Life Or Death Is A Choice

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:24-25

There are two paths that one can travel in this life, the first is the path of eternal life paved with submission, humbleness and modesty while on this earth… This path requires one to sacrifice the desires of the eye in order to store up rewards for when this physical life has ended… The second path is the path of worldly lust; this path is paved with all the fine riches and measures of success as decreed by the standards of the world we live in… In choosing, this path, one is required to focus on self, seek the advancement of their lives at any cost and to reject future rewards always desiring to have things now… As we come to understand these two contrasting paths, the question I pose to you today is simple, what is your spiritual destination worth to you? So many of us proclaim that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, but how much does Christ really mean to you and the direction in which your life will go? These two profound and critical questions are the questions that we must ask as we decide on whether we will pursue the dreams that the world lays out or the vision that God has for us which will not bear its truest rewards on this earth… 

Understand that Jesus makes wants us all to understand that walking in the will of God is no small task and it takes a dedicated, enduring and perseverant person to reach the levels of which God has set… Jesus makes it clear to us today of what it means to be His disciple. He says in the gospel of Matthew that any many who comes after Him must deny himself and take up his cross. The first thing that we must due while in pursuit of God’s divine direction is to deny the desires that we are born with…This in and of itself is a daunting task… All the things you naturally seek are the things that you must daily deny in order to follow Jesus… To deny something is to reject, refuse, or rebuttal; so if we are a disciple of Christ this deals with the desires of our sinful nature as well as our selfish motives. We must take up our cross, Jesus would soon suffer, He would been mocked, spit on, and beaten; understand today that in your denial of self you will not have a green pasture day after everyday; we will be ridiculed, scorned, and isolated, but we must continue in God’s will and take up our cross. I tell people all the time, when you choose the path God has for you, the biggest evidence that you are walking right is all the storms you encounter… In understanding that, know that if you decide that this Christian journey is too hard, too much of a challenge, and you want to give up because of the things you are going through, and then you will lose you life. 

However, if you decide to stay the course and continue to fight the good fight, than there most certainly is a crown laid up for you and though it may seem like you are losing your life at the moment, on the contrary; you are just finding it! TAKE UP YOUR CROSS!!! Take note today that there is a cross for you to bear, but in bearing the cross you carry it for others to see… This is an important thing to take note of as we grow in Christ, this is why Paul tells us in his letter to the church of Philippi to do all things without murmuring and why it is very important that we indeed do not complain but on the contrary consider it pure joy as James tells us to do…When Jesus was to be crucified He was already being humiliated, but on top of that He had to carry His cross through the city which was a sight for all to see; likewise, we must bare our cross not just on Sundays, but everywhere we go… You must deny yourself to receive the precious promises of God; you must deny yourself to find the true gem that you are… you must lose the sight of the world in order to gain the sight of Christ! We are commanded to walk by faith and not by sight! Take up our cross today, don’t be troubled by the ways of the world or the views that people may hold; know that by giving up yourself you will find your true worth and live life more abundantly!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Decently And In Order

"Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order."

1 Corinthians 14: 39-40

There are a lot of things that go on in a church service, there are a lot of “moves of the Holy Spirit” aligned with shouts of praise and adoration… Even though these things are apparent, it’s imperative that we come to understand and realize today that “…all things be done decently and in order…” We intentionally examine these verses from back to front knowing that we serve a God of order… We all desire to please God and walk in the gifts that He has bestowed upon us; however, it is of the utmost importance that in walking in our gifts we travel the path that has been laid before us instead of putting the cart before the horse… There is nothing wrong with prophesy or speaking in tongues; however, there is a correct order in which these things are to be carried out… I can recall a story that my father has shared with me several times; this particular story depicts a woman who attended his home church in Washington D.C. Every Sunday at the same time this individual would catch the “Holy Ghost” and begin to shout… One Sunday, at the appointed time this lady jumped up, swung her hand out and knocked another ladies hat off of her head… 

To my knowledge, no fights broke out or words were exchanged; however the following Sunday the lady who had her hat knocked off confronted the lady with the “timed praise” and told her that she better not touch her hat again… Wouldn’t you know when the clock struck her appointed time to shout, she lifted her hand up ensuring that she would miss the ladies hat… I recall this story today to highlight the importance of sincerity within our praise… The Holy Spirit flows without a timetable; however, there are some people in the church who want to display gifts that God has not given them and so when they do this they are not “done decently and in order…” I have been to a lot of churches and have been turned off by what I gathered as stumbling blocks of praise… A lot of people have been mislead or are being mislead by the gift of speaking in tongues, this is not for everyone nor is it to be done at any given time… The bible says that there is a time and place for everything and I believe that this rule applies as well in Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth… Again, our God is a God of order, He desires for things to be done in a (n) organized manner and conduct… If we don’t align our desires with the will of God things will always be chaotic… It is good to want to be all that God will allow you to be, it’s good to want to reach all the levels God has in store for you; however, it is most important that you make the choice today to take it one step at a time instead of trying to run or leap from point A to point B… 

This is what was going on in Corinth, there was so much indecision and personal desires that Paul states to them “this is why I gave you milk, you weren’t ready for meat…” Your life is flipped upside down because you are trying to prophesy off of milk… You are trying to speak in tongues off of milk and because of this nothing is working out right… A baby takes milk for the first 6 months, as they grow the food changes… How can you take on bigger goals in life if you are still in a nursing stage…? The Church of Corinth was a church that was polluted with all sorts of things… Earlier in this letter Paul had to clear up the fact that it was neither Apollos nor him that could save or increase… There were more problems in the Church of Corinth than we have time to discuss; however it is critical that we see and understand the message Paul is conveying… Jesus came to this earth at a pre-recorded time and was upon this earth completing the task that His father had sent Him to do; however Luke 2:52 tells us that from his childhood until the time He started His ministry that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”The piece we must remember in the life of Jesus is the growth that took place leading up to His ministry and the utilization of His gifts… Paul is instructing the church of Corinth about the importance of growth, time and organization… Speaking in tongues isn’t a bad thing, prophesying isn’t a sin, but understand that in all things God is to be glorified and His name is to be exalted (not yours)… Be careful to lift up the name of Christ and help others to come to know Him, don’t be sporadic in your praise because babies in Christ will be lost and confused and you will be held accountable…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There's Still Room For You

Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger forever.

Jeremiah 3:12 

Despite the many avenues you have traveled in life and the dark paths you may be on right now; be encouraged to know that God desires for you to “Return…” Just like the prodigal son; no matter your current situation or how far you have fallen, God is standing with open arms waiting for you to come home… In a vision concerning Jerusalem and Judea, Isaiah the son of Amoz records words from the mouth of God in the 1st chapter and 18th verse of his prophetical book the words, "Come now, let us reason together, "says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Make no mistake about it today, you are a filthy rag and without the cleansing blood of Jesus, hell has a (n) RSVP with your name on it… Even as ugly as it may be or hard it may seem to acknowledge, know that you have made mistakes, acknowledge that you have given into temptations; however, come to the realization today that you can overcome and be victorious through the saving power of Jesus Christ… Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet, his words were recorded in light of the coming destruction that the house of Israel would face… His tears were sown knowing of the coming doom and bondage that was on the horizon… 

Today, know that these same tears are sown in your life when others see you heading down the wrong path; these tears are sown in your life when people see the direction in which you are headed and how your life seems to be spiraling out of control… These tears are sown not because of the destruction, but because God’s desire is not for you to go against His will… The destruction you face is because of the trials of life that have conquered you and the temptation you have given into… You have “backslid” and God is indeed angry; however, He wants you to know that if you return to Him that “… I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you…” God wants you to turn to Him; He is tired of watching you fall, He is tired of watching you struggle and He wants you to know that He is merciful… In the book of Lamentations 3: 22, 23 Jeremiah records that “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion's fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Every morning God withholds the judgment we deserve, every moment God wants you to know that even though you messed up yesterday, I want you to know that I still have a plan for you (29:11) and I need you to understand that I want to forgive you and take you higher… Even though you have messed up, even though you have backslid, God will not keep His anger toward you forever… You have the opportunity before you to go in a new direction… The door is open before you to pursue a different alternative and God is simply waiting for you to choose Him…   

Know that the full anger of God cast Lucifer from Heaven; the full anger of God hasn’t been felt by us, we should turn to Him while we have a chance so that we can overcome and grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior before it’s too late… God is merciful, He withholds the punishments that we deserve, and He has extended us a life-line when we should have been dead a long time ago… Even though you go through times of despair and have to suffer some consequences, it's good to know that the Lord said, "I will not keep anger forever." You ought to be thankful that you have a job (even if it isn't what you desire); you ought to be thankful that you have a roof over your head (even if it isn't the mansion you want); you ought to be thankful that there are clothes in your closet (even if there are barely enough to last the week)… These items provide all the evidence that we need to know that God is working on our behalf and making ways out of no way… Be real with yourself today; instead of asking why you are dealing with this storm, be thankful that you are feeling the blunt force of it… Today, stop asking why you have all these bills piling up on your coffee table and be thankful that you aren’t out on the streets… God keeps providing opportunities for you to return to Him… The father’s arms are open, He wants you to let Him in and allow Him to transform your life… Just like we read in multiple passages, Jesus is waiting with open arms saying, “WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM COME”.

The question of the day, is He speaking to you?

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

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!