Be Strong And Of Good Courage

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." 

Deuteronomy 31:6

On the verge of your Promise Land you will surely find opposition…  Too often people present a false doctrine and make the voyage of following Christ appear to be an easy task… We believe that we can win souls for Christ by delivering all the things that He will and can do for us and hope that the person we are entertaining doesn’t read the fine print or the disclaimer that informs them that they will deal with persecutions, hardships, and trials… As a child of God, we are to “consider it pure joy when we face trials” because we are being developed and molded… The pain you endure today releases the power you need to obtain victory tomorrow… Don’t be fooled by how things may appear in your life; instead, prepare yourself every morning to be attacked by the enemy… This is why we are charged by Paul to “Put on the whole amour of God…”  There is a battle taking place daily over your very soul and you must come to the realization that this is a reality that will be in place until Christ returns and you are called home… The message we learn from this text today is simple yet powerful… If I had to sum up the charge put forth from this passage I would warn, challenge, and encourage you by these words… God has already been where you are and where you are going… The path you are traveling had to be paved for you to travel it and the battles you encounter have already been won… With that being said, don’t let the appearance of things derail your divine reality…  

ALL FOR HIS GLORY

His Return Is Imminent

"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand." 

Joel 2:1

In today’s study, we have a word of warning and a word of victory solely deriving from where you stand as a person of this world or a person of Christ… Through the warning message, we find the directive to “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion,” this call to the priest was to let the people know of the divine judgment to come… There are so many people who we encounter in our daily lives that do not know Christ… Please come to the realization today and understand that there is a difference between not knowing Him and rejecting Him; a lot of times we meet people who have never had Christ shared with them, and we engage with people daily who don’t know what Christ has done for us. As a child of God, the great commission commands us, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are called to bear witness of Christ and let our light shine before men… It is our divine assignment to let people know of the joy we have which was not given of this world but made obtainable by the nail-scarred hands of Christ… The Bible declares that “Faith cometh by hearing…” People cannot believe in something that they have never heard of; this is why the Bible also declares “and how can they hear without a preacher…” You have a faith that was ignited in you to keep you going through this dark and dreary world; however, you also have a measure of faith that was distinctly deposited in you to be poured out into the lives of those you encounter… Today, sound the alarm when you encounter a wayward soul, sound the alarm when you entertain a guest who doesn’t know Christ; however, if you are going through you can also open your mouth amid your situation, hardship, or despair and “Blow the trumpet” knowing that this too shall pass and the only things that are certain in this life are that we shall die and Christ shall take His children home to glory…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Stay Humble

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Philippians 2:3  

As a child of God, one of the biggest signs of maturity is how you deal with situations and people… Just as Jesus made it clear that He wants you to give from your heart, Paul reminds the church of Philippi that we are to strive to do things out of love and not out of strife, which is friction, discord or rivalry… How do you respond when someone asks you to do something, do you act like it is the end of the world, do you pout and let out a despairing cry? This letter to the church of Philippi urges the true disciples to focus on living for God and not worldly respect! There are two main points that we must understand when it comes to dealing with things through strife… The Bible says that we aren’t supposed to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing, this simply means that we are to be about the work of God without worrying about making sure that people see all that we do… Sadly, many of us have lost sight of humbling ourselves before the Lord and exalting God through our living. Instead, we have wanted to ensure that everyone and their mother knows what we have been asked to do or how difficult people are making our lives… We will throw our hands up with a massive sigh as if to say that this is a ton of bricks placed upon our shoulders. The second thing to this is that we try to draw attention to ourselves so that the people around us will praise our efforts… Jesus said wherever your treasures are there your heart will be… If you are focused on pleasing men and seeking their approval, you have lost sight of God and His approval which is the only one that matters… Paul says to us today that we need to stop acting foolish and looking for physical gain and popularity (vainglory); instead, we need to be focused on understanding what being a child of God entails. We are called to lift each other up (not tear each other down), but in lifting each other we are to do it without murmurings or disputes… Paul says we are to be in a lowly state; this calls for you to check your ego at the door, this informs us that we must examine the motives behind our actions and ensure that our focus is for God to be glorified and not us… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Blessed Is He That Trust In The Lord

Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Psalm 40:4

How you live your life demonstrates who the head of your life is and what matters most to you… The Lord cannot be “our trust” if we give up the value He has within our lives to fit in with others… This verse from the 40^th Psalm informs us of what it takes to be called BLESSED! So often we hear people say that they are blessed and highly favored… Highly favored coming from the announcement made to Mary by the angels that she would give birth to Christ! Notice that Mary was an upright woman who lived a life adhering to God’s will and standard of living, she adapted to every situation she faced and never gained an ego nor lived by worldly views… One who trusts in the Lord remains humble while being exalted; they stay the course in rocky situations and seek to fulfill the desires of God… Some stipulations come with this territory of being called BLESSED. If you claim that you are blessed, then that means you trust the Lord, aren’t concerned about the respect of peers, and aren’t caught up in the ways of this world… To be a blessed individual, there are a lot of sacrifices that you must make and they are broken down below: Keep in mind that we all are blessed, but we must understand that this doesn’t just mean that God has favored us or brought us through storms, to be blessed is indeed a validation to where you stand as a child of God!

1)   You must trust the Lord: Trusting is believing and expecting in every situation (whether good or bad)… This means that even in the dark days of your life you must continue to hold to God’s word, when things are uncertain, your faith must remain certain and when tribulations face you daily you must believe that HE is, and that HE is a reward of them that diligently seek him! Trusting God's not simply praying, but withstanding the test without complaining… Do you trust Him?

2)   Respect NOT the Proud: How hard is it for you to ignore what the world views as success, how hard is it for you to stand still despite what people may say and hold to God’s hand? There will be many chances in this life for you to show your trust in the Lord and dealing with peer pressure is one of them. Christ came to this earth and went against the Sanhedrin and Pharisees; He turned the tide and went against the grain… To be blessed you must do the same, it is a lot easier to be of the world than to just be in it, but a true BLESSED child of God will go against the status quo and deliver a powerful witness against those who proclaim the ways of evil!

3)   Nor turn aside to Lies: This last task may be the most daunting of them all, we are called to walk upright before the Lord and this means that we must avoid the temptations of this world and sacrifice our sinful nature daily… Walking a Christian journey is filled with ups and downs strengths and weaknesses… Due to this fact, you will have many opportunities to lean away from God’s calling. People will come against the Lord at your weakest hour, they will blaspheme Him when you feel alone and isolated, but you must be capable of rising against the falsehoods and staying focused on the one who is THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF YOUR FAITH! God has started a masterpiece in your life, but you will not see the full value until every stroke has been completed. Sadness is a stroke, pain is a stroke, healing is a stroke, perseverance is a stroke, endurance is a stroke, and these things will mold you into the masterpiece He has called you to be! 

It is in the weak hours that Satan will try to plant lies within you that will lead you to

question your faith; you must turn them aside and stay the course… In other words, 

Trust In The Lord!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Sheep Know His Name

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

John 10:27-28

A sheep is an animal steered and directed towards a certain destination; unlike many animals, sheep are aimless, harmless creatures that must be guided daily and protected… The Bible refers to mankind as sheep and this analogy fits us to a tee… Just as sheep, we wander through this life aimlessly with no sense of direction and if we aren’t guided, we will end up in harm’s way and be devoured…Sheep not only must be watched over just as we need to be, but they also must develop a sense of trust and obedience with their shepherd… Over time sheep learn the voice of their master and will follow without hesitation, we as Christians must mature in the same way, because of our sinful nature, we are not willing to follow Jesus at the outset of our lives; but with time, will not only learn to trust Him, but we learn to decipher His voice from the voice of the enemy… Christ says in this passage taken from John that His sheep hear His voice and that He knows them just as they know Him! Notice the first statement is rather general to the point that His sheep hear His voice, but the next statement shows that intimacy which must be present within our lives as Christians… Christ says, I know them and they follow me… Christ understands that you aren’t perfect, He knows that you make mistakes and what this passage informs me of is that He is ready and willing to protect you, but you must first hear His voice and follow Him… So many people hear the voice of the Lord calling them, but they don’t follow, they pretend to be okay and don’t seek the help and cure that only God can provide… A shepherd must protect His sheep or they will be lost, Jesus wants to protect you, but you must follow Him or you will indeed be lost… Jesus goes on to say, “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish…” As I stated earlier, sheep are aimless creatures, but here Jesus reminds us that He will give your life a sense of purpose, He will guide you in all your ways, and will make sure that you don’t perish… 

Listen to His voice, continue to walk in His path, and believe in His word!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He Provides All That You Need

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Isaiah 40:28-29

Do you know the God that you serve? I hope that you know and understand that as a co-heir with Jesus Christ, we serve a God that is limitless and all mighty… Even though you may have experienced a setback or may not be where you desire; Isaiah has a question for you while you are amid your current circumstance… “Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard…?” If you feel like giving up or throwing in the towel today, you must not realize the authority and power in the hand of the God you serve… If you are waving your white flag in the direction of the enemy as a sign of surrender, then you must not know the everlasting God that is bigger than any situation or conflict… The Bible declares that God is present, and the Bible also declares that we must run this race with perseverance… This means that we must believe and stand in faith that the word of God is true when it says that “you will reap a harvest in due time if you faint not…” 

No matter what has occurred in your life, no matter how great or mighty the storm may appear, you can find comfort and solace in knowing that you serve a God that is unmatched and like no other… He is as Isaiah records in today’s focus verses “the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator…” Despite what you may be facing right now, proclaim through your faith that the word is true and serve notice to the enemy today that God is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that he should repent… Does he speak and not act, does he promise and not fulfill (Numbers 23:19)… His promises are real and will be manifested as He said… He will provide all that you need! You can smile in the face of adversity, not because you enjoy the current predicament, but because you know and have heard of the God you serve which is mightier than any tribulation… The Israelites went through bondage and the desert before reaching the Promised Land, your journey will produce the same steps but more importantly, it will produce the same results…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

The Cross Demonstrates His Power

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

When I want to give up on this journey I find strength in the cross… When I feel like I can’t make it another day, I can go to sleep with a smile because of the cross… It is through the cross that children of God find hope and strength… In suffering the most humiliating death on earth Jesus obtained the greatest victory known to man (which is victory over death)… The cross reminds me that nothing thrust against me will overcome the will and divine plan of God… The cross reminds me to accept challenges, endure hardships, and embrace obstacles because in the midst of my pain and suffering a victory is being obtained that will far surpass my current predicament… Some people are in this world and don’t know the hope they have or can have in Christ Jesus… There are people you encounter daily who don’t know the authority the enemy has over them is only given to him by them. People don’t know that they have been freed and are in bondage by choice and not circumstance… Since people don’t realize what Jesus did and haven’t realized that the situations they face and the chaos that surrounds their everyday lives are a result of their own actions “the message of the cross is foolishness…” 

Your life can be better than it is, you can have peace that is stable amidst this unstable world, but you must let go and allow God to work… Jesus let go after praying for the cup to pass from Him, as a result, God not only delivered Him, but placed Him in high esteem… As a Christian, our faith lives in what took place on the cross… Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth reminds us today of the biggest obstacle that stands not only between believers and non-believers but also what separates us from all other religions… All religions believe in a form of God; however, the discrepancy comes into play when you focus on who Jesus is… Most religions see Jesus as a prophet, most recognize Him as a messenger, but only Christianity sees Him as God in the flesh and the savior of all who believe in His name… The message of the cross is our inspiration as a Christian; the message of the cross represents a new beginning and the ability to overcome insurmountable odds... The cross represents death for all who don’t believe, it also represents life for all who call on His name…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!