Be imitators of God - Ephesians 5:1
To imitate something or someone is to copy their speech, actions and mannerisms. There is a contest held every year in Memphis, TN where people come from far and wide who have spent countless hours perfecting their impersonations or "imitations" of Elvis Presley. I remember seeing a video of country singer Merle Haggard imitating fellow country singer Marty Robbins to the point that Marty himself was astonished at Merle's ability to copy every nuance of Marty's vocal tone and style. If you closed your eyes you thought you were listening to Marty Robbins. That's the way the devil should react when he sees you coming and hears you talk. He should think that it is God Himself speaking. We are to imitate God's speech, faith and actions. People don't see God physically on this earth except through His children. We are God's hands, feet, mouth and voice on this earth. Ephesians chapter 4 tells us how to conduct ourselves: be honest, encouraging, kind, compassionate and forgiving, speaking the truth in love and putting on the "new self" created to be like God - truly righteous and holy. Jesus already made it possible, now it's simply our choice.
Have A Blessed day
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Sacrifice of Praise
Hebrews 13:15 let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.
It may not be easy to praise God that He is your provider when your bank account is empty. It may be hard to find the motivation to praise Him and say "The Joy of the Lord is my strength" when you're feeling discouraged or depressed. However, did you know that praise is a weapon? It has a sacrificing effect. It slaughters, kills or slays whatever is in opposition to it. So when things don't seem to be going your way, instead of giving place to aggravation, frustration, discouragement, anger or sorrow, begin to praise God for who He is and all He says He has done and will do for you. Giving thanks to His name in faith by releasing praise to Him will sacrifice and slaughter every negative emotion and thought that is trying to capture your attention. The praise and thanks you give Him will cause His joy to rise up in you, and you'll walk away in victory!
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
It may not be easy to praise God that He is your provider when your bank account is empty. It may be hard to find the motivation to praise Him and say "The Joy of the Lord is my strength" when you're feeling discouraged or depressed. However, did you know that praise is a weapon? It has a sacrificing effect. It slaughters, kills or slays whatever is in opposition to it. So when things don't seem to be going your way, instead of giving place to aggravation, frustration, discouragement, anger or sorrow, begin to praise God for who He is and all He says He has done and will do for you. Giving thanks to His name in faith by releasing praise to Him will sacrifice and slaughter every negative emotion and thought that is trying to capture your attention. The praise and thanks you give Him will cause His joy to rise up in you, and you'll walk away in victory!
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Forget The Past
...but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, - Philippians 3:13
The past, in many cases, is like a prison. It keeps you from moving forward by locking you up in the would-have, should-have, could-have mentality. The minute you asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you instantly became a new creation and your past was wiped clean. Even though that is a biblical fact, another fact is that your mind needs to be renewed. The devil always dwells in the past. He was there when you messed up; when someone abused you; when something bad happened to you; when you make a bad choice. Now that you are trying to live your life for Jesus, he comes to remind you of the past. It's time to forget the past and move on towards your future. Forgetting is done in the realm of the soul - your mind, will and emotions. Forgetting doesn't always mean that you won't remember, but it is more of a matter of focus. If you're always looking at what is behind you, you will miss out on what God has in front of you. God has good plans for you to give you a future and a hope. Renew your mind daily to this promise and let it become your focus. The past is over and can not be changed, but the good news is that God has great plans and a bright future in store for you
It is my prayer that God will Bless you EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL YOU CAN ASK OR THINK!
The past, in many cases, is like a prison. It keeps you from moving forward by locking you up in the would-have, should-have, could-have mentality. The minute you asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you instantly became a new creation and your past was wiped clean. Even though that is a biblical fact, another fact is that your mind needs to be renewed. The devil always dwells in the past. He was there when you messed up; when someone abused you; when something bad happened to you; when you make a bad choice. Now that you are trying to live your life for Jesus, he comes to remind you of the past. It's time to forget the past and move on towards your future. Forgetting is done in the realm of the soul - your mind, will and emotions. Forgetting doesn't always mean that you won't remember, but it is more of a matter of focus. If you're always looking at what is behind you, you will miss out on what God has in front of you. God has good plans for you to give you a future and a hope. Renew your mind daily to this promise and let it become your focus. The past is over and can not be changed, but the good news is that God has great plans and a bright future in store for you
It is my prayer that God will Bless you EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL YOU CAN ASK OR THINK!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Submit To God
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7
Submitting to God is to submit (assign yourself to a right position) to His rule, power and authority in your life. When trouble comes, when testing and temptation comes, submit to the things that produce righteousness, joy and peace. It is also what Jesus said "seeking the kingdom of heaven first." If you submit to cussing and screaming first, then you are submitting to the kingdom of darkness and you begin to lose your joy and your peace. But if you'll stand on the promises and word of God like Jesus did in Luke 4, the devil will flee, or run away from you every time. You are over-coming the tests and temptations by submitting to God, and by resisting the devil you are keeping yourself from falling into his traps. If you don't submit to God, then you will fall prey to the devil and you'll begin to be frustrated and aggravated, depressed, worried, fearful, angry and full of turmoil. How do you submit to God? You begin to speak life into the circumstances. One example would be "I have the mind of Christ! I can hear the voice of God and His wisdom is guiding me in this situation. I have the peace of God and His peace is ruling over this situation." If you'll make this a practice in your life every day, it won't mean that trouble won't come. However, instead of being under the gun and behind the eight ball, you'll learn to rise above and live the life of an over-comer that God wants you to be!
Have A Blessed day
Submitting to God is to submit (assign yourself to a right position) to His rule, power and authority in your life. When trouble comes, when testing and temptation comes, submit to the things that produce righteousness, joy and peace. It is also what Jesus said "seeking the kingdom of heaven first." If you submit to cussing and screaming first, then you are submitting to the kingdom of darkness and you begin to lose your joy and your peace. But if you'll stand on the promises and word of God like Jesus did in Luke 4, the devil will flee, or run away from you every time. You are over-coming the tests and temptations by submitting to God, and by resisting the devil you are keeping yourself from falling into his traps. If you don't submit to God, then you will fall prey to the devil and you'll begin to be frustrated and aggravated, depressed, worried, fearful, angry and full of turmoil. How do you submit to God? You begin to speak life into the circumstances. One example would be "I have the mind of Christ! I can hear the voice of God and His wisdom is guiding me in this situation. I have the peace of God and His peace is ruling over this situation." If you'll make this a practice in your life every day, it won't mean that trouble won't come. However, instead of being under the gun and behind the eight ball, you'll learn to rise above and live the life of an over-comer that God wants you to be!
Have A Blessed day
Monday, November 14, 2011
The World’s Grip
1 John 2:17 (NKJV) And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
The influence of this world is very powerful. It can hold us in its grip. It can enslave us and keep us captive to its will. It can convince us of its own importance, making itself out to be more real to us than God. Wisdom cries out to us, desiring to guide us to the Truth. The truth is that the things of God are real and lasting, and the things of this world are passing. And yet we are consumed by this world, the cares of this life, the pursuit of personal happiness, and more. Day after day we invest time and energy into making a life in this world. And the longer we continue doing so, the more we become like those in the world around us. We think as they do. We live as they do. We seek the same material things, the same successes, and the same pleasures. Our thinking, that is to be transformed to the likeness of Christ’s, clings instead to the patterns of worldly thought. We believe in faith and miracles as long as they are subject to common sense and practicality. The influence of this world is very powerful. It can hold us in its grip. How much hold does it have on you?
Have A Blessed week
The influence of this world is very powerful. It can hold us in its grip. It can enslave us and keep us captive to its will. It can convince us of its own importance, making itself out to be more real to us than God. Wisdom cries out to us, desiring to guide us to the Truth. The truth is that the things of God are real and lasting, and the things of this world are passing. And yet we are consumed by this world, the cares of this life, the pursuit of personal happiness, and more. Day after day we invest time and energy into making a life in this world. And the longer we continue doing so, the more we become like those in the world around us. We think as they do. We live as they do. We seek the same material things, the same successes, and the same pleasures. Our thinking, that is to be transformed to the likeness of Christ’s, clings instead to the patterns of worldly thought. We believe in faith and miracles as long as they are subject to common sense and practicality. The influence of this world is very powerful. It can hold us in its grip. How much hold does it have on you?
Have A Blessed week
Friday, November 11, 2011
It's Not What We Do
Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” - Luke 18:18
The Good News of the Gospel is that we are saved by faith, not by works. It is by faith in what Jesus did for us, not by what we do or try to do to earn or work for our salvation. What Jesus was saying to the rich young ruler was this: Forget about all your rule-keeping and trying to live up to a set of laws and regulations; go and get rid of everything you've worked for or earned on your own (your good works, your ways of doing things, your methods, your ideas) and come trust in the work that I will do for you! The Apostle Paul reiterates this very thing in Galatians 2:21 - if being right with God comes through what we do, then Jesus Christ died for nothing. However, too many times Christians are caught in the vicious cycle of trying to "do something" to get blessed or find favor with God. However, the message is so simple: Have faith in Jesus and just simply receive what He did for you! Any action that we put forth should just be a response to our faith in what Jesus has already done, not because we are trying to get Him to do something. Many people say that God is their provider, yet their faith is actually in their tithe or their sowing and reaping. Many people say that Jesus is their savior, yet their faith is actually in what they do or don't do to be "right" with God. You can spend your lifetime trying to discover, manipulate and practice spiritual laws, or you can simply just receive what Jesus did for you and be led by the Holy Spirit and do what He says to do. Jesus died to release us from the Law, so we could receive the promise of the Spirit and live the Spirit led life. You are free in Him!
It is my prayer that God will Bless you EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL YOU CAN ASK OR THINK!
The Good News of the Gospel is that we are saved by faith, not by works. It is by faith in what Jesus did for us, not by what we do or try to do to earn or work for our salvation. What Jesus was saying to the rich young ruler was this: Forget about all your rule-keeping and trying to live up to a set of laws and regulations; go and get rid of everything you've worked for or earned on your own (your good works, your ways of doing things, your methods, your ideas) and come trust in the work that I will do for you! The Apostle Paul reiterates this very thing in Galatians 2:21 - if being right with God comes through what we do, then Jesus Christ died for nothing. However, too many times Christians are caught in the vicious cycle of trying to "do something" to get blessed or find favor with God. However, the message is so simple: Have faith in Jesus and just simply receive what He did for you! Any action that we put forth should just be a response to our faith in what Jesus has already done, not because we are trying to get Him to do something. Many people say that God is their provider, yet their faith is actually in their tithe or their sowing and reaping. Many people say that Jesus is their savior, yet their faith is actually in what they do or don't do to be "right" with God. You can spend your lifetime trying to discover, manipulate and practice spiritual laws, or you can simply just receive what Jesus did for you and be led by the Holy Spirit and do what He says to do. Jesus died to release us from the Law, so we could receive the promise of the Spirit and live the Spirit led life. You are free in Him!
It is my prayer that God will Bless you EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL YOU CAN ASK OR THINK!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Walk By Faith
For we walk by faith, not by sight - 2 Corinthians 5:7
This verse, pertaining to eternal life and our robe of righteousness that awaits us in heaven, is the foundational principle in which we live as followers of Christ. Though in the natural we don't see the after life, all we see is a body that dies and a grave, we know by faith (believing) that the promise of God is true and that it doesn't all end in a cemetery. Thus, we live by faith, not by sight. In the same way, we are to live day to day standing on the promises of God. However, most people live day to day standing on the evidence of things seen. That is, they never saw Aunt Bessie healed or Uncle Bob prosperous, therefore those promises must not be for everyone. Or we speak to the mountain and call things that are not as though they already were and nothing immediately happens, so we chalk it up to "we tried that once and it didn't work" and therefore choose to live by "sight" instead of by faith. Faith is the ability to see it complete while it is still undone. Settle it in your spirit, by the spirit make up your mind, and let your actions be in accordance to what you believe. Everyone is looking for something that "works". Don't go around trying to copy everything everyone else is doing. That is living by sight. The one thing that has always worked and never failed is the Word of God. Be sensitive to what He is telling you to do, then walk by faith and go do it. Stand firm and don't be moved by what you see. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going.
Have A Awesome Blessed Week
This verse, pertaining to eternal life and our robe of righteousness that awaits us in heaven, is the foundational principle in which we live as followers of Christ. Though in the natural we don't see the after life, all we see is a body that dies and a grave, we know by faith (believing) that the promise of God is true and that it doesn't all end in a cemetery. Thus, we live by faith, not by sight. In the same way, we are to live day to day standing on the promises of God. However, most people live day to day standing on the evidence of things seen. That is, they never saw Aunt Bessie healed or Uncle Bob prosperous, therefore those promises must not be for everyone. Or we speak to the mountain and call things that are not as though they already were and nothing immediately happens, so we chalk it up to "we tried that once and it didn't work" and therefore choose to live by "sight" instead of by faith. Faith is the ability to see it complete while it is still undone. Settle it in your spirit, by the spirit make up your mind, and let your actions be in accordance to what you believe. Everyone is looking for something that "works". Don't go around trying to copy everything everyone else is doing. That is living by sight. The one thing that has always worked and never failed is the Word of God. Be sensitive to what He is telling you to do, then walk by faith and go do it. Stand firm and don't be moved by what you see. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going.
Have A Awesome Blessed Week
Friday, November 4, 2011
When Pride Falleth
Ephesians 4:18, NIV: They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
It has been said that in order to be a good teacher, one must first be a good student. A Christian cannot lead unless willing first to be led. We must humble ourselves before Christ, as His disciple (or student). We must also be willing to humble ourselves before other Christians; and sometimes other people we do not believe we should have to listen to. Contrary to our belief we don't know every thing. It is so very often pride that prevents us from learning. Like a young teen, we are sometimes with Jesus--assuring Him that we know the answer, or that we need no help for a particular task. Pride is perhaps the greatest obstruction to learning. But when it is replaced with a humble attitude, then the disciple is open to receive so much from God, and in ways and places completely unexpected. It is truly amazing how useful the eyes of the soul can be, once pride is removed from the pupil.
It is my prayer that God will Bless you EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL YOU CAN ASK OR THINK!
It has been said that in order to be a good teacher, one must first be a good student. A Christian cannot lead unless willing first to be led. We must humble ourselves before Christ, as His disciple (or student). We must also be willing to humble ourselves before other Christians; and sometimes other people we do not believe we should have to listen to. Contrary to our belief we don't know every thing. It is so very often pride that prevents us from learning. Like a young teen, we are sometimes with Jesus--assuring Him that we know the answer, or that we need no help for a particular task. Pride is perhaps the greatest obstruction to learning. But when it is replaced with a humble attitude, then the disciple is open to receive so much from God, and in ways and places completely unexpected. It is truly amazing how useful the eyes of the soul can be, once pride is removed from the pupil.
It is my prayer that God will Bless you EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL YOU CAN ASK OR THINK!
Christian Integrity
John 17:6, NIV: "I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word."
If a person's integrity can be measured by how well he/she keeps his/her word; then a Christian person's integrity can be measured by how well he/she keeps God’s Word. What does it mean to be a man of my word? It means that I keep my word. It means that the words I speak are dependable and trustworthy. Whatever I say I will do, I am diligent to do. My yes means yes, and my no means no. While being determined to be a man of my word is a good thing; being determined to be a man of God’s Word is far better. It means I keep His Word--I hold to His Word; living according to His standards; hiding His Word in my heart, and considering His Word something to be treasured. In keeping God’s Word, we hold to a standard higher than our own--an integrity higher than our own integrity. In keeping to His Word, we affirm that we belong to Him even as Christ said, “the ones you gave me from this world.” We affirm that His Word is in us. And we affirm that we are, and have always been, His.
Have A Blessed Day
If a person's integrity can be measured by how well he/she keeps his/her word; then a Christian person's integrity can be measured by how well he/she keeps God’s Word. What does it mean to be a man of my word? It means that I keep my word. It means that the words I speak are dependable and trustworthy. Whatever I say I will do, I am diligent to do. My yes means yes, and my no means no. While being determined to be a man of my word is a good thing; being determined to be a man of God’s Word is far better. It means I keep His Word--I hold to His Word; living according to His standards; hiding His Word in my heart, and considering His Word something to be treasured. In keeping God’s Word, we hold to a standard higher than our own--an integrity higher than our own integrity. In keeping to His Word, we affirm that we belong to Him even as Christ said, “the ones you gave me from this world.” We affirm that His Word is in us. And we affirm that we are, and have always been, His.
Have A Blessed Day
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