Learn From Past Experiences

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

The biggest challenge of a Christian is the ability to forget yesterday while striving for tomorrow… There are a lot of things in life I am not proud of, but in Christ, we must make the decision that our past will not restrict or limit our future; in fact, the past will provide experiences for a foundation of better decision making and yearning to do the will of God… Not only must we be able to overcome failures and skeletons, but we must also realize the weight and bondage associated with our past if we do not overcome and release it… Ponder this statement very closely as we study today’s verses from Paul’s epistle to the church of Philippi… The more you carry on your shoulders, the more energy is required to take a step… We are all probably aware of the great work Paul completed or began in his life upon this earth… Several missionary journeys, many letters of encouragement and/or reform, and even through all the years, at this point in his life, he pens to the church that “I count not myself to have apprehended…” Though we toil in the garden that we have been called to tend, we can never make the mistake of thinking we have reached the heights of success that we are called to meet… We can never be satisfied or become satisfied on this earth as we are clothed in imperfection from the womb… I contend that every day you see on this earth is a day in which God has something that you have been designed to do… You have more work in your vineyard, you have more toiling in your fields, and to understand this, you must be able to leave the past in the past… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Christ Came To Defeat The Enemy; Not You

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:8

The path of life you travel does not have a happy ending without the bloodshed and nail-scarred hands of Jesus Christ… There are no works of our own which can justify our walk of life, you and I enter this world as sinners headed to hell, and it is only through Jesus that we have a chance to inherit Eternal Life… Know that you are a filthy rag and in need of a Savior, this is why John declares to us today that it was for this purpose the Son of God was manifested… The bondage of Sin was too great for us to overcome, the shackles could not be broken by our finite power, and there was a dire need for a Savior and Redeemer… Mankind was unfit for the task which would lead to liberation; none could pay the penalty of sin, which is another reason why it took the very Son of God… Today’s focus verse not only speaks to the damnation of mankind, but it also speaks to the love and admiration which God displayed for His creation… There are very few of us who would give our son or daughter for the greater good of the world (let alone for a people who do not love and desire you); however, this is the very act which God partook in over 2,000 years ago… The bible declares that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us… It wasn’t that we loved God, but that He loved us despite ourselves… Before you were even in the midst of your situation, before you were neck deep in sin, Christ was born in a little town called Bethlehem… Before you even knew God and the level of love and reverence you have for Him, the bible declares that Jesus laid down His life for you and destroyed the works of the devil… Know today that Jesus came to this earth with a purpose already set by God; a mission ordained for Him before the beginning of time. His mission was to defeat the enemy and to give you life, that you may have it more abundantly.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Suffering Is Part Of Your Calling (Part 2)

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

Philippians 1:29

Paul writes to the church of Philippi, encouraging them in their time of despair and need! The church is going and has gone through some rough spots, and many have turned to idol worship… Paul reminds them today that Christ’s death is a privilege for us to partake of, to suffer for His name's sake is also to be considered an honor… The church was under heavy persecution; many had become weary and began to lose hope in the future and precious promises of God… Paul is reminding them that the same Christ who gave Himself up for you is the same Christ who will lead you through times of despair! Paul wants us to understand today that we will indeed be tested, we will indeed have weary days, we will indeed feel the pains of life, but we must overcome, we must hold to His unchanging hand, we must remember that Christ suffered and said that we would suffer for his name! We can take joy in our suffering because we are carrying out the will and word of God, we can smile in adversity because we know that Christ died and now lives for all eternity!  We believe in Christ and will even stand for Him even in times of inconvenience. No matter what you are facing or dealing with, you must stand for Christ and be willing to suffer for His name's sake. This is how we can receive and achieve all that God has in store for us… This is why Paul told the Church of Philippi, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Suffering Is Part of Your Calling (Part 1)

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Philippians 1:29

You may not think this to be true at first, but to believe in Christ and to suffer for His name's sake is a gift… We would never truly equate suffering with a gift; however, in the body of Christ, suffering is gaining… This is why Paul says, “For unto you it is given…” You have been given a chance to let your tears water a seed; you have been allowed to allow your pain to produce growth, and to ensure your work is not in vain. We believe in many things. When we are young, we believe in Santa Claus, when we get a little older, we believe in our friends, and soon we believe in the first relationship we have… Each of these things is either untrue or leads to disappointment… Today, place your belief in something real, place your belief in something that will last throughout eternity, place your belief in Christ… It is only in Him that through suffering we can smile knowing what will eventually come to pass… It is only in Jesus that we can be cast down amongst our peers and have faith that we will be exalted… 

I was once told that if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything… I was also told that when you don’t make a choice, you have already made one… Today, many of us are trying to straddle the fence of life that divides good and evil… We want to “have our cake and eat it too;” however, for many of us, the one thing we don’t want to do is work to succeed… Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi teaches us a very valuable life lesson; this lesson is simply that suffering is inevitable… We are given a golden opportunity to suffer for the name of Christ as opposed to suffering for monetary gain and worldly riches… When one suffers, they bear, endure, or go through something… Challenges are at every turn in life; however, the outcome can either be positive or negative… Today let us look at our lives and see how much suffering we try to avoid for the name of Christ, take a look at how many times you have quenched your thirst for Christ because of what people might say or do, let’s see how often we refute His name around certain people or how often we put our religion on the shelf to fit in or get ahead… Like I said earlier, suffering is a part of life; the thing to note, though, is that it can either lead to growth or death… Which path of suffering are you choosing today?

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

You Have A Reason To Be Thankful

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The will of God is that we should always be thankful, find a reason to rejoice, and continue to pray… No matter what storms come your way or obstacles that you face, the challenge of every man and woman of God is to stay the course, holding to the precious promises of God and making the most of every situation! Paul told the church of Philippi, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” The secret of being content is that you hold to the fact that God has seen you through your ups and downs, you smile because, regardless of your abundance or your lack, you still have a roof over your head and clothes on your back… I remind myself daily that things could always be worse and that only rejuvenates my joy. A child of God is known by actions, not by what they say… Paul’s letter to the church of Thessalonica reminds us that we are to praise God and pray to God continuously… When your time is devoted to praising God and praying, you have no room to complain. When your time is devoted to giving thanks unto the Lord, you don’t have time to pout or throw temper tantrums… 

Paul says rejoice evermore! Oftentimes, we are looking for a red sea or Damascus road experience to rejoice, but we are told today that we should always rejoice… There will be storms in your life, there will be trials that you encounter, and we must learn to stop trying to face them on our own, but go to the Lord in prayer… So often people face challenges and try to defeat them by themselves, that’s what the church is for, that’s what the body of believers is for; God said when two or three are gathered in His name He will be in the midst… Pray to God, but also surround yourself with people of God to pray with you and for you… We as children of God can give thanks simple because God promised to never put more on us than we can bear, we can give thanks because we know that no weapon formed against us shall prosper, we can give thanks because we know that even when our closest friends turned there backs on us, Christ never has and in fact died on the cross so that we might have life and have it more abundantly… Paul says that all these things are the very will of God concerning us… People should see you rejoice (having joy independent of your situation or circumstance. They should see you praying, having a continuous dialogue with the Lord (speaking and listening); they should see you giving thanks because He has looked beyond faults, bestowed needs, and continues to show His love regardless of our love being returned....

BE BLESSED!!!

Offer Unto God Thanksgiving

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psalm 50:15

Despite the ups and downs that you may face or encounter, the words which come from your lips should be words of thanksgiving unto the Lord… The devotion calls for us to remember that things can always be worse. When facing storms in your life, you must reach a point where you can smile because of the ability you have to feel the rain. Many people would love to go through what you are going through; however, the path they are traveling calls for a different storm for them to face… I make this point because we all encounter storms; there is no life paved from the womb to the gates of heaven that will not subject you to storms during your travel… This is why you have to be thankful; you can thank God in the midst of your storms because you know that you will come out of them, and the water which has fallen will simply provide the nutrients needed for the seed which God planted in you to sprout… There is a purpose to the trials you face, and this is why the writer goes on to say, pay thy vows unto the most High… Don’t hold back because of the things you face; as a matter of fact, give even more when the trials become that much more intense… People are learning from your walk of faith, and you too will be exalted because God will definitely show His faithfulness when you adhere to His calling despite the obstacles that are before you… Make no mistake about it, I will deliver thee, says the Lord… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There's No Life Without Christ

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:24-25

There are two paths that one can travel in this life, the first is the path of eternal life paved with submission, humbleness, and modesty while on this earth… This path requires one to sacrifice the desires of the eye to store up rewards for when this physical life has ended… The second path is the path of worldly lust; this path is paved with all the fine riches and measures of success as decreed by the standards of the world we live in… In choosing this path, one is required to focus on self, seek the advancement of their lives at any cost, and to reject future rewards, always desiring to have things now… As we come to understand these two contrasting paths, the question I pose to you today is simple: What is your spiritual destination worth to you? So many of us proclaim that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, but how much does Christ really mean to you and the direction in which your life will go? These two profound and critical questions are the questions that we must ask as we decide on whether we will pursue the dreams that the world lays out or the vision that God has for us, which will not bear its truest rewards on this earth… Understand that Jesus wants us all to understand that walking in the will of God is no small task, and it takes a dedicated, enduring, and persevering person to reach the levels that God has set…  Take up our cross today, don’t be troubled by the ways of the world or the views that people may hold; know that by giving up yourself you will find your true worth and live life more abundantly!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!