Hearing The Word Isn't Enough

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22

There are two vital elements to the life of a Christian; one is hearing the word of God and the other is applying and/or doing the word of God… We cannot hear and be satisfied, the word of God must not only be heard, but be rooted within so that it can sprout and bring forth fruit from the lives we live and the examples we display to others…  You deceive nobody but yourself when you think that you have done enough by being able to say that you faithfully attend church; you deceive yourself when you put on your Sunday’s best and display the worse example of a Christian each and every other day of the week… Applying the word of God is what leads to positive fruits and results in ones life… The word of God being heard without being applied is the same as instruction being received and not carried out… You wonder why you fall short over and over again, you wonder why your life continues to spiral out of control as you attend church faithfully and the answer may be in your application of what God is providing to you verses what you have heard and have chosen to demonstrate… This passage taken from James so often reminds me of how many people will leave a church service and speak of how powerful and moving it was… You ask them how the Pastor’s sermon was and they immediately say “Oh, pastor did a wonderful job, he was so powerful!” The next question you ask is what was it that he or she preached about, and they don’t have the slightest clue and began to think back to the service. How can we be of God if we do not listen and act upon what He has given us? James is calling for us to not talk a good game, but walk a Godly life. In order to walk a Godly life we must first get away from ungodly things! These things could be people, places, or habitats, it could be a relationship that you are struggling to hold onto, a (n) addiction you just can’t give up, or a place that you find comforting enough to please your earthly desires. When something is heard it is not necessarily received, when it has not been received it will soon disappear from your memory! When we are given a task on our job we act as soon as possible to complete it so that we don’t forget it… As a child of God we must act as soon as possible when it comes to edifying the body of Christ! To often we play church and wonder why we don’t see any advancement in our church; we smile and clap, but never put in the sweat and energy that God truly desires from us… Every person that encountered Jesus on this earth was given a task to complete (the rich young man) to show their faith and that they understood what the Lord has said! Before he left the earth He said (to all the disciples) that we must take up our cross, that we must hate our fellowman (those who oppose the gospel) and that we must keep in mind that they hated Him first… Faith takes actions, it takes commitment and it takes desire to be doers of the word and not just hearers…

The proof is in the pudding, the question is “how does your life taste?”

ALL FOR CHRIST!

Let Your Light Shine

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

It is up to you to display Christ in your life and not to allow the things of this world to dim the light which God has placed inside of you… Notice that this passage says for you to let you light shine that men may see your good works. Many Christians patrol around in our societies uttering the words that I am God’s child, I am a Christian, but this passage shines light of the fact that we are to live a life that will let people know we are of the household of faith without the need for words to supply the answer... This passage tells us that we should not have to tell somebody about our religious beliefs, but rather that the individuals who come into contact with us should be able to see that Christ dwells within us. Our mission on this Earth is to walk in Gods will and in all things give Him glory and honor! It is not for you to proclaim your religion through words, so refrain from speaking and live what you use to verbally preach!! 

Understand today that your actions are imperative to your witness; in order for your light to shine for others to see it must first be positioned in the right place! Light is a powerful resource when used properly, the key being that it is in fact used properly… Your light services a purpose and must be used for that and not to simply commingle with other light bearers… If you were to take a flashlight out into the day during the early afternoon there would be no affect of the flashlight and it would be useless… A light is needed when direction isn’t visible; there are many whose direction in life is not visible, they are simply wandering from day to day and haven’t found there calling in life! Your light can be the direction that they need…Your light must be pointed in the direction of darkness for it to be effective (your light should not only provide clear sight in your purpose but it should also lead others to theirs in Christ)… Don’t go on your job and hide your light until Sunday morning worship; don’t turn your light off when you are faced with peers that don’t know Jesus and don’t cut your light off because you are scared of what people may say! True Christians will shine light on every dark situation and will lead others to Christ… 

Joshua took over as the leader of the Israelites after Moses was removed, before crossing over into the promise land the children of God begin to question the path in which they were being lead… Joshua stood up in the midst of darkness, in the midst of peer-pressure and in the midst of betrayal and said “choose ye this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord…” Joshua knew who had brought him out of darkness and who was faithful in the times of trouble! By his words the bible says that many begin to praise the Lord and eventually turned to him and crossed over… It was Joshua’s light that gave the children of God direction in the time of darkness and evil… Darkness is all around us, the enemy is on the attack and you are a beacon which will lead the way to others being saved and obtaining their purpose… Everyday of your life your light must shine, not only will it increase your rewards in heaven, but it will provide direction to lost souls and bring glory to your father in heaven…

BE BLESSED!!!

When God Come First, All Things Fall Into Place

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Psalm 37:4

Often times we prioritize things in the wrong order which leads us to getting the wrong results… In the natural realm of thinking we chase after our desires at all cost, stopping at nothing to obtain them… The psalmist reminds us today the true direction in which everyone must travel to receive “…the desires of thine heart…” There are steps which we must take in obtaining the things which we desire to have and the first step which must be taken is that we must “Delight thyself also in the Lord…” You can have desires in life, but your focus and top priority must be delighting yourself in the way and will of the Lord… You must turn away from your own desires and walk by faith knowing that God not only knows your heart, but that He will answer your prayers… It is so easy, when things don’t go the way we expected for us to try and make our own path… We find ourselves praying for something and when God doesn’t’ answer in our way we immediately try to step in and get the results that we are looking for… From studying this verse today, it’s imperative that we not only learn to be obedient to God’s desires and patient within our walk, but we also must remember that God answers in “ways that are not our ways”… 

Today let us practice the proverb which says lean not unto thy own understanding, in order to avoid becoming ensnared with our own desires we must make the commitment today to “delight ourselves in the Lord…” So many of us are seeking happiness, we are seeking security, we are seeking stability and the psalmist reminds us today that all this and more can be found in the Lord… Understand that God must be the priority in your life in order for you to receive the “desires of your heart…” You must delight in Him FIRST to have the door opened and the path paved for you to walk in His bountiful blessings… It’s important that we understand the importance of delighting in the Lord, so many have not received anything from the Lord simply because they don’t delight in Him… It’s one thing to go to church; it’s an entirely different thing to delight in the church that God has given you the privilege to be a part of… To take delight in something is to enjoy, find pleasure or be happy about… The psalmist says that when we take delight in the Lord we shall have the desires of our heart! This is a true promise from the Lord, but it requires a dedication and total humbling of yourself unto the Lord! When you find the delight in something you don’t want to lose it, you what it near you at all times and you cherish it. We must have a (n) attitude that says we don’t want to lose the will of God in our lives, we want Him near us every day and every hour and we simply adore Him as our King and Savior… 

If you attend church religiously and are still where you were when you first begin, check within and make sure that you motives are right and that you are “delighted” to be there…To delight in the Lord has multiple meanings, on the one hand we see that we must find true and pure happiness in living according to His will; however, one of the other delights that must be genuine is accepting the trials and tribulations that you encounter as a part of walking in His will… True commitment isn’t defined by attendance, but it is defined greatest in times of adversity… God isn’t look for how many people are in church for the New Year or there for communion Sunday; He’s looking for the one that will serve Him when things aren’t going the way they same and it appears that the enemy is winning (this is the delight that the Psalmist is referring too)…We must cherish the Lord when things go south, when trials seem too hard and persecution is inevitable… These are things that you must do to live according to this psalm… These are the things that you must understand for God to fulfill His promises unto you. Delight in the Lord (take pleasure in Him, in the storms you face which lead to growth and not the world that you live in) then and only then will He give you the desires of your heart!

ALL FOR CHRIST!

Power Comes By Way Of The Holy Spirit

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1:8

The disciples were told to wait and stand down until the Holy Ghost had come… Despite the power that you may think you have; you are powerless without the divine authority from above… Going into the fifth day of 2014 set your mind to remember that without Christ you are nothing… You can’t overcome, you can’t win and you can’t obtain; however, through Christ all things are possible, relationships can be healed, debts can be paid and new levels can be reached… The instruction uttered by Christ in this verse reminds us to stop trying to find answers within our own finite abilities… Stop trying to pave your own path and go your own direction… You must come to know and trust the Lord (remember the people had all things in common with their focus on God when the Holy Spirit descended upon them as tongues of fire)… Your focus in the New Year should not be on solutions, but on praise… 

Praise Him through your difficulties, praise Him through your trials, praise Him through your hours of loneliness and allow Him to take care of all your cares… He will deposit the strength you need (just praise Him), He will give you the grace you need (just praise Him) and He will open up doors for your beacon light to shine for all to see (just focus on praising Him)… Take note today and remember that until we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are powerless… Jesus informs His disciples of the winning edge that they will receive in the form of the Holy Spirit… We all should realize that we have a winning edge as a child of God; we have a “secret weapon” that will lead us to victory and give us the strength to overcome any obstacle that we face… The disciples were in hiding after the crucifixion of Jesus; however, they are filled with power to be His witness and go on to bring many souls to Christ under the leadership of the Holy Spirit… We, through the indwelling spirit are “more than conquers” and will indeed overcome any storms of this life as long as we are lead by the spirit… As a child of God, the biggest gift we obtain is the power of our witness… 

When Jesus Christ left this earth, His disciples were in flux; they didn’t know where to go, what to do or who to turn too… Jesus instructs His disciples very clearly to wait until the Holy Spirit comes and sure enough when it came the same ones who were scared were used to transform the makeup of the entire world.  Remember that Jesus said, “Greater things than I will you do…” Don’t ignore the power of your witness today; you have made mistakes, you have choose the wrong direction, but you know God still shined His light of love and compassion upon you and brought your through trial after trial… You’re a powerful creation and God sent His son because of the power He wants you to display… Somebody needs to hear your testimony, somebody needs to hear what God has done for you and you must realize that you have the power (by the Holy Spirit) to show people the direction of God and how awesome He is… This scripture tells us today that there is a time for your anticipated arrival as a witness to God’s faithfulness; endure your season of preparation and do not move before the Spirit descends upon you and leads you down the path which God has paved specifically for you…

ALL FOR CHRIST!

Rest Is Only Found In Christ

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Are you tired of being alive but not living? Do you ever find yourself frustrated by the things of this world and wonder how you are going to make it…? The truth of the matter is the enemy wants you to be so bogged down by the cares of this world that you have no time to really start living (which is to give your life to Christ)… Matthew records the call that Jesus makes to all mankind, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden…” Jesus bids you to come out from the places you currently reside or the mental captivity that so many of us are currently being oppressed by… This beaconing isn’t a physical call, but a voice which desires to lead you in the path of truth and to give you life and give it to you more abundantly… We labour by trying to live up to other peoples expectations, we are heavy laden when we allow the thoughts of others and the temptations we face to weigh us down and strip our attention from the things that matter… This isn’t to suggest or say that the life of a Christian is easy; however, it is to suggest that there are things that are worth laboring for and being burden by when we walk in the will of God because these things lead to eternal rewards and joy… 

If you are laboring in the Lord than this message provides a since of comfort and stability in the heaviest laden times in your life… Jesus gives a message of hope today to all those who feel the weight of the world upon their shoulders, He gives a (n) encouraging word to all that are laboring and fighting the “good fight…” The message of hope today and the encouraging word that we take with us into the New Year is that Christ is indeed with us… In order for someone to come, there first must be someone or something present for them to come too… In the midst of trials and tribulations Jesus reminds us through the gospel of Matthew that we can find rest in Him; we can have our load lightened so that it is bearable and we can find comfort for the road ahead as He declares that He is meek (gentle) and lowly in heart… Jesus doesn’t want to see you struggle beyond your abilities and this call to come is the same call we find in Peter’s book in which we find these words recorded;cast our cares upon Him for He cares for us… A lot of storms will rise and chaos will approach your door, but Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us today that Christ’s yoke is easy, His burden is light; He has enough room to carry the load for you (He already paid your penalty), He is mighty enough to hold you up and lead you to victory no matter what you are facing at this present time… Everyday of our lives is a fresh start, another chance or opportunity to live according to the will of God and develop a more intimate relationship with him… This passage taken from the gospel of Matthew encourages us to come unto the Lord with all our cares, with all our concerns and to understand that when we take our cares to Him and leave them with Him we will find rest! Often times we go to the Lord in prayer, but hold onto the things that we are praying about or for; Jesus is telling us today that we must leave it in His hands and stay focused on His word… 

Let us establish a foundation this year, one that is built upon the word of God with Christ being the center of our lives! Let us deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow the Lord wholeheartedly today! Jesus says take my yoke upon you; learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart… Christ is calling for you to see the love He has for you, to see the compassion that He has bestowed and will bestow upon you by you turning your life over to Him! A yoke is something that is used to move objects, it balances the weight to decrease the energy exerted to move it; Christ is calling for you to take His yoke (let Him lighten the load, let Him balance you out and decrease the amount of energy you exert on a daily basis so the obstacles in your life can be moved…) Don’t worry about the trials you face, don’t worry about the obstacles, don’t get caught up in the way things appear to be; in the Lord you will find rest, you will find help and you will find love… My yoke is easy and my burden is light; although you face hard times, your sure to claim victory in Christ Jesus and make it through…

ALL FOR CHRIST!

Victory Comes Through Christs' Death

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

Hebrews 2:14

One of the reasons for Jesus arrival to this earth was to seek and save that which was lost… Knowing the very error of mankind from the original sin in Eden, Jesus became flesh and blood just like us to completely pay the ransom for our lives which we could never afford… It is through His offering that we have our being and the ability or resources to overcome the circumstances and obstacles which were designed to prohibit and destroy us… Understand today that you were born into this world as a sinner which simply means that you are subject to the governing authority of Satan…The bible declares in the book of Job that Satan enters the courts of the Lord after roaming the earth to and fro… Whether we recognize it or not, we have two choices that we can make when it comes to living on this earth… Either we serve the Lord or we serve Satan… Understanding the choices that we have now allows us to realize the golden opportunity that has been placed before us… It is a golden opportunity in that we can do nothing to obtain it by means of what we do on this earth… 

The author of Hebrews reminds us today that it is “through death He (Jesus) might destroy him…” Often times we take credit for things, we look at our outward achievements and begin to ponder how successful we have become, but the author reminds us that we would not know success or victory had it not been for Jesus laying down His life on the cross… In the Old Testament, sacrifices were made to atone for sin and to display thanksgiving; however, it was only through the bloodshed of Jesus that sin was completely destroyed… This isn’t to say that sin has been abolished, but that the weight and penalty of sin has been removed from those who desire to walk under the leadership of the Lord…The bible says that when Jesus laid down His life that He received the keys to the abyss… As a child of God I am thankful to know that Jesus has the final say as to where I spend eternity, I am thankful to know that through Him I can have Eternal Life and that I can be made whole… Today, no matter where you are, know that this is a new year and thanks to God you have a new lease on life… The devil had plans for you when you were born, but because of God’s love, because of God’s grace, because of God’s mercy you are able to overcome and reach the heights that only Jesus can allow… Understand that Satan had a firm grip on your life; he had all his ducks in a row and was preparing to remove any hope you had for developing a relationship with God…

Today, there are many who find themselves under the yoke of Satan, they are trapped by addictions, by alcoholism and greed, but we take pride in knowing and being able to notify others that Jesus has paid the price for all… Your addiction can be overcome, your alcoholism can be conquered and greed can be subdued… The power lies in His nail-scared hands, the victory is in the blood poured out on Calvary and we have been given a chance to live because of the life that He shed on the cross… By dying on the cross, Jesus destroyed and removed the devils stinging power over sin. By His shedding of blood we have a right to the tree of life. We enter this world under the sin of Adam and Eve. Thanks be unto God that we don’t have to leave the same way we came! Again, this is a new year, we may have sought to do well in 2013; now let us look even higher and begin to soar in 2014…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Only A Fool Wouldn't Fear God

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7

Our journey in Christ is not completed with the receiving of Salvation and Jesus as head of our lives… Solomon reminds us today that the fear of the Lord is the beginning… All believers in Christ have taken the initial steps in Christ; however, there are so many Christians that have never moved pass that first stage which the Apostle Paul refers to as being babes in Christ… The mission of Jesus was fulfilled every day of His natural life on this earth… 30 years of preparation and 3 ½ years of ministry led to the cross and resurrection… Jesus did not come down one day and leave the next; to the contrary, He grew as Luke recorded in the 2 chapter of His gospel which you will find these words…And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. I point this out today to reinforce the importance of growth in our Christian walk… Understand today that there is so much that you will learn through this journey, so many seasons of adversity and turmoil which will turn out to be seasons of preparation and exaltation… 

There are things in this life that you must learn beyond the realm of being saved which will mold you and form you into the man or woman God designed you to be so that He can then begin to use you in the manner which will bring you prosperity and fill His heart with joy and approval… This is why the fear (reverence, admiration) of God is just the beginning… Once you revere the Lord, then you can begin to walk according to His will knowing that His will and way are perfect… You can begin to exercise your faith knowing that there is an expected end in store for you and that your labor is not in vain… The very purpose of Jesus was not just to pave the way to Salvation but He declares in John 10:10 that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly… It is indeed foolish to belief that all God desired was to save you and not think that there is more to His will and divine plan for your life… You are here for a reason and to serve a purpose; God provides instructions for you on a daily basis so that you can walk in His love and carry out His will… There are a lot of things we endure in life which are not apart of God’s plan and we face a lot of difficulty and struggle from day to day simply because we do not obey His instructions… 

God gives you the knowledge and the tools to carry out this knowledge in your life which leads to wisdom… If we don’t adhere to these things and follow the guidelines given then we end up in precarious situation which we all would love to avoid… This is why Solomon goes on to say that fools despise wisdom and instruction… A fool is one who is not grounded, easily manipulated or deceived; the enemy has snares set along this path, there are temptations which we face on every hand and the only way we can overcome these is by the knowledge of God which will thwart every attack of the enemy and provide a way of escape when we feel as though we are tempted beyond measure… The first move in accepting Christ is the smartest move we can make, which is to have respect and reverence for God. We need to gain an understanding that HE formed us out of the dust of the ground, that He breathed the breath of life into are lungs and created us in His image. We need to know that His son is the only way to eternal security and salvation. A fool would not listen to the creator; a fool would harden his heart like Pharaoh. So which one are you…? Do you call and believe upon the name of Jesus, or do you simply live of this world and suffer the consequences of such actions just like the foolish who go nowhere fast and perish…

ALL FOR CHRIST!