He Hasn't Forgotten About You

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." 

Hebrews 13:5

Are you truly content with the things that you have? This does not mean that you are satisfied with your standing, but that you appreciate everything in your life and don’t take things for granted… Today’s focus verse reminds us of the importance of being content with what we have or else we will become susceptible to coveting what our neighbor has… To covet means to desire, want, or long for; when you covet something all your focus turns to obtaining that particular position or object and leaves you vulnerable to losing what you already have… As a child of God, we stand in faith that “he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee…”We don’t covet the possessions of our neighbors simply because we believe in God and that He will supply all of our needs…  When one takes on the mindset of coveting, they really expose themselves to all the devices and snares of the enemy… The minute you turn to material things you lose sight of God; this is one of the very reasons why Moses received one of the Ten Commandments which spoke to coveting… "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” God indeed is in the blessing business (as I often hear people say), but you must first take care of the little you have (be content) and allow God to provide the abundance… Just because He has not provided it now doesn't mean it isn't on the way. Keep the faith and know that Christ has not forgotten about you. 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Grace Is Given To The Humble

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

James 4:6

James teaches us the truth about God’s grace and how we experience it through this journey we call life… Jesus taught His disciples that in order to find your life you must lose it for His sake… We each have a cross to bear and Christ will give us the power, grace, energy and endurance to bear it… James informs us today that if you want to live you must die, if you want be rich you must become poor and if you want to be exalted you must be humbled… God is a God of faithfulness and He demonstrates it by lifting you up when you fall… Every trial that you encounter serves a purpose in your life, every obstacle that you face was ordained and appointed by God and every storm that approaches your door teaches you to lean and depend on our heavenly Father… James says, “But he giveth more grace…” Grace is something that is given that isn’t deserved, a gift that is out of thoughtfulness, kindness and compassion… Even though you don’t deserve it, God gives you more, even when you mess up, He gives you another chance, when you walk through the wrong door (temptation), He opens another to get you back on track… God cares about you, God’s compassion was demonstrated when He sent His only begotten son to die for our sins… Today we are reminded that God is able to make all grace abound to you, one of my sisters once told me, “You never tell God how big your storm is, you simply tell the storm how big your God is…” There is a lot of substance in that statement, James starts off his book by telling us that we should consider it pure joy when we face trials and temptations… We can be joyful in storms not because of the rain, but because you have shelter and will see the sun shine again… You can be joyful in times of sorrow, not because of the tears that flow, but because of the happiness soon to come… God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us and the truth of the matter is the greater the hurdle in front of you, the more grace God is about to deposit into your life… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Beware Of Tradition

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Colossians 2:8

We are tempted in many ways and forms to follow anything but the path that Jesus Christ paved for us through His bloodshed on the cross… Paul reminds us of that fact in today’s focus verses which sheds light on the many avenues in which we can be deceived… Today we focus on a letter that Paul writes to the church of Colosse about guarding yourself against the attacks of the devil and his evil intentions… Paul has laid the foundation for the Church of Colosse and as the people have begun to convert unto Christianity, there are some men who have began to try and infiltrate the church and deceive the congregation… Make no mistake about it, as soon as you make the choice to follow Christ; that’s the same time in which the devil turns his attack toward you… Often time we focus on the things of the world as being evil, but today Paul reminds us that our biggest adversary can be found within the church… I once heard a man say that the devil resides in the church, not because He wants to be religious, but because he has no cares about whoever is living according to the worldly standard… Paul teaches us today about the importance of surrounding yourself with the right kind of people and also establishing a sturdy foundation upon the word of God on your own…We live in a world where we have more and more people receiving their doctorate in theology, more and more people attending seminary and more and more people building churches; however, we see more and more corruption in the church, more and more thieves in the pulpit and more and more souls being lost… People have begun to follow men instead of following God and Paul reminds us today through his letter to the church of Colosse that we must beware and be vigilant… Understand that there are a lot of people in the church that aren’t of the church and will try to spoil the congregation… We often hear people say that they are looking for the perfect church and I once heard someone say that you will never find a perfect church because its perfection will be lost as soon as you join…There is a lot of truth in the fact that you will never find a perfect church; however, the key is knowing and understanding where the flaws are so that you aren’t ensnared by them…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Receive Christ; Receive Power

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

John 1:12

The door to your victory is right in front of you; the questions that lie as the doormat is whether you will open it or not… John starts this verse by saying “as many as received him…” You have a choice to make, you decide the outcome and verdict of your life… Jesus said, “Behold I stand at the door and knock,” he wants you to open up and let Him in… You can withstand this test, you can overcome this obstacle and you can master this journey… You have the ability because Christ deposited it in you from Calvary… You have the power to become sons of God, what a compelling statement… This declaration simply means that you have the power to alter your life, you have the power to be what people said you couldn’t be and you have the power to decide to live instead of die… The keys to victory are within reach, the mantle of success is within your sight and the first step to obtain them is to receive the Lord Jesus Christ… When you are a son of God, you are covered and are assured victory… We are told in John the 10^th chapter 28^th verse that as a child of God we are protected and safe… Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” When you walk in the will of God, though you may stumble you won’t fall, though you slip you will not be cast down; for God cares for you and will sustain you… When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, we receive the power to become sons of God… The power to become sons of God also gives us the power to overcome, the power to maintain, the power to succeed, and the power to be victorious… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Life Begins/Ends With Your Heart

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

The most important thing you have is your heart… Your heart provides life within your physical body and your connection with the Lord… You are called to guard your heart today because your life (physically and spiritually) depends on it… If you have a heart of hatred and envy, you cannot have a connection with the Lord; the bible tells us that God is love and love is something that starts in the heart… The heart is a very sacred and vital organ both to your physical and spiritual life… Let's take the analogy of the heart being a pump. We know that whatever is inside the heart will be pumped out (in the physical since this is the blood that travels through our veins, in the spiritual we are talking about whatever Godly or worldly things that reside within)…This is why we are reminded that if we want to live we must keep our heart… The heart is the source, it’s the critical point and it’s the very place you’re most likely attacked by the devil… Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” The bottom line is that you must protect yourself and your life… If you’re careless with your heart and give it to any and everybody, it will be shown by how torn and tattered your life is…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He Never Said It Would Be Easy

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

1 Timothy 4:10

There are two kinds of men on this earth; those who work for the reward of today and those who work for the reward of tomorrow… Your drive as far as your work ethic displays the kind of man that you are… When things don’t go as you planned or you don’t’ see the immediate fruits of your labor, how do you handle those situations… Paul reminds us today that we must remember that the prize we labor for will not be manifested upon this earth… Timothy faced a lot of peer pressure when he took up the calling of ministry that was placed upon his life; however, it was through this passage that Paul reminds Him that we suffer not for material things, but “because we trust in the living God…” Not every person you meet will have a zeal for Christ… Not everyone you meet will want to share in your witness or see the name of Christ exalted; it is in these times that we must remember the service which we take part it… We are not about pleasing men nor are we doing this for form or fashion… I serve Christ because I believe that He died for my sins, I serve Him because I believe that I can do nothing without Him, but that with Him all things are possible… I will “suffer reproach” because I believe I have found an answer to the void that is in my life which cannot be filled my men… Don’t give in to the temptation of earthly success; don’t give in to the appearance of happiness that comes with material things… Know that you are working toward a far more precious prize and the more you go through the better it will be… Paul is reminding Timothy of the same thing that he told the Church of Rome in the 8^th chapter of his letter… “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior, there are two things embodied by that choice that are guaranteed; one is that you will inherit eternal life and the other (least talked about) is that you will suffer… Amidst seasons where the latter is true, know that your hardships bring about maturity, your destiny will be met through your tribulations, and God knows that this is an uphill battle! 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Endure Temptation; Your Crown Awaits

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 

James 1:12

Every man faces temptations; however, the one that is blessed is the one that endures them and doesn’t give in…  I was once told that the saddest thing about someone quitting a project or process is that they never realize how close they were to completing it. The same can be said of our Christian journey… The temptations we face appear to be the easy way out, but the reality is that you are so close to the blessings of God if you just hold on a little while longer… The things that catch your eye in this life will never satisfy the vision God has placed inside you… The difference between being blessed or not lies in the sacrifice and obedience that one has within… Daily, we all face decisions; however, the question we have to have at the heart of our decisions is to whom we are trying to please… You can only endure temptations if you have a heart's desire to please the Lord… Make no mistake about it, the story of your life is unique to you, but the challenges that you faced in getting to where you are now are quite similar to everyone on this journey… We all have been and will be tested; this is why James says “for when he is tried…” he doesn’t say if, but when; you can rest assured that in seeking to live according to the will of God Satan will try you… 

He will try to paint a picture of gloom and doom and lead you down a path of destruction that will end with you throwing in the towel… Oftentimes we try to paint an image of Christianity without temptations or snares and this is why so many people can’t endure the rough terrain of this journey… I don’t know what your bible tells you, but the word of God that I read tells me that we will be persecuted, we will suffer, and we will endure hardships… We must stop relying on our own ability and start to allow God to move on our behalf… It doesn’t matter how strong you are, it doesn’t matter how tough you might appear to be, you cannot defeat this enemy on your own and this is why you are not called to overcome but to endure… To endure means that you bear, tolerate, or undergo; you must bear the storms in your life, you must tolerate the words of your adversary and undergo the battles of the opposition… Notice that in this enduring you are not called to fight back or engage… A lot of times we misunderstand endurance and confuse it with perseverance… You are not called to fight the enemy, you are called to speak Christ and let the Lord fight your battles… So just hold on, be strong, and of good courage, we have to be tested, but there is a tremendous reward if we continue to pass the test!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!