Things Could Always Be Worse

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The challenge of every Christian is to live every day and every hour of their life with the purpose of fulfilling God’s will… This doesn’t mean simply inquiring about God’s will, but executing the very steps outlined in today’s devotional scriptures… We are called to rejoice, pray and give thanks in all circumstances… The part we tend to lose sight of is the “in all circumstances” as we find ourselves from time to time becoming distracted by situations both positive and negative and ultimately losing sight of what God’s will is… Understand today that it is very easy and even natural to rejoice when things are pleasant; it can become second nature to pray when things become difficult and we can bear thanksgiving when we hear things which we have longed for… But how do we handle the opposite; are we able to rejoice when things or situation are unpleasant? Can you continue to pray to the Father when the storm has left your doorstep? Can you give thanks when you don’t receive what you desire…? 

These are the questions that we must ask ourselves today knowing that we are to live these points in every area and situation of our lives. As a Christian we are to rejoice no matter what, we are to pray without ceasing and we are to be thankful for everything… God has a plan for you and it is perfect, you rejoice because your Master is in control, you pray because this is your communication line directly to the father and you remain thankful because things could always be worse… Paul says that it is the will of God that you adhere to these 3 things; in understanding that this is the will of God we will know that there must be power in the combination of these acts… It is through the rejoicing, praying and thanksgiving that we humble ourselves and unleash God’s authority in our lives… This is why we must do these acts in all circumstances… The enemy has so many snares laid out along our pathways each and every day that if we are not careful we will not only slip up, but we will lose sight of the ability we have in releasing God’s power into our situations… The greatest example is when we incur the unexpected and seek resolution with our own finite hands… 

We give thanks, we pray and we rejoice always because we don’t want to give the enemy a foothold (Ephesians 4:27)… This is another reason why we are called to live these three words; God doesn’t want you to become complacent and forget how to pray or be thankful when the enemy comes in like a flood… When we display these three things we are not only growing in Christ, but we are shifting the very atmosphere around us… Paul starts of this chapter by speaking about the Day of Christ; He talks about those in Christ being children of the day, while those who are not align themselves with darkness. He goes on to speak about those who drink and sleep and how they do it at night. The Day of Christ will come as a surprise to those who are aligned in darkness… We, being of the day can rejoice, pray and give thanks because we know that our Savior is coming back to Judge… This world is not my Eternal Home and to die is gain… We all know that weeping may endure for a night, but even if this last beyond a natural day, we in Christ rejoice knowing that the Morning (day) will come… Always walk in the will of God, because I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18).

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

It All Starts With Christ

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:26-28

We live in a world where people are constantly frowned upon based on their religion, upbringing and color of skin or nationality. The same things that plague our communities today are the same things which existed at the time of this letter written by the Apostle Paul. It is through today’s devotion that we are reminded that Christ justifies every walk of life to be clothed with Him in and through Faith… Your economic status nor your popularity has any impact on your heavenly dwelling… It is only through Christ Jesus that we have life and have it more abundantly… This message today is an important one as we all at some point in time have felt or have been deemed unqualified...  To understand that there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free teaches us that your former doesn’t have to restrict your latter in Christ… 

Yes we all have done things which we are not proud of; we all have missed the mark and fallen short of the glory of God… Paul once called himself the chief sinner; however, through Christ His former was wiped clean and His latter included writing a majority of the New Testament… It is imperative that we understand the message written to the church of Galatia and how it applies to our lives today; we cannot allow our thoughts to be captivated by the enemy and thus begin to disqualify others from knowing Christ based on their past… You yourself do not have a right but have been afforded a privilege and an opportunity to come to know Christ and it is your duty to share Him with others…We all have our own testimony as to how we came to know Christ as our personal savior; we all have a past; however, the end result of each member of Christ is the same (we are saved through Him)… 

This is why the Jew is the same as the Gentile and why the slave is no different than the one who is free… Christ is the catalyst to our turnaround and it is through Christ that we are called children of God…  Your path may be different from mine, you may have come to know Christ through a much different route than I did, but the end of both of our days will be the same in that we will be caught up to meet Him in the air to spend Eternity with Him… Today, don’t write of your peers based on their past, don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought to because without Christ you are nothing, but through Him all things are possible (the wayward, lost and confused soul can still be saved and inherit Eternal Life through Christ)… There is a equation that fits this passage which again speaks to the fact that we are equal with Christ and equal without Him… No Christ = No Heaven, Know Christ = Know Heaven…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Give God Your Best

Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Proverbs 3:9-10

The priority that God holds in your life is demonstrated not when you are without but when you have plenty… It is very easy to cry out to God when we are in need of something; however, how many times have we found ourselves forgetting about His saving/delivering power when we seem to be ascending…? In all phases of life, The Lord should be honored “…with thy substance…” This isn’t just a monetary application, but a principle that we as Christians are called to live by… When God receives the firstfruits you are making a declaration not only to the position He holds in your life, but you are recognizing that it is only by His grace that you have obtained the level of increase in your life… The 6^th chapter of Matthew verse 33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The key to success is not how much money you make or how many degrees you have; on the contrary, the key to success lies in the priorities that you have in life… 

Hardships come knocking on everyone’s door; however, when we are aligned with the will of God we see numerous times throughout the bible and in our everyday life that success follows thereafter... The book of Proverbs tells us that our barns will be filled with plenty and they shall burst out with new wine; in short, you will be prosperous, you will do great things and reach higher heights, but let us notice the first thing that we are to do in this scripture, “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase…” The word increase is one that people need to really apply in their lives, this doesn’t mean that you are to honor God when you make it, but that every time you receive “increase” you must keep Him first on your list as we are told that “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” Honoring the Lord with thy substances means to simply pay homage to the one who formed you, created you and sustained you… To bring honor to something means that you respect, appreciate or give credit to it. This Proverb tells us to give honor to the Lord; we must remember that God has made each and every day of our lives possible and more importantly, that He has blessed us with all that we have (even if we desire more) in our lives. 

Many people come to the conclusion that honoring God is simply thanking Him for His blessings and favor on your life, but as this passage informs us, we are to honor Him by giving back a portion of what He has given us (again understand that this is not only monetarily). To give back is to show your utmost respect and acknowledgment of what God as given to you. Notice that we are told to give the firstfruits so that our barns will be filled and the presses shall burst. We are called to give the first fruits because God is suppose to be number one in our lives; God is the head and when we focus on Him first than everything else falls into place… Malachi 3:10 tells us to test the Lord in giving, knowing that He will open a window of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you shall not have room enough to receive. Test God by giving Him your absolute best, doing whatever you can, leaving no opportunity undone, leaving no stone unturned; test God by relying on Him and watch the increase you receive which will be greater than what you have at this present moment (your barns shall burst)…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Glory Shall Be Revealed

And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 40:5

Despite how daunting this Christian journey may appear to be, there is good news for you and I today to hold on to… There are many people of this world who appear to be succeeding in many phases of life, many who don’t walk according to the will of God; however, they seem to be living life to the fullest… Isaiah informs us today that we must be careful not to get caught up in the way things appear or seem to be because “…the glory of the Lord shall be revealed…”God will be exalted, He will be recognized as Lord of Lord and King of Kings and you should find courage today in your walk because you know that when His glory is revealed you will be as well… Those who think they are mighty will become weak, those who think they have plenty will not have enough and it’s good news for all those serving in whatever capacity that God desires of them to know that “…all flesh shall see it together…” Everyone will come to know your path and see how God has kept you and secured you… There are times in life when circumstances aren’t what you desire them to be; situations that seem unfair and unjust; times when the trials and tribulations, the storms and rain just are too much to even comprehend. 

Again, this passage that we focus on today informs us that the glory of the Lord will be revealed.  That means that we will behold His majesty, we will see His omnipotence and feel His favor. Some things take place in your life so that you will understand that only God can deliver you, some things happen so that you will increase in faith in the Lord. Those who ignore the sovereignty of God and think that they are full will be empty, and pride will be humbled, because as Isaiah says, “…the Lord hath spoken it…”  As Jesus hung on the cross with insults being hurled upon Him the bible records that in His final moments the earth shook violently and the Vail of the temple was torn in two, one observer of the crucifixion takes note of Jesus and is recorded in Matthew 27:54 “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" In the midst of Christ’s hardships the glory of the Lord was revealed to this individual; likewise, in your life know that the glory of the Lord will be revealed in you and through you… 

The bible is filled with messages of adversity and the revelation of God’s sovereignty; Job lost it all, but gained double what he had (his later was greater than his former)… Joseph was imprisoned but soon sat over the land of Egypt… David lived in a cave fleeing the hands of Saul, but was later the King of Israel… There will be dark days where people will see your sorrows, but know that this is the time where God is manifesting His will, this is the time that He is instilling His plan, this is the time where He makes sure that His name is exalted by your deliverance…, Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” What God is saying today is that your trials allow people to see His glory! Sometimes the trials that you face aren’t meant for you, but you have to go through them so that you may show others your faith and God may show the world His faithfulness… He said He would never leave you nor forsake you; God said it, I believe it and that settles it!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Actions Trump Words

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22

There are two vital elements to the life of a Christian; one is hearing the word of God and the other is applying and/or doing the word of God… We cannot hear and be satisfied, the word of God must not only be heard, but be rooted within so that it can sprout and bring forth fruit from the lives we live and the examples we display to others…  You deceive nobody but yourself when you think that you have done enough by being able to say that you faithfully attend church; you deceive yourself when you put on your Sunday’s best and display the worse example of a Christian each and every other day of the week… Applying the word of God is what leads to positive fruits and results in ones life… The word of God being heard without being applied is the same as instruction being received and not carried out… You wonder why you fall short over and over again, you wonder why your life continues to spiral out of control as you attend church faithfully and the answer may be in your application of what God is providing to you verses what you have heard and have chosen to demonstrate… 

This passage taken from James so often reminds me of how many people will leave a church service and speak of how powerful and moving it was… You ask them how the Pastor’s sermon was and they immediately say “Oh, pastor did a wonderful job, he was so powerful!” The next question you ask is what was it that he or she preached about, and they don’t have the slightest clue and began to think back to the service. How can we be of God if we do not listen and act upon what He has given us? James is calling for us to not talk a good game, but walk a Godly life. In order to walk a Godly life we must first get away from ungodly things! These things could be people, places, or habitats, it could be a relationship that you are struggling to hold onto, a (n) addiction you just can’t give up, or a place that you find comforting enough to please your earthly desires. 

When something is heard it is not necessarily received, when it has not been received it will soon disappear from your memory! When we are given a task on our job we act as soon as possible to complete it so that we don’t forget it… As a child of God we must act as soon as possible when it comes to edifying the body of Christ! To often we play church and wonder why we don’t see any advancement in our church; we smile and clap, but never put in the sweat and energy that God truly desires from us… Every person that encountered Jesus on this earth was given a task to complete (the rich young man) to show their faith and that they understood what the Lord has said! Before he left the earth He said (to all the disciples) that we must take up our cross, that we must hate our fellowman (those who oppose the gospel) and that we must keep in mind that they hated Him first… Faith takes actions, it takes commitment and it takes desire to be doers of the word and not just hearers…

The proof is in the pudding, the question is “how does your life taste?”

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!

Reverence Initializes Communications

"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name."

Malachi 3:16

Take sometime today to think about this next line of text which I am about to write; God knows and sees all that we do… Often times we (for whatever reason) think that we can get over on God, we come to a conclusion that if we do just enough in church God will be pleased, or if we read just enough throughout the week that everything will be okay… The bible constantly reminds us that God looks at the heart of man, the acts that you do on this earth isn’t what God notes, but the thoughts that spur your actions are what God is watching… If you give simply for someone to see your act of kindness the bible says that you have already received your reward; however, if you sow a seed with a desire not to gain popularity from men than God will reward your deeds because you are truly doing them from the kindness of your heart… This is why we are instructed in the gospel of Matthew to be secretive in our giving, the word says “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” 

So many of us do things to be seen and praised by men and Jesus told that those who do that have already received their reward… Understanding this in today’s time means that we must stop doing things to get a rise out of people, we must stop trying to inflate our own egos and we must stop trying to “trick” God… This verse begins with saying, “Then they that feared the Lord…” Fear is something that is in the heart, if it is not embedded in your soul or stored within than it is not sincere, it is not genuine and it is not pure… David said that a broken and contrite heart God will not despise; know today that if you want to truly walk in the will of God it must come from within… You must have a sincere respect, reverence and appreciation for God and His sovereignty… Malachi teaches us today not only that God is looking for sincerity, but that He has a book of remembrance for those who fear Him… In your reverence to the Lord, all your deeds, all your acts of humility and all your tears of sacrifice are recorded; just like Abraham they will be counted as righteousness… Do to your servitude you can have a heavenly bank account that overflows… The key to obtaining this is “…fearing the Lord…”When you have a heart that is crying out to God, a heart that yearns in admiration of the Lord; you will see that next thing spoken of by the prophet Malachi take place and that is that “…the Lord will hearken and hear you…” 

The Lord desires to give you life and make your life complete. He desires to take you to another level, but He’s waiting for you to fear Him and speak His word… Jesus Christ laid down His life on the cross for all those who would turn to Him… We are justified not by what we do, but by the faith that we have in Him… It is important for us to know that God remembers the day that you “sincerely” gave your life to Christ, He remembers the hour that you turned and followed Him and He knows the path that you have chosen to walk… At the end our lives we all will stand before Him and give a (n) account for our life; it is good to know that He will know all the things that we have done if we have chosen to walk with Him; however, it is bad to know that He will know obviously if we haven’t lived according to His will… The steps you take this day are recorded, the avenues and paths you walk have been written down and if you are walking with the Lord know that just as Malachi says even though you may experience ups and downs highs and lows God has “…heard it…” God knows what you stand in need of, He knows the battles you have faced and the trials that you have overcome, He has seen the storms that have approached your door and at the end He will justify you through the blood of Jesus and say “come on in…” Keep holding on, keep believing, God hears your sincere and affectionate prayers and He will answer… Be encouraged, God is listening with pen in hand noting the needs you have and meeting them everyday!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Only Fools Live According To Worldly Standards

Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a fool so that he may become wise.

1 Corinthians 3:18

Socrates once said, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." We are charged today through this verse penned by Paul to remain humble… In the world that we live in it is very easy to become so entrapped with pride, ego and self righteousness; however, the call of all Christians is to rise above the standards of this world by taking the path least traveled… It’s human nature to want to be the best and showcase your talents; the biggest factor in doing that is the way in which you go about it… The bible is clear about boasting and even tells us that “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.…” The higher you are on yourself the further you will fall when you are humbled… I don’t know about you, but my fear of heights and falling keeps me close to the ground… This letter written to the church of Corinth by the Apostle Paul reminds us that we must not think higher of ourselves than we ought. Paul tells the church of Corinth at the very beginning of this verse “Do not deceive yourselves…” Paul says this because the church had lost sight of God and focused on their material wealth and stature. 

Remember what happen with Eve in the garden, Satan told her that she wouldn't die, but he also appealed to her mental makeup in declaring that if she ate the fruit she would “…be like God, knowing good and evil…” This same appeal to the human nature of desiring power and elevation is present in our day and age which is why Paul says “If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age…” God is bigger than this world, we don’t have the full picture and it’s time that we understand that true wisdom is God and comes from Him… You can receive all the schooling you want (just like Paul), but you will not travel the road that God has for you until you are humbled before Him… Not only is pride something that we all have and must deal with; kin to that, we must be able to abase ourselves in this world… It’s hard enough to fight pride; it’s even harder to bring yourself down to a low position… We declare today that we are co-heirs with Christ and this is true through the sacrifice He made on Calvary, but it’s also true through the humbleness displayed by Him while He walked this earth… Remember Christ stated very clearly that He came “…not to be served but to serve…” This is the Most High, the King of Kings; however He came to serve and even wash the very feet of mankind… 

Today let us take note of the things which Christ demonstrated for us and take pride in serving others… Serving is a humbling task, when you serve you are subject to feeling inferior (a severe battle of the mind which keeps us from accepting such a position), you are subject to being cast down and mistreated; however, in your weakness God’s power is made perfect… Through your humility you are being strengthened, through your submission you are becoming victorious and this is what will lead to wisdom… Paul says, “…he should become a fool so that he may become wise…” A person who is wise in their own eyes will never see the errors of their ways… They will never admit to needing help; however a fool is a silly, deceived person whose mental makeup isn’t as strong so they are easily enticed or mislead… In becoming a fool we aren’t beyond reach, we aren’t beyond understanding the truth path… The book of Proverbs tells us “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Don’t think that you need the approval of man on this earth; don’t believe for a second that you can do it on your own… As a child of God we must be humble, knowing and understanding that it is only through God’s gift of His son that we can live and have our being. Jesus told the disciples that the greatest among you is servant to all, let us remember that to be low is high and to be humble is greatness, to be last is to be first… That is why Paul says you should become a fool so that you are wise.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Plan Addresses Your Pain

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9

God sent is son into this world to deliver us from the penalty of sin. There was none on this earth who were perfect, for through Adam’s bloodline all had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Seeing that there was none among us to deliver us from wickedness unto righteousness, God sent his ONLY begotten son. Hebrews reminds us that he was touched by our infirmities; Christ had compassion on his Father’s creation, so he laid down his life. People lose sight of the fact that Christ was 100% God and Man. There were many times he was tempted just as we are. The devil offered Him the world, He could have passed from taking the cup in the Garden of Gethsemane, but instead He was without sin. For that you should truly be grateful. Our second focus verse taken from Isaiah declares to us the revelation we should grow to see and understand; in our deepest stage of evil God had already formed a plan for Salvation, He had already ordained the time and day His son would come. He had already planned a way of escape for His children. Despite what I may think is best, I am glad that God knows best… 

There have been numerous times where I pondered the question what is God up too and this passage from the prophet simply tells us today that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are higher than ours. So when you fill in despair about your circumstance and can’t seem to understand your situation, know that God is at work and it all will work for the good, for those called according to His purpose! When we think about situations, we immediately begin to form our own plan and directions for action; Isaiah reminds us today that as a child of God we must realize that we have to walk by faith and not by sight. We must ignore the way in which the world declares right and hold to Gods unchanging hand! These verses unified together encourage me to understand that He sees your frustration, He feels your pain, He knows everything that you have faced, but furthermore it empowers me to remember that He has planned a course that will help you bare every burden, He has set a time for you to reap the harvest of your labor and He will never put more on you than you can bare! 

Jesus was crucified that we might live; today He sits at the right hand interceding on our behalf… God has always made a way out of no way; He has always shown up on time, He has always turned our darkness into day… You may not understand every situation, you may not understand every valley, you may not understand every cloudy day, but what you must know (as a Christian) is that God doesn’t make mistakes, what you must know is that He has gone to prepare a place for you! In this place there will be no more weeping, there will be no more sadness, there will be no more pain, there will be no more sin… Everyday will be Sunday, Sabbath will have no end and you will walk the streets of gold giving God the highest Praise because He heard your prayer, He saw your tears and He prepared a way for your victory!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Your Work Determines Your Wages

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

There is no way for you to live a double life; Paul’s letter to the Church of Rome emphasis the point that the only outcome from sin is death… Many people believe that they can do as they please and make up for it before it’s too late, when we live in this manner we live in falsehood and set ourselves up for failure… Tomorrow is never promised and death awaits all that anticipate a reward for their sin… The bible tells us that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess; every move that you make is remembered, every decision you make is recorded and you will suffer the consequences of your actions (whether good or bad)… The bible is clear that we reap what we sow and it is also clear that a fig tree can not bare any other object besides figs… If you are living a life that lives according to the standards of this world today is your wakeup call… If you are walking under the authorities that are here on this earth today is your reality check… We all must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We all must give account and will be held accountable for our actions here on Earth. I cannot help but emphasize the fact that this passage tells us the wages of sin is death. 

This simply means that as you lead a life of sin, your reward is eternal damnation. Sure, it may feel right at the time or moment, and you may even take great pleasure in your sin, but stop and think about what kind of reward you will receive. People get high to forget their problems, they drink to become disoriented, and they sleep around to feel loved. All these things do not add up to true rewards. The problems that you left when taking drugs still exist when your high fades, the pain you try to avoid with alcohol will tear you up even more when you are sober again and love doesn’t live in the arms of multiple partners… The gift that you have been promised if you leave your life of sin is eternal life. The bible tells us that we are to store our treasures in heaven, one of the biggest hurdles we have to overcome on this Christian journey is looking for physical prosperity in everything that we do or take part in… God sees all your deeds, but some of your rewards will not be evident until you reach Eternal Bliss… Your life is truly a gift and you are here on this earth to serve a purpose and fulfill your ordained journey… Turning away from things that please us is hard to do, giving up the desires of the flesh aren’t easy and we must fight daily to advance under the leadership of God… When you place money into a bank account or invest in stocks it sits there and often times you don’t realize how much money you have gained as the stocks mature… 

Today we invest in our heavenly dwelling understanding that when we reach our Eternal home our deposits of submission and obedience will have matured greatly and will be presented with rewards that surpass anything that this world has to offer… These are the wages I cherish as I work through this life. How about you? There are always gifts to be received; the problem is that sometimes we receive gifts that we don’t desire! When I was young I often heard the saying that if you’re bad Santa will bring you a lump of coal, the interesting thing that was embedded in my mind was that you still get a gift, but the gift you receive was determined by your actions! Today let us understand that we all will receive gifts, but that if you want the best things possible for you (eternal life), if you want to give your children the foundation that they need and deserve, than you must demonstrate it in your everyday actions and decision-making… Let us remember that all good and perfect gifts come from above, I want the perfect gift for me, I want a good gift that fits me, so I understand that I must align myself with the will of God and not be worried or mislead by the things that take place around me! I am earning wages everyday, how much I actual get is determined by my work ethic!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

The Avenues Of Life

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 16:25

There are so many paths that we can travel in this life, so many avenues that we can venture down; however, we are reminded today that no matter how many different paths we see or how many different avenues we find, all end in death if they are not paved by the Lord… This verse starts off by saying “There is a way…”You can layout the plans for your life, the goals you want to reach and how you plan to obtain them, but death is guaranteed for your end result if your will is not submissive to the will of God… The bible teaches us that God disciplines those He loves, the bible also tells us that we must go through the “refiner’s fire” so that we can become the children God designed us to be… Understanding that discipline is a part of our growth and trials help our maturation process lets us know that things shouldn't come easy… The path you seek a lot of times is based upon the appearance of easiness in its travel… Often times we are always looking for the quick fix or the easy way out, but the Proverb teaches us today that if it seems easy and enticing to do, you had better stay clear of that path… 

The way that seemeth right to man is the way that provides least resistance, provides a quick answer and opens doors immediately… We all would love to walk into our workplace, get the respect we deserve a make a salary that would have to many zero’s to count; however, we know that the bible tells us that we must ask, seek and knock… This means that you must work toward the goal, you must sacrifice, you must endure and you must be patient… I have seen many people who have sought the quick fix or the get rich quick scheme and have appeared to have found success; that is until their “man-made”mountain comes tumbling down upon them and they find themselves in a worse situation than they were before… Paul was a well educated man who had a zeal for the Lord; however He never walked in the pathway of the Lord until He was humbled, blinded and placed in the care of another man for a period of time (get the point!!!) We like Paul can have all the accolades and desires for success, but until we walk the path God has laid for us we will indeed be walking a path that leads to death… There always comes a point and time in our lives where we say that we are going to do our own thing. 

We think that we are grown and we know what is best for us. This passage (attributed to Solomon) says that there is a way that seemeth right unto a man. There is a time we fill like this is what we need to do or this is the direction in which we should travel. Solomon was a man, who was the wisest of all, he had riches, over a thousand women and his life was full of bliss, I am positive that he believed that he had done everything that he should have and the direction his life was headed was perfect, but as we look at this passage we also know that Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and it is in that book that Solomon recounts all that he had accomplished in the worldly view of things and how it is all meaningless (vanity) a chasing after the wind... This lets me know that though we chase after fame, fortune, and popularity, the end of that road is destruction because God is not the head of your life. So even though things may seem to be on the right path, living life to the fullest, eating and being merry, understand that the end is death. So often we base decisions on appearance and not true worth… Even though it seems right, don’t trust it without God’s approval and direction! Ultimately the choice is yours, the path you choose displays the choice that you have made, please pick wisely…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Mercy Saved Us

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Titus 3:5-6

Your hours of study and minutes of sweat may be beneficial to your success; however, it is imperative to know and realize today that you can’t do anything on this earth through the works of your hands to obtain the righteousness needed to be saved and clothed in the garments that show you as a child of God… Titus reminds us today that no matter how perfect we think we are or how many good deeds we try to do that it is not by our hands that we receive Salvation… Often times we shortchange the way in which we are saved and sealed until Christ returns… Ephesians 4:30 says, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed until the day of redemption…” You are saved by the blood of Jesus and sealed by the Holy Spirit… Did you catch that? Again, we are drawn by the father, set free by the son and sealed by the Holy Spirit… 

All three comprise the Salvation that we inherit as a child of the most high…Today you need to stop acting as if you are a good person and start recognizing that you are saved “…according to his mercy…” You didn’t deserve it, you didn’t’ warrant it, but while you were in the pit of darkness God withheld His judgment from you and gave you a clean slate… It is by the mercy of God (withholding the judgment that you and I truly deserved) are still in the land of the living…Don’t get it twisted; you have done nothing to deserve the saving power that came through God’s beloved son. Don’t lose sight of the fact that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Nothing of your feeble hands has acquired God’s mercy, none of your works on this Earth would ever be enough to offer and pay the ransom for you life of sin. Remember that He has washed us through regeneration; to regenerate means to renew, restore or revive… We were dead and God revived us, we were broken and God restored us, and we were expiring through sin and God renewed us… 

He gave us a clean slate and refocused our minds on Him by the sending of the comforter the Holy Ghost. Regeneration is a change of mindset, a new focus or outlook; if it were up to us our mindset, our goals and our desires would all be of this world and Satan would laugh all the way to the pits of hell carrying our souls along with him…Through the outpouring of Christ blood, we are given a choice to either walk under the curse we are born with or receive the grace of God which can transcend any current circumstance and place our feet on a heavenly foundation… Again, don’t become so prideful that you forget that humility is the key to salvation. Paul said, “not by works of my hand, lest I should boast!” Paul is credited with writing a majority of the New Testament; however, he knows that even this would not stamp his ticket to heaven… Even though Paul founded many churches He knows that He was found to be a sinner until the light of Christ shined upon the darkness in his life… Don’t take this time for granted, don’t ignore God’s mercy and please don’t forget that without God NOTHING is possible, but by HIM all things are possible…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

The Definition of Godly Wisdom

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

James 3:17

There are so many people in this world who claim to be wise; however, James reminds us today that there are two kinds of wisdom… There is wisdom which comes from above (Godly) and wisdom which does not come from above (worldly)… Each source of wisdom can be found by the seeds which are planted and developed from it as we see that James shares with us today in our focus verse the attributes that are aligned with the wisdom which comes from above… The very definition of wisdom is to have insight, intelligence, acumen or astuteness toward a specific topic as well as the ability to apply this knowledge in a manner that renders fair judgment and understanding… Wisdom is a deeper level of knowledge within a particular matter and often times allows others a better opportunity to understand any given subject… In understanding the overall spectrum of wisdom, we must understand today that there is power in wisdom and that wisdom can be used in two different ways… When I acquire wisdom about a particular issue I can use it for a positive or negative impact… Using wisdom in a negative manner is the flipside of Godly wisdom as it usually is used to better ones standing or to bring down someone else… This passage taken from the book of James reminds us to consider the avenues in which we venture in obtaining wisdom… Understand today, to be wise is to accumulate knowledge; however, how we utilize the knowledge we gain is another story… 

We all have probably heard the saying, “knowledge is power” and this saying is true, but when we perceive the fact that the devil has a lot of knowledge when it comes to God’s word and our lives, it is scary to think of what devices he can come up with to try and trip us up… For this very reason alone we are reminded throughout God’s word that we are to be immersed in His will and word and that we must be on top of our game… One thing that plagues the body of believers is that we often take in the wrong things as it pertains to the life that we live… We are focused on the wrong things in life; we are consumed by the wrong people and/or places… James describes the kind of wisdom (accumulation and application of knowledge) that we should have and how we know if we are headed in the right direction… Wisdom is something that everybody wants and would love to gain; to be knowledgeable, insightful and intelligent are characteristics that every person would love to have on any given topic or subject… As I stated earlier, James informs us today that we can gain wisdom from two different sources… The wisdom that comes from above displays these characteristics; it is gentle, full of mercy, bares good fruit and is without hypocrisy… To understand what and where “good wisdom” comes from means that there must be a source where we can obtain “bad wisdom” to… 

Not everything learned is good and something’s that we learn can not only destroy you, but can destroy the others around you as well! James invites us to examine our lives today and mainly focus on our source of learning… The bible declares in Proverbs 9:10 that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The wisdom we desire to have is not something which we can obtain through this earth; this Godly wisdom only comes from God and starts with a fear and reverence for Him… When we go through a situation and learn how to handle that situation and can use that lesson learned to help our fellow man as well as ourselves as it pertains to our Christian walk than we know that we are accumulating a knowledge that God desires for us to have… On the contrary, when we are pulling one another down and speaking deceiving words about mistakes we have made or consequences we have had to bear than we are allowing the wisdom obtained to produced negative fruit and therefore ruin the seed that could have blossomed from those times in our lives… The Pharisees believed that they were full of wisdom and rejected the coming savior… Saul was persecuting the church, but was said to be zealous for God… If the wisdom that you have is destroying others, baring rotten fruit or has taught you to develop lies then you need to check your source! You should be a positive influence on your communities if you are walking in the wisdom of God… If you are doing more harm then good; please, check your sources!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Death Is Swallowed Up in Victory

"So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting" O grave, where is thy victory"

1 Corinthians 15:54

From your birth to your death there is a transformation that takes place on the outside that all see as it pertains to your growth as far as height, puberty and physical features… Seeing someone at the age of 10 is completely different than seeing them at the age of 25, there are a lot of things that will change throughout the course of one's life that are visible changes… Today, we read about changes that come through the molding and perfecting of God which was set in place by the Lord Jesus Christ… These changes are internal and are not seen until our physical body returns to the dust from which it came… Understand today that we are clothed in corruptible things, we are mortal beings and the scars of sin are visible upon our lives… Each step you take as a Christian in advancing your knowledge and submission to the Lord brings you closer to your body of immortality… Being mortal means that we are earthly, worldly or simply human… We make mistakes, we make bad decisions and we are on a vessel charted with a course leading to hell… This body you are in isn’t adequate for heaven, it won’t suffice and the growth, how ever painful it is that you are going through now is preparing you to step out of the mortal corruption into your heavenly garments… As a child, one of the most trying times in our lives is when someone (parent of other) tells us to “wait”… When that word is uttered to us often times we become anxious uneasy or retaliatory desiring to have our way or obtain the resolution we want immediately… In waiting we must be patient and know that other things must take place or time must elapse for us to get where we desire to be or obtain what we want… 

Paul writes this letter to the church of Corinth to teach about the true victory that we anticipate… Many Christians are expecting miracles and prosperity as soon as they accept Christ as their personal Savior, some begin to lose heart whenever a trial or storm approaches their door; however, we must take notice of what it is that Paul says today and how it relates to us… We often hear people recite this verse about the victory that comes in the Salvation that we receive; however, it is important that we understand and remember the way in which this scripture begins… “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then…” Victory does await all those that call upon the name of the Lord, but we must go through the refiner’s fire and the purification process… Often times we talk about being victorious, but the question that should be asked is how your transformation is coming along… Are you able to give up the things in your life that you don’t need, are you able to trust the Lord at all times (emphasis on “ALL”) and are you willing to let go when it hurts… The saying that “…death is swallowed up in victory…”will not be uttered unless you have been clothed in the garments of the Most High… This means you will see some things, you will experience some things, you will go through some things, but you know that your perfect attire awaits… 

Death will be swallowed up when your victory overcomes it… You will lie down, but in Christ this is the beginning of your rise… This body that we currently reside in is temporary, this physical establishment that we have will not see the gates of heaven nor will it even be caught up in the clouds… This transformation that must take place in our lives is giving up the things of this world, letting go of the physical and relying on the spiritual… We can only gain victory over death by believing in Jesus Christ and accepting His offering on the Cross… The bible teaches us that death is certain, but when we realize that we have a home not made by hands eternal in the heavens we realize that the sting of death is lost, the concealing of the physical body in the ground doesn’t mean much when we know that we were formed from the dust of the ground… When we receive a call that someone has passed or funeral arrangements are being made it stings us to the core; however, what Paul is saying today is that we all have a journey to complete upon this earth and if we are of the household of faith we know that death on earth means life forevermore and when we see it in its true form it doesn’t hurt to see someone go on to be at rest and peace with God… Understanding that death on this earth is a time to rejoice when you know you are in the body of Christ allows you to close your thoughts just as Paul closed this verse; “O death, where is thy sting" O grave, where is thy victory…"

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!