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 Communication

"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!