A Demonstration of Love

As I prepare for the holiday season, I tell myself not to get caught up and go over board with spending. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ and not the material gifts we exchange.

Then I think about the fact that Christ was the greatest gift God gave to the world. God spared no expense in order to grant us the marvelous opportunity of salvation and eternal life with Him in heaven. What an awesome gift.

Just the same Jesus Christ, complete with the love of God, spared no expense to demonstrate his love for us. He gave the greatest sacrifice of all by laying down his life on Calvary's cross for the sins of the world. He did so that we might be redeemed and come to know the joy of salvation.

When I think about all of the running around that I've done and will do to buy gifts for the family, I know that my gifts don't have redeeming power. I know that they can't bring about salvation but, they do ignite joy in the heart of the recipient.

I'm not pressured by the seasons propaganda. I am a willing participant in the act of giving. Giving allows me an opportunity to demonstrate my love and spread a little joy.

Whatever you decide to give this season, let it be a demonstration of your love. Maybe your funds are low and you can't give the gift of choice or preference. Don't be discouraged. A hug goes along way. Especially when it's given with love. And just as if you were wrapping your hug with a bow, share the story of our Savior who was born in a manger.

An Invitation to "The Shack"

No matter what God's power may be, the first aspect of God is never that of absolute Master, the Almighty. It is that of the God who puts himself on our human level and limits himself.

Jacques Ellul, Anarchy and Christianity

I copied the quote above from the best selling book "The Shack". As I meditate on the awesomeness of God, the fact that I cannot grasp all that there is to know about the being and power of God, I am humbled and grateful for his many blessings. Grateful for the fact that God, speaks to me through his word, through his Holy Spirit and that all of creation declares his glory.

I felt lead to purchase The Shack in January of this year. I didn't know much about the plot and never heard of the author. None of my friends had read it or even heard of it. I just stumbled across the book while searching for ministry books online.

Needless to say, I finally purchased the book yesterday and I have only forty-one pages left until reaching the end. With all the questions circling in my head and stirring within my heart, this book has just renewed in me the peace of God that passes all understanding.

My blog today is to simply invite you to read The Shack. Do it and see if your perception and appreciation for God isn't profoundly impacted. Check it out at http://www.theshackbook.com

Calling All Advocates For Righteousness

I keep coming across Acts Ch. 6 in my studies and conversation. Today I thought to meditate on it some more. It raises a very relevant message to the church. A message that says we need to be advocates for righteousness.

Acts 6
1And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

3Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

4But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

5And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

6Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

7And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

The Grecian Jews felt their widows were being neglected of the daily benevolent offering being given to the Hebrew widows. In a sense, were being denied their welfare benefits because of their heritage and background. So they brought an accusation of discrimination to the attention of the apostles (vs. 1) for a resolution.

While deeply troubled over the accusations being raised, the apostles needed to take a hands off approach. They realized making a personal address to every issue in the church, would leave them with little time to focus on preaching the gospel to those that were still living in darkness. So, it was necessary to delegate this responsibility to persons that were equally capable of resolving delicate situations with a loving and powerful hand.

And so it was, that names were submitted and prayed over and a faithful man of God called Stephen was appointed the task among others as well (vs.5). Stephen is noted for accepting this awesome responsibility and engaging it with a fervor for God. He accomplished great wonders and miracles among the people being faithful and endowed with the Holy Ghost.

As I think on this scripture, I am reminded that the things we do for God are achieved only through our faith in God. Often times we run to others hoping they will resolve matters of concern. Perhaps we feel they are better qualified or more spiritually equipped to address matters of difficulty. Too often the pastor is sought after to be the advocate for all situations.

This scripture, however, is a sounding alarm to the body of believers and leaders within the church. We must all stand against wrong doing and learn to resolve matters with the love and power of Christ. It can't always fall on the plate of the preacher.

As believers and leaders in Christ, be encouraged. Christ said in John 15:7 "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you". If we simply avail ourselves to the will of God and ask for His guidance in all situations it shall be granted to us.

King Solomon was the wisest of men. In Proverbs 3:5-6 King Solomon tells us to "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

What makes King Solomons instruction so powerful is understanding how he came to be so wise. Solomon being the heir to the throne of David, prayed to God for wisdom above all else. Being so young and taking on so great a kingdom, Solomon didn't want to ruin all that his father accomplished. He also didn't want to be perceived as an unfit king because of his youth. So, he asked God to bless him with wisdom and by God's wisdom Solomon obtained great wealth and he increased the kingdom of Israel. His wealth was so great, it had to be stored in treasures at sea.

Sure there are things that seem insurmountable to us but, with Christ we can remove mountains. Even the stones of discrimination and mistreatment that lie in the hearts of men. Be blessed and prosper.

A Call to Praise

Psalm 134 says:

"(1) Behold, bless ye the Lord. All ye servants of the Lord. Which by night stand in the house of the Lord. (2)Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.
(3)Bless the Lord that hath made heaven and earth. Bless thee out of Zion."

I came across this Psalm sometime in December of 2008. It was such a refreshing Psalm to read and one that I hadn't paid attention to before. Since then I've been meditating on it and I think about it whenever I go to church for a meeting, rehearsal or Bible Study. The psalmist instructs the people of God to give God glory. Those of us who have committed ourselves to serving the Lord are urged to praise Him.

Is blessing the Lord and serving the Lord two separate duties? I didn't think it possible but, then again what good is our service to God if the spirit of praise doesn't dwell in our hearts. Feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, or teaching someone how to read are all great acts of kindness but, we are called to proclaim His goodness. We must establish that He is the reason behind all that we do and all that we are and all that we have.

I realize that some of us struggle with vocal praise but, look at what the psalmist says in verse two. "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary." You may be someone that finds it difficult to say amen or hallelujah in the sanctuary. And if so, you are not alone. But, the psalmist provides an alternative in verse two by exhorting us to lift up our hands. Yes! Show some sign!

In life we lift up our hands for different reasons:

1. It can be an act of surrender. A way of showing the police that we have no intention of causing harm or posing a threat and that we are fully submitted to their authority.

2. It can be an act of allegiance. As when we pledge allegiance to the flag. We are saying that we will be loyal to our country or a particular group and it's ordinances, disciplines and doctrines.

3. It can be a salutation. A way of greeting someone of authority or simply someone that we are familiar with.

Certainly as servants of God, we have not only joined the Lord's army to serve but, we have surrendered our will to God's will. Truly we want our lives to be in harmony with the will of God and will strive to avoid bringing shame or harm to the kingdom.

Certainly as servants of God, we pledge loyalty to the sovereign God. We are dedicated to abiding by His word to the best of our abilities and thankful for His grace when we fall short.

Certainly as servants of God, we are compelled to salute our Lord whenever we enter into his presence. Especially, in the sanctuary reserved for His praise and glory. Hallelujah, and we realize that we are always in His presence for He is omnipresent.

My prayer is that you are freed today to give him the praise. May your heart be so moved that you give God the glory with a hearty amen and hand waive offering the next time you enter into his sanctuary!

No Limits... No Boundaries... Stretch forth... Break forth

Isaiah 54:4-5
“Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.

“For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.

I thank God for brand new mercies. God gives us another chance to fulfill his will each day that we rise. How glorious it is to know, that your past is in the past. No need to cry over it. No need to dwell on it. You can let it go and start a fresh.

Yes, others may try to remind you of it. Others may struggle with forgetting it but, you have an opportunity to say that's not me, it won't be me, and I am free to breakforth and stretchforth to a greater reality.

How is this possible?

First, when we accept Christ,the word says "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, all things have become new(2 Cor 5:17). Christ has made you clean by shedding his blood for you on Calvary. So, God sees no fault in you.

Secondly, hold your head up high, Jesus said in John 8:7 "...He
that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her..." Yes you may have been a wretched individual. You may have been a lying, backstabbing and conniving person. Maybe your past holds adultery and fornication. Maybe you abused your body, the temple of God, with drugs and liquor. Or perhaps you simply, sin by never worshipping God... Yes, for all you kind hearted people, not praising God is a sin. Nevertheless, we all have sinned in some way and fallen short of God's glory. So hold your head up and know that anyone pointing a finger at you needs to examine themselves. For they are no better than you.

Lastly, the Lord is on your side. That is no small statement. He is the Lord God, strong and mighty. Mighty in battle. He is the maker of Heaven and Earth. He is your keeper. He is your provider. God is the glory and lifter of your head. He is your redeemer. And if you trust Him, he will never let you fall.

Stay strong and remember. No limits. No Boundaries. Stretch forth. Break forth. For you have been released from your past and you are positioned to catapult into your future.

A Greater Commitment to Training Up Our Children

Hello My Sisters,

I've been thinking on the scandals of AIG and Bernie Madoff. I ask the question, how can these excutives wake up in the morning with a clear concious? I've concluded:

1. The don't recognize the existence and presence of God in their lives.
2. They have replaced their love for God with a love for money.
3. They are ignorant to, have forgotten, or right out turned a blind ear to Christ Commandment, that we love one another as he has loved us.

If my conclusions are the root causes of bad leadership, what then is the answer for producing better leaders for tomorrow.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I would like to encourage you my sisters to invest with greater fervor into the lives and characters of your children. The leaders of today are products of their own home training. Yes, some will go a stray and it will be expedient for us to keep them in prayer. But, If we believe in the infallible word of God, then we believe that if we do what it says, God will bring about the rewards that He promises.

Train them up to:
1. Recognize God and the significance he should have in their lives
2. Recognize that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. He rewards those that deligently seek him.
3. We are commanded to love one another. In doing so, we show forth our love for him.

Are You Able?

Matthew 8:23

After he had entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

I recently preached a sermon, "Are You Able?" The sermon was meant to lead my listeners to consider how far they would go to follow Christ. If you read from Matthew chapter four up to this twenty-third verse, you will learn that there was a crowd of people following Jesus.

They came to see if he was really the Messiah that Isaiah Prophesied about and many came to be healed from their sickness. It goes on to inform us that he healed all that were sick fulfilling Esaias' prophecy, that "He took on our infirmities and bare all of our diseases".

After healing them, Jesus commanded them to follow him to the Country of the Gadarenes. Gadara was also referred to as the land of the Gentiles. The residents did not have the law of God and they did not live by God's commandments.

Unlike Capernaum where the climate was beautiful, had a booming fishing industry and tourism, Gadara was the country. The climate was unfavorable for a tourist destination and the people in Capernaum weren't likely to associate with people from Gadara. Capernaum was mainly a Jewish populated city. It went against their covenant to associate with persons outside of their faith. Traveling across the Sea of Galilee to Gadara was also a dangerous trip due to the storms that formed on the sea.

When Jesus makes this request he is asking them to put their life on the line. He is asking them to share the Good News in a place that was undesirable with a people they deemed unredeemable. Was this a huge request?

I don't think so. After all they traveled miles and miles, some deathly sick, to see Jesus and to be he healed by him. The difference is they were the ones that would receive the immediate benefit once they reached their destination. Many who were sick endured years of sickness and suffering. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The question before them now was, what will you endure to follow me all the way and fulfill my mission?

I pose the same question to you. What did you endure to get a prayer answered from Jesus? Now that he has answered it what are you will to give to bring the same blessing to someone else? Perhaps this will help you decide.

Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins and restore our relationship with God. By accepting him into our lives he promised us life everlasting. Christ didn't come to simply bless us with good health in this life or help us to pursue fortune and fame. He came so, that we might have life eternal with God the Father.

So the question really being asked is "Are you able to lay down this earthly life in order to have life eternal with God?" How do you lay it down? You lay it down by giving up your pursuits in exchange for will. What is his will? To take the gospel throughout the world and proclaim his truth. Are You Able?

He Knows and He Cares!

I had a conversation with a friend of mine today. She is currently suffering a devastating loss of her baby. I knew that something was going on with her but, I didn't want to question her about it. You know, I said to myself she'll talk about it when she's ready.

Well today we had that conversation. Truly, I was at a loss of words considering the fact that I've never experienced this kind of pain. I thought mere words just aren't good enough for this situation.

So, all I could do was speak the scriptures to her and share what the word says about faith, patience and healing.

I don't know if what I said has helped, hurt or left her feeling the same. What I do know is that I believe God's word has power and it will come back to her in due time. I speak life to her situation as I due to my own personal trials and tribulations.

After all, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. His word is now a seed planted in her heart and when he turns her situation around, his word will spring up to remind her that he was right there in the midst of our conversation.

Before he was crucified, Christ left a promise with his disciples. He said:

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:18

Then he says:

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you." John 16:7

My sisters, wait on the Lord and be of good courage. In time he will send you comfort for all that you go through. God is not a God that he should lie. Stand on his word and experience his truth for yourself. Only then will you come to know that He knows your every situation and He cares for you.