Love Has To Be Your Foundation

...Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3

The societies that we live in and the communities with which we dwell have lost the meaning of the word love… There are so many people who do not understand what love means and/or what it will do; however, Paul pens in our focus verse today the point that a child of God is defined by love… If love isn’t the center of your motivation to act, then the deeds you do are done in vain… Understand today that Love is more than a word, its’ more than a feeling; love is the ability to go above and beyond, to look beyond faults and extend a hand despite what others may say and/or feel… Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth reminds us again that love has to be the ignition to the fire which leads us to take action… It doesn’t matter how much you give, but that you give in love… It doesn’t matter how much you do, it matters that you do your acts in love not for prestige or repayment… 

 

What is your intent when you give to someone in need? Are you doing it out of genuine concern, or is it so that everyone around you may see your good deeds and praise you for your efforts? Do you give to those in need expecting something in return, or are you simply wishing to help those who stumble upon hard times? These are the questions that we must ask ourselves as a child of God when it comes to giving and extending a hand… Giving to the poor is indeed a great service, but it loses its value if you’re giving for the wrong reasons… Sacrificing of yourself is truly an awesome commitment, but it is worthless if your sacrifice is in vain… When we think about love we must remember that the bible tells us very clearly that “God is love…” Paul is informing us that when we take part in giving, when we sacrifice, when we extend a hand; make sure that it is for God’s name to be glorified… Make sure that your actions aren’t to promote your own ego, but rather exalt God’s name through your actions! Look at the order of this verse, it talks to giving and sacrifice and then says that it is meaningless without charity… If God is not the center of your life everything is meaningless… If God is not the driving force behind your actions then everything is meaningless! 

 

Often times we deceive ourselves by material success, we evaluate our relationship with God according to how we have prospered on this earth… Let us look at two quick stories in the bible that speak to the importance of your actions being centered in Love… First, remember when Jesus was approached by the rich young man, the man asked Him what must I do to inherit Eternal Life? Jesus said keep they commandments, the man replied that he had kept the commandments since his youth… Jesus then tells him to sell all his goods to the poor and come and follow Him… At this, the man walks away weeping and never understands the point of Jesus teachings… If this man had kept the commandments, why was he asking Jesus about Eternal Life? He may have lived according to the law, but God was not the center of his life, Jesus told him to sell all he had to see where his priority lied and we see the results of his actions… Today let us learn from the rich young man, understanding that wealth doesn’t get us to heaven, observing the laws of the land don’t get us to heaven, we must accept Jesus Christ as a our personal Lord and Savior and allow the love that He demonstrated on the Cross to flow through us… 
 

Second, let us look at the widow who gave the two denarius for her offering… When people had given more money than her, Jesus said that she had truly given more than all the rest… She wasn’t giving out of her wealth; she was giving out of her love and humility towards God… She believed in God and wasn’t searching for anything in return, but she gave all she had to Him… Love is sacrifice of self, love is total submission, and love is living by faith… Jesus taught us how to love when He took the form of man, allowed Himself to be mocked and died on the cross… Jesus death wasn’t in vain because He was fulfilling the will of His father… Today Paul reminds us that in all that we do, we must be fulfilling the will of our father… After all, if we aren’t abiding in His love and will, then it doesn’t matter if we give to the poor, it doesn’t matter if we allow our body to be burned; if charity (love) isn’t the foundation than it profits you nothing… I believe Solomon said it best, “meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless… A chasing after the wind…”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Your Duty...Fear God

"Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you."

1 Samuel 12:24

Your only duty on this earth is to “fear the Lord…” When you fear (honor, revere or admonish) the Lord your life is lived in total submission to Him… This means that you walk according to His will and are not focused on things of this world… This passage provides great advice for us to live by; we are called to “serve him in truth” knowing that He knows best but also bring into remembrance all the things that He has done and the paths that He has paved… We have to have an attitude that reflects on what God has done and dispel the notion of living with the mindset of “what have you done for me lately…” According to worldly standards and ways of living we must approach life seeking our own way and desires; however we are reminded today that we serve  a faithful God; one who already demonstrated His might by sending His son and one who has promised to supply all our needs… 

Don’t lose sight of the fact that as children of God we often want things to happen according to our desires and standards… When we are faced with opposition we question or blame God; however, when things are working in our favor we find a way to place confidence in ourselves or mankind… Just like the Israelites we need to be reminded to “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart…” The only thing that we should fear (revere, respect, and pay honor too) is the Lord… The Israelites (having been lead from bondage) desired a king to rule over them… Samuel reminds them today that they already had a king in the Lord and that they must Only fear him… As the story continues we see that Saul a man of physical gifts (well-built, handsome) was selected to be king and after thirty years was rejected due to disobedience… No matter who is placed in positions of authority, if they do not align themselves with the will of God they will fail. Samuel tells us today to “…consider how great things he hath done for you…” 

You didn’t wake up on your own, the midnight deadline on Friday wasn’t met by mankind, the roof over your head isn’t intact because of you and it is not by your works that you survive…The bible teaches me that God will never leave us nor forsake us, the bible tells me that we are not to worry about this or that because God knows what we stand in need of and will take care of it… God knows that in this economy you need a job so He has kept you working, He knows that you need to support your family so He has given you enough to make it through… One of my close friends once told me that He didn’t like the rain, but that he appreciates the fact that he can observe it without getting wet… Today, make no mistake about it, the rain is falling all over the world, tsunamis, earthquakes and various other disasters… Wars in Gaza, the Ivory Coast and other countries; however, you are just observing them without getting wet… Psalms 91 was that a thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you if you make the Lord your dwelling place… Today fear the Lord (make Him your dwelling place)… Think about where He has already brought you from and if will give you enough energy to keep on going… 

Just take a moment to think about all the hardships you have faced and then think about how you have made it through… I am sure that there have been days when your finances didn’t add up, your money was funny and your change was strange; however, you still were able to cut that check or make that payment… God is above all and knows all… Fear Him, revere Him and stay focused on Him… The bible says in Matthew 16:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”In seeking God we fear Him and allow His will to be done! God will never fail you, He will never forsake you and He has already don marvelous things for you… “Consider how great things…” Things in your life could always be worst and I am sure that there is someone on this earth that would love to opportunity to switch places with you and walk in your shoes… Don’t take for granted where are today, because you could be somewhere else…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

It's A Two-Way Street

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33

Religion is not something that we take off of our bookshelves and wear 1 day a week; it isn’t something that we keep hidden in the crevices of our lives and display around certain individuals… As a child of God we are called to walk daily in His divine light and this means that we are to show forth our faith in Him and trust that this is the only way… When we second guess speaking up in defense of the name of Jesus or when we withhold comments concerning our Lord and Savior we are doing a disservice to those whom we have come in contact with as well as ourselves… It is through speaking up and standing that we display our belief and initiates the standing power of Jesus Christ who continues to make intercessions on our behalf… Peter denied Christ and left a courtyard weeping; however, when standing after receiving the Holy Ghost 3,000 souls were saved… The power that God has and is willing to display in our lives can only be exerted when we “confess him before men…” Make no mistake about it, you will not be able to wheel and deal your way into heaven… The bible declares that anyone who“confess with their mouth” and believes in their heart shall be saved… 

You are accountable to the call that God has on your life; however you are also accountable to bear witness to His name and walk in obedience… You disobey God when you “deny him before men” which is why Jesus will “also deny you before his father…” You are pretending, you are a (n) imposter, you are fraudulent… You cannot talk the talk; you have to walk the walk… Jesus said that He came that we may have life and have it more abundantly; however, He walked the walk when faced with the cross and humiliation… Today, you must carry your cross; you must walk through the cities declaring your love and appreciation for the most high… This is the only way that Christ will make intercession on your behalf and prepare the place for you in the heavens. In today’s focus verses, Matthew records the undeniable truth about salvation; this truth that we find here is that we control our own destiny… You have the power to unlock your God given destiny of settle for whatever you can obtain on this earth… Jesus is setting the stage as to how men can be saved, he says that whoever confesses him before men, he will confess before his father. In other words he is ready to provide the gift of eternal life unto you, but you control your own fate as to whether or not you would like to receive it. 

Notice Jesus says if you confess before men (plural), this confession is not limited to the church, it is not held bondage within the four walls of your sanctuary; but rather, Jesus is seeking for the true Christian to stand in your workplace, stand in your communities and in your homes! Many Christians have what I like to a call a “fashion faith,” they change with the seasons…. When they are around certain people they profess there love for Christ and there strong religious beliefs; however, when they go into the unknown they take a different approach toward each situation (they are like the candle that is lit but place under a bowl or like a ship at sea tossed and turned by the current tide). Jesus is not talking to the “fashion faith” individual, he is talking to the one who doesn’t understand that there spiritual prosperity lies within there hands, he is talking to the one who is at the fork in the road and is uncertain as to the path he shall take. The declaration is clear, eternal prosperity or damnation, happiness or sadness, exaltation or gnashing of teeth, either choice comes with consequences. To live in sin means you will be spiritual empty and unhappy within. Living in Christ means you must take up your cross and follow him. When men where crucified, they carried there cross through the cities so that all could see their fate! Does everyone you encounter know where you stand? After all, “the choice is yours…”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love Is Sacrificing Personal Agendas

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

1 John 4:20-21

Paul, in his first letter to the church of Corinth pens the characteristics of love in the 13^thchapter… Throughout the verses he writes and describes how important love is; however, it is one particular piece from this chapter that we will look at today as it relates to John’s writings in our focus verses today… This particular piece is found in the 5^th verse where Paul says, “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” You cannot be rude to someone, seek to do what is best for you, and become upset when things don’t go your way or keep a record as to why it is that you don’t like a particular person and then say that you are so “in love with God…” There are so many people who openly profess their love for Christ; however, they often fall short in showing it when that love must be displayed not only upward to Him but also horizontally to all that you come in contact with… The rich man had a love for God; however, He was not willing to give his possessions away (show a love for his brethren and thus he fell short… This is why John says that a person who claims to love God but hate his brother is “a liar…” Ask yourself today, how is it possible to love someone without displaying it? 

Love is an action word and it requires movement beyond your lips… The question I just posed to you is the question that we must ask ourselves as a child of God… John records in this passage that we can’t love God without loving our brother; this statement is very true because the only way we can show our love for the Lord is by loving our fellowman… Our father desires for us to extend a loving hand to one another, He desires for us to keep no record of wrongs, He desires for us to walk in humility never focusing on our own desires… These are the ways we show our love and appreciation to the Lord… The next time you cross a person who wronged you, show forth your love for the father by seeking resolution; the next time you are offended by a brother or sister, show your love for the father by going to that person and trying to mend the broken lines of communication instead of allowing your heart and mind to be occupied with resentment and anger… Again, never forget how many times Jesus said that He loved His father, but more importantly, never forget that He demonstrated it by giving up His life for all mankind… Get the point? Love is an action word and John informs us that we must extend a hand of love horizontally to display our vertical love to the Lord… The journey of a Christian in the world is likened to two people who are married and want a child together but can’t stand each other! You can’t have one without the other… You have to reach a compromise, you have to reach an understanding, and you must develop an attitude of love towards each other. 

As a Christian you can’t pick and choose who you want to like and dislike, who you want to befriend and turn you back on, or who you simply what to do without! Jesus even takes it a step farther by saying that we must love your enemies! John records here that if a man says he loves God and hates his brother, that he is a liar… So many of us have taken the very will of God and tried to personalize it for our own goals and achievements. We have tried to mold the will of God to fit our personal lifestyle when in reality we should be doing the exact opposite. Love is sacrifice, that’s why Jesus said not greater love has a man than this that he lay down his life for his friends (Jesus was referring to all mankind, but also the same people who turned their back on Him when He was arrested and fled the scene)! Jesus demonstrated his Love through His sacrifice on the cross! If we claim to love God, we MUST demonstrate it through our sacrifice of pride, ego, and self-worth. Instead, we must show our love through humbleness to receive all God’s creation as brothers and sisters with love. Many people will come and go in your life (some on good terms, some on bad), many will tear you down, while others build you up, some will enjoy your hardships, while others mourn with you, some will hold you back, while others want to witness your success! All these people serve a purpose in your life and God loves them (hate the sin, not the sinner), the question for you as a Christian, is can you do the same? If you can’t, then this passage is meant for you…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love Him And Let Him Work

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

There are positive outcomes to your circumstances that appear to be negative… Notice that I used the word “Appear”... Often times we equate obstacles with negativity, but Paul reminds us today that this concept is false… In the Old Testament Abraham had to relocate in order to be blessed and called the father of many nations, Joseph had to endure slavery to see His dream fulfilled, Jacob ran from Esau and was subject to countless attacks before being named Israel… The point is that when we are walking according to the will of God everything in our paths will be used as a tool to mold us and guide us toward the ultimate prize… Paul wrote a letter to the church of Corinth about the “thorn in his flesh”, he ended by saying that God told him “His grace is sufficient…” When storms rise learn to appreciate the rain because that is what helps flowers grow just like the sunny days… Paul declares to the Church of Rome that all things work together for the good of them that love God. Notice that he states all things work, the bad and the good will come together and fulfill God’s purpose. Some of us take this verse to read that everything will be peaches and cream, when in reality Paul is saying your suffering has a place in God’s divine will for your life! Every obstacle you face, every trial that is presented and every storm that comes knocking will align you and prepare you for a new level in the will of God… 

There is nothing that God will place in your life that you can’t handle and the end product will be better than the first… Job received double, Joseph was a prince and David became king… All faced trials, but (through faith) saw that God’s will was done… Joseph went on to say, “Though it was meant for evil, my God meant it for good…” Paul also informs the church that things will work for the good of those who love God. Many people are confused as to why their homes are divided and being destroyed, why their marriages aren’t working, or are confused at how everything they touch is demolished. These people say they are active in the church; they give there offering every Sunday, so how is it that my life makes no sense? The answer is because your love for God is not present; love is sacrifice, trust, and faith! When you love God you aren’t worried about tomorrow, you don’t allow society to dictate your decisions, and you believe in your heart that God is guiding you in the pathway of righteousness. More importantly, your love for God will show when you have found yourself in the midst of  a trial; remember Paul said that we are to do all things without murmurings and disputes, your love for God should be evident in all phases of life… 

We have to cling to God, seek His word and way daily, that’s how we show our love, not simply by going to church and saying the right things! The second part of today’s devotion deals with the aspect of work; all things work together for the good, but this means you must also do the work which your hands have been assigned to do…There are many Christians that are unhappy and unfruitful not because God dislikes them, but because they are trying to serve in the wrong capacity! The word of God says that titles without treatment lead to tragedy… Make sure that you are working in the capacity that God has called you for; make sure that you are not focused on titles instead of serving the Lord. The word says, “To whom much is given, much is required…” Don’t seek vain glory; don’t look for the applause of men, but serve the Lord in spirit and in truth. Everything will be fine if you have trusted in the Lord and accepted your rightful position in His kingdom of service… Not everyone is to preach, not everyone is to sing, not everyone is to usher… The bible says, “The body is made up of many members…” We can’t all be the head, we can’t all be the hands, some are the feet which make it possible to move and advance in His will… Make sure your walking in God’s calling, you will know because everything will work to your benefit and growth when you’re doing His will…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He Chastens Those He Loves

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Proverbs 3:11-12

Growing up I believe that I was whipped more than I was congratulated… I believe that scars and welts on my backside far outnumbered the hugs for a job well done… With that being said I look back on my childhood and thank my parents for correcting me back then instead of allowing me to suffer the consequences of my actions now… When a parent loves a child, correction is a form of throwing a life-line before it’s too late… There is nothing worse in life, than to lose the support of your parents… I can recall a time in my life when I was all about fitting the image and being amongst my friends… School was nothing to me and my grades showed that very thing. I can remember a time when I received my report card and it seemed as if my parents would have been proud just to see a “C” on the paper. There is one time in particular when my actions actually sunk in, my father looked at my report card and said, “If this is what you have decided that you want to be and do, fine…” I realized at that point that my father wasn’t going to beat me, he wasn’t going to ground me, but that he simply had come to the realization that his love to see me prosper was completely poured out. I could feel the disappointment, but more importantly I could feel the separation… The book of proverbs teaches us today that discipline is love, not that your parents love to beat you, but that they love you enough to try and get you on the right path and course. 

God demonstrated in love for the Israelites every time they were in captivity, He demonstrated His love when Job lost everything, Daniel was in the Lion’s Den, David was pursued by Saul, Joseph was sold to slavery and Paul was blind and in the desert… We live in a day an age where kids have become unruly… They have taken the roles of leaders and independence without even understanding the direction in which they are headed. Every time we turn on the television we are bombarded with the news of another teen taking another’s life, our day seems to be saddened when we see kids having kids, or committing heinous crimes that seem to make us cringe at the thought! Why is it that this is happening, why is it that this generation is lost and confused? The answer, because there is no father in the household, no rules to obey, and no consequences to be faced! We have strayed so far from the normal approach to children that we have caused the turmoil we currently see. It use to be, when a child cursed he was popped or beaten, now the parents will laugh and say he is too young to understand what he is saying. It use to be that we learned lullabies to sing at early ages, now we are rapping at the age of 4 along with Gucci Mane or Lil Wayne! This passage taken from Proverbs reminds us of the importance of discipline, the fact that we need not despise chastisement. This generation is dying off because they have not been corrected, they have not been punished, but more importantly because they have not been loved. 

These verses from Proverbs draw a parallel to the fact the correction equals love. When God punishes you, or corrects you it is in love! When he makes you face consequences its because He doesn’t want to see you fall by the wayside; but on the contrary, He wants to see you reach the heights and goals He has ordained for your life! So when you are dealing with hardships, when you are disciplined, when you are facing the corrective rod of God, know that He loves you and cares for you! One thing that I know is that if we don’t see the consequences of our actions, we will never understand the affect of the decisions that we make. As I stated earlier, the Israelites were in captivity multiple times, imagine where they would have been if God had not allowed them to be in bondage, imagine where Paul would have been if the Lord would not have humbled him on the Damascus road… Look at David and think about what he would have been doing if the Lord hadn’t struck down his son whom he had with Bathsheba… The image you draw in your mind about where these people would have been is seen right outside your door every day. They would have been lost, confused and falling by the wayside just like our societies and communities right now! If you are doing the things YOU want to do, without chastisement or correction, this is the time when you need to be concerned and worried…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God's Spirit Empowers You

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

There is nothing of this world that we should fear… In this world so many people have their minds filled with nonsense and things of no significant value that they inherit this worldly fear spoken of in this passage by the apostle Paul… We fear losing jobs, a lower income or alterations to our lifestyle; however, in the body of Christ we are reminded today that we have not been given a spirit of fear… More importantly, the spirit we have and have been given in Christ is a spirit that contradicts what the world things we should be afraid of… When you are under the spirit of fear there are elements in your life that you are scared to lose or allow to change; however, when you are in Christ you don’t fear these things but learn to trust that God doesn’t make mistakes and that He has my best interest at heart, this is why Paul says the spirit you have been given is a spirit of “power, and of love, and of a sound mind…” Understand today that you cannot be a child of God if you are walking in fear of things changing in this world or around you… A child resembles their parents; so if you call yourself a child of God then you shouldn’t fear what circumstances you face in this world or endure through your life’s journey… Jesus endured the most humiliating death known to mankind; however, His spirit didn’t fear and He stole the sting and victory of death and the grave… Remember who is writing this passage today, Paul was faced with many obstacles, trials and tribulations… 

Even through His trials, He goes on in the book of Romans to he asks the question, “Who can separate us from the love of God…?” He then goes on to say after dealing with much pain, controversy and suffering (remember throughout his missionary journeys that he was shipwrecked and stoned by a faction formed from Antioch and Iconium, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul wrote this at a time when several distractions were being presented before, the scholars of the law were trying to discredit him and punish him for his faith and these are the words that he spoke… We should echo these words when we face obstacles and hurdles knowing that nothing will separate us from God’s love and His divine will… In today’s focus verse, Paul writes a letter of encouragement to Timothy… Timothy was a man of God whom had begun to doubt his ability within the will of God… Timothy was a young man that was scrutinized and placed under a microscope; he desired to leave the ministry of the gospel and take a backseat to the views of the world… Paul is lifting up Timothy in his time of despair and reinforcing his belief… There will always be times in our lives where we feel like giving up.Timothy was dealing with a trial in his ministry and Paul is teaching him to understand that trials are a (n) apart of life. The words recorded here in 2 Timothy tell us that we have been given a spirit by God. We have something within us that will bring about better things out of us. 

This spirit is not of fear, you have nothing to be afraid of, you have no chains holding you back, no bondage or captivity, but the spirit has set you free to embark on the journey that God has ordained for your life. Remember when the Spirit of God (the spirit that ONLY God gives) descended on Jesus in the 4^th chapter of Matthew and He was tempted by the devil and made him flee, the Jews criticized Peter and the other believers on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit rain down on them by saying they had had too much wine. When God pours out His spirit the devil will try to thwart His plan and vision for your life, but know that His spirit will give you power to overcome any circumstance or attack that the devil may draw up against you. God has given you a spirit that will empower you to be the best child of God you can be, Jesus said “greater things than I, you will do…” Don’t allow your ability to be held captive because of fear, understand that trials are necessary to mature and grow in the word and will of God… Understand that trouble doesn’t last always and know that God will never leave you nor forsake you. The days that we live in now were made possible because the ones who lived before us were not controlled by fear… Likewise, you have been given a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind! USE IT! 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!