Pastor Keith

Profit or Loss

2012-01-25T04:52:00.001-08:00

Exodus 1:8-10 "Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. 10 We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country"

The new Pharaoh made a decision based upon fear and it ended up costing him the very thing that he did not want to lose. When we make a decision based upon fear, we make the wrong decision. Fear always causes loss, it destroys your potential for greater things and causes you to lose the very thing you were trying to hold onto, whether that be a relationship, marriage, children, occupation, finances or a ministry.

Fear many times comes out of a lack of knowledge(the new Pharaoh didn't know Joseph or what he had done)but when making a decision you need two things, the right information and a clear word from God. When you have these two things you can step out in faith, with confidence that you are doing what pleases the Lord and you will have great success.

An Attitude of Expectancy

2012-01-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Psalms 5:3 "Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly."

David had a holy habit of meeting with God each morning. He set the pace for each new day at the feet of Jesus. But he came with an attitude of expectancy. He expected to hear from God, he expected an encounter with the Lord each day. Do you? Is your quiet time just that, a quiet-time or is it a daily encounter with the living God.

If you have got stuck in a routine that has lost the life giving presence of God, then understand there is nothing wrong with your routine, but there is something wrong with your faith. You've lost your attitude of expectancy and you are just going through the motions. God honors our appointments with him, but only if they are filled with faith. Without faith you can not please God and without faith your quiet time is just quiet-time. But when you come before the Lord with an attitude of faith, expecting a divine visitation every morning, then you will not be disappointed. So don't give up on your quiet time, revamp it with faith.

Exciting the Heart of God

2011-12-28T06:04:00.001-08:00

Psalms 147:10-11 "He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might. 11 No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love."

It is not our strength that causes God to get excited, it is our faith in him. Human strength is not what God is looking for, he is looking for people that will put their trust in him. Those who will hope in His unfailing love. God gets excited when people step out on faith, trusting in Him to meet their needs and move the mountains in their lives.

It is so easy to base our lives upon our own strength, to literally remove God from the equation. If you are not attempting things that only God can do and stretching for things that only God can make happen. Then you are living in your own strength and God is bored, unexcited and unengaged in your life. But I say let stir up the heart of God and get him excited. Let's live lives that cause God to sit on the edge of his throne and elbow the angels as he points to our lives with excitement, as he sees a people that are living by faith and trusting in his unfailing love. Let's tap into the supernatural provision and power of God that he has made available to us by faith, Let dare to believe God and reach for the impossible.

Stepping Stones

2011-12-22T07:08:00.001-08:00

Psalms 141:3 "Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.

"Take control of what I say and guard my lips", this simple prayer has the potential to change the direction and destination of our lives. When God controls our tongue, then he controls our life. Our words are the stepping stones of our lives, they literally pave the pathway into our future. You will end up exactly where you said you would be.

So the principle is simple, if you don't like the path that your life is on. Surrender your mouth to God and when you allow him to control your tongue, it will change the pathway of your life.

The People Trap

2011-12-13T11:56:00.001-08:00

Proverbs 29:25 "Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety."

I want you to say this with me "I will not fear people, because I choose to trust the Lord", didn't that feel good. I will not fear people, why? Because the scripture teaches us that it is a trap. When you live in fear of people, you become a people pleaser and you get trapped. You get trapped by their expectations and ideas, that are constantly changing. The people pleaser trap has no end and will suck the joy out of your life.

The only way to break free from the trap is to choose to trust the Lord. To recognize that he is your source, not people. When you begin to trust the Lord, you begin to live your life with purpose. What is your purpose, to please God.

Which really isn't as difficult as you may think. First of all, he has given us his word that never changes. He has offered Jesus to pay for all your sins and mistakes and he has given you the Holy Spirit to live in you and empower you to do what pleases God.

So I challenge you today to come out of the trap and start to enjoy the freedom that comes from trusting in the Lord. Let say it one more time "I will not fear people, because I choose to trust the Lord", just saying it makes me smile. Have a Blessed Day!

In Tune

2011-12-06T06:36:00.001-08:00

Psalms 125:4 "O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you."

What is the tune of your heart? Jesus taught us that "out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth speaks" So whatever comes out of your mouth is the tune of your heart.

David asked God to do good to those who are good, why are they good because their hearts are in tune with the Lord. Jesus also taught us that out of a good heart comes good things and out of an evil heart comes evil. So the quality of your life will be determined by the condition of your heart. And they way you check your heart is to listen to your mouth.

So I want to ask you again, what is the tune of your heart? Take time to listen to what you are saying and realize that the problem with your mouth is really a problem of the heart. But here is the Good News, Jesus came to heal the broken hearted! Negative tongues come from wounded hearts, bitter words come from broken hearts, angry words come from a damaged heart.

There are two lessons to be learned from this truth. The first is that if your words don't line up with what God says about you or others, then you need to get alone with God and ask him to reveal and heal your wounded heart. The second lesson is that when you hear hateful, negative and angry words coming out of people's mouths, you need to recognize that their hearts are out of tune and they need your prayer not your criticism.

The Real Deal

2011-11-29T08:11:00.001-08:00

Daniel 6:28 "So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian."

Daniel prospered in the midst of a ungodly society because he refused to compromise his convictions and dedication to God. The secret to success and promotion is not conforming to the world but standing for God.

To many Christians hide their Christianity like it is something to be ashamed of, while others flaunt it like it is the next great fad. But Christianity is not a thing to be ashamed of nor is it the next fad. Christianity is a life giving relationship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ. That influences and controls every area of the life of believers. No area of life is exempt from the impact that a genuine relationship with God brings.

True Christianity will cause you to go against the flow of ungodliness and stand for righteousness. Because Daniel had a life giving relationship with God, he already knew what he would do, even before he was confronted with being thrown in the lions den. A Christians lifestyle doesn't change with the seasons or circumstances, because our actions are determined by the standard of the word of God.

I believe like King Darius, our world is looking for the reality of the Gospel. They are looking for something that is so real that you and I would be willing to die instead of compromise. When we conform to the world we allow the culture to change us, but when we stand without compromise we position ourselves to be used by God to change the culture and turn it back to God.

Perfection

2011-11-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

Psalms 119:96 "Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit."

Perfection is limited by our abilities, but God's commands have no limits because God is limitless. So when when we try to operate out of a spirit of perfection we are doomed to fail. But when we operate out of an obedient spirit to the word of the Lord, we can not fail because the source of our victory is God's ability not ours.

The Blessed Life

2011-11-08T05:08:00.001-08:00

Ezekiel 16:15-19 "But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking. 16 You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen? 17 You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me! 18 You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them. 19 Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign Lord."

The children of Israel made the mistake of thinking that their "fame and beauty was their own" and they began to give themselves away to idols and they began to prostitute themselves out to others.

Hear me when I say we are bought with a price, we are not our own. Everything we have comes from God, every good thing belongs to him. We lost ownership of our lives when we accepted Jesus and received the gift of eternal life.(1Corinthians 6:19-20) We are stewards of the gifts and graces of God. We don't have the authority to give our lives or anything in it away to anyone or anything other than to God, for his glory and honor. We were made by him and for him, we exist for the glory of God.

Imagine if you went into work tomorrow and started giving away the supplies and products of your company, what would happen? They would fire you for theft and prosecute you for stealing something that did not belong to you. The Bible is very clear, we have been purchased by God and we do not own our lives. When you give yourself away to the things of this world, you are a thief, a robber and a prostitute.

God desires us to live a "Blessed Life" full of his Glory, but that is only possible when we understand the difference between ownership and stewardship. When a steward acts like a owner, then the owner has no choice but to bring correction and discipline to the steward. Which usually means he takes away what he once had until he can prove that he can be faithful with the owners possessions. Faithfulness is the key to stewardship, it empowers you to be promoted and entrusted with more than you have ever had before. When a steward uses what the owner has given him, to fulfill the will and desires of the owner he is blessed and given even more.

Are you using what you have to do the will of the one who gave it to you? Are you being a faithful steward or are you acting like the owner and giving away what doesn't belong to you?

Enter Into His Promises

2011-11-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 4:2-3 "For this good news-that God has prepared this rest-has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest... 6 but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God."

The good news of God word only benefits your life if you believe it and receive it into your heart/life. The children of Israel received the promise of God but it did them no good because they refused to receive it by faith. They continued to walk in disobedience and missed out on the promises of God.

Many today are doing the same thing, we have the promises of God but because of unbelief the promises of God are no good. Without faith it is impossible to activate the supernatural works of God and the proof of faith is obedience, what you believe you will live.

Churches should have lines of people every day at their doors desiring to be anointed with oil and healed of sickness and disease. But many Christians will battle sickness their entire life and never call for the elders of the Church (James 5:14-15) and be anointed with oil. Many Christians battle financial lack their entire lives but they never tithe or give to the local church. (Malachi 3:10) Many Christians struggle with strongholds in their lives and families but they never fast, pray and give asking God for supernatural breakthrough. (Isaiah 58:6-12)

The good news of God's word is available to whosoever will believe. Let's not repeat the mistakes of those who have gone before us, let's believe and obey the word of God and enter into his promises.

The Messenger

2011-10-24T08:45:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 26:6-7 "Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison! 7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg."

The messenger is as important as the message. The life, character and integrity of the messenger validates the message. If the messenger is living a life inconsistent with the message, then the message will not be received even though it is true.

As Christians,ministers and preachers of the Gospel we have an obligation to God and the watching world to practice what we preach. As todays proverb teaches us, a righteous message conveyed through a foolish messenger bring death and not life.

How To Minister Comfort

2011-10-18T04:02:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 25:20 "Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound."

One of the most important roles that we play as believers, is the role of a comforter. We should bring comfort to those who have a heavy heart. The way we comfort the heavy hearted is not with extravagant joy but with heartfelt compassion. Today's proverb teaches us that singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart actually makes things worse instead of better.

Today I want to share with you four things that every heavy heart needs and how we can minister to those whose hearts are weighted down.

The first thing that we can do is to show compassion. The Bible teaches us to mourn with those who mourn. I've learned that by simply saying"I'm sorry that you are having to go through this" brings comfort to peoples hearts and shows them that you care. This statement shows compassion and opens their heart to receive from you.

The second thing that we can do is to listen, many times people just need a safe place to express their grief and sorrow. Be willing to be a sounding board for their grief or sorrow and you will be surprised by how powerful a listening ear is to a heavy heart.

The third thing we can do is encourage them by pointing them to the Lord. God is the God of all comfort and he is the God of all hope. When we show compassion and listen we open the door of their heart to receive from us the encouragement that God is there and he is will to heal the broken hearted.

The fourth thing that we can do is pray. Pray that the peace of God and the healing hand of heaven would rest upon their hearts and bring wholeness to their lives. Prayer is powerful, it invites the Lord to do what we can't do and allows us to walk away knowing that He is at work.

True Beauty

2011-10-17T12:04:00.001-07:00

1 Timothy 2:10 "For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do"

The apostle Paul challenges the new testament women of God to make themselves attractive by the good things that they do. Ladies it is your actions not your appearance that makes you attractive and beautiful. So much time, energy and money is spent on the outward appearance when the true marks of beauty are not defined by your hair or clothing but by your attitude and actions toward others. We have all seen women who had it together on the outside but were extremely lacking on the inside. Ladies who may look good in a magazine but who lack the beautiful of character, compassion and grace.

Let me share as a man to all you ladies out there, that the outward beauty of a woman may catch the eye of a man, but it is the inward beauty of Character, compassion and grace that catches the heart of a man. No man, or at least no godly man wants to be married to a woman that is so full of vanity that she is unable or unwilling to give of herself to add value to others. Character, compassion and grace are the hallmarks of greatness and they add more beauty to your life than designer outfit ever could.

No American Idol

2011-10-13T06:30:00.001-07:00

Jeremiah 10:16 "But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession.The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! "

American Idol has been an American sensation since it's creation. Raw talent is formed and fashioned into a singing icon, as millions praise and celebrate these individuals. Who only months before were ordinary people, working ordinary jobs. The winner of american idol is a created work of the hands of creative and talented people. But God boldly declares that he is NO IDOL!

What does that mean? It means that he is God with or without us. He is not the creation our hands he is the creator, who spoke our world into existence. It is totally acceptable to reject an idol, even as popular as the American Idol show is, there are those who hate it and totally reject it. But God is NO IDOL, if you reject the creator of the universe, you spit in the face of the one who gave you life and formed you in your mothers womb.

God is NO IDOL and what you do with him, eternally effects your life. Your eternal destination, between heaven and hell is determined by whether you accept or reject God and his Son Jesus Christ. God is not an idol but he is a Savior that longs to see your heart and life changed by his love. If you have never accepted him, then today is your day to experience the greatest gift a man can experience, eternal life through a relationship with the one who created you.

The Model

2011-10-11T06:28:00.001-07:00

Jeremiah 18:19-21&23 "Listen to what my enemies are saying. 20 Should they repay evil for good?They have dug a pit to kill me,though I pleaded for them and tried to protect them from your anger. 21 So let their children starve! Let them die by the sword!Let their wives become childless widows. Let their old men die in a plague, and let their young men be killed in battle! 23 Lord, you know all about their murderous plots against me. Don’t forgive their crimes and blot out their sins. Let them die before you. Deal with them in your anger."

Jeremiah was called and anointed, but he wasn't perfect. Our model for life and ministry is Jesus. Jeremiah ask God to judge his people when they rejected him, he asked God to not forgive their sins because they plotted against him. But Jesus asked God to show the people mercy that crucified him and he ask God to forgive them because they did not know what they were doing.

We can learn from everyone one but Jesus is the model for our lives. Jeremiah was a great prophet, but we were created to be like Jesus. Paul was a great teacher but we were created to be like Jesus. John was a great apostle but we were created to be like Jesus. We learn from all of those who have gone before us, but when in doubt on what to do or how to handle a situation, Jesus's words and actions trump everything and everyone else. He is the model for life and godliness.

Let Go

2011-10-04T06:14:00.001-07:00

Jeremiah 3:5 "Surely you won’t be angry forever! Surely you can forget about it!’
So you talk, but you keep on doing all the evil you can.”

The children of Israel wanted to remind God of his mercy, but they didn't want to turn from their sins. God's mercy is real and his grace will change your life forever, but if you are not willing to stop sinning and turn to God with all your heart and life. Then his mercy and grace will do you no good. Mercy and grace are gifts we receive but in order to embrace these gifts we must let go of the sin that we have been holding on to.

Ask your self today, what am I holding on to that is keeping me from receiving God's best for my life? Release it today and reach out to God because he is reaching out to you!

Shine

2011-09-29T05:38:00.001-07:00

Isaiah 59:10 "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon."

I love the spiritual side of Christianity, preaching, teaching, prayer and worship. But there are always two sides to every coin. The spiritual and the practical, we must have the spiritual because in order to change a life you must change a heart.

But many times the key to opening hearts is by filling bellies and helping to meet the needs in people's lives. Not everyone is going to stand in a pulpit and preach or teach the word, but everyone is capable of meeting needs and helping those who are hungry or in trouble.

If we want to shine bright in the darkness then God says feed the hungry and help those in trouble. It just takes a little light to penetrate a deep darkness and you never know what one act of kindness will do to change someone's heart and life forever. Sometimes the most spiritual act is a practical one.

In this scripture God rebukes the children of Israel because they were going through the motions of spirituality but they were lacking the practicality. Our faith is intended to produce the works of Christ which many times can only be described by compassion and grace. Helping the helpless and healing the hurting. We are never more like God than when we are giving of ourselves to help others.

Comfort and Joy

2011-09-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 51:3 "The Lord will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins.
Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air."

Isaiah 52:7-10 "...the God of Israel reigns! 8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy,
for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem. 9 Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God."

Both of these scriptures teach us that Gods comfort brings us joy. His presence in our lives turns the darkest night into the light of day. So here is my counsel for you today, don't resist his comfort. When God reaches out to comfort your heart and minister healing into your life; receive it. Many times in our grief and sadness we embrace out pain and hold onto our sorrow and sadness.

When our grief is connected to the loss of a loved one, we believe that if we hold on to the pain then we are somehow holding on to the one we loved. But this is not true, our continued sorrow doesn't bring them back, it pushes those who are still with us away. Now let me say that there is a season of grief, but God never intended it to be a lifestyle. When the sorrow of your loss keeps you from embracing the remaining joys of your life, you have to be willing to receive Gods comfort.

Be honest with God, vent you sorrow and pain but when it is all said and done. Open your heart to his comfort and invite him into your heart to bring joy instead of sorrow. You will be amazed at how quickly the comfort of God will restore your heart to wholeness.

Comfort and Joy

2011-09-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

Outlawed Prayer

2011-09-22T05:46:00.001-07:00

Daniel 6:10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. 12 So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human-except to you, Your Majesty-will be thrown into the den of lions?”“Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”

Just this week our local school system received a letter from an anti-religious group stating that they received a complaint from an anonymous parent and we are breaking the law because we have a student led prayer before our high school football games. They threatened us with a law suit if we did not stop this outlawed prayer immediately.

So the question is what do we do and the answer like always is found in the Bible. We are not the first group of people that has experienced outlawed prayer, Daniel in our scripture today faced death if he continued to pray. I love what the scripture says, "But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God." when he heard about the law of man that violated the law of God, he didn't flinch, backdown or try to hide. Scripture says he went on doing just what he had always done, he prayed.

So what are we going to do, citizens of Arab, Alabama? Are we going to back down and allow a minority to control what the majority of the people in Arab believe in. Are we going to sit idly by and watch another Christian liberty be taken from us or are we going to stand up and speak out against this injustice that is trying to be imposed upon us. I for one refuse to be quiet and let the enemy bully us around. This is not a natural battle, we are not fighting an anti-religious organization from Wisconsin, we are fighting a spiritual battle for the principles of truth that make us strong and preserve the values of our Christian faith.

I challenge everyone to call the school board (256-586-6011) and let them know that you support prayer and that you are not willing to allow one anonymous parent who is offended by prayer to govern an entire school district. Let them know that you are offended by the fact the they would remove prayer. We can not sit by and do nothing, raise your voice and as Daniel lets stand for what is right and God will stand with us. He is still capable of shutting the mouths of lions and delivering his people.

What happens in Arab, Alabama will become the standard for what will happen in all the school districts that surround us. We are not just fighting for our school we are fighting for a standard of righteousness that will govern our community, state and nation.

Silence - the secret weapon

2011-09-20T06:17:00.001-07:00

Isaiah 36:18-21 “Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? 19 What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? 20 What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?” 21 But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, “Do not answer him.”

This scripture reveals to us one of the greatest spiritual strategies ever given to man. The bible says that in the midst of the enemies taunts, threats and accusations the people were silent and did not utter a word. There is victory in silence that many have failed to experience. So many times we allow our fleshly feelings to become our voice and instead of holding our tongue until we have heard from God, we speak out of emotion and fuel our enemy instead of defeating him.

I want to challenge you to refuse to argue with the enemy, we never gain victory by debating the enemy. Our victory comes when we take authority over the enemy and speak the word of God. The next time someone wants to taunt you or make false accusations against you, hold your tongue. Don't fuel the fire of their ignorance, walk away, get a word from God and then move forward in the direction that he speaks into your life. Silence isn't weakness it is strength and it will bring the victory of Christ into your life.

Criticism

2011-09-15T07:59:00.001-07:00

Galatians 2:11-13 "But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy."

If you are a leader the question is not will you be criticized, the question is will you allow the fear of criticism to keep you from doing what God has called you to do. Peter allowed the fear of criticism to keep him from fellowshipping and reaching out to those Jesus died to save.

Fear of man always brings death, because it causes you to make decisions based upon what others are saying. When we should make decisions based upon what God is saying. The vision of God for your life and his kingdom is more valuable than any other thing that you have. If you compromise the vision of God in order to avoid the criticism of man, you have failed. Not only have you failed but you still will not be exempt from criticism, it will still come. As a leader you only have two choices; do what God has called you to do with criticism or don't do what God has called you to do with criticism. It really is a no brainier, so embrace the vision, learn from your critics but stay true to what God has called you to do.

Committed

2011-09-14T05:41:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 23:12 "Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge."

Commitment is key to any form of success, but being committed to instruction is the key to all success. If you are not committed to continual growth your success will be limited, because what makes you successful is not enough to keep you successful, you must grow.

Understand that there are foundational principles of success that never change and apply to everyone in every walk of life. When I talk about growing, I am not talking about replacing these foundational principles with new ideas. I am talking about adjusting and changing the variables of your life that must stay flexible for you to continue to go to the next level. As a pastor our message and philosophy of ministry doesn't change but our methods must always be growing and changing to continue to reach a generation that needs God. So if you are committed to success you must also be committed to instruction, as you learn you will grow and as you grow so will the success of your life.

Joyful Faith

2011-09-13T06:47:00.001-07:00

Psalms 57:7 "My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!"

Faith produces joy; David said my heart is confident in you God, no wonder I can sing your praises. If you have lost your joy you need to check your faith. When our confidence in God begins to wavier then our joy begins to fade away. Faith enables you to see the hand of God at work in your life, it not only opens your eyes to his handy work but it opens your heart to joy.

When is the last time you sung a song of praise around your house or on your job. Is there an area in your life that you have lost your joy, then get alone with God. Ask him to show you where you lost confidence in him. Our lack of confidence in God is not because he has failed us but because in the midst of our pain we believed a lie about God. Those lies under-mind our faith and rob us of our joy, so when you expose the lie you rebuild your faith and release the joy of the Lord.

Ministry of Giving

2011-09-07T05:19:00.001-07:00

2 Corinthians 9:12 "So two good things will result from this ministry of giving-the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God."

In this scripture Paul talks about the ministry of giving, I've heard it said that we are never more like God than when we give. The most well known scripture in the entire bible shows us that God is a giver and giving should be motivated by love.
John 3:16 says " For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son..." God loved so God gave and that is the ministry of giving in a nut shell.

In our scripture for today, Paul teaches us that there are two things that will result from our giving, number one is that the needs of others will be meet. Isn't this what happened as a result of God's giving in John 3:16; we had a need and God sowed a seed. That seed Jesus Christ meet the needs of humanity and reconciled us to God. When we give our motivation should be love and our desire should be to meet the needs of others.

There are those who say we give to get and even though the principle of sowing and reaping is correct, I believe that motive matters to God. And the biblical motivation for giving is not getting, it is love. A love for God and a love for people, this kind of motivation produces the greatest fruit.

The second result from our giving, is that those who receive will praise God because of your giving. God is glorified and exalted when we give, our generosity produce praise and thanksgiving to abound. As Christians we are called to glorify God, what an amazing revelation that through our giving, not only does our obedience and acts of love glorify God but it also causes others to give him praise.

Sometimes people give to others, so that they will be praised, or so that they can brag about what they have given. But when we give, our giving should produce praise for God and God alone. That is why the scripture says when you give don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. Don't give to receive praise, give so that God will be praised, because that should be the result of our giving.

Persistent Faith

2011-08-31T07:14:00.001-07:00

2 Corinthians 4:15-16 "And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up..."

In this scripture Paul reveals the secret of his persistent faith, the reason he "never gave up" was because he did what he did for the Glory of God. The motivating factor of his life was not a temporal reward. He did not preach, teach, serve, suffer or live for Jesus so that he could obtain power, prestige or position. He did what he did for the Glory of God, so that more and more people would come to faith in Jesus Christ.

If your service to God is motivated by a temporal reward then you can be bought, easily misdirected and discouraged to point that you give up. But if the motivating factor of your life is to Glorify Jesus Christ and to bring more and more people into the faith and fulness of God, then you have found the place of persistent faith and you are strategically position to turn the world up side down for the Glory of God.

Pay Attention

2011-08-30T06:11:00.001-07:00

Job 36:15 "But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity."

What an amazing statement, by means of their suffering, God rescues those who suffer. Our God is so great that he is able to take what was meant to destroy us and use it as the pathway through which he rescues and delivers us. How does this work, suffering gets our attention and causes us to cry out to God and that is all it takes for him to come to our rescue.

Understand that the root cause of all suffering is sin, self and Satan, all the suffering in your life can be traced back to one of these roots. And all three of these roots separate us from the life of God and produce the fruit of suffering, heartache and pain. Unfortunately we tend to forget God and turn away from him during times of prosperity and success, it is when we are at our highest heights that most people turn from God and allow the sin of pride to open the door of suffering.

Recognize that pain and suffering are indicator that you have a problem. Sometimes the problem is that you are doing what God wants you to do and Satan is coming against you, if that is the case then keep on keeping on and bind the works of darkness that have come against your life. But many times the problem is the result of our own sin or selfishness, for example if you have mismanaged your money, spent foolishly and now you are suffering because of it. Don't get mad at God and complain that he is not meeting your needs. Repent, ask God to forgive you for foolish spending, turn to him and submit to what he tells you to do. He will take the temporary suffering that you endured and he will show you where you went wrong and give you a path forward to make things right. The end of the story will be prosperity and success if you will stay true to what he has told you. The same is true for relational pain, emotional pain and even physical pain. Suffering and pain are indicators that something is wrong and if we are willing to turn to God in humility, he will take our suffering and use it to rescue us from the pathway of pain and set our feet on the pathway of Godliness that always leads to life. (Proverbs 12:28)

Stay in the Battle

2011-08-25T03:33:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 16:9 "There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me"

An open door does not mean an easy road. Many people have a distorted idea about the will of God. They think that if they are doing what God has called them to do that there will be no opposition, but the opposite is true. Any time you set yourself apart to follow the path that God has laid out for your life, there will be opposition. This world system is under the sway of the demonic influences of Satan and you can be sure that he will resist anything that builds the Kingdom of God.

Many have quit the ministry and abandoned their callings because the road became difficult or it was just to hard. Please hear me when I say this "opposition confirms Gods will for your life". The fact that all hell is breaking loose against you is proof that you are on the path that God has for your life. Refuse to quit, submit to spiritual authority and stay at the feet of Jesus, you can only win the fight if you stay in the battle.

Follow the Path

2011-08-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 21:30 "No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord."

When we have the mind of Christ and the strategy of the Lord we can not fail. The only person that can stop you from fulfilling the will of God for your life is you. Victory is yours when you stay on the path that God has laid out for your life. No demon in hell can steal your victory and no person on the planet can keep you from the will of God.

The ways of the Lord are truth, integrity and righteousness. When we walk in his ways we walk the path of his provision, purpose and power. Our challenge is to stop leaning on our own understanding, acknowledge God and follow the path he lays out for our lives. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the mind of Christ but we still must choose to follow it. Nothing can stand in our way when we follow his path.

Four Hearts

2011-08-19T03:41:00.001-07:00

Mark 4:13-20 "Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted"

Jesus describes four hearts in this scripture, the first heart is the hardened heart. The hardened heart is the person that has no place in the heart for the word of God. This person has been hurt and wounded, the enemy has lied to them and they blame God for their pain.

The second heart is the shallow heart, this person has no depth to their life. They follow their emotions and circumstances. When trouble or persecution comes because they are obeying the word of God, they fall away and follow the path of least resistance.

The third heart is the crowded heart, this person is driven by wealth and success, they worry more about their appearance than their integrity. This person is too busy to find time for the things of God.

The fourth heart is the open heart, this person receives and understands the importance of the word of God in their life. This person not only accepts the word but he cultivates the word and continues in it, allowing it time to produce fruit.

Recognize that each person received the same word, the seed doesn't change from person to person, Gods word is the same for all. The only thing that changes is the condition of people's hearts. The condition of your heart determines the size of your harvest. If you are not happy with the fruit of your life, then change your heart.

Pleasing God

2011-08-15T06:28:00.001-07:00

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 "I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness."

This scripture gives us an old testament picture of the modern day church. The children of Israel were baptized, following Moses and being feed spiritual food and water but with most of them God was not pleased. Now as a Pastor I believe in the local church and I know that unless you are connected to the body of Christ through the church, you are going to be very limited in what you will be able to do for the Glory of God.

But at the same time, the true measure of your Christianity is determined by how you act and live when you are not at Church. Paul proceeds in this scripture to warn us about some of the things that they were doing that causes God not to be pleased with them. The one that jumped out at me this morning is found in verse ten, it says "don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death." They were grumblers and grippers, they loved to complain about everything. The food, the living conditions, the leadership and even God. In spite of all that God had done for them they still focused on what they did not like or have, instead of being grateful for the amazing things that were happening around them every day.

This is were the comparison between them and us comes together. We are blessed, I mean really blessed. As America believers we have so much to be thankful for, yet so many grumble and grip about everything and I must say that God is not pleased. No matter where you are in your life we all have something to be grateful for, my challenge to you today is to count your blessings not your problems. Focus your attention on what you do have instead of upon what you don't have. Begin today to live with an attitude of gratitude, praise God for what he has done and is doing and allow the joy of gratitude to fill you heart and live a life that pleases God.

Revived to Rebuild

2011-08-10T06:46:00.001-07:00

Ezra 9:9 "He revived us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem."

We are revived to rebuild, revival in our hearts, churches and communities is intended to rebuild the work of God in the lives of men. Revival repairs and restores the lives of people for the purpose of fulfilling the work of God. I can not tell you how many people I have meet that have been supernaturally saved, healed or delivered and they will tell you that they know God saved them for a purpose. But many of those same people just sit around doing nothing for the kingdom of God, but I want to challenge everyone to do something to build the kingdom of God.

Here is a simple process that will allow you to take what God has done for you and use it for his Glory. Number one connect to a bible based, spirit led local church, number two submit to the authority of the Church; the pastors, leaders and vision, number three serve where they ask you to serve. These three simple steps enable you to release what God has put in you and build the kingdom of God.

If you have a problem with any of these steps then you have a problem in your heart that needs to be taken to the cross. Each of these steps are biblical and essential for fruitful Christianity. If you are not connected, submitted and serving then ask yourself why? But let me challenge you to refuse to blame anyone else, look inside your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to show you the problem and then ask him to help you deal with it. If you have experienced the work of God in your life, then you have an obligation to fulfill the work of God. So get connected, submitted and serve with all your might, you will be glad that you did.

Wasting Away From Within

2011-08-09T09:26:00.001-07:00

Psalms 31:10 "I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within."

This verse paints a very real picture of many in our world today. Grief, sadness, sin; a life that is wasting away from within. An internal destruction that is destroying the souls of men. If you look at most people from the outside they look great. But if we could look internally we would see a nation of people wasting away from within. The struggles of life, the hurts of the past and the havoc of sin is destroying lives from the inside out.

If we stopped here life would look dim, but the psalmists goes on to declare hope for the soul that is wasting away. In verse 19 he says "How great is the goodness you(God) have stored up for those who fear you.You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world." God has Great Goodness that he desires to lavish on those who fear him and come to him for protection.

The question is not will you experience difficulties in your life, the question is who will you run to when difficulties come. God wants to be your outlet for grief, sadness and sin, he wants to be the one you run to for protection and solutions to the heartaches of life. Many people unfortunately never deal with the pain and it all stays bottled up on the inside. But doesn't stay there forever, it begins to eat away at you from the inside out. Until one day there is an explosion that destroys not only your life but those around you. The good news of the gospel is that you don't have to waste away from the inside, God cares and is will to help you deal with the issues in your life that are eating away at you. Remember that anything buried alive never dies, so run to Jesus and let him lavish his love upon you and bless you before a watching world.

Pathway to Promotion

2011-08-02T06:51:00.001-07:00

2 Chronicles 32:20-23 "Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to God in heaven. 21 And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed the Assyrian army with all its commanders and officers. So Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace to his own land. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with a sword. 22 That is how the Lord rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all the others who threatened them. So there was peace throughout the land. 23 From then on King Hezekiah became highly respected among all the surrounding nations, and many gifts for the Lord arrived at Jerusalem, with valuable presents for King Hezekiah, too."

Hezekiah's cried out to the Lord for help and God sent an angel to destroy the enemy. The Bible then tells us that from that moment on Hezekiah became highly respected through the surrounding nations and they would send him gifts. The prayer of promotion is a prayer of desperation. When we humble ourselves before the Lord and cry out of a desperate heart, acknowledging that God is our only hope then things will change. Daniel had a desperate prayer and it also produced a promotion in his life. I wonder if the problems you have been running from is actually the promotion you have been seeking. Stop running and start praying, acknowledging God as your only hope, you may be surprised to see your problem become the pathway to your promotion.

Remember the Turtle

2011-08-01T08:16:00.001-07:00

Verse 16 "But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar."

Pride causes us to assume positions and power that doesn't belong to us. King Uzziah had become very powerful but the Bible says he also became proud. There is a old saying that says don't be a sore loser, but I think the greatest challenge is to not be a prideful winner. History is filled with people who obtained great success, but it is also filled with successful people who because of pride lost that success. Pride make a person think that the rules don't apply to them, that because of their power they can do what they want to do. Pride however always leads to destruction, it brings down those who have been lifted up.

One of the most important ingredients for long term success is humility. Humility does not mean that I think less of myself, it means that I don't think less of you. Humility recognizes that all success is a joint effort and that no one gets to the top without a lot of help from others, especially God. A very successful man had a picture in his office of a turtle sitting on top of a fence post, when asked by a reporter about the picture he replied; anytime you see a turtle on the top of a fence post you know that he did not get there by himself.

Opposite

2011-07-29T06:19:00.001-07:00

Romans 12:21 "Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good"

Paul said do not let evil conquer you, that one statement should en-courage us to keep on keeping on. Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit teaches us that evil can not conquer us without our permission. We have to let evil conquer us and the flip side of that coin is that if we refuse to give in to the evil then the evil can never conquer us.

The key to our victory is learning to do exactly the opposite of what our flesh wants to do. We overcome evil with good, hate with love and anger with peace. Our flesh wants to fight fire with fire, but when we yield to our flesh we yield to the evil one and we become victims instead of victors. Personally I have learned that the secret to a correct response is not to make an immediate response. If I will wait just a moment the fire of my flesh will begin to subside and the fire of the Spirit will begin to rise, the Holy Spirit will guide me with the correct response and I will overcome evil with good and walk away Victorious!

First

2011-07-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 183-4 “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Jehoshaphat replied, “Why, of course! You and I are as one, and my troops are your troops. We will certainly join you in battle.” 4 Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the Lord says.”

Jehoshaphat's response to King Ahab should be our response to every invitation that we receive. Before we accept a business offer, start a new job, make a major purchase or enter into a new relationship, we need to first find out what the Lord says.

We need a solid word from God, because every decision we make today determines our tomorrow. Our futures are being framed today by the decisions we make and God is the author and finisher of our faith, he knows the end as well as the beginning. Not only is it foolish to make decisions without first finding out what the Lord says, but it is rebellious. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, as our savior we rejoice in what he has done for us, but as our Lord we submit to what he wants to do through us.

Position and Purpose

2011-07-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 16:7-10 "At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. 8 Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? At that time you relied on the Lord, and he handed them over to you. 9 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” 10 Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. At that time Asa also began to oppress some of his people."

When a leader becomes unable to receive instruction, then that leader becomes unfit to lead. King Asa was confronted with truth, he should have repented, ask God to forgive him and restore to him the opportunity that he had missed because of his sin. But instead he got angry and punished the messenger and began to oppress his people.

This action shows the condition of his heart. He was filled with pride, he allowed his position to take priority over his purpose, he had forgotten why God had made him king. May we never forget that God promotes a leader for the sake of the people, our purpose as leaders is equip, empower and enable those we lead to fulfill the purpose of God for their lives individually and for the body of Christ.

Parenting 101

2011-07-19T05:46:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 19:18 "Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives."

How important is discipline for a child; well the wisest man on the planet said that it was so important that without disciple our children's lives will be ruined. There is no doubt that one of the most joyless task that we have as parents is discipline, but at the same time we must realize it is also one of the most important task given to us by God. Our role as parents is to train up our children in the ways of the Lord and produce a generation that will carry on the message and ministry of Jesus Christ, without disciple this is impossible.

There are many things that breed rebellion in the heart of a child, below are two that relate to our scripture for today. The first thing is rules without relationship. When a child grows up in a home that is full of discipline but short on love and genuine relationship many times those children rebel. We must remember that Christianity is build on a relationship with God and out of that relationship comes discipline because God loves us. The second thing that breeds rebellion is no discipline. When a child grows up in a home where the parents give the child everything it wants and caters to it every need, then when that child becomes a teenager many times rebellion will begin to flow. Why, because when that child was little they were under your care and safe, but now as a teenager they are out in the world no longer under your constant care. At this season in their lives, parents begin to try to establish rules and guidelines and this seldom works. Rebellion comes because for the first 15 years of their life there were no rules and ultimately the child's wish was the law of the family.

The Bible teaches us that if we as parents don't discipline our children while they are still young, when there is hope for change, then we ruin their lives. That doesn't mean that they are not responsible for their decisions but it does mean that we are responsible for their raising. The flip side of this scripture promises us that if we discipline our children we empower then to succeed. We have all made mistakes as parents and this message is not to condemn us, but to challenge us to step into the heavenly call of God to raise a godly generation of young people that will carry the mantle of God further than we ever imagined.

Blessed and Highly Favored

2011-07-15T08:31:00.001-07:00

Isaiah 51:2 "Yes, think about Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your nation. Abraham was only one man when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation."

What causes one man to become a nation, what causes one decision to turn a city, what causes one pray to change a destiny and what causes one word to produce a miracle? The answer, the blessing of God. The blessing of God changes everything it touches, it turn the natural into the supernatural, it causes the ordinary to become extraordinary.

God's blessing supersedes our efforts, it causes our weakness to become strength, it gives vision to our eyes and puts power in every step. Our voice becomes the voice of heaven and our hands become an extension of his grace. Mountains are moved and valleys are filled, cities are conquered and principalities are over thrown. The heavens shift and the earth shakes under the blessing of God.

The glory of the spiritual is manifest through the natural because of the blessing of God. We can run faster, jump higher, shout loader, sing better, reach further and worship deeper because of the blessing of God.

Some one says I want it, but God says you already have it through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ." so go ahead and declare it, "I am blessed and highly favored, goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." but don't stop with a declaration choose the daily manifestation of walking in the reality of the blessing of God.

The Greatest Investment

2011-07-13T05:46:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 19:8 "To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper."

Self investment is the best investment you can make; Jesus told us that the greatest would be the servant of all. The only way that I can increase my ability to serve others is to grow as an individual. The only cap upon our lives when it comes to success is self investment. Now just in case you have not realized it, success is measured by service. The greater the service I give to others, the greater success I will experience in my life, spiritual and financial. Your value is determined by what you give not what you have, but you ability to bless others is directly determined by the self investment you have made.

When a person stops growing, the cap on their life is set and they will no longer be able to achieve greater success. This lack of self investment is seen in every area of life and culture. Churches stop growing when the pastor stops investing in his own personal growth. Businesses' stop growing when those in leadership stop investing in their own personal growth and even cities stop growing when those in authority, stop growing and becoming better individuals and leaders. I heard a wise man once say "what it takes to make you successful is never enough to keep you successful, you must continually invest in yourself and grow." The way I see it we all have two choices; we can settle where we are or we can invest in ourselves and grow. I choose growth because where there is growth there is new life and new opportunities.

Foolish Anger

2011-07-12T04:42:00.003-07:00

Proverbs 19:3 "People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord."

Everyday we make decisions and every decision we make is making us. Our lives are shaped by the decisions we make; if we make wise decision than we are blessed and step into the future that God has in store for us. But if we make foolish decisions then are lives are cursed and set on a path that leads to destruction. This one thought should bring us to a place of sobriety and seriousness where we consider every decision and measure them by the truth of God's word.

However this scripture doesn't stop with this thought about decision making, but it goes on to show how foolish we as humans really are. The Bible says that people ruin their lives by their foolishness and then they get angry with God. I can not tell you how many times I have counseled people who were angry with God because their lives had hit the rocks of destruction. The problem with this situation is that as long as you blame someone one else for your foolish choices, you are incapable of change. God becomes an easy target during these moments of ruin and destruction. We reason in our heads that God is able to do anything and we believe that he should have done something to help us out of our problems or difficulties, therefore it is God's fault that I am in this situation. Wrong!! The truth is that God can do anything in our lives when given the opportunity to work, but God can not do anything when we ignore his wisdom, counsel or truth. When you make decisions that violate the truth of God's word and you ignore the counsel of God, then you, through your own foolishness will ruin your life and it is no ones fault but your own. If you can come to grips with that truth, then you can change and God can help you to turn your life around.

In 1 Chronicles 13:11the Bible says that "David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today." David had acted foolishly and tried to move the Ark of God his way instead of God's way and it resulted in death. David then got angry with God and refused to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, this decision caused David to miss out on the blessing of God. It was only when David repented and took responsibility for his decisions, that he was able to bring the Ark to Jerusalem and experience the blessing that God had for him. Until we stop blaming God or others for our failures and destruction we can not change, but the moment we repent, the door is opened for restoration and rebuilding. God is waiting on you to come into agreement with him and begin to receive the fulness that he has for you.

The Snake Bite Blessing

2011-07-11T06:41:00.001-07:00

Acts 28:3-6 "As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. 4 The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” 5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god"

All things work together for our good, because we love God and are called according to his purpose. Even a snake bite can position you to reach a community for Jesus Christ. What was supposed to bring death ushered in the life of God and many heard the message of Jesus Christ and many were healed and made whole.

Paul walked in faith and faith changes everything. If you believe you can, then you can, if you believe that God will, then God will. There is nothing impossible to those who believe! Everyone is walking in faith, unfortunately many people's faith is built upon the lies of the enemy instead of the promises of God. Everyone gets up everyday with an attitude of expectancy, sadly many expects problems and struggles, instead of the blessings and favor of God. If you want to change your future change your faith, because if you believe that all things work together for your good, then they will and nothing can ever stop you.

Victory Is In Your Mouth

2011-07-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

Psalms 3:1-4 "...so many are against me.2 So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” 3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. 4 I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain."

David enemies were speaking against him and like David there are many things being spoken against our lives but we must realize that our victory is not determined by what our enemy says; it is determined by what we say.

David refused to come into agreement with his enemies, what about you? Are you declaring the word of God over your life or are you agreeing with your enemies and speaking death. The out come of your life will be determined by the words that you speak. Words are spiritual containers that pave the direction of our lives and determine our future.

The key to victory is to speak by faith and not by feeling. The natural tendency of our lives is to speak what we feel. When we feel hopeless, we speak hopelessness. When feel discouraged, we speak defeat. When we feel sick, we speak sickness. When we feel angry, we speak bitterness.

But what would happen if we, like David refused to come into agreement with our feelings and started to speak by faith. I tell you what would happen, our lives would change for the good. We would break the attack of the enemy, reestablish the course of God and the victory of Jesus Christ in our lives. If you are not agreeing with God's word then you are in agreement with the enemy. So what you are saying?

The Power of Unity

2011-06-15T06:45:00.001-07:00

Psalms 133:1-3 "How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! 2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.
3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting."

David compared harmony or unity to the anointing and the refreshing dew that falls upon Mt. Hermon. All a person has to do to understand the value of unity is just walk into a room where there isn't any. When people are in discord or strife, the whole environment around them is tainted with the stench of war. Invisible bullets are flying across the room and everyone in the room feels the sting.

But unity and harmony refreshes the soul and empowers people to live, love and serve together. There are very few things more powerful than unity. When a family is united, they have a special bond that empowers them to weather the storms of life and come out on the other side. When a church is united, it fires on all cylinders and effectively fulfills the Great Commission. Unity creates an unstoppable force that is capable of the impossible. No wonder Satan sows seeds of discord in our life's because Satan fears unity. He knows what we should know, that unity is powerful and creates an unstoppable force that establishes the kingdom of God and declares His Glory.

Paul said in Romans 12:18 "Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone".
I challenge you today to do all that you can do to live in peace,unity and harmony with everyone. Refuse the seeds of discord and choose the life giving, refreshing power of unity; in your family, on your job and in the church.

Intimacy and Prophecy

2011-06-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

1 Kings 13:16-26 “No, I cannot,” he replied. “I am not allowed to eat or drink anything here in this place. 17 For the Lord gave me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’ ” 18 But the old prophet answered, “I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the Lord: ‘Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.’ ” But the old man was lying to him. 19 So they went back together, and the man of God ate and drank at the prophet’s home. 20 Then while they were sitting at the table, a command from the Lord came to the old prophet. 21 He cried out to the man of God from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: You have defied the word of the Lord and have disobeyed the command the Lord your God gave you. 22 You came back to this place and ate and drank where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this, your body will not be buried in the grave of your ancestors.”
23 After the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the old prophet saddled his own donkey for him, 24 and the man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him. His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. 25 People who passed by saw the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the old prophet lived. 26 When the prophet heard the report, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the Lord’s command. The Lord has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him.”

This story illustrates what happens when we live by prophecy and not intimacy. The young prophet had a word from God and he had fulfilled his commission and was returning home as the Lord had commanded him. Then the old prophet comes after him and speaks lies in the name of the Lord and because the young prophet abandoned the intimate word he had received out of his relationship with God and followed what he thought was a prophetic word, he died. It cost him his life and future ministry.

As New Testament Christians, we all are capable of hearing and knowing the voice of God. Jesus said my sheep hear my voice and they follow me. So what part does the prophetic play in our lives. The prophetic word is confirmation, it confirms what you have already sensed or heard God saying to you. When God gives you a prophetic word and let me just interject that if you are not in a place where the prophetic word is in operation then you need to find a Church where the reality of the prophetic word is at work. Because the confirmation of the prophetic word launches you into the will of God for your life. We have all had those times where we felt like God was leading us to do something but because of fear, worry or just a uncertainty we held back waiting for that confirmation, so that we would know that it was God. And that is where the prophetic comes in. God uses someone to speak into your life and what they say confirms what God has already spoken into your heart and because of the prophetic word you now have the boldness to step out and obey God.

Understand the divine order, first you receive an intimate word from God that flows out of your relationship with him. Then someone gives you prophetic word, if that that word agrees with what God has already told you then receive it and launch out in faith. But if the prophetic word doesn't agree or maybe even contradicts what you have heard God tell you, then wait. Set it upon your spiritual shelf and go back to God. Don't allow the prophetic word to over ride the intimate word, the young prophet made that mistake and it cost him everything.

Better Than

2011-06-11T06:14:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 17:1 "Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting-and conflict."

Peace is better than prosperity, because a prosperous house without the peace of God is a place of conflict and torment. Through Jesus we can prosper with peace, without the peace of God all prosperity is short circuited and short lived. Prosperity magnifies the hole in our heart that only Jesus can fill. Instead of creating peace, prosperity without Jesus just creates more tension and conflict, but through Christ we can enjoy peace with God and the peace of God that make all things right. It is amazing what you can endure and overcome if you have peace. Peace sustains you through the difficult times and multiplies the good times.

The Trust Promise

2011-06-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

Psalm 125:1 "Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever."

What a powerful promise, those who trust or put their faith and hope in the Lord, will be secure and will not be defeated. Our victory does not come from our strength but from our faith. Who you are trusting in, determines weather or not you will win the battle.

As Christians we should be confident in our ability to do what God has called us to do, but our faith to win the battle should be firmly rooted not in our abilities but in our Great God

Freedom

2011-06-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

Psalms 124:7 "We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!"

Praise God for the cross of Jesus Christ, through the cross the trap of sin was destroyed and we are free. Free to live, free to love and free to serve God with all of our hearts and lives. This blog goes out to all those who went through the encounter this weekend. We are rejoicing with you in the freedom of Jesus Christ. The trap is broken and we are FREE!

Attitude and Atmosphere

2011-06-01T06:03:00.001-07:00

2 Samuel 19:5-7 "Then Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, “We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves. 6 You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased. 7 Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before.”

David's actions and attitude caused his men to grieve instead of rejoice. They had just won a great victory but David's attitude created an atmosphere of defeat. And isn't that what our attitudes do? Attitudes create atmospheres; let one of your family members come home with a bad attitude and the atmosphere changes in your home. The greater your authority the greater the change of atmosphere is. Mom and Dad's attitude has a greater influence over the atmosphere than the children do. In the Church the attitude of those leading sets the atmosphere of those following. When the atmosphere in a church is negative, discouraged or grieved it can be traced to someone in leadership and ultimately the atmosphere is set by the pastor.

Our job as leaders should be to create an atmosphere of expectancy where the presence, power and purpose of God is manifested in the lives of his people. That atmosphere begins with an attitude of expectation in the heart of the pastor or leader. If you as the leader come expecting God to show up and show out in the lives of his people, then the atmosphere is set for people's lives to be changed.

Now back to the story, David's attitude went south because he had just found out that his son had been killed. Even though Absalom was leading the army fighting David, he was still David's son.

So how does a leader deal with personal grief and difficulty without bringing his people down. We have to recognize that what is happening to us, doesn't change who God is. Our lives might stink, but God doesn't. We may be going through a very difficult season in our personal lives, but God is still Good, Holy, Righteous and Worthy of Praise.

One of the defining marks of a leader, is the leaders ability to say positive when his personal life is filled with the negative heart aches and heart breaks of life. If as a leader you can stay focused during the difficult times of life, not only will you lead your people well, but you will shorten the season of difficulty and bless your family in the process. Every thing works better in an atmosphere of faith and expectancy

Devotion

2011-05-25T05:09:00.001-07:00

Psalms 119:45 "I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments."

The word works if we will work the word. The psalmists said "I will walk in freedom, because I have devoted myself to your word". The more devoted you are to the word of God, the more freedom you will walk in. There are two levels of devotion that are required to produce the freedom of Christ in your life.

The first level of devotion is to know the word. If you are not devoted to spending time in the word of God on a daily bases then your freedom will be short lived. This devotion includes studying the word, listening to the preached or taught word and memorizing the word. All three areas are key to a devoted life in the word of God, and all three are key to keeping you growing in the revelation and understanding of who God is and what he wants to do in your life.

The second level of devotion is to live the word, to do what the word says to do. If you never transition to this level of devotion, then you will become religious because you know the word, but you will still be unrighteous because you are not doing what it says.
James1:22 says that if you are a hearer of the word and not a doer of the word, you are deceived. The power and freedom of the word is activated in your life when you do what the word says to do. It is this level of devotion to the word, that causes us to make decisions based upon what the word says we should do. When we operate at this level of devotion, we also operate on a new level of freedom.

The word of God, creates boundaries like the banks of a river. These banks keep the river moving, focused and life giving. When you remove the banks of the river you get a swamp, a place filled with stagnant water and death. Devotion to the word keeps the banks of our river in place and allows us to experience the freedom of Christ, keep moving forward, stay focused on God's will for our lives and causes us to be a life giving believer that carries the life of God every where that we go.

Angry With God

2011-05-24T07:17:00.001-07:00

2 Samuel 6:3&8 "They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart as it left the house... David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today"

David got angry with God, but it wasn't God fault. Uzzah's death was the result of David's sin. God had given the children of Israel specific instructions on how to transport the ark of the covenant. But David refused to do it God's way and choose to carry it upon a cart.

Our world is full of people who are angry with God, but it is not his fault. We are blaming God for things that God had nothing to do with. One of the greatest revelations you can ever get is that the source of all sorrow, pain and heart ache is rooted in sin, self and Satan. Every time you have suffered, your suffering can be traced to sin, self or Satan. Sometimes it's your sin that causes you to suffer, sometimes it is someone else's sin that causes you to suffer and sometimes it is the curse of sin upon our lives and this planet that causes you to suffer, but it is not God. He is for you and not against you.

In order to truly understand God plan for humanity you have to go back to the beginning. In the beginning there was no sin and there was no suffering, pain or death. God's original plan for your life was love, joy and peace, but in Genesis 3:1-7 we see the demonic trinity of sin, self and Satan come together and from that moment on our world and our lives have been marked and scarred by suffering, sorrow and pain. And from that time we see God covering our sin and making a way through his Son for us to once again experience life and life abundant.

Understand that God is big enough to handle your anger, and he doesn't step back from your life because your angry with him. But please hear me, you are not big enough or strong enough to handle life and eternity without God. As long as you are angry with God, you are trapped in deception and Satan has you in a prison, because your anger has caused you to separate yourself from God. Who is your only hope of recovery and life. My prayer for you is that you will see the truth and understand that the source of your pain is sin, self and Satan. God loves you and has been fighting for you through all of your heart aches and trials. Reach out to him and you will be amazed at how quickly he will wrap you in his arms.

The Comparison Trap

2011-05-23T06:36:00.001-07:00

Psalms 119:6 "Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands."

The only accurate way to measure our lives is by God's word. The psalmists said I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. God's word is the standard of life and living. The Bible says that it is not wise to compare yourself with others, why? Because they are not the standard, God's word and his Son, Jesus Christ are the standards by which we are to measure our lives.

When you start comparing your self to others you get caught in the comparison trap and that trap is deadly. When we make others the standard, then we are always able to justify our actions, because I can always find someone who is not doing as good as I am. So I must be ok, because I'm living a better life than so and so. It has been said that being better than someone else should never be our goal, our goal should be to be the best that we can be and that only happens when we have the right standard of measurement. Jesus Christ and the word of God sets the standard and creates a level playing field for all.

Living by God's standard is the only way to say as the psalmists did, I will not be ashamed. What is the standard in your life, if it's not God's standard than reestablish his standard as the standard for your life and experience the freedom that comes when you get out of the comparison trap.

Childlike Faith

2011-05-19T04:18:00.000-07:00

Psalms 116:6 "The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me."

Childlike faith, a total confidence in God and his word. My daddy said me could, those were the words of my son when he was 2-3 years old. My words were law and if I said he could do something then he believed with all his heart that he could do it.

Childlike faith operates off of the truth of God's word not the facts of the world. The fact is that I don't have enough money to meet the needs of my family, but the truth is that "my God will supply all my needs according to his riches in Glory" Childlike faith doesn't deny the reality of facts, it just doesn't build it's life upon them. Instead childlike faith builds it's life upon the truth of God's word, which is an unshakable foundation

Straddling the Fence

2011-04-25T07:59:00.001-07:00

Judges 5
Verse 16 "Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds- to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks? Yes, in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision."

Indecision cripples you and makes you ineffective for the kingdom of God! It disengages you from the battle and causes you to sit down, while those around you are rising up. If you are straddling the fence, then you are missing out on God's purpose for your life.

God said be hot or cold but never be lukewarm and if you are lukewarm he will spit you out of his mouth. Indecision sickens the heart of God because it has the potential to sideline your life for long periods of time. If your hot then you are running forward with God and if your cold, at least you know that you are not right with God, but a lukewarm individual is not committing horrible sin but at he same time they are not accomplishing anything for the kingdom of God. Satan has an amazing way of rocking individuals into a spiritual slumber that they may never awaken from.

Get off the fence, move out of the valley of indecision and whole heartily run the race that God has for you. The joys of life and the fulfillment of your God given dreams are found on the battle field, engage and enjoy the journey.

Heart Sick

2011-04-19T04:34:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 13
Verse 12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life."

Satan does not want you to get your hopes up, so when the answer or solution doesn't come when we think we need it to, our hearts grow sick. Satan then fuels the fire of deferred hope, by trying to convince us that the answer will never come. God doesn't care about you, he will say. You really don't matter, not to God or people, he will whisper in your ear. But Satan is a liar, and a delay is not a denial.

There are many times in our lives that we have to wait for an answer or solution to come, not because God doesn't care but because it is not time. We are apart of a great work and there is alway more going on than what we see. Our lives are pieces in the puzzle of life and many times there are things unseen to our eyes that have to come together for our lives to work out. It is in these moments of deferred hope that we have to trust that God is for us and not against us and he is working all things together for our good.

If your life lines up with God's word, then your dream/prayer will be fulfilled and as the Proverbs says, when it comes together, "it will be a tree of life". But until the pieces all fall and everything works out, you must keep your hope up. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, if you lose your hope you cripple your faith and without faith you can not receive anything from God. So the cure for a deferred hope is a big picture mentality and a confidence in the faithfulness of God

Revelation and Impartation

2011-04-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

Joshua 8: 26 "For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in Ai was completely destroyed

This scene reminds me off another battle, where Joshua was leading the army and Moses stood on the mountain and held up the rod of the Lord. In this story we see the power of mentorship. Joshua did what he had seen Moses do and Israel won the battle.

Your future will be determined by two things: the books you read and the people you associate with. Books bring information and revelation and people give you impartation. Your life is shaped by the things that you have been taught and the things you have caught.

You can spend the rest of your life doing what you know or you can grow. You must be an apprentice before you can become a master. OJT (on the job training) is an important part of your life, without it you lack the application and experience to really make something happen. Joshua had to come up under Moses before he could be placed over the nation of Israel.

Make a commitment to come up under someone that can teach and impart the wisdom, direction and anointing of God. Put your hands to the plow and don't look back. William Booth the founder of the salvation army, once had a very successful business man come to join his ranks. His first assignment was to shine boots, when the business man questioned Booth's wisdom in placing him in such a menial task, Booth simply replied that if he was to good to shine boots, then we was to prideful to be apart of the salvation army and he reminded him of Jesus's example of washing feet. We all must come under in order to be place over. Find a mentor and grow into the potential that God has for you.

The Promise and Provision

2011-04-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

Joshua 5:12 "No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan"

Where God guides he provides, but his provision changes with each new possession. When the Israelites crossed over the Jordan into the promise land, the manna ceased to fall and never appeared again.Why?

Because they had come to a new place of possession, they were now in the promise land and with each new promise comes new provision. Yesterday's provision won't meet todays need and each time you step into a new promise, get ready because your provision is going to come from a new place.

So don't get mad when the manna stops falling, rejoice because God has brought you to a new place. Start looking around because each new promise brings with it, new provision. The provision is in the promise, a new place brings new grace

Losing The Weight of Worry

2011-04-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 12
Verse 25 "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."

The weight of worry cripples us, it keeps you down, discouraged and bound. Their is no end to worry, worry is a vicious cycle of unbelief and fear that has taken multitudes captive. Worry's prisoners fill churches, businesses and homes all around the world. It doesn't care if you are rich or poor, black or white, American or Italian, worry is a weight that can only be broken through faith in Jesus.

In our verse for today Solomon says that encouragement cheers a person up, which is true if the encouragement is received by faith. Many worry bound individuals have been encouraged only to find temporary relief, because without faith those words of encouragement fall upon a hardened heart and the enemy steals the seed and no lasting fruit is produced. But through faith in Christ and his word, the seeds of encouragement go deep within and produce the fruit of freedom.

Choose today to believe God and break the yoke and weight of worry from off your life. Faith is a choice based upon the finished work of Christ and the word of God, so choose well and lose the weight of worry.

LIFE

2011-04-08T05:47:00.001-07:00

Deuteronomy 32:47 "These instructions are not empty words-they are your life!"

The word of God is not just another book. Read any book other than the Bible and if you forget the message of those books, there will be no eternal consequence. Yes, there is some great wisdom and instruction out there and the leadership team at my Church will tell you that reading good books is a top priority in my life. Leaders are learner's, which means that they are readers.

But God Word is set apart from all other books. It is the inspired word of God and as Moses said, the words of God are not empty words-they are your life. God's word bring life, not just life giving principles but life itself. Jesus said in John 6:63 "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."

God's word brings spiritual life and leads us to eternal life. God's word connects not just your mind but your spirit to God, allowing you to know him, be empowered by him and spend eternity with him in Heaven. No other book on the planet can do that. So the next time you see your Bible laying on your night stand or coffee table, pick it up and open your heart to God's word because it is LIFE!

Beggars and Believers

2011-04-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 28
Verse 6 "Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed."

Wow, what a powerful promise to those who obey. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. One definition of being blessed means to be empowered to succeed. Obedience to the word of God and the Spirit of God empowers us to succeed. Obedience to God enables us to have success wherever we go and in whatever we do.

Many Christians spend their entire Christian life begging for the blessing of God, but we are not called beggars we are called Believers. So stop begging, obey God and believe that his word is true. If I am obedient then I am blessed. Start claiming his promise and walking in it. Declare Gods blessing on whatever you do and declare it wherever you go.

If you are obedient then you are blessed and if there is an area of your life that you are living in rebellion toward God, repent, confess your sin and move forward in the blessing of obedience. Stop begging, start obeying and walk in your Blessing!

Loot or Fruit

2011-04-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 12
Verse 12 "Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit."

Thieves are pursuing loot, they want to enjoy the fruit of someone else's labor. They don't have any root in them selves, so they suck life from others. They are always riding on the coat tails of someone else's hard work or commitment. They are complainers and whiners, always pointing out what they don't like but never adding value to make anything better. They sometimes sound spiritual in their talk about desiring the deeper things of God, but they are unwilling to pay the price in their personal life to have a life giving relationship with Jesus.

But the godly bear fruit, they are willing the pay the price in order to become a source of life. The godly are well rooted and bear fruit, their lives have stability and prosperity. They are established in Christ and are not tossed around by every wind that blows. They are not jumping from one church to another, allows looking for something better. They bear their own fruit and add value where they are. Being rooted means they are covenant people, they don't just give their words they give their lives.

So what are you? Are you a thief in the house of God pursuing loot? Do you look at the church as a place to only receive from God or are you Godly, and look at the church as a place to serve God? The key to receiving is serving and the godly understand that principle. But what about you, are you looking for loot or bearing fruit?

Simple Things

2011-03-31T06:43:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 17
Verse 14 “You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ 15 If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.
16 “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ 17 The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.18 “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.
20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

The daily reading of the word of God, keeps us from pride and arrogance. It keeps us in check to the laws of God and ensures our success and enables us to pass down the blessing of God to many generations.

It is the simple things that keep us grounded, growing and moving forward. Prayer, worship and the word equip us to win souls, make disciples and destroy the works of the devil. When we abandon the simplicity of the gospel we lose the power of the Gospel and set ourselves up for destruction.

If King Solomon would have followed the simple guideline laid down by God for kings, he would have finished strong, but he didn't. God gave the Kings of Israel three laws and told them to read them everyday, but apparently this daily reading never became a priority to Solomon and the following scripture tell us that he violated all three of the commands and ended up in his later years, worshiping other gods.

2 Chronicles 1: 14-16 "Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah. 16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia..."

1 Kings 11:1-6 "Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. 2 The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. 3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. 4 In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. 5 Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done."

How sad, that the wisest king could end up being so deceived and that deception found it's place in his heart because he abandoned the simple act of daily reading the law of God. My prayer is that we won't make the same mistake, but we will commit ourselves to the simple thing of God. Prayer, worship and the word of God are the necessities of the Christian life. Fight for them, guard them and treasure these simple things because your life and future depends upon it.

Commitment to the Word

2011-03-29T06:01:00.001-07:00

Deuteronomy 11
Verse 18-21 “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors."

Commit yourself wholeheartedly to these words, God's word. Moses told the people that the word of God was the secret to their success; their commitment to God's word would determine whether they would flourish or die in the land that God had promised them.
So what does it mean to be committed to the word of God, well Moses gave them specific instructions to fulfill this command.

First he said tie them to your hands and foreheads. Being committed to the word means that God's word affects the works of your hands and is always on the forefront of your mind. He then said teach them to your children, commitment to the word means that we on purpose teach the word to our children. Then he said talk about them when you are at home and on the road, when we are committed to word of God it becomes apart of our everyday conversation and last but not least he says to write the word on the doorpost and gates, this means we need written reminders of the word posted so that when we enter and leave our homes we are reminded of his word.

So according to this standard how committed are you to the word of God? Does God's word affect the way you live your life? Is his word the first thing you think about when making decisions? How many scriptures have you taught your children and how much time do you spend each week studying the word with your children? Is God's word apart of your daily conversation? Do you have written reminders of God's word in your house, car or at work? It is easy for us to say we are committed to the word of God, but these standards help us to see where we really are in our commitment level to His Word.

When Gods word becomes a priority in our lives, we flourish and pass the blessing of his word down to our children and grandchildren. When we neglect his word, we break his laws and pass down the curse of sin. The more committed we are to our families the more committed we should be to God's word. One of the greatest blessings that we can pass down to our children is a commitment to the word of God

Giants

2011-03-24T03:44:00.001-07:00

Deuteronomy 2
Verse10-12 "(A race of giants called the Emites had once lived in the area of Ar. They were as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites, another race of giants... but they were driven out and displaced by the descendants of Esau, just as Israel drove out the people of Canaan when the Lord gave Israel their land.)"

Giants once lived in the land BUT they were driven out and displaced. Nothing is to hard for God, he specializes in conquering giants. You may be facing a giant of fear, uncertainty, debt or even anger, but God can and will empower you to drive out and displace the giant, so that he can give you what he has promised.

The size of your enemy is irrelevant to God, it is the size of your faith in God that determines your victory. If God said it, you can have it; you can posses the land and displace any enemy if you are willing and obedient. (Isaiah 1:19 nkjv)

Authority

2011-03-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

Numbers 36
Verse 1,5 "Then the heads of the clans of Gilead-descendants of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph-came to Moses and the family leaders of Israel with a petition... The claim of the men of the tribe of Joseph is legitimate"

God is a God of justice and when we bring a legitimate claim before the Lord he hears our cry but we need to understand that God works through men, to establish and implement the justice and laws of God. There are some people who are so spiritual they say that they will only "answer to God" but that mentality is only an excuse for rebellion and no accountability.

We all are accountable to authority and that authority is implemented through flesh. Romans 13:1-2 teaches us that when we rebel against man's authority we rebel against God. Your boss is your boss, whether you like him or not and when your rebel against him you rebel against God. When you honor your boss, you honor God and position yourself for promotion and blessing. Colossians 3:23-24 teaches us that our reward comes from the Lord and that in all we do, we should do it as unto the Lord.

Willing

2011-03-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

Luke 5
Verse 12-13 "In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” 13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared."

Jesus said "I am willing" and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is still willing to heal, deliver and save. Satan has deceived us into thinking that God is not willing. I hear it come out of the mouths of Christians all the time, they pray for healing, deliverance, breakthrough or provision and they close their prayer with the phrase, if it is your will.

Praise God for the word, because he has already told us he is willing. And if he wasn't willing to do for us what he did for the leper, then he would not have went to the cross. But he went to the cross because he is willing, willing to heal, deliver, save and meet the needs of those who believe in him.

So the question is not is God willing, the question is are you willing to believe God in spite of your circumstances? Are you willing to step out in faith and declare his word over your life, are you willing to renounce fear, worry and unbelief and receive the miracle that God has made available for you through the blood of Jesus Christ?

Journaling

2011-03-21T06:08:00.001-07:00

Numbers 33
Verse 2 "At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way"

Moses kept a written record of their progress, I believe this is the biblical pattern for journaling. When we journal we keep records of the journey, which enables us to look back, see the progress that we have make and celebrate the victories that God has given us. Writing down what God is saying and doing in your life is powerful, it becomes spiritual ammunition enabling you to fight a good fight of faith.

Our minds tend to be negative and remember the problems of the past and forget the victories that God has given us. But a written record allows us to look back and remember not only what God has done but what he has spoken into your life. If you have never journaled then I challenge you to begin today, you will be surprised at how it will impact your life and focus your attention on the good things that God is saying and doing.

Growth

2011-03-17T07:28:00.001-07:00

Luke 2
Verse 52 "Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people"

Jesus modeled three areas of growth that should be followed by every believer. He grew is wisdom, he studied the scriptures and pursued the wisdom of God. He was a reader, a lister and untimely a learner. Our commitment to growth in the area of wisdom, unlocks our potential and positions us to make an eternal impact in our world. Without the wisdom of God, we are limited in our ability to impart anything of real value.

Second he grew is stature, he took care of his physical body. He knew what awaited him and a weak body would not serve the purpose of God for his life, he needed to be strong. When we neglect our physical health, we sabotage the spiritual work that God has for us to do.

Then he grew in favor, with God and people. Favor flows from right relationships, Jesus grew in his relationship with God the Father and with people. He learned the skills required to get along and work with people. Relational skills become the foundation stone of success in life and ministry. It doesn't matter how much you know or even how right you are, if you can not get along with people then your wisdom is never released or imparted into the lives of others.

The truth's that Jesus taught as an adult he learned as a youth, growing and developing for the mission and purpose of God for his life. Jesus began his commitment to growth at an early age but it is never to late to grow. Let's join Jesus on the journey of growth, committing ourselves to grow in wisdom, stature and favor. The end result will be the blessing of God and a fruitful life. Consider this thought: your effectiveness will never exceed you growth, as you grow in these three areas of life you grow more effective in every area of your life

The Reward

2011-03-15T10:53:00.001-07:00

Psalm 58
Verse 11 Then at last everyone will say, “There truly is a reward for those who live for God;surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”

There is a reward for those who live for God. He judges justly and defends his children, he fights for those who stand for his righteous cause. Blessed is the man that lives for God, his life is not without difficulty because we are at war with evil. But he is richer than all others, there is depth of love, joy and life that flows from the heart of God into the soul of those who live for him.

There is a wealth that runs deeper than money, the wealth of soul and a wealth of life. Joy unspeakable and the glorious presence of God that out weighs the gold from a thousand mines. Favor beyond measure and relationships that flourish with the passion of God.

There is a reward for those who live for God, and that reward is eternal. It doesn't end when death knocks on your door. It doesn't end when the retirement runs out or the praises of men ceases to be sung. It is an eternal reward that last forever and increases with time. The reward that God has for those who serve him is ever growing, ever increasing and ever flourishing into eternity without end. Thank You Jesus!! We bless you holy name!

Confirmation

2011-03-12T05:19:00.001-08:00

Mark 16
Verse 20 "And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs"

The disciples went everywhere and preached and God worked through them. The disciples had to go and preach but God did the work and confirmed the word with miraculous sign. God can not confirm what you do not say. Your words give place to God or Satan, because they are both looking for an opportunity to confirm your words. If you speak "God's Word" then God will work through you and confirm his word that comes out of your mouth, but if you speak negative words full of fear and unbelief than Satan works through you and confirms his words that come out of your month.

God can not confirm what you do not say, faith comes by hearing, but faith is released by speaking and action upon that word. Every word you speak releases spiritual power, the power of sin and death to destroy life or the power of God to bring life. Let's follow the example of the disciples and preach/proclaim Gods word everywhere we go and into every situation we encounter. God is wanting to work through you and produce miraculous signs on your behalf.

First

2011-03-11T06:17:00.001-08:00

Numbers 15
Verse 21 Throughout the generations to come, you are to present a sacred offering to the Lord each year from the first of your ground flour.

Why did God require the first fruit of Israel's increase, because God knows that what you value most you do first. If your house was on fire what would you get first, you would get first what you valued most. When the bills are due and your paycheck is not enough to pay all the bills what do you pay first, you pay first what you value the most. Jesus said it this way, "where your treasure is there your heart will be also".

The first fruits of your life, reveal the values of your life. How do you spend the first moments of your day, what about the first day of the week or the first 10% of your income? The way you answer these questions reveal what you value in your life. So where does God fit in the value system of your life. How you spend your mornings, your off days and your money define those values. God said put me first, not because he is egotistical, but because he loves us. He knows that when He becomes the most valuable thing in our lives, it increases the value of our lives.

Everything evolves to a greater value and worth when God is first. Out of a right relationship with God, that relationship increases and adds value to every area of our lives. The only way to increase your life's value is to place your greatest value upon the Lord. So as God said in Malachi, "try me or prove me in this", I believe your life will radically and supernaturally change. The value and worth of your life will increase if you will commit you life to Christ and give him the first fruits of your life.

Teachable Spirit

2011-03-10T15:36:00.001-08:00

Proverbs 11
Verse 2 "Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

Humility produces wisdom, because humility keeps us teachable. Having a teachable spirit is the key to continual growth, continual growth is the key to effective leadership and influence with is leadership is the key to implementing and establishing the kingdom of God in our homes, churches, communities and nation. We can not change the culture or dynamics of our homes, churches, communities and nation without supernatural influence and that influence is rooted in humble/teachable spirit. Leaders are learner's because without the wisdom of God, we will never deliver our cities from the influence of unrighteousness.
Proverbs 21:22 "The wise conquer the city of the strong and level the fortress in which they trust."
Ecclesiastics 9:18 " Better to have wisdom than weapons of war..."

How's Your Heart

2011-03-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

Mark 6:52 "Their hearts were too hard to take it in."

They were in the middle of the greatest revival the world had ever known and they were missing it. Their hearts were too hard to take it in. Does that sound familiar?

How many times have we missed the miracles of God because of a hard heart. A heart that is so distracted by the bills and busyness of life that the divine encounters and miracles of God that are happening around us everyday go unnoticed or unappreciated.

May our prayer be that God would soften our hearts, so that we can take in the wonder of who he is and what he is doing, every single day.

The Cloud

2011-03-07T06:57:00.001-08:00

Numbers 9
Verse 17 -18 "Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle."

They followed the cloud, the cloud represented the presence of the Lord. They traveled and settled at the Lord's command. This is a picture of a spirit led life, we as believers in Jesus Christ should travel and settle at the Lord's command. Our lives should be cloud led not storm driven, to many times we make decisions that are driven by the storms of life, we react and respond to the wind and waves of life instead of following the cloud of Gods Spirit. As we learn from and lean on the Holy Spirit we move into a different realm of life. A realm that operates above this world and it's systems, a realm of life that releases and established the dominion of God in our lives and culture.

Once you understand what moves you, you begin to understand why you are moving in a specific direction. Storm driven Christians are always on the wrong path moving in the wrong direction because they respond to life out of fear and reason. But cloud led Christians are on the right path and are moving in the right direction because they are following the Holy Spirit. They are being led by the direction of God, His Word, His Spirit and the Body of Christ are directing them and the Cloud becomes the guiding force of their lives.

Freedom

2011-03-02T07:28:00.001-08:00

Leviticus 26
Verse 13 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high."

God broke the yoke of bondage so we can walk with our heads held high. Are you free, has the yoke been broken then hold your head up high. Walking out your freedom is not only important to us but it is important to God. Our lives are living testimonies to his power and glory. Don't pull back or cower down, hold your head high and declare your freedom. I am FREE!!

Remember The Poor

2011-02-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

Psalm 41
Verse 1-3 "Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health."

It has been said that you reward the conduct that you want to see duplicated, it sounds like God values kindness to to poor more than rubbing elbows with the mighty. Look at the rewards he promises in response to our kindness and compassion to the poor:

He will rescue you when you are in trouble.
He will protect you and keep you alive.
He will give you prosperity.
He will rescue you from your enemies.
He will nurse you when you are sick and restore you to health

All For The Glory of God

2011-02-23T04:49:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 10
Verse 32-11:1 "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. 33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. 11:1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ."

Paul said that we should do all things for the glory of God and that we should not offend Jew, Gentile or the Church. But that we should try to please everyone so that many will be saved. When Paul said please everyone I don't believe he was talking about meeting the personal convictions of all people, but he was talking about the cultural standards of the Jew, the Gentile and the Church.

Our goal is to influence as many people as possible for the sake of the Gospel and for the sake of their souls. So what does that mean, it means that I should respect the cultural standards of all people. If I immediately offend them because of something that has no eternal value, like customs or food then I will not be able to reach them with the Gospel. Maturity means being able to do what is best for others not just for your self. The bottom line is not my preference but the souls of men.

Only Jesus

2011-02-22T05:16:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 13
Verse 46 "As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp."

Just as the unclean person in the old testament had to live in isolation so sin separates and isolates us from the ones we love. Sin always brings death and death always separates. It doesn't matter what kind of sin; lies, gossip, bitterness, un-forgiveness, offense or addiction. Sin isolates, separates and destroys life.

Only through the cleansing power of Jesus Christ can our lives be restored to wholeness. As the song says, "what can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus, what can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus." Only Jesus Christ has the power to declare us clean, only Jesus has the power to restore our lives to wholeness, only Jesus can tear down the walls that separate us from one another and from God. Only Jesus!!

Go Team

2011-02-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

Exodus 17
Verse 10-13 "So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle."

Victory is a team effort, it takes everyone doing their part to Win the battle and defeat the enemy. It is easy to read this story and think that Moses was the hero or even the key to the victory, but if you step back and take an honest look at the big picture you see that it took the team to win. First you have Joshua leading the battle and then you have the armies of Israel that are following his lead. Next we see Moses on the mountain with the staff of God, but his arms grow tired and Arron and Hur come along side him to hold up his hands and the staff of God. If you remove one of those elements from the battle you have defeat.

It takes every part of the body of Christ to win the war for the souls of men. The leaders must lead and the Soldiers must fight, it take everyone from the pastor to the janitor for the Church to be what the Church is to be. What is the Church, the Church is the Hope of the World, because the Church is the living, breathing manifestation of the Son of God. The Church is the instrument of righteousness through which God has chosen to declare and minister the gospel of his Son, Jesus Christ. So what are you waiting for, take your place in the body of Christ and let's win souls, make disciples and destroy the works of the devil. The world needs you and God is counting on you! Go Team!!

Stay Calm

2011-02-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

Exodus 14:14 "The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
Just stay calm, easier said then done, right. You have never had the whole Egyptian army chasing you down, but the weight of debt has come against you like an army. Fear has gripped you and there have been times in your life when it felt like all hell had broken lose against your life and what does God say, stay calm.

Why in the world would he want me to stay calm, well believe it or not it has nothing to do with your nerves and everything to do with your faith. When you remain calm in adversity, your are able to open the door of faith and invite God into your difficulty. But panic breeds fear and fear shuts the door of supernatural intervention. A calm spirit produces a courageous heart but panic causes you to run away from what God wants you to overcome.

Many people because of panic spend their lives running from the same thing over and over again, their lives are a never ending merry go round, full of ups and downs, always moving but never going anywhere. So what is the spiritual remedy, stay calm.The Lord will fight for you, but he can not fight for you if you keep running from the battle. Stay calm, stay in faith and watch God show out in your life. Get off the merry go round and start moving forward into the promises of God for your life

The Right Time

2011-01-26T05:20:00.001-08:00

Exodus 3
Verse 23&25 "Years passed, He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act."

Years passed, actually 400 years had past and God looked on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. Why did it take God 400 years to act on behalf of the children of Israel, because that is exactly how long God told Abraham they would be slaves; Genesis 15:13-14 "Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth"

God is patient and willing to wait for the right time, what about you? Are you willing to wait on the timing of God or are you impatient and unwilling to wait always demanding your way on your time table? Well, let me tell you two things; number one is that you can not rush God. He is faithfully, dependable, loving and he is perfect which means that he is never early, he is always on time. Number two, rushing life and especially trying to rush God never works. When we run ahead of God we create problems and many times those problems become a constant source of frustration in our lives.

A lack of patience is really the result of pride. You are so convinced that your way is the right way and that now is the time. Pride blinds your eyes and causes you to rush into things that God never intended you to rush into. Pride says my timing is right and now is the time. God waited 400 years before he acted on behalf of the Israelites, why because it took that long for everything to be in place and for the time to be right.

Now I don't think you and I are going to have to wait 400 years to see our prayers answered or our dreams fulfilled, but I do know that when the time is right God will act and if we are patient we can act with God and get the results from life that we desire to see. Humble yourself before the Lord and prepare your heart and life for the promises of God. Stay set on Go and when the green light comes and the door is opened then run the race with all your might. But until that time comes wait on the Lord, prepare, prepare and then prepare some more and allow God to set the stage for his will in your life.

First Listen

2011-01-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

Matthew 17
Verse 5 "a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

"Listen to him", those where the words that God spoke to Peter, James and John regarding Jesus. Be quiet and listen to Jesus, two thousand years later is still good advice. Think about it, we are so much like Peter, we like to talk and do but most people are not real good at being quiet and listening.

We want to talk to God and even talk for God, we like doing things in the name of God but what if the most important thing that we could do to build the kingdom of God is listen. Listening first makes our talking and doing more valuable and profitable. Listening first removes regret and mistakes and allows us to utilize our time, efforts, energies and resources to their fullest potential. So I challenge you this morning to Listen To Him, First. Before you speak, act or do anything. First Listen and if we listen well, we will speak well and do good for the Glory of God.

Failure

2011-01-20T03:41:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 24:16 "The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked."

Failure is an event not a person. You may have failed but you are not a failure. The question is not will you fail, because if you are attempting anything of value, you will fail. Failing is as much apart of success as success is. Thomas Edison tried over 10,000 times in his efforts to create and invent and when ask about his failure, he said. "I did not fail, I learned 10,000 ways that do not work".

So if failing is not the defining question what is? The question that will define your life is, will you quit? People are never failures but they sometimes quit getting back up. Proverbs says that the thing that distinguishes between the godly and the wicked is not their mistakes or lack of them. The godly the bible says will get up again, they refuse to quit trying. So I challenge you today to reject the lie of the enemy, you are not a failure and if you commit to getting back up, you will not only succeed but you will be ranked among the "godly" and there is no greater mark of success than godliness.

Body Builder

2011-01-19T06:07:00.001-08:00

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 "For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

One of my favorite quotes by an unknown author is "any old donkey can kick down the barn, but it takes a skilled carpenter to build it". Paul told the Thessalonians that God choose to save us through the death of his son, Jesus and that in light of what God did to save our lives and not destroy them, we as Christians should encourage one another and build each other up. Every Christian should be a "Body Builder", building up the body of Christ. If God went through so much to save us from destruction, shouldn't we at least not tear one another down.

Think about the destructive power of gossip, backbiting and division. Many Christian don't think twice about saying a critical or judgmental word about another believer, but we should. We should recognize the price God paid to save them and honor the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Instead of criticizing or judging them, we should build them up by praying for them. We should come along side that believer and ask God to show us how to help them instead of doing the work of Satan; accusing and criticizing them. Settle in your heart today, that you are going to be a "Body Builder" and encourage those around with the love, hope and life of God

The Five-fold Challenge

2011-01-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

The Five-fold Challenge
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 "Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love."

In these two verses Paul gives us a five-fold challenge that lines perfectly up with a 21 day fast. Today is day 17 of the fast and these words are spiritual ammunition for the last few days. It is easy in our flesh to slack at the end, but in reality it is how we finish the race that matters most. So today I want to pass Paul's challenge along to you.
Number one, be on guard. It was at the end of Jesus's forty day fast that Satan tempted and attacked him. When we are physically unstable we become more easily tempted.

Number two, stand firm in the faith. Don't start backing away from your impossible prayers just because you have not seen any change in the flesh. God is working through your prayer of faith to produce supernatural results. Stand Firm.

Number three, be courageous. Boldly declare who God is and what he is doing in your life. Step out of your comfort zone and engage others in conversations about the things of God. Don't hesitate to walk through every open door of opportunity that God gives you.

Number four, be strong. Keep you body in check, don't allow your flesh to override your spirit. Be strong in the Lord and finish the fast that God has called you to walk out.

Number five, do everything with love. As you live, give and serve those around you allow the love of God to saturate your life. Choose love in how you treat your family, work your job and interact with those in your life. Love is a choice, so do everything with love.

I believe that as we accept this five-fold challenge we will finish strong and see the full potential of this 21 day fast fulfilled in our lives.

Experiencing His Love

2011-01-17T06:52:00.001-08:00

Ephesians 3:19 "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."

Paul said that as we experience the love of Christ we will be filled or made complete with all the fulness of life and power that comes from God. We can never experience the fulness of God apart from the love of God. His love unlocks his fulness.

But it is not the knowledge of his love that makes us complete, it is the experience of his love. So I ask the question, how do we experience his love? I believe the answer to that question is through relationship. As we walk with God through relationship the Holy Spirit releases Gods love into our lives. We experience his love through the giving and receiving of a healthy relationship with Him. Think about it, how do you experience the love of your spouse? Your love experience with your spouse is not defined by your wedding ceremony or even your vows; though both of these things are foundational to your relationship. It is the daily exchange of life, the giving and receiving of daily interaction that takes your relationship to new levels of life and intimacy.

The same is true with God, we experience his love through the daily interactions of life, the giving and receiving of a healthy relationship with Him and through those experiences we are made complete with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

What are you saying?

2011-01-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

Psalms 91:1-2 "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him."

What are you saying? What are you saying about your life, your relationships, your finances and most important what are you saying about God? The words of your mouth are producing and reproducing the results of your life.

One of the challenges that we face in the midst of difficult and even heartbreaking times is the challenge of the tongue. If you surrender your tongue to your emotions, then you have sentenced yourself to a vicious cycle of death, disease, fatigue, poverty, failure and disappointments just to name a few. Your emotions are wonderful servants but they make a horrible master. The challenge then is to override the feelings of your flesh and mind and surrender your tongue to the Holy Spirit and the word of God.

David said "I declare about the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in him I will trust", David was man that understood hard times and difficult circumstances but he was also a man that understood the power of his tongue. And when your life is falling apart around you, the last thing that you need to do is begin to declare death over your life. It is at that moment that your words become catalyst of change, supernatural weapons of warfare that can turn the tide your life and reposition you on firm ground. So I challenge you to join David and begin daily to declare who God is and to declare the life you want, not the circumstances that you have

God's Secret Service

2011-01-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

Psalms 91:11-12 "For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone."

God loves you so much that he has dispatched his heavenly host to protect you wherever you go. What a powerful thought, angels are really watching over you, it's not just a song we sing or a little quote that we use, it is a reality. As a child of God you have angels watching over you, but not only watching you but assisting you and warring over your life. They fight for you, protect you and even hold you up to keep you from falling. They are God's Secret Service Agents, unseen but always present; you are never alone and you can confidently do what God has called you to do because God has got your back.

Fear

2011-01-13T07:03:00.000-08:00

Day 12
Psalm 91:5-7 "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in the darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you."

"Fear" is a word that has disabled, discouraged and defeated many believers in their walk of faith. The psalmists declared that we would "not be afraid" because God is our defender and protector. God fights for his children and he defends those who stand for him. When we dwell in the secret place we abide under the shadow of his wing, therefore those who attack you attack God and he can not be defeated.

All great men and women of God have had to face their fears and overcome them in order to receive God's best for their lives. The question is not will You feel fear, because the answer to that question is yes. You will feel fear every time your life spins out of your control. The question is how will You respond to the feelings of fear? Will You give in to your feelings and allow fear to rob you of what God has for your life, or will You conquer your fear with a spirit of faith that declares victory over your life? The more you abide in the secret place of his presence the more confidence and faith you will built in his word, presence and power.

Flakes

2011-01-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

It's Monday morning, I slept in today. It's 9am and I am looking at 6-7 inches of snow, this is the deepest snow we have had is about 50 years. North Alabama has been stopped by this snow. It is amazing how something so beautiful, and fluffy can be so powerful. Truly the weakness of God is stronger than the mightiest man. Snow is a perfect picture of the power of unity. Each snowflake in it's self is powerless against our society, even the smallest child can smash a single flake, but when all the flakes come together they create a powerful force that shuts down entire regions and we are unable to do anything but sit and wait. And the terminology may be a perfect fit for Christians, because to the world most bible believing, spirit filled, soul winning, disciple making and devil stomping Christian are "Flakes". And the fact that snow is white is also a great symbol of Christians, washed pure through the blood of Jesus and what a contrast snow flakes make as they cover the ground, not to mention that fact the world brightens up when the snow flakes cover the world. So my conclusion this morning is that I am honored to be a "flake" and I challenge all the other flakes out there to commit yourself to coming together with other believers and let's show the world what a few "flakes" serving the right God, Jesus Christ can do to change the landscape of our world.

Genesis 11:6 "Look!" he said. "The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!"

His Pleasure

2011-01-04T04:23:00.001-08:00

Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

We were created for his pleasure, to bring him delight. We were created to cause him to rejoice and celebrate, to fill his heart with joy and gladness. We were created for his pleasure, and nothing delights the heart of God like intimacy with his children, when we run to him, love him, serve him, celebrate him and receive love from him; we bring him pleasure.

As a parent I recognize that no one can bring me greater joy than my children. Their smiles, successes and silly ways tickle my heart and bring me pleasure, and so it is with God. So today make it you goal to be close to God, run to him, love him, receive from him and serve him, because you were created for his pleasure.

Wisdom and Discipline

2011-01-03T11:36:00.001-08:00

Proverbs 1
Verse 7 "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

Fools despise wisdom and discipline, don't be a fool. Wisdom allows you to work smarter not harder and discipline empowers you to accomplish you dreams, because success doesn't happen in a day, it happens daily. Those who say no to temporary please enjoy lasting results.

Your King

2010-12-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

Zechariah 9:9
"Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey-riding on a donkey’s colt."

Righteous, victorious and humble these are the characteristics of Jesus and they should be the characteristics of every child of God. Righteous not only in our position in Christ but also in our lives before men. Victorious over sin, self and Satan, walking out and declaring to others the freedom of Christ. Humble in our attitudes and actions toward others. These three elements accurately define Christianity and allow us to experience the life Christ has for us

The Five Gifts of Christmas

2010-12-23T08:46:00.000-08:00

Luke 15:16-24

The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began."

When we come Home to God, back to the place where our hearts thrive we will find these gifts from God the Father.

The Five Gifts of Christmas:

Love- God loves you and he is looking for you. He sees you when you are far away and runs to meet you.

Compassion- many people are afraid to come back to God because of their sins and failures. They think God will condemn them, but condemnation is what we experience when we are away from God. Compassion is the gift that God gives, not only does he never condemn but his heart breaks over your pain.

Affirmation- the father ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. God wants to lavish your heart with his love, he wants to affirm you and let you know that you are still accepted, wanted and loved.

Restoration- the father put a robe on his back, a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. The gift of Christ is that he will restore you to wholeness, but he doesn't just restore your heart but your whole life.

Celebration- the last verse we read said that the party began. Coming home to God is where the party begins, God celebrates your life and invites you to join the party that brings life.

Merry Christ-mas!

Don't Be Surprised

2010-12-21T03:59:00.000-08:00

Zechariah 1
Verse 6 "He has done what he said he would do."
God is faithful to his word, he will do what he has said. We can trust God's word, weather it be a word of correction or of blessing, he will do what he says.

So many people act surprised by the outcomes of their lives as if some strange thing has happened to them, but life is not a mystery. God has done what he said he would do. It is really all in the Bible. Sin brings death, faith based obedience produces the blessing of God and life will give back to you what you sow into it.

Storms come and winds blow but the outcome of your life is not determined by the storms but by the foundation that you have built your life upon. If we build on the rock of God's word we will receive the outcome we desire, because God will do what he said he would do.

Break Out Leaders

2010-12-17T03:57:00.000-08:00

Micah 2
Verse 13 "Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile, out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land."

Leaders come out from among the people, they separate themselves from the crowd. You cannot choose who your leaders will be, you can choose who you put into positions of authority, but the leaders choose themselves. Leaders break out and lead, they influence people with their lives. True leaders lead with or without a position, because position doesn't make you a leader, influence does. How a person uses influence determines if they are a good leader or a bad leader. Some of the greatest leaders in the world are bad leaders, they use their influence for selfish motives or for evil purposes. It is not enough to be a great leader, we must be good leaders. Only when we use our influence for God are we capitalizing on our greatest potential and using our influence in the right way.

He Is Worthy

2010-12-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Revelation 4
Verse 11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

Jesus is worthy to receive all glory, honor and power. He redeemed us with his blood, he is greatest hero the world has ever known, he is the winner of the ultimate purple heart. He saved us with his blood, he is the greatest blood donor in history. He is worthy; we don't praise him because he desires our praise or even because he commands our praise. We praise him because he is worthy of our praise. His actions merit our worship, his life compels our praise. He is worthy.

Embrace Him

2010-12-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

Jonah 2
Verse 8 "Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies."

When a person rejects God, they reject the mercy of God that saves, heals and delivers. No wonder God's heart breaks when people turn their backs on him, because he realizes that when they reject him they disconnect themselves from all that is good and perfect and they sentence themselves to a life and eternity of pain and unimaginable torment. Over and over in scripture God says "turn to me and live"; because God knows that when we embrace him we embrace life and life more abundant

Do Something

2010-12-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

Obadiah 1
Verse 10-11 “Because of the violence you did to your close relatives in Israel,
you will be filled with shame and destroyed forever. When they were invaded,
you stood aloof, refusing to help them. Foreign invaders carried off their wealth
and cast lots to divide up Jerusalem, but you acted like one of Israel’s enemies."

God pronounced judgement on Edom, because of the violence they did to their relatives Israel. What was the violence the committed, they refused to help Israel when their enemies invaded them. The Bible says they stood aloof and because they did nothing to help Israel, God said they acted like one of Israel's enemies.

It has been said that all that has to happen for wicked men to prevail, is for righteous men to do nothing. Edom did nothing to help Israel and the enemies of God's people prevailed. How many times have you stood by and watched people struggle, being overcome by the enemies of their lives and yet you did nothing. We have all been guilty of turning a blinded eye to the needs and struggles of others, but God doesn't take our complacency lightly. Not only does he lump us up in the enemies camp, but he also pronounces judgement on our lives. Proverbs 21:13 says "Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need." The cold reality of life is that one day we will all cry for help, maybe your cry won't be financially because of poverty, but your cry may come in the form of relational help; a broken marriage or a wayward child. The truth is we all need help is some form or fashion and the law of sowing and reaping teaches us that how we respond to the cry of others will determine how others will respond to us.

So the challenge for us today is to break the sin of Edom from off our lives and lets become people that are committed to always doing something to help those who cry out for help. Many times we are unable to do everything that a person needs, but we can always do something (prayer, encouragement, love) to help that person to meet the need in their life. Our support not only meets their needs but it enables them to defeat the enemy of discouragement and reclaim the victory that God has for their lives.