, in the spiritual sense, so that someone else might have a chance to have a breakthrough and have that great experience as you once did, to find that compassion that someone once showed you. What a powerful word God has shown me, if we can only apply this quickly and do it at a more even quicker rate! Help me get this out to the masses! I know you can!