Don't Worry, God's Got This

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

Romans 16:20 

It is the peace of God that works wonders in your life; the things that turn in your favor, the situations that you overcome are all done by the wonderful peace of our Father… This peace which we study today is the same peace which Jesus spoke over the storms on the sea and it is the same peace which Jesus Himself said that He would give to us… This passage that we focus on today reminds us that we have a God who instills peace in our lives; amidst the storms and hardships of your life, find comfort today in knowing that peace will be provided… The enemy wants you to believe that you cannot overcome, he wants you to believe that you will fail and he wants you to believe that this is simple too much to handle, the God of peace says that I have you in the eye of the storm, I have you hidden in my secret tabernacle and the things you are facing today will only propel you to the future you have tomorrow… Paul says the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly… Your victory may not have reached the surface just yet, your breakthrough may not be evident right now, but you are assured today that the God of peace will provide it… This simple tells me today to stop trying to fight battles which are not mine to fight… 

Stop trying to figure situations out that are too big for you and stop thinking that everything that happens in your life is for you to respond too… God says that He will bruise Satan; He will take care of the issues in your life which brings me to the conclusion that a lot of the things we face in lifer are prolonged because we actually interfere with the will and plan of God… The Lord who is on your side says that He has this battle taken care of, He is in charge and you will be victorious… Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen… We have hope in knowing that God will take care of us; despite what the situation may appear to be or feel like, Paul reminds us that the God of peace will bruise Satan under your feet shortly… There is a day appointed before the earth was formed and a (n) recorded when our heavenly father will cast Satan into eternal abyss and will find peace forevermore… Paul writes this letter to the Church of Rome to encourage them to remaining faithful, don’t lose hope and don’t succumb to the ways of the world… This passage is a passage that I think we need to recall in our minds whenever it feels as if Satan is winning, this verse is one that we can memorize and recite whenever it feels like the devil has the upper and our family is falling by the wayside… Even though things may seem dim or appear to be heading in a downward spiral, Paul points out that the devil is under your feet… One of the most important things we must remember as a child of God is that this battle has already been won… When Jesus laid down His life and rose on the third day, Satan’s authority was relegated toward those who don’t know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior… We, being heirs with Christ should find comfort in this verse knowing that Satan’s attacks will not overtake us (he’s under our feet), his tactics may cause us discomfort at times, but we will be victorious (he’s under our feet)… 

Growing up, I was a kid that didn’t really take a whole lot of mess… I can recall several fights that I was involved in and many instances in which the outcome could’ve been more tragic than it was… I remember walking home from the bus stop one day and being confronted by four guys that wanted to jump me for retaliation of me beating up their friend, as they approached me and I took my stance to fight, I remember one of my older brother’s walking out the house heading up the street to the store and two of my friends coming around the corner as well… Once my brother reached me and noticed the situation he asked me was everything okay, immediately after that the boys turned and walked away and I went home in peace… Paul reminds us today of this same peace that will keep us safe and help us to overcome adversity… How peaceful is it to know that someone has you back? When you are feeling down and out and on the verge of a meltdown; how encouraging can a phone call from a close friend be, or how much can someone lift your spirits so that you continue to fight? We all need encouragement in this life we live, we all need a support system that will not fail us, and the only one that can be that is Jesus Christ. We can rest assured that the peace (the harmony, serenity of God) will bruise (damage) Satan’s attack on you. When we look at Gods peace we can focus on harmony and serenity, which tells me that when things are chaotic in our lives, we need to go to a peaceful place and talk to the Lord, cast all you burdens upon him and know that he will deliver you in DUE TIME!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Remember What Christ Did For You

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9

The bible declares that while ye were yet sinners Christ died for you… This passage should serve as a daily reminder that Jesus Christ is the reason for our existence and hope for our Eternal lives… It bothers me to know end when someone wants to receive credit for something that they did not do and today’s devotion reminds us that we cannot fall into this trap… Paul starts off by saying ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…  You have experienced God’s favor; you have felt His presence and you know that He is life… You know that it wasn't anything that you did, but that His grace (unmerited favor) is the very reason that, though he was rich, ye for your sakes he became poor… Just knowing the sacrifice that Christ made for you should be enough to drive you towards a position of humility and should also provide you with a source of strength when times seems too hard to handle… I don’t know about you, but knowing what Jesus did lets me know that I am special and allows me to transform my mind so that I think with a positive outlook on life knowing the simple fact that Christ didn’t have to do it… When we are of this world we ignore the ransom that was paid on Calvary, we turn a deaf ear to the times in which Jesus cried out from the cross and we pay no attention to the love that was shown through Him and His Father… Paul writes this letter to the Church of Corinth to reassure them of the love that God has for us… When things are hard, when things don’t seem to add up or when you feel like you are at the end of your rope; remember the sacrifice that was made, remember that it is a privilege to even bare the wait of these situations knowing that it is only by the GRACE of God that we are even here today… See, so many of us complain about the rigors of life; however, I haven’t found one person who would rather be dead in and hell where things will be unimaginable worse… 

This is the grace that Paul is speaking about… The grace we have experienced in our lives is the purest form of grace knowing that things can always be worse… Instead of complaining about riding the bus to work, understand the grace that God has given you to provide you a means of transportation to work… Instead of complaining about living check to check, understand the grace the God has bestowed upon your life to have a check come to you every two weeks… Grace is something given that isn’t deserved or warranted… Paul reminds us that the life we have today is a life made possible by the grace dispensed by God through His son Jesus Christ… The bottom line of this message today is that you did not nor do you deserve to even be here today… Often times we get things confused as to being entitled to the life that we have, Paul’s message to the Church of Corinth reminds them that it is only by God’s grace that the church was even establish and we have a chance to inherit Eternal Life… Jesus didn’t need to come to this earth for His benefit, He was already “rich” as Paul states in this passage; however, because of His compassion, because of God’s longing for His creation to come back home He sent His son into the world… Understand that Christ gave up all that He had to save us teaches me to accept whatever comes my way… I have never been as rich as Christ is nor have I ever been as humiliated or disrespected as He was on the cross… Know that He didn’t have to do it, but He did… Learn to accept your situation simply because if God’s grace wasn’t dispensed on your life things would definitely be worse… The next time you feel a pinch know that it is better than being pierced in your side, the next time someone gossips about you, know that is much more tolerable than having a crown of thorns placed upon your head and having people mock you and spit on you… 

The next time you feel a have load upon your shoulders think about the weight of all mankind’s sins being placed upon the shoulders of Jesus… The next time you feel alone of as if nobody is in your corner, think about Jesus being separated from His Father for you… Paul’s letter tells us that we can’t give up; it tells us that we can’t give in and that we must remember what Christ has already done for us… I can’t emphasis this enough, things could always be worse, but we are assured that because of His love they won’t be… When life catches you off guard, or you feel like giving up; remember the sacrifice made for you. Remember that Jesus loved us before we could ever even think of who He was or even begin to love ourselves. Remember that He died so that you could live before you were even born or even a thought... Remember that He gave up His heavenly dwelling to become a poverty-stricken being so that you can be rich just as He was and now currently still is. Sacrifice is what has been given by Christ, and sacrifice of your time, talent, and treasures is what He deserves from you. It is not your alarm clock that woke you up, but God’s grace, it isn’t your safe driving that got you to work, but God’s grace, and it isn’t your paycheck that provides love and security to your home and family, but God’s grace… Stay focused on His will and don’t become discouraged when storms seem to rock your foundation, because our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and HIS righteousness! You may have days when different forms of poverty strikes your house, but know that when your hands are bare, God is just making room for more of His grace to be dispensed upon your life… Don’t give up, don’t give in, keep believing, and keep the faith!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Spirit Shall Transform You

And it shall come to pass...that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids... will I pour out my spirit.

Joel 2:28-29

The Lord knows your struggles, He knows about the obstacles, hurdles and stumbling blocks being set before you and today He declares that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh… Everyone will have the eternal compass leading the way to salvation; everyone will be afforded the opportunity to grow in Christ and abide in His love… The spirit of God reveals truths to us and provides direction for us; this is why Joel goes on to say that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions… God (through His spirit) will begin to reveal things in your life… If you don’t have a vision, then you don’t have a clear direction which means you don’t have a clear directive and therefore you cannot decipher your way through the snares of life and instead often times find yourself entangled by simple matters of this world which should not be able to confine or restrict you in the first place… Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit we are nothing… Without the power of Christ resting upon us and working through us we are lame ducks simply waiting to be plucked off by the enemy… Today, understand the importance of having Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life… There are so many people in so many different places of darkness right now and they continue down this spiral simply because they have yet to turn their situation over to the Lord… There was a point in time when this world did not know the spirit of God… The spirit of God is a spirit of love, direction, comfort and praise… 

The children of Israel wondered in the desert for 40 years, they were imprisoned under the hands of the Babylonians and suffered daily as captives because of the misguidance of the world… These hills and valley’s that the Israelites experienced were do to the strain relationship between them and the Lord… Without the spirit of God we are lost, without the spirit of God we give into the sinful nature and suffer grave consequences… Today, we are afforded a tremendous chance to have a compass and comforter in the form of God’s spirit… Joel tells the body of believers several hundreds of years ago that a time would come when your path would be paved, he informs the faithful children that a time is on the horizon when your sons and daughters will prophesy and it is in these very times that we live in that Joel’s prophesy has become true… God has poured out is His spirit upon mankind, we have the ability to go to the father through prayer and supplication and make our request known to Him… Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless…” You have a navigation tool to get through the rigors of life… You have a comforter when it seems like all is lost and you want to breakdown and you have a tool that can provide strength and endurance when you feel like throwing in the towel… God has given us the ability to prophesy through His spirit and see visions as to what is to come… Peter once denied Jesus before men and left a courtyard weeping; however, in the book of Acts (after he was reinstated) as we studied early this week, he received the spirit of God along with his fellow brethren and stood up for the Lord… While under the influence of God’s spirit, Peter spoke and 3,000 were saved, under God’s spirit lives were changed and hearts were mended… Under the spirit of God, children can be brought home and the enemy can be defeated… When you are walking in the spirit of God, you have a direct communication with the Lord that unlocks visions and dreams that cannot be comprehended by mere men… 

Through the Spirit of God we can be matured in Christ… We can become the men and women that He has called us to be… Through the Spirit of God we can overcome obstacles, breakdown strong holds and align ourselves with the will of the Father… Through the Spirit of God we can rebuke Satan knowing that he will flee, we can tread on serpents and we can do anything but fail… God’s Spirit will regenerate our minds, it will give us a new outlook on life and show us how beautiful and unique we are… We are no longer lost sheep thanks to God’s son and His spirit, we are no longer insignificant creatures, but we are a powerful force that now has the ability to rise and stand because of God’s spirit…The proclamation was made long before we existed; that God would leave a comforter in our presence. This comforter (the Holy Spirit) brings peace and guidance to our life; however, He also passes on the visions and prophesies of God. Once endowed by the Spirit, we are renewed and God begins to mold us into the person He called us to be. We must understand that God is still working behind the scenes, and that through His Spirit we have been given everything that we stand in need of. We can now speak the word of God with power and authority. Look at the New Testament and notice how the enthusiasm of the spoken word changed when the Spirit entered the disciples and Paul. That same spirit lives within us today, so we can serve notice on today of the visions that God has given us, or the dreams He has placed in our minds. As we hear the word coming from the Lord, and receive His Spirit, we must understand that the timetable for His return is not far off. Many things that were spoken of thousands of years ago are coming to pass before our very eyes today. Proclamations are being made everyday; however, this passage just reminds us that we need to have our house in order and be ready for the cracking of the sky…God’s spirit is here and if you might need to check your personal relationship with Him if you cannot feel its presence…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Don't Settle For Less

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."

Romans 12:2

The most powerful thing that you have within you is your mind… No man can take away your ability to think, your ability to decipher and your ability to conclude… The foundation of our being is founded on two building blocks which is your heart and your mind… The two pieces which are vital in the formation of who we are cannot be overlooked nor left unguarded if we want to really come to know the plan and will of God for our lives…The bible tells us countless times about the importance of guarding our heart and today we are reminded about the importance of obtaining a different outlook on life in order to achieve different results and ascend to different levels… It is in the book of James that the word of God describes the tongue as being an unruly evil; if one takes hold of this, we can then come to the conclusion of how important our mind is as we know that the things which come from your mouth reside within and have to pass through the avenues of your mind… From your very birth the enemy has had you mind filled will clutter to the point that you begin to think that you need things which you don’t and you must appear one way in society instead of walking in the beauty that God created you in… This is why we have teenage girls and even kids altering their appearance with their clothes and or becoming pregnant at an early age… 

This is why our young men of today walk the streets without a moral compass and find themselves falling victim to the same fortunes of others and end up being a statistic… You have to alter your path and this can only be done by altering your mind… This why today’s focus verse starts off by saying, "And be not conformed to this world…” You cannot be of this world and expect to get a different result in your life… The same fate that has reared it’s ugly had in the life of a young man being removed from this earth to soon or a childhood being stolen from a early parent is the same fate that will hit your doorstep in your very lives or the lives of those you care about most if you way of thinking is not altered… God is ready to bless, He is ready to open up and fill your life with abundance; however, just like the rich you ruler we must be willing to give up the things of this earth and follow Christ… This is the transformation that has to take place and is exactly what we are studying today… You cannot go anywhere in life until you realize and understand where you are now… This is the message the Paul writes to the Church of Rome as well as the body of believers in today’s society… As we all know, we are born into this world as sinners; however, we must know and understand that in order to become the children that God has indeed called us to be… Paul is writing to a church surrounded by temptations, Rome was a capital city that was a main attraction for all kinds of distractions… The message that Paul teaches to the Romans is the message that we must live by today, “don’t be conform to this world…” The church saw the wealth of man, they observed the riches of the land and I am sure that many were lead astray because of what appeared to be materialistic prosperity; however, Paul tells the ones who still remain faithful that they must not conform to the world… Just like the Romans, you might be enticed by what is pleasing to the eye; you might be distracted by what appears to be happiness and the message today for you is don’t conform… When you conform to something you give in, accept it or observe the rules that are already in place… 

The rules that are already in place right now today in this world will lead us to hell; the standards of our current society have kids having kids and the average lifetime span decreasing every moment… We must desire more, we must desire a better tomorrow, and we must turn our focus toward God and not toward the “quick fix” or monetary gain…  We are called to be different, you have been set aside for a specific purpose and you have the ability to be more than anyone could have ever thought or even imagined… The only way for you to realize your true potential is to change the way in which you think… Your thoughts must not be about what people might say about you, but rather what God desires for you… Your thoughts can’t be about how hard the journey will be, but that this is the right course for you to take… This is indeed a battle that rages within us daily, we have the enemy trying to get us to conform on one hand and the Lord trying to open our eyes to see what great things we have in store… Make no mistake about it; we can see that God’s way is the right way; however, it isn’t always going to appear to be the easiest way… The challenge of a Christian is not accepting Christ, but abiding in His love and will… Paul says that we are not to conform but to transform... A child of God must meditate on the Lord day and night; we must pray without ceasing and be immersed in His word… The devil only needs one opening to spin your life out of control and it is only through your thoughts that he can obtain this victory… Don’t give in to fitting in, don’t accept the status quo, learn to rely on the Lord, and learn to lean not to your own understanding… Acknowledge the Lord, trust His word and know that He will prove you to be acceptable… When Christ returns you will be raise incorruptible, the devil won’t be able to touch you; you will be invisible and spend eternity with the Lord…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

True Worship Isn't Based On Circumstances

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John 4:23-24

Notice that John differentiates between worship and the true worshippers as he begins the 23^rd verse… You have to be about the business of God at every turn of your life to be a qualified member of this statement… There are too many people seeing another side of you when you are a around them instead of seeing the worship and adoration that you have for Christ… John goes on to say in the 8^th chapter, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." I recite this verse to reinforce the point that God knows you by your actions which display the truths that live within you… A lot of us are still captive to the past failures or mistakes of yesterday because we have not acknowledged our wrongdoing and allowed the truth to set us free… Since we have not aligned ourselves with the truth, we also find ourselves incapable of worshipping God in the true spirit which He requires… This alone can be the very picture that someone needed drawn today to know the reason behind why it feels as though God has not moved on your behalf or that you prayers are going unanswered… You must be truthful in your spirit with the Lord, He knows your deepest and darkest secrets; however, He is waiting for you to turn your life over to Him so that He can in turn take you to another level… Make no mistake about it; this journey of a Christian is filled with ups and downs… 

The experiences of highs and lows can quickly turn one to question their belief and desire to follow the call of God… Understand today, not only do we all have to face persecutions, but that these very trials that we face separate the true Christians from the impostors… There is a story in the bible that talks about “a wise ruling…” In 1 Kings 3:16-28 the bible records two prostitutes which lived together in a house… Each of them conceived a son; however one of them lay upon there son in the night and accidentally killed him… The story goes on to say that the woman who had killed her son got up and swapped babies with the other, leaving her dead son at the side of the other… When the lady arose to feed her son, she found him dead but soon realized that this was not her child… The matter was taken to the courts where the judge had told the women that he would have the baby cut and half and each would receive a part… At this, the real mother of the child decided that she would rather let the child live with another woman than to have him killed… Once she said this, the judge knew who the real mother was and awarded her the child… This story brings thoughts to my mind about our spiritual walk because we have to be willing to remain faithful even in the most difficult situations… So might say, why was this woman willing to give up her son and the reason is because of the love she had for him but also because of the faith she had in God… This is the kind of worshippers that John is speaking about in these verses… The time of people talking about faith as ended; we must show the faith we have by the life that we live… Notice the characteristics of a true worshipper… 

They worship in spirit and in truth… The spirit is indwelling; it lies within and leads our actions and emotions…When we worship God in spirit we worship Him in the most secret of places (our heart)… We worship Him from deep down inside and sometimes in true worship our emotions can get the best of us… True worship was shown when David danced out of his clothes, true worship was shown when John stood at the foot of the cross, true worship was shown when Stephen was stoned to death and the greatest worship was Jesus laying down His life on the cross… God isn’t looking for men pleasers, He is looking for people who have experienced His favor, who know that it is a privilege to be alive and who trust Him with their whole heart… Notice that Judge says, the hour has come… We have been playing long enough, we have allowed people around us to suffer long enough… It’s time for you to take a stand in your homes, it’s time for you to take a stand on your job, and it’s time for you to take a stand in your relationship… Stop allowing your faith to be hidden or trampled on, stop allowing people to deny the power that God has or the will He has planned for your life… In the midst of trials, don’t focus on the problem; instead praise God in advance for the solution… My sister once told me, when you face a storm, don’t tell God how big your storm is; instead tell the storm how big your God is… We must learn to do that today… This is true worship, the ability to honor, adore and appreciate God even in the worst of times… True worship isn’t praying when something goes wrong, it’s praying without ceasing… True worship isn’t praying when you are sick, it’s thanking Him for each and every day that you have already seen knowing that He has kept you… The true worshiper doesn’t question God when the foundation of their life is rocked, but continues to (wait on the Lord) knowing that there strength will be renewed. Peter worshipped God; however in the face of opposition he left the courtyard weeping… When the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he was faced with opposition again, we see him take a stand and 3,000 souls be saved… The question today is, are you a true worshipper? If so, please stand up?

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Joy Comes In The Morning

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 55:22

Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Psalm 30:4-5

When you go through trying times in life, complaining should not be in your vocabulary; we are reminded today that we must cast and sing from the two psalms which we are set to examine today as we travel through this earth no matter what we face or encounter along the way… It is important to know and realize today that as a child of God things could always be worse… There are storms and trials that we all will be subject to; however, the true Christian finds the silver lining and comes to the conclusions that things are not as bad as they could be… Take your very life, you may not have all the things you desire, but you are alive and are not perishing as you should have from your mother’s womb… I say that to make the point that there a storms in life that we will face and when we endure these storms we must know that the things which we are learning from this process are not things which will destroy us through this process… Yes, life can be hard to deal with on a daily basis, but we are reminded today that we serve a God that shall never suffer the righteous to be moved… There are things in you life that you will endure, but you can take pride and comfort in knowing that the things which the enemy tries to use to break you will be transformed to exalt you… The stumbling blocks placed in your path today will become the stepping stones for your destiny tomorrow… We are reminded today of the importance of not being overcome by situations and to continue to rely on God instead of turning to peers or substances for comfort… 

God knew that you would go through troubling times; His word tells us that there will be ups and downs and this is why the Psalmist says Cast thy burden upon the Lord…  It’s okay to let God know about your problems, the trouble comes when you try to solve them… Notice that the writer goes on to say He shall sustain thee… Go to God in prayer when you face trying times, He already knew the storms were coming and He is waiting for you to turn to Him so He can work in and through you so that you can handle them… God wants the things of this earth to point you to Him and not another direction; this is the problem that we face in our daily walk; we become so bogged in the mess of this world that we allow our minds to become cluttered so that we cannot clearly focus on the Lord and the sustaining power that He possess… A lot of the things we go through in this life can be avoided if we cast our cares instead of seeking our own way… The Lord has a plan which He has devised uniquely for you; however, the choice is entirely up to you as to whether you will follow His lead and this is shown through your songs of praise or your words of complaints… Not only are we called to cast our cares upon the Lord, the 30^th Psalm reminds us that we must sign unto the Lord, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness…There are things which will test you and your song of praise is not turning a blind eye to the situation but rather turning your focus to the Lord knowing that He will show up and deliver… The Lord keeps His promises and you will be kept as well… Yes the Lord is disturbed by our choices when we go against Him and this why we endure some of the storms in our lives; however, knowing that things could be worse and understanding that he has looked beyond our faults to see our needs we can sing for his anger endureth but a moment… The psalmist reminds us today that we are to cast our burdens upon the Lord! He shall never suffer you to be moved… 

Casting your burdens is to seek God’s counsel and guidance in your life; in all that you do, make God your focus… Jesus said my yoke is easy and my burden is light… He will bring you through, He will hold you up and He will provide the strength and endurance that you need to run this race we call life! Nothing on this earth will prevail against you if you are walking in the Grace of the Lord, that’s why the psalmist says that he will not suffer you to be moved… Know that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, know that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you and know that through the Holy Spirit you have received power to tread on serpents and defeat the might lions in your life! Turn to God and the devil will always lose… Because of God’s grace, because of his mercy and because of his Love we have been given an avenue to obtain salvation and victory! He has opened his arms and said if you will abide in me, I will abide in you... I will take care of you, I will sustain you; I will keep you in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee! Because of the promise found in Psalms 55:22 we can fulfill the call of Psalms 30:4-5; we can sing to the Lord and give thanks, we can smile in the time of despair and we can laugh in the moments of fear, because we know that by casting our burdens upon the Lord we will see joy in the morning! By understanding the trials that we face and knowing that they are but for a moment, we can come out stronger and better than before! God has said that he will never leave you nor forsake you… So stand still, seek Him and smile knowing that your burdens were nailed to the cross and buried when he rose! Praise him while you have the chance because tomorrow is never promised…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

It's All Because Of God

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Psalm 75:6-7

The psalmist says, “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor the west, nor the south…”There are people in your life which need to be reminded today that they don’t control you… There are situations that you face which may place limits on what you can do and the message today is that in Christ you are without restrictions… Your supervisor doesn’t control your destiny, your income doesn’t decide your abundance in life and your social connections do not determine your popularity and fame… In knowing that promotions only come from God, I am encouraged today to know that everything that I endure today is serving a purpose… The work you’re performing today is not going unnoticed as the word of God tells us, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” When people don’t recognize you, don’t let the dictate your performance or hinder your ability to carry out your duties because we are reminded in Paul’s letter to the Church of Corinth (verse above) the same things which we are reminded in our focus verses which is that God putteth down one, and setteth up another… The true character of individual is not shown in the peace after the storm, but the peace which one displays while enduring a storm… The situations that you handle without murmuring and complaining put your faith in Christ on display; the circumstances that you don’t necessarily like are the ones which allow God to demonstrate His faithfulness in and through your life… Not everyone wants to see you come out on top, but you can smile even when you encounter those people because you know that they don’t have a say-so in your future endeavors… 

The people who are trying to hold you back are the same people who will watch in awe as you ascend the latter which God has placed before you… This is a powerful message for all of us today because it allows us to look beyond the appearance of things to see the ability of God through those things… The second verse says, but God is the judge… God has the final ruling on what you do and where you go… The people on your job become easier to converse with when you realize this truth… There are some of us have had a difficult time dealing with a peer because they are trying to stab you in the back for a promotion, there are so of us who have found ourselves sending resumes left and right because we don’t think our supervisors recognize our worth; however, this message not only lets you know who’s in charge, but if you fit one of these categories it also lets you know where you stand as being under the authority of God verses walking in the will of God… Let’s make one thing clear, everything that happens in your life is allowed by God… This is a (n) important point to understand because there are many that want to blame God when a problem occurs but what to take credit when something good happens in their life… How often do we take credit for a level of success in our lives; how often do we thank our boss for recognizing the work we have done or contributed to the excelling of a company? The psalmist reminds us of who is in charge and has the final say to our everyday situations. Understand that nothing can be done without the approval of God, remember Job was successful, but was stricken when God allowed the devil to wreck havoc upon him, remember Jonah was fleeing and God caused a storm to rise upon him and humble him to the point where he could be used. Job received far more than he had before and Jonah went on to preach and get a city to repent from danger. Job later says do we take good from God and not evil? We have to come to the conclusion that God holds our fate and has promised to provide all that we need. 

So, when you are low on funds and receive that bonus, thank God. When you are worried out of you mind about you job in this economy and your Boss assures you of your safety, praise God. God is the judge, He will humble whoever needs to be humbled; likewise, He will lift up whoever deserves to be lifted! Romans 8:28 - Know that ALL things work together for the good of those who LOVE the LORD! If you love God, understand that His blessings come in many ways, even in ways you would least expect; like on your job! When Saul was converted the bible declares that God spoke to Ananias and told him to go to Saul for the Lord had to show him how much he would suffer for His names’ sake… Paul went on to write several letters unto the churches which he helped to establish… The point in all of this is that we must recognize that in growth there are growing pains; in learning there are always learning curves and we must recognize that God’s hand is in the midst at all times… Psalms 37:24 says, “Though he stumbles, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” God is with you at all times, in the good and in the bad…Your victory comes through Him, your breakthrough is made possible through Him and it’s about time that we start to give God the praise that He so rightfully deserves… If God had not touched you this morning and clothed you in your right mind, you would not be at work right now, you would not be able to love, and you would not be able to experience life… No matter what you are doing, no matter where you are or if you are even happy with your current situation, acknowledge God’s sovereignty, acknowledge God’s presences and acknowledge the promotion that He has already given you by allowing you to see another day… When good things happen, praise God; when misfortune comes knocking; pray to God… In all phases of life (good or bad) the one constant is that we should have our eyes focused above and not around us…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

You Control Your Destiny

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 3:19 

One of my favorite scriptures comes from the book of Jeremiah; the 29^th chapter and 11^thverse declares, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah penned this verse at a time when the Israelites were disobeying the will of God and were captive under the Babylonian kingdom… Through this oppression the word of God reminds them that despite what they are enduring, the Lord has a divine plan for them if only they would repent and be converted… This same message embodies our devotion today which comes from the 3^rd chapter of Acts… Understand today that the word of God is founded on His promises; however, His promises can only come to fruition when we adhere to His calling… So many people often say that they are waiting on God and the truth of the matter is that He just might be waiting on you… He is ready to move and before you were formed He already had a plan for you; however, your willingness to walk in faith is what will ignite the plan of God or delay it… Remember that we are governed by time; however, God is above and in command of time… There is no timetable set for God to complete His task, but there is indeed a timetable which we abide by and will never be able to go back in… It’s a sad truth that there are so many in this world who don’t realize how defiled and corrupt their lives are… Many people don’t see the flaws or are disillusioned about how they are do to the material things they invest their thoughts and time in… Luke reminds us in this historic book of acts that we must repent and be converted in order for our sins to be blotted out… Understand today, that you must come to a point in your life when you realize that you are messed up, you are a filthy rag and that the ways of this world are the ways that will lead to happiness and peace… 

This time of repenting is very tricky to grasp as a child of the world… The main reason why I say this is because until we experience something that is catastrophic or life-changing we often times don’t realize that we are in need of a change… Saul was persecuting the church of God; however it took a bright light that blinded him and the voice of God to speak to him in order for him to change… Jonah was thrown off of a ship and swallowed up by a big fish before he sailed to the land God called him to go to… Today, let us heed the warnings written here in this verse and repent before we are faced with calamity and destruction… This avenue must be taken if you want to experience the blessings of God and see His faithfulness manifested in your life… The most critical step that we must take in life is accepting the fact that we are not perfect and can’t reach heaven or eternal bliss on our own… Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous…” We are all sinners and must repent and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior to be made righteous and become co-heirs with Christ… The historic book of Acts reminds us today that the first action one must venture on is to repent and turn from wickedness… We enter this world as sinner’s and find ourselves daily walking the path of darkness which leads to destruction… The bible declares that we all have fallen short of the glory of God; through the disobedience of Adam and Eve we all enter this world as sinners... Luke writes to us in the book of Acts telling us today that we need to repent and be converted so that our sins may be blotted out and we can be counted in the number when Christ returns! The difference between being a child of God and a child of the world is “Forgiveness…”All who become children of the most high have sought and received forgiveness from the Lord… Forgiveness of sin is a two step process; first we must repent, to repent means to turn from or focus toward another position! A lot of us say sorry, but we don’t repent from our sins… 

We continue down that spiral road because we haven’t turned away from bad habits, we haven’t changed our outlook on life and we haven’t removed certain things from our daily walk… Understand that you have to turn and it is a painful and trying time, but if you want to be in God’s kingdom it MUST be done! After forgiveness has been obtained, the second thing that takes place is conversion… We have to be converted; which means that we are made over or changed… Our relationship with the Lord grows daily and becomes more and more intimate as we embark on this step… This takes us deeper than just repenting from sin; we have turned from our sin through repentance, now we must be converted so that those sins (sometimes peer pressure, and fleshly desires) can be crucified through Christ offering on the cross! We must be strengthened by Christ love and be converted by His sacrifice to remove the weight and stain of sin upon our lives! So many people repent and turn from their mistakes, but they never convert to Christ power and His will, they try to do things on their own and end up right where they left off! Today, repent from the past failures and sins that you committed, but also be converted through Christ’s love and might that you may be elevated from that place and will not fall into the same trap as before! The bible says that, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” (Philippians 4:13) This just lets us know that we can do nothing without Him! We all have fallen short, but it’s not to late… We all have made mistakes, but they can be corrected… We have slipped from time to time, but we still can be kept from falling down completely to the ground… Jesus came to give you life and give it to you more abundantly… Trust Him, repent and be converted… Not only will your sins be forgiven, but you will learn the love that God has for you and really begin to live…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Follow Christ, Not The Crowd

Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.

Exodus 23:2

You were created the way you are for a reason… There was plan devised before you were formed and the attributes, characteristics and stature that you posses are uniquely associated with you and the plan that God has for you… I say this today because so many of us try to alter our very appearance and or characteristics to fit our square design into the round whole of society and our peers… Know that you were formed in beauty and in holiness; it is neither the plan of God nor the desire of God for you to sell yourself short while traveling through this life… Moses reminds us today that we are called to be different; we are called to walk in faith and take the road less traveled to avoid snares and end up doing wrong… Remember that Moses was challenged by the people and eventually did not see the promised land because of the pressure applied by the people of God when He should have found peace in the plan of God… This same principle applies to us today, we have to stop allowing people to invade our minds and thoughts with meaningless chatter and confusion… We enter this world as a common people with hell awaiting our arrival; however, through the bloodshed of Jesus we are transformed and therefore converted into a different creature… 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Knowing that we are a chosen people, understanding that we have been set aside for a specific purpose and realizing that we are each unique in our own way tells me that I cannot conform myself to the ways of this world… 

When we realize that God has something special in store for our lives or when we begin to comprehend that He is faithful and will provide everything that we stand in need of; then we can not only step out on faith, but we can dare to be different and walk under His influence instead of the influence of others… This is the very message that we are called to learn from today’s focus verse taken from the book of Exodus… Even though people around us may seem to be prospering and they may seem to have what our flesh desires; we must remember that we are store up our treasures in a place “where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Make no mistake about it today, the bible says that we cannot serve to masters… You have a big decision to make and you must make this decision daily… This decision that lies at the foot of your bed is whether or not you are going to walk according to God’s will or the people around you… You can’t have one foot on one side and the other foot on the other nor can you try and sit on the fence of juggle the too… The bible says that a lukewarm church will be spewed out of the mouth of God… Something that is lukewarm is neither hot nor cold; the same thing is being expressed here… Stop trying to fit in, stop trying to please your fellow man and stop trying to walk according to other people’s standards… Matthew 7: 13-14 says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” The book of Exodus reminds us today that we must stray away from the crowd and the wrongdoing of this world, this calls for you to separate yourself from evil, overcome peer pressure and accept being “different” when it comes to the “norm” of society… Again, the bible tells us in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are a peculiar people; we are a holy nation and a royal priesthood… The fact of the matter is that as a child of God you have been set apart! You have been transformed and are not the same as people of the world… 

With that being said, the book of Exodus tells us to not follow the crowd in doing wrong, this passage centers around the Israelites exit from Egypt and the fact that they begin to disobey God, they forgot about who delivered them and weren’t satisfied with what they had! God gave them manna from heaven to eat, but that was not good enough for them! Remember the things that God has already done for you, don’t get caught up in what others desire, but focus on the needs that you have and you will see that God has already provided them! Too often we look past the grace of God into the desires of the flesh, we have a car to drive but want something more luxurious, we have a home to sleep in, but we want a 5 bedroom house, the Israelites ignored the mercy and deliverance of God and we are being warned today to not do the same! David had to get away from the crowd (his brothers and Saul) in order to receive his kingdom, Joshua had to give the people an ultimatum before the Lord but made it known that he was going to follow the only true and wise God… The bible declares that there is a broad way to travel that leads to hell and that there is a narrow we to travel which lead to heaven and few will find it! Many will take the broad way because it feels right, it is wide open, there are no restraints and everybody else is on the this path (the emphasis being that everybody else is on this path, this is the crowd that is spoken of in this book of Exodus); the narrow way, limits the things you can do and places you can go and few will see this path as the right path and will not travel it! Exodus reminds us to choice the narrow path, put all your trust in the Lord and don’t put confidence in man (Psalms 118:8)! Don’t follow the crowd, the bible says be not conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… To be conformed is to do the accepted thing, play by the rules set and live according to that standard already in place… Transform means to be converted, change or be made over! God desires to make you over, change you for the better, and convert you so that souls can be saved! He has a path set for your life that will be plentiful in blessings when you leave this earth, but you must stop following the crowd in order to receive His blessings!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Let Christ's Love Abound

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ

Philippians 1:9-10

Love is not a milestone we achieve, but a mountain without end that we continue to climb… As we examined over the past couple of days, Paul again reminds us of the priority that love plays in the life of a Christian… There are a lot of things which I believe that we all would love to thrive in; business, finances and happiness come to mind; however, Paul speaks today about the fact that we have to seek to be plentiful not in the money that we have in the bank but the love that we dispense and display to others… 1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”I incorporate this verse into today’s devotional because the love we offer to others puts the knowledge that we have in Christ on display… God is love and this is why Paul says that we must abound in it… When we abound in love, we are growing in God; we walk according to His will and fulfill the plans that He has uniquely designed for us… Being in Christ frees us from the failures of yesterday and provides the path to an abundant future for tomorrow… You have to make the choice to abound in love (in God) if you want to be set free as Peter tells us in his first epistle, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” We already established that God is love; so when we read this passage from 1 Peter we can conclude that it is God that covers a multitude of sins… You need to abound in love to be saved, you need to abound in love to be healed, and you need to abound in love to have a clean slate… 

Love is not natural and this is why we must abound in it, growing day by day… The more you love, the more Christ can manifest and move… This is not to say that love is simple, but that it is the right course one must take in order to reach the heights which you only dream about… This Christian walk is not a walk that is completed on this earth… This fact must become known amongst our brothers and sisters in Christ so that we develop an attitude of progression instead of comfort… We cannot afford to become complacent nor can we feel as if we have done enough; as a child of God growth is the key to defeating the enemy and overcoming hurdles… It’s a known fact that we all face trials and tribulations, we all have seen our fair share of rainy days and sleepless nights; however we must do as Paul instructs in the third chapter of this book and “…Forget those things which are behind and press toward the mark…” We must desire a better tomorrow, we must desire to keep the faith and we must desire to finish the race… The biggest way to show this desire is to grow in love… Love is an action word that declares the inward feelings that can’t be uttered… Jesus was the greatest example of love in that He gave is on life for us all… We couldn’t be saved by Him simply saying “I love you”; however, through His suffering and actions to display His love we have been saved… If we grow (abound) in love, we grow in Christ because God is more and more present in our life… The bible declares in 1 John 4:8, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Love is vital to our growth and our connection with the Lord… If we are not able to love, how can we then say that we are of God…? Knowing that God is love tells me that love must be a part of my everyday life and must be in a true form for me to become the child that God has called me to be… When we love, we can speak a soft word to turn away wrath as we studied yesterday… 

When we love we can extend a helping hand to our fellowman or even our adversary… When love lives in us, we can be the united church that God seeks and overcome quarreling to let the Praise and Worship of Christ prevail… This is why Paul writes this important part of this letter to the church… One of the biggest areas that we find it hard to love in is the church… We are always ready to judge someone or ready to talk about someone when they do something wrong to us or we don’t get our way… Paul writes to the church of Philippi informing them of the desire that he has for them as a church; “I pray that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and all judgments…” As was stated earlier, love is a (n) action word and a characteristic that we develop as we grow in Christ… Paul’s prayer is that the church doesn’t stop loving, but that it continues to grow in and through love… So many of us have love for one another; however, we must learn to nurture that love and produce a greater love that surpass the former version… Jesus said, “No greater love hath a man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends…” Understand today, that His (Jesus) love transformed even more when He laid down His life on the cross and it will reach its highest form when He returns to this earth… Paul is calling for the love of Christ to continue to grow within them (us) so that it may spread throughout the region; true love is sacrifice, seeing past imperfections, and accepting people for who they are! Love holds families together and keeps people in prayer for one another… Prove your faith in faithless times, prove your willingness when nobody else will go and be sincere according to the Grace of God to others! When someone is hurting you hurt for them, when they are in pain you feel it, you adapt to every situation and show them the power of prayer and God’s faithfulness… Love isn’t defined by words but actions… When you can help someone without saying a word or turn the other cheek you aren’t being soft, you are just showing the love that God is perfecting in you…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!