The Enemy Has Become His Footstool

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:25-26

In the midst of your trials and tribulations God is at work… While Jesus was enduring the mocking and agony of the cross His rewards were being prepared as well… Today let us understand that the enemy may appear to have the upper hand, but while we are in the worst of times, God is in the best and will defeat the foe that stands before us… Paul says He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet… Jesus will stand the test of time (as He showed when He took the form of man), there is nothing in or of this world that will outlast God’s love, grace and mercy. We as believers should take courage today in knowing that Paul was right when He said “no weapon formed against you shall prosper”… Isaiah was dead on when he said that “He will make His enemies His footstool”… Every obstacle you face can be overcome, every trial can serve a positive purpose and every tribulation can promote endurance within you… Paul also wrote that this race is not given to the swift, but to those who endure! Let us endure as Jesus did us on the cross, let us endure as Jesus did when He was mocked, and let us endure as Jesus did when He was spit on… A lot of us may be finding ourselves in situations where the enemy seems to be winning, let us not become weary in well-doing for we shall reap a harvest if we faint not… Your task at hand is to hold to God’s unchanging hand, your objective is to maintain your faith throughout every storm that comes your way because God will reign over your life and provides victory through your turmoil… 

Paul is speaking to the embattled believer today, He is talking to the worn out Christian that doesn’t feel as if there is anything left in the tank to serve God and He is simply saying hold on! Jesus held on and is sitting at the right hand of the father; you can hold and reap bountiful blessings from the Lord! Don’t give up, don’t give in, just believe and you will indeed achieve! Yesterday we examine Isaiah the promise that God’s word will not come back void, but that it will accomplish what it was set out to accomplish; today, this passage taken from Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth reminds us of the awesome power of God once again in that He will not be defeated and His ways will prevail.. This verse starts off by saying that HE must reign, there is no other God but one, there is no other savior but Jesus, and no other way but through God’s Will. This passage reminds us that Jesus will reign until all His enemies have been put under his feet; this means that we, being believers in Christ and His sufferings are assured of triumph over sin. This passage says all enemies, sickness is conquered, worry has no place, jealousy has ended, hatred will be turned away, and most of all DEATH will be defeated. These things have been replaced in the body of believers by love, kindness, meekness, temperance, and longsuffering. 

Jesus says I am the way, and we have a clear depiction of that, because all obstacles have been surpassed through His ultimate sacrifice. We have the God-given ability to overcome any obstacle now, through His bloodshed on Calvary! Paul makes it clear that the last enemy was and is death! Jesus died so that we could live, He endured hell so that we wouldn’t have to taste it and now He reigns desiring for all to be with Him and to inherit Eternal Life! Death is separation from the Lord, death is finality, but Jesus conquered the greatest evil of all and now says through Paul that you can do the same if you hold on and keep the faith! When Paul was coming to his last breath, he said“I have fought the good fight, I have run the race, I have kept the faith; henceforth, now there is a crown laid up for me…” Your crown of victory, your crown of endurance and your crown of reigning with Jesus waits… Keep fighting the good fight and finish this race, those running against or those who appear to have the upper hand will not beat you to the finish line!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Word Will Not Return Void

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

Stand true in your faith knowing today that His word “…shall not return unto me void…” God has said that things will change, He has promised in His word that walking with Him will produce fruits that your labor will be worth; however, many of us today become so frustrated with what appears to be fruitless labor to the point that we give up and don’t adhere to the call God has upon our lives…  The word of God is that “If you abide in me I will abide in you…” His word is that “weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning” His word is that “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” You have read plenty of promises that God has for those who keep the faith in a faithless world and today we are assured that even though things may appear deem or unaltered that God is working and His work will continue to be performed “until Christ returns…” You are working in His vineyard and your reward is assured… This call from Isaiah is for you to stay the course and know that your years of blood sweet and tears are producing and watering seeds that God has in you… When you feel as if you labor is in vain, remember what the bible declares, “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.”

God is calling all the lowly, confused, poor and needy to come unto Him that He may provide all that they stand in need of… You may question why you are in the position that you are today, you may feel lost and powerless because of the trials you face, but Isaiah reminds us in the earlier portion of this chapter that God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts and that we must cling to His unchanging hand… There will be many avenues that we venture down in life and there will be dead ends that we hit, but we are called to remember that the word of God will be victorious, it will accomplish what it was set out to accomplish! This doesn’t mean nor does this verse say that we will be in a mindset of peace everyday of our lives, but we are to ignite our faith on the fact that God’s word will be successful in whatever avenue it is sent out; it will produce the crop in our lives that it is suppose to be producing and we will reap a harvest if we faint not… This speaks to the power of God’s word, but also it speaks to the faith that we must have in His word! We have the ability to win, but we must speak the word of God into every situation, we must have faith in the Lord to overcome every obstacle that we face and Isaiah is reminding us today that God will never lie nor will His word not accomplish what it is set forth to do… The word of God is a beacon light in a dark and confused world… The word of God is a compass for the lost and encouragement for the weak… 

The word of God is the path to Salvation for a people who are headed to hell… The word of God is set forth to seek and save those who are lost! Knowing that the word of God has been set in place to do these things, we must use it to gain victory and allow it to accomplish its task… Some of us have a child or family member that has lost sight of God’s hand (speak the word over them) and believer it won’t come back void, some have hit a rough spot in our lives with our jobs (speak the word of God over the situation), some of us have been heart-broken and feel the weight of the world is too much to bare (speak the word into that circumstance). It will prosper in the thing whereto God sends it… Stand by faith; believing what the psalmist wrote about, I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread. We have to believe in the Lord and trust Him at His word!!! God never said it would be easy, but what He did say is that all those who call on His name will be saved! He never said that you wouldn’t see dark days and sleepless nights, but He did say that a thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but if you make the Lord your dwelling place it will not come near you…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Spend Your Time Wisely

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

The psalmist speaks to the focus and mindset that a child of God must have… We cannot assume things as if we have control of the days we live on this earth! Too often we put off for tomorrow what we should complete today. This psalm is a prayer for guidance and a petition for the Lord to teach us to walk in His marvelous light… The psalmist recognizes that God is the head and founder of all; the foundations of the earth are His... The psalmist states and is stating that God returns man to dust and controls our afflictions. If we are to walk as a child of the most high, we must learn to number our days. This is not speaking of a plan as to when we are going to do x, y and z; but rather it speaks to a humble approach, being thankful for the days (today) you have been privileged to witness and knowing that tomorrow is never promised! Number your days by taking them one at a time, number your days living each day knowing it is a blessing and privilege to see… 

If God touches you and wakes you in the morning, know that you have been afforded another chance to develop a more intimate relationship with Him, know that you have been given another chance to make peace with your adversaries and submit your life to Christ! See, often times we try to fulfill our own lustful and fleshly desires believing that we will have a chance to repent and God will forgive us (we don’t number our days because we live as if tomorrow we can right all of our wrongs; however,the psalmist is calling for us to focus on living a life that pleases God now and not trying to put off until we have experienced what this world has to offer… We need to number our days so that we can apply our hearts unto wisdom. Believing that today is a gift will put us in the mindset that Christ has blessed us by touching us early this morning! We will awaken with praises flowing from our lips as well as the warm blood within our veins… Wisdom is a (n) accumulation of knowledge, if we believe the scriptures that tells us that God’s mercies are new every morning, we will have faith that it is only by His grace and mercy that we are here today… The knowledge that we will accumulate is that God has looked beyond our faults and seen our needs, the knowledge we will accumulate is that God desires for us to serve Him with all our hearts and minds, the knowledge that we will accumulate is that God desires for you to inherit Eternal Life…

Number you days because you know that God didn’t have to give you a second, third and forth chance. Number your days by looking at life as if this moment is your last and you want to ensure your place in heaven with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings… Turn to wisdom by believing that your ability to wake up, your ability to accomplish and to overcome isn’t derived from you hands, but the hands of Christ and the touch of His love! Christ died on the cross so that we might live, He was clothed in imperfection so that we could be perfected and now He desires for us to have Salvation. Live for Him everyday of your life and you will then begin to learn the knowledge of where Christ desires for you to walk. The bible records these words from our Lord, “Behold, I come quickly” the bible says “Even the son of man does not know the day nor the hour…” Don’t be count on the outside looking in, don’t be one of the virgins who had no oil… Number your days and get your relationship with God right… In numbering your days you will apply your heart to wisdom because you will no longer walk by sight but by faith!

Don’t expect tomorrow, trust Him and live today!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

You Benefit From God's Discipline

...But He (disciplines us) for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Hebrews 12:10-11

Understand today that a punishment is only affective when the one being punish learns the errors of his/her ways and improves… There are many people who beat or whip their children, but have not actually reached their child in a means to correct them… It is important today to realize this because God disciplines us in many ways and forms; however, it is “…for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness…” The author of Hebrews reminds us today that God punishes us out of love and a desire to see us succeed; if we truly reaped what we have/had sown, then you and I would be in the midst of hell today; however, God punishes to teach us the right way and for us to come to know and understand that the path that we had choose originally was not the best path for us to walk… As a child when I was whipped I thought that I was enduring the most terrible feeling I could ever feel; however I never thought about how bad a feeling that I placed in the hearts of my parents by conducting myself in a manner that was not pleasing to them… I think we all can agree that there is no fun in being whipped, but when we learn from our mistakes and begin to reap the rewards of our transformation, then that unpleasant feeling is well worth it… Short lived pain is always worth it when you receive a lifetime of bliss… 

The author today wants you to know that the corrective measures God puts in place are not intended to harm you, these devices get you on the straight and narrow, they place you where He wants and needs you to be so that you can reach and become what He designed you for… The author acknowledges that “…no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous...” Discipline isn’t well received; it isn’t something we want to endure and it painful to accept; however the product that comes from it outweighs the pain that it inflects… Look at it from this perspective; the hardest season for a farmer is planting, but the most rewarding is the harvest... The planting season _takes endurance, discipline and a solid work ethic… Your season of planting in God’s eyes comes through adversity; it begins in tribulations and will test your faith and endurance… We accept trials and tribulations because we know that the harvest (entering His gates) will make that season worthwhile… When you go through adversity, God may very well be using these things to discipline you and keep you from falling by the wayside… We all have heard the saying, spare the rod and spoil the child; no one likes to be punished, no one likes to suffer the consequences of their actions, but we find in today’s scripture that the growing pains that we go through physically and spiritually are for our benefit. Your parents don’t want to have to yell or spank you; however if that will produce a good crop in you than that is what they will do… 

We have often heard the saying from parents that it hurts me more than it hurts you; let us realize the pain that the parents are focusing on is the feel of disappointment, the feeling of frustration, hoping that there loved one would walk the straight line. Punishment is used as a tool of correction; biblically it is used so that we may be partakers of His holiness. The holiness that is spoken of in this passage of scripture refers to the perfection of God, we were created in His image (Genesis 1:27) but through our own desires we fell out of His holiness. Through the growing pains we face, God wants to re-establish the relationship we first had. No chastening seems joyous, but push on; no punishments makes you smile at that time, but push on; no physical or spiritual whippings are fun to endure, but push on; knowing that maturation and the act of perfecting is taking place in you life, that correction breeds perfection, and the peaceable fruit of righteousness spoken of in these verses shall be yours to eat of! Paul said I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith; these words were spoken by a man that had been disciplined in the wilderness, blinded, stoned, imprisoned and rejected, He goes on to say henceforth there is laid up for me a crown (get the point)…

All For His Glory!

God Hasn't Forgotten About You

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:19

It is hard for me to face the errors of my ways… Daily I try to forget things or remove thoughts from my mind as I journey through this life… Through this passage taken from Micah I find hope for my lost soul… I find encouragement even though I know the mistakes I have made and the fact that a lot of things I deal with are a result of my actions… Micah provides evidence today that we can stand on when others try to keep us down and in the dumps… The passage calls for us to know that where we are isn’t where God wants us to be; however, despite our flaws “He will turn again; he will have compassion upon us…” Take courage in knowing today that trouble won’t last always(even if the trouble is a direct result of your decisions)… Even though you may be in a rut or feeling down and out; you should find peace in knowing that “He will turn again…” God loves you and He wants to see you succeed… His desire is for you to reach levels far above what the human eye can comprehend and for you to obtain a weight of glory which Paul says that our present suffering cannot compare with… The book of Lamentations, written by Jeremiah reminds us that God’s mercies fail not; that they are new every morning, Jeremiah then goes on to tell us that it is because of His compassion that we are not consumed and he concludes by saying great is thy faithfulness… Micah echoes those same sentiments today; the second part of this verse says, “…he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities…” 

Despite what you have done, despite the decisions you have made, the love of God won’t allow you to be utterly cast down… Sure, you will deal with the consequences of your actions, you will face and reap what you have sown; however, you should be encouraged today to know that God“will subdue our iniquities…” Subdue means to restrain, control, pacify or hold back; iniquity is injustice, evil or wickedness… God will keep you from being overtaken by evil, He will restrain you from the sins you have committed so that you don’t allow them to corrupt or destroy your future… Sure you may experience ups and downs, but you will never receive the full measure of punishment you deserve… This is why Jesus came to this earth… All you sins, all you wickedness and all your evil was nailed to the cross… Jesus carried them for us; He paid the ransom and cancelled the debt upon our heads… This feat has already been accomplished through the nail-scarred hands of Jesus Christ… The enemy doesn’t want you to know this, but you need to know today that all of your past, present and future mistakes have already been cast “…into the depths of the sea…” At the time when Micah writes this letter; we, just like the Israelites have found ourselves putting a wall up or simply distancing ourselves from the way and will of the Lord… We have walked the wrong road, delighted in the wrong things and associated ourselves with the wrong kind of people… Make no mistake about it, the Israelites were facing a time when it appeared that God was distant (the reality was that dealing with the consequences of our actions may make us think He is distant simply because we want think we shouldn't be subject to reaping what we have sown)… 

This indeed is a time when there was no hope in sight and the enemy appeared to be triumphant over them! Micah says He will turn again, understand that God desires for us to walk according to His will, but will remove His hand when we desire to walk in our own footsteps! Micah is providing the children with hope today, saying that although you are facing trials, know that He will turn again, He will lift you up, He will suppress your enemy and He will bless you with victory… There will be times in our lives when we will feel the absences of God due to circumstances that we tried to control, it is at this point that we must humble ourselves and become dependent on God if we want Him to move on our behalf! Trials come to make us strong and prep us for the next level of God’s plan; not cause up to give up on our destiny… Micah says that He will cast all sins into the depths of the sea… Jesus came to save on His first mission, when He returns He will come to judge! Let us understand the words that Micah is saying today; God hasn’t forgotten about you, He hasn’t given up on you, but you must endure the hardships of life to be molded and prepared for Christ return…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Ask, Seek and Knock (The 3 Keys To Victory)

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

As a Christian these verses taken from the gospel of Matthew display how it is that we obtain the vision and will God has for our lives. To obtain what it is that God has for you, to walk in the will of God and to ensure your eternal resting place these three steps outlined below must be taken… First, you must ask God; this means that you inquire of Him and develop a relationship with Him knowing that He is the source of your being and happiness. Asking implies that there is a (n) answer you seek and Jesus is reminding us today that God has all the answers and we must indeed turn and ask the proper person to find the correct answer… The bible says we have not because we ask not!!! After asking God, the Second thing you must do is seek Him; a lot of times we take the first step but become frustrated and irritated with the second… The bible says that God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in many people quote this scripture to imply that God will give you everything you ask for at the drop of a hat; however the bible also says in Jeremiah 29:13 that, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Study God’s word, fast, and pray with earnest. 

The sword (word of God) is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God that can inflect wounds that are fatal! We are called to seek God’s answer by reading His word and piercing through the obstacles before us killing the life within them… When one seeks, they desire to have, they pursue, they endure; today let us understand that the answer lies in the word of God and it may not be visible immediately… After asking and seeking, the third thing we must do is knock; this is the most important decision that a Christian must make, to knock means that there is something separating you from where you want to be and where you are at the present time. When you knock on a door, you are awaiting the door to be opened and you stand in anticipation. We must knock on the door of heaven, but we must also knock down the obstacle that WILL be placed in front of us as we seek to live within God’s will. There will be many things that come into our lives to distract us, but when we knock after asking and seeking; we are telling God these obstacle will not stop me from obtaining my Blessing and vision for my life. We have been given the ability to come boldly before the thrown of God, let us knock down the things in our lives that are separating us from the True Answers of Christ, let us knock down the walls that have been placed between us and salvation and let us knock down the barriers that are keeping us from obtaining the will of God and His precious gift of Salvation… 

Going deeper in this concept of knocking, let us understand that to knock on something it must be before us… We ask God for things, we seek Him and a lot of times we miss the door He has placed before us because it isn’t the door we expected… There are some doors God has opened and some that He is trying to close… Some of the doors in our lives are people (seek God to know whether it should be opened or closed), some of the obstacles are bad habits, some of the barriers are past failures and Jesus is saying that we must stop seeking vain glory, ask God for a breakthrough, become so tired of the bad habits that we seek and endure the nights of loneliness (the door before you) to receive a (n) answer and knock down the barrier to walk lockstep with the Lord!

SO, ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK!!!! Surely you will find what you stand in need of even if it isn’t what you expected!!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Life Eternal Is Found In Knowing Jesus

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3

Eternal Life was deposited upon this earth in the form of God’s son, it was laid before you in His outstretched arms and all He endured on the cross… John reminds us today that Eternal Life is found in the “The Only True God…” There is only one God; there is only one prince of peace and one saviour… A good friend of mine once told me that the distance between you and salvation is the same distance that your mouth is from your heart… Eternal Life is free, but it only comes through knowing (faith), acknowledging (mouth) and accepting (heart) the only True God… Some religions believe that good deeds are rewarded with eternal life, but my Bible tells me that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the light, no man come to the father but by me…” This is life eternal, this is all that we have and all that we should cling too; that we may know the ONLY true God! There are many gods in this world, but notice this passage says to know thee only true God. 

After we have ventured the wrong way, sought the wrong things and turned to vain glory, we see that Christ still remains… When we have placed idols in our lives in the form of money, relationships and pride, we see that Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever… John reminds us today that there is only One true God and that salvation was made possible through the sacrifice of His beloved son! The story of Shadarach Meshach and Abednego tells us that they were called to fall down and worship other gods, when they said know they were to be thrown into the fiery furnace and burned to death… Upon falling into the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar was astonished when he saw that three men entered the fire, but four were loose walking around amidst the flames… Through this he realized that there was only one true God… Through your trials and tribulations, through the hardships of life we learn and come to realize that there is only one true God… When I think of Christ I think of one that died and rose again, I have never read or heard of another humbling themselves, thinking it not robbery and leaving their home in glory! 

I haven’t read of one who had compassion on mankind and sought to bring them back into the fold! I haven’t heard of one taking on the sins of the world and crying out in anguish after being separated from His father… I haven’t found any other scriptures that speak of another going down into the pits of hell to pay sins penalty, and I definitely haven’t seen or heard of another now seated at the right hand of The Only True God! There is only one who died and rose from the dead, there is only one who took the form of man, and there is only one who was clothed with imperfection, but perfected God’s will for us and His name is JESUS CHRIST! Eternal Life is knowing the Only True God, knowing that we all have sinned and fallen short, knowing that hell was our destiny, knowing that the ransom could never be paid by our hands, knowing that victory was unobtainable without Jesus intervening and interceding on our behalf… This is indeed our hope, this is indeed our glory, this is indeed our substance, and this is our Life Eternal!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God's Given You The Power

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Luke 10:19

What plagues this world that we live in is not sin; but that we have ignored the power that we have the ability to obtain as a child of God… Jesus says that He gives us all power; through Jesus we can obtain all the might that we need to overcome trials, endure hardships and move mountains… In light of this passage and the words that Jesus speaks today, the question I have is a simple one, why do you live as captives if you are free? Why do we settle for less when God has given us so much more? This passage declares that we have the power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Serpents and Scorpions are two of the most feared and dangerous creatures on this earth, we know the devil took the form of a serpent and deceived mankind; however, we are being told that we can overcome and face any challenge or obstacle in this life. Jesus uses these two reptiles to display the limitless power we receive as a child of God! 

When we think of being in a room with those creatures, we all would head for the hills and seek safety, Jesus is telling us today that our safety lies within His hand and He will “give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions…” We have the ability to succeed, we have the power to obtain victory; so why is it that we don’t? Maybe we really don’t believe what it is that God has declared unto His disciples in this verse and His Holy word! Know that these creatures are not deadly because of their appearance but because of the venom that flows from within! Taking this to another level we will understand that we are surrounded by serpents and scorpions (in the form of people) in every phase of our lives… Some of us encounter these venomous attacks on our jobs, in our homes, or even in the church… Some of us have venom stored up inside of us and spew it out in the form of attacking others… Jesus is saying that “if we abide in Him He will abide in us” and therefore gives us the ability to overcome any circumstance that we face! Venom that enters into the body must be removed before it enters the blood stream and kills the individual… 

There are some people in our lives that may be slowly killing our spiritual destiny, some bad habits that are robbing us of the spiritual height which the Lord has for us and God is calling you to remove the venom, deny the will of the enemy and trust in Him! No bite kills instantly, venom slowly and methodically takes life away… Today let us examine our lives, be in the mind of Christ so that we begin to live each and every day instead of dying! When you come to a point in your life where you can “brush the haters off”, smile in the midst of evil and extend a kind hand to one who has stabbed you in the back, you will know that the power that was poured out on the cross to overcome has been poured into your life and the venom of the sinful nature has been removed! The bible says you will be tried, you will have persecutions, but Jesus assures us today that no weapon formed against you shall prosper and that you will be victorious and all you do according to His name… You are surrounded by scorpions and serpents, but know that you can turn those stumbling blocks into stepping stones…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Magnify The Lord With Me

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:3-4

Read this next line very carefully, when we try things on our own we will never experience what could be… These verses taken from the book of psalms reminds us of the grace and mercy that is accredited to us daily… David calls for us to “magnify the Lord” and “exalt his name”… You might ask the question why (as if you don’t know that God is deserving of all praise, honor confidence and love – Revelations 4:11); however, David proclaims this because God has made ways out of no way and has always delivered us even when we didn’t deserve it… It is important to note the time in which these verses were penned… Let us examine these verses written by King David in the 34 psalms and come to understand the period of time that David “sought the Lord…” This psalm is recorded while David was under attack by Saul and fled to the landof Gath… He ended up in the camp of Abimelech who was the King of Shechem and despised the Israelites… While living in the land of the enemy David decided to change his behavior and act crazy so that he would not be killed by the Philistines! 

It was a statue of tradition that they didn’t kill people who were insane, so Abimelech decided to drive him away, and David left. David was faced with opposition on both sides (Saul on one and Abimelech on the other) and although he fled to the enemy’s camp and caused more anguish on himself, God still showed up and delivered him out of his circumstances, this is why David finds complete joy in the Lord, so much so that he encourages you today and says “O Magnify the Lord with me!” In reading this psalm and knowing the background, we can draw a direct parallel to our lives… We have tried to handle situation on our own and face trials with our own agenda in mind and as a result made things worse… We have made the gap wider or the hole deeper and as a result we find ourselves in a worse position than we started off in… Even though we have walked a will that we decided, God still has shown mercy on our behalf and raised us up out of the pit we had dug… David is saying that we should all magnify the Lord with him, we should exalt His name together because of His Grace and Mercy, because of His faithfulness and Compassion and because He has delivered us from all our fears… David was fearful to say the least, death was thought to be certain and he knew that only God was able to rescue him! David says I sought the Lord, and He heard me… The word sought means to hunt or require; David would stop at nothing in seeking the answer and hunting down God’s provision and protection… 

David required God’s presences in his life, this wasn’t negotiable, David wasn’t going to give up on seeking the Lord and this is why David can go on to say “and he heard me…” No matter how far down the path of darkness you have traveled, no matter how twisted up in the life of sin you have become, when you cry out to the Lord He can hear you… David had tried every avenue of this earth, and he had gone down every path and had nowhere to turn… He sought God in the midst of his trials and tribulations, he sought the Lord when everyone else would have wrote him off, he sought the Lord as his enemy begin to close in on him and God still made a way out of no way… I believe that we all can magnify the Lord right now because he has made ways out of no way, he has turned darkness into day and he has turned obstacles into stepping stones… David sought God because he knew that all power resides within His hands, he knew that it was by God’s grace that we are not consumed… He later goes on to say, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” Have you tasted God’s mercy today, have you tasted a sample of God’s grace today, have you sought the Lord and tasted his faithfulness today? If you have, you can join in with David and “magnify the Lord”; you can drop down on your knees and “exalt his name…”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Peacemakers Are God's Children

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:9

To be at peace, one is calm, quiet or walking in harmony with others… All these traits are very rarely displayed or obtained as we go throughout this journey of life… We find people who pluck our nerves, get under our skin or encounter situations that leave us disgusted and confused… Either way you look at it, the circumstances that we face daily in our lives make it very easy for us to showcase or display the exact opposite of what we are called to do and/or be in today’s focus verse… Make no mistake about it; the enemy wants you to do the things that are not pleasing to God… Satan doesn’t want you to be“called the children of God” as outlined in this verse, so he brings confusion, chaos and destruction as storms to wreck havoc in your everyday life and affairs… Matthew records in the fifth chapter the “beatitudes” of Christ or the blessings that Christ bestowed in His sermon on the mountain… In these words Christ describes the rewards that each child will receive when they walk in the uniqueness that they were created… Today we examine one verse in particular that speaks to the heart of a child of God! Jesus says, “blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”One of the center focuses of Christianity is that we know how to control ourselves when dealing with flesh and anger… 

I am sure that we all, at one point in time have “lost our cool” or said things that we didn’t truly mean. Christ is calling for us to understand that we are to desire to become better each and every day of our lives; daily we must strive to learn to control our tongue and respect the feelings of others! The bible is replete with text speaking to the power of our tongue and the importance of reducing anger… James says that the tongue is unbridled and can speak venom causing immeasurable damage and Christ says today that the children of God are known by being peacemakers! Understand that a peacemaker means exactly what is says, a peacemaker is a person who dispenses or tries to produce peace… The interesting thing is how peace this is obtained; the Webster dictionary states that peace is harmony and tranquility with the absences of war… So we must strive to eliminate “war” in order to instill peace… In short, you can’t be a peacemaker (child of God) and cause destruction… To be in harmony means that we are on one accord, a music group sings different notes, but when they are singing harmoniously you hear a vibrant tone that pleases the ear… Today, we are called to be on one accord, we all have different task before us (different notes to sing, we are different limbs attached to the body of Christ); however, we must be in-tune with Christ and His disciples in order to walk in harmony and please Him… Understand the importance that is stated through the definition of a peacemaker when we read the absence of war… You can stir up war without raising a finger or batting a (n) eyebrow… 

A peacemaker works through all situations with a purpose of reaching a common ground or understanding… I state the fact of working trough all situations because we actually can create war when we keep our mouth closed instead of speaking in love… This is why Jesus says the peacemakers are blessed and shall be called the children of God!You will be rewarded for humbling yourself and not succumbing to your anger… You will be set apart by your actions when you deny the evil desires within and walk humbly before the Lord and more importantly you will be recognized as a child of God! This is not a (n) easy task and that is why we are told that when our enemy is hunger “feed him, when he is thirsty give him drink,” our desire is to walk according to the will of God and live by the example that Jesus sat before us… A peacemaker is one who can overcome evil with good, one who can make the best out of the worst and speak encouragement in times of despair… To be a peacemaker we must kill the uncontrolled emotions within, we must look beyond faults and see needs… We must see every trial as a measuring stick to gauge our progress within this Christian walk. As a peacemaker we literally must model Christ, after all, that’s the only way we can be called a “child of God!”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Listen More And Talk Less

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

James 1:19-20

I was once told you were given one mouth and two ears for a reason… You should listen twice as much as you speak… Growing up with 7 siblings, arguments seem to be a daily routine within our household; whether someone was wronged, a (n) item was taken or the channel on the television was switched; it was never a matter of talking through things but rather yelling out of control until our parents stepped in and took whatever we were arguing about away from us… Being rebellious and retaliatory are natural traits of human nature… When someone has wronged us we naturally want to get them back or at the very least let them know our thoughts (most of the time these are not kind words)… If we come to the realization that the state we enter this world in produces negative things, than we will understand that as a child of God we show our maturity and growth in how we resolve issues and communicate with others… Personally speaking, my father will tell you that I was beat the most of any of my siblings and that I caused the most chaos, there was no question that if you crossed my path in a negative manner you were susceptible to my wrath; however over the years I can truly say that I have grown as a child of God because I can turn situations over to the Lord in prayer and not allow my emotions to get the best of me… 

To be able to refrain from what comes naturally is a testament to your faith and advancement in the will of God… Sin is natural; however when we make attempts to avoid sin and live a life that is pleasing to God we are displaying the characteristics that a child of God should display and we are living the life that James speaks of in our focus verses today… Self control demonstrates how far we have grown in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… James reminds us today that we must be swift to hear, but slow to speak… In other words, it’s best that you shut your mouth and open your ears… In listening you can better understand someone’s view, you can get a better realization of where they are coming from and also, in hearing you can be better prepared to answer in a many that will promote healing or understanding… If we speak more than we listen, James teaches us today that we are not walking in the will of God…The bible tells us that we are to repay no man evil for evil, but that we are to give room for God’s vengeance and let Him repay… When we try and take matters into our own hands we remove God from the situation and nothing good can come of it… We must learn that there is a difference between listening and hearing… We are called not to simply listen to words, but hear what the meaning of the words are and when we do this we can defuse situations instead of allowing them to spread like a wildfire… 

Today let us focus on these verses and test ourselves in the area of hearing; instead of speaking when something goes wrong… Today, hear what the other person has to say, digest what it is that they have said and pray that if and when you open your mouth you do so in a Godly manner and not out of vengeance… When we give place to our own vengeance James tells us that it doesn’t work the righteousness of God… Remember that Jesus was on trial and He heard all the testimonies against Him, He never said a word until a question was posed to Him… Today, let us model Jesus by living according to the will of God and walking in His precepts… It is only by the grace of God and His spirit that we have life and can live; the bible says that when we crossover from this life to the next that our bodies will change (the corruptible must put on incorruptible and the mortal must be clothed with immortality)… We have not crossed over yet, so we are still corruptible and mortal… I say this because sin still lives within us and it displays itself in the areas we allow it too... Proverbs 4:24 says, “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” It’s good for people to see a change in you, it means that you are leaving what comes natural and moving toward what is more spiritual…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

We'd Be Hell Bound If Not For Christ

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6

There is no one upon this earth who is blameless or without flaw… The biggest step toward becoming what you were created to be is realizing that you aren’t what you were designed to be…  Isaiah says, “All we like sheep have gone astray…” A sheep is a animal that needs guidance, discipline and structure provided for them… Sheep are frequently thought of as extremely unintelligent animals who can become frightened easily, intimidated and subdued… We “being like sheep” can easily be lead astray because of the self discipline we lack and the fear of the unknown that leads us to cling to the inferiorities of the present… Sheep have to be monitored and guided because they can very easily wonder off… The same is true of the body of Christ; we need the presence of the Holy Spirit and fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ in order to keep from wondering off and becoming subject to many snares and traps… This verse taken from Isaiah tells me that since my birth I have wondered aimlessly through life, I have wondered away from the destiny God has for me and have turned away… It is because of this that “…the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all...” This is why Isaiah says in the previous verse “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he wasbruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” We can’t find the way through the fall of mankind and it was only through the blood of the savior that we have a guiding light which will lead us to the path that we were created to travel with a  clean slate and hope for a better tomorrow… 

I once read a billboard that had this recorded, “Lost??? Try GPS – God’s Plan of Salvation…” Remember when Jesus was on this earth, He told His disciples, “No greater love has a man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends…” In the midst of our crooked and perverse ways, while we were yet sinners, while we continued to disobey the will of God Christ died for us… Before we even knew how to love ourselves let alone love God, Christ had already stretched out His hands; He was already pierced for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquity… Isaiah reminds us today that no matter where you are, not matter how much success you have experienced or even how much prosperity you have seen that we all have gone astray… Through the sin of Adam all have fallen short of the Glory of God and it took the precious blood of the ultimate sacrifice to pave the way to Salvation… Make no mistake about it, your success derives from His outstretched arms, your victory comes from His blood, your deliverance came in the times that He shouted out from the cross and your Salvation was secured when He bowed His head and gave up the ghost… Paul told the church that I preach Christ crucified, your foundation was established in His death and you are alive because of it… In the church today so many people want to act as if yesterday didn’t exist, they want to ignore the sin of an hour or minute ago and try to portray a perfect life… Isaiah says, “…we have turned every one to his own way…”

There was a time when you turned away, there have been times when you wanted to march to your own drum and do the things that pleased you… There was a day (maybe even now) that you desired to worry about “me, myself and I” and didn’t even care about how your actions could impact someone else… If we are truthful with ourselves we will understand that there is no truth in us until we receive Jesus Christ… The second thing we are taught today is that because of our sin and transgressions we have sowed seeds of adversity that sprout periodically in our lives… This second notion is why it is of the utmost importance that we do not blame God for trials and tribulations… We were made in His image, but when we transgressed the law of God we begin to sow seeds of disobedience that lead to harvest of tribulations… God has not punished us nor has He allowed the true judgment that we deserved to be rendered… We have punished ourselves and are just looking for someone else to point the finger too…The bible says that His mercies are new every morning; this is good news, because I will be the first to admit that I sin quite often and like sheep wonder away from the path…Thank God for the Ultimate Shepherd...

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God Bestows Grace When You Resist Pride

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

1 Peter 5:5

As a child, growing up it was very challenging for me to respect my elders, especially if I felt that they were wrong or not understanding me… I can recall as if it was yesterday how often I would become upset and feel a sense of anger toward those who thought that just because of their years upon this earth respect was due to them… There is no tougher situation that I have faced in this life, than to respect and submit to someone who I didn’t or don’t think deserves it… Rolling back 3 chapters in this book and looking at verse 9 you will find these words, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” The reason why I bring this verse to the forefront of our study today is because we are a chosen generation and called a peculiar people… Understand today that you are held to a higher standard, though others may talk about people and slander their brothers or sisters we are “chosen” to extend a hand to the needy and to not give way to our own vengeance… In walking this Christian journey remember that you are a “peculiar people,” this means that you will handle situations different then the norm and you will find happiness in things the world counts as useless… 

This is the very reason why Jesus was able to call Judas “friend” even though he had come to betray Him, it’s the same reason why Jesus prayed for forgiveness on the cross and healed the soldier’s ear which had been cut off… The work we do on this earth is for the purpose of building God’s kingdom… We willingly submit knowing that there is power in submission… Christ submitted to the will of His father and received all power in heaven and on earth…  We are called to remain humble and “be subject one to another” simply because we need each other… Fellowship in the body of Christ is important, when we face trials and tribulations we surround ourselves with people who can relate, understand and more important keep our focus on God instead of the storm we are facing… You must be “clothed with humility” because it is very easy to allow the enemy to lead us astray… When we are defiant we give place to ego, we give place self-righteousness and we give place to independence… All these characteristics lead us away from the will of God which is why Peter goes on to say, “…for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble…” In the body of Christ, we are called to remain humble and one of the biggest tests of our humility is remaining modest in the face of others or adversity… 

I know that we have all heard the saying “respect your elders” and this is written in God’s word that we are to do that (hold your horses for those who are ready to pounce on your children or brothers and sisters in Christ); but notice what is written after that portion of scripture. “…all of you be subject one to another,” this means that even the elder must show respect and accountability to the younger. This is often overlooked, many people will say that I do not have to do this or that because I am 50 years old, I am your senior, I have been on this earth longer than you and have had or seen my share of days (sound familiar). We become so stubborn about our feelings, and when that happens pride sets in to the point that we will hurt others instead of helping others. In order to be a child of God and walk in Hs will we must show kindness and respect to those who are half our age, or may even be separated by two or three generations. This is not a (n) easy task, and again, this is why Peter says that we are to be clothed with humility. We have to keep ourselves grounded in God’s word and desires in order to carry out this directive recorded by Peter. If you seek to be humble, God will provide the things you need to obtain that level of humbleness so that you will be respected and be able to give respect to one another!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

You'll Know Them By Their Fruit

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 7:20-21

This passage taken from Matthew simply reminds us that talk is cheap. This verse declares a statement in the very beginning that by their fruits you will know them; this means that we have to be careful to observe the people we interact with and the kind of fruit they bare. So many of us get caught up in the elaborate or eloquent words that people use, but Jesus reminds us today that we must look deeper than the outward appearance… Taking this to a worldly view, we see many mega-churches today and so much corruption at the same time! How is this possible you ask, because people are following the messenger with his style a (n) swag instead of heading and seeking the word of God! So many people end up in abusive relationships or get hurt because the focus on the wrong things in a person and ignore the fruit that they bare… 

These are the things that we are being warned about today, the fact that as a child of God we must be proactive and defeating the enemy by seeking the will of God and doing this on our own and not allow others to deter us from our divine paths… Jesus says, “Not everyone that saith Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven…” This tells me that not everyone who speaks the word of God is about the word of God, not everyone that goes to church is a part of the church and that it is only by the fruit that they bare that we can know who they are… The bible says that there will be many that come in the Father’s name and they will deceive many; don’t be deceived today, observe the fruits around you, but also make sure that the fruit you bare is acceptable to the Lord! These passage next states, “but he that doeth the will of the Father which is in heaven…” We all have a destiny that God desires for our lives, we all have a journey mapped out with our names on them, it’s time now that we focus on the true will of God and stop giving lip service… 

Stop going in the church and saying all the right things, let us learn to do the right things… One saying that I believe is true is that “you can’t lead where you aren’t going…” The church of today has lost the focus of Christ being the center… We have surrounded ourselves with the wrong people, with the wrong motives and with the wrong desires (so we bare the wrong fruit)… The Israelites selected Saul as their King because of his stature, but he was rejected and failed during his reign… Let us remember today that it is no about appearance when it comes to the will of God, it’s not about what you say, it is not about how well you talk or how intelligent you are, but rather how you profess your love for Christ through your actions and you lifestyle! In short, TALK IS CHEAP!!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Your Faith In Prayer Is Key

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

  

James 5:15

If you want to see the sick healed, pray; if you want to see the one in the midst of adversity lifted up, pray; if you want to have sins forgiven and blotted out, pray… This is not to suggest that every healing sought through prayer will always be granted (as God has a perfect plan which at times we may not understand; this passage just teaches us that the most powerful tool that we have is the ability to go directly to the Father in prayer casting all our cares upon Him knowing that He cares for us... The very next verse in this chapter says that the prayers of the righteous availeth much… Understand that when we pray, the key is not the words that you uttered, but the foundation of faith that your prayers stand on… James says the prayer of faith, when we pray in faith we leave it with God, we don’t get consumed with the outcome or results, we simply pray knowing that God has the authority and power to change and transform situations… 

This passage today focuses on the importance of Prayer, not in the since of closing your eyes and speaking to God, but that we must believe in what we are doing… So many of us pray every day of our lives, but we don’t feel or see God moving because we haven’t trusted in His word… The bible says that we are able to go “boldly before the Lord…” Through the Holy Spirit we cast all our cares upon the Lord, we don’t hold on to them and we don’t simply go to God just to vent… Let your prayers be prayers of faith; knowing, trusting, believing and focusing on the power of God! Notice that James says that the prayer of faith shall save the sick, so many aren’t being saved because we aren’t really praying… We close our eyes and lift up their names, but do we really believe God will supply all our needs as His word tells us? Do we really trust that the Lord will raise up a standard against the devil and that no weapon formed against you shall prosper? The word of God says that we are not to pray as those in the synagogues do, using elaborate words and putting on a show; God says they have already received their reward… Prayer is about humility, acknowledgement and faith… 

We go humbly before the Lord because He is the creator, we acknowledge that all power resides within His hands and we have faith that He can transform and exalt… God hasn’t moved because we haven’t believed that He will… How often do you pray to the Lord and then try to take care of the situation on your own? This probably sounds real familiar and then we wonder why the sick continue to suffer and the poor continue to perish… James tells us in the passage, that the Lord will raise up the sick (heal them) after we have prayed; if He has committed sins they will be forgiven. This is an awesome revelation that we can have a clean-slate presented unto us through our Lord and Savior by praying and believing. But notice the beginning of this passage and the rule to which these blessing will occur. The prayer of faith shall save the sick; we all have to be in prayer for one another believing that “nothing is too hard for God…” Instead of gossiping and causing harm to each other, let us learn to pray for each other so that we all may be blessed by our God. James tells us that the best weapon we have on this earth is prayer. We need to seek the Lord on behalf of our brothers and sisters. If your boss is riding you and stressing you out, PRAY; if your children have seem to lost focus in their Christian walk, PRAY; and if you feel like all hope is lost and you want to give up, PRAY and not only that, but have FAITH the size of a mustard seed and that mountain will move... This saying is indeed true and we see it in this passage; PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!!!!!!!”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!