Good Friday

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)

Today is the day that we celebrate the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We rejoice today because through Christ, we who believe have been forgiven of our sins and reunited with God.  It is important for us to always remember the depth of God’s love for us.

The Bible tells us that God so loved us that He sent His only Son into this world, with only one goal.  That goal wasn't to be a great teacher – although He was.  It wasn't to be a great miracle worker – although He was that as well.  It wasn't to be a great prophet – although He was that too.  His goal was to be the way – the only way – for us to be reconciled back to God.  You see Jesus was born of a virgin so that He wouldn't be contaminated with sin like us.  He was sinless.  He knew no sin.  So when He was crucified, He died for our sins.  And now whoever believes in Jesus Christ also believes that through Him, their sins are forgiven, and therefore will not perish, but have everlasting life.

Today is a good day to be forgiven and to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior; understanding that God loves you completely, and that Christ died for your sins too.  Click here for prayer requests.

Loyalty Check

 

Loyalty Check

Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? (Proverbs 20:6, NLT)

Loyalty grows out of a generous heart. Belief, and the willingness to commit to that belief, is one of the greatest gifts you can give one another.  Actions speak louder than words and follow through is priceless.  When a person is loyal to the core, you’ll observe they will be rich in friends and enjoy intimate and lasting relationships.  In the same way you can spot the signs of disloyalty in relationships.  Loyalty begins with saying what you mean and meaning what you say.  Easy assurances and good intentions are not enough.  Are you a person of your word? Are you willing to make a sacrifice if necessary to follow through on your promises?  It’s better to make no commitment than to make a false commitment.  Be someone people can count on.

If you are loyal, you will try to believe the best of people.  When someone speaks badly of a friend or gossips about someone you know, the loyal choice is to believe the best before you think the worst.  This is about assuming that your friend is innocent until proven guilty. It’s easy and quick to grab hold of the negative about a person but let go of the negative and embrace the positive.  Believe the best about people until they prove otherwise.

 

Making Decisions

Trustin the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandingProverbs 3:5 (NIV)

We shouldnever trust ourselves to make our own decisions.  I know this is a weird thing to say.  However, the truth is often times we make decisionsbased on emotions or with limited information. Without wise counsel or proper guidance, we make decisions believing thatit is the right thing to do, only to realize later it was completely the wrongthing to do.  Jeremiah 17:9 tells us thatThe heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure(NIV).  To protect ourselves from thedeceit of our own hearts, we must learn to embed Proverbs 3:5 into our lives.

We mustlearn how to not lean to our own understanding. How?  I believe it is acombination of prayer and accountability to others.  When we get to a place in God where we arecompletely submitted to God and to the counsel of others who are committed tothe same godly principles, we are then protected against the deceit of our ownhearts.  This may be the most challengingthing for us – to give up our right to make our own decisions.  It was a challenge for me.  However, as I started to submit myself to Godand to godly counsel, I started making wiser decisions.

Today let usmake the decision to trust in God with our whole heart and trust those who God has appointed over us tohelp us make better and wiser decisions.

Be An Example

 

Don’t let anyone think less of youbecause you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in theway you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12 NLT)

Paul iswriting these words to Timothy who found himself as a young pastor.  Timothy was called by God before he wascalled into the office of a Pastor.  Itwas important for Timothy to be confident in God because that confidence wasgoing to sustain him when things became hard. It would be easy for olderChristians to look down on him because of his youth.  Regardless of your age, God can use you.  You must not look at your age as a disqualifierfor being used by God.  Abraham was usedin his elder years to be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5).  Josiah reigned as a young boy (2 Kings 22:1).  Obedience is the key regardless of yourage.  What has God called you to do?  Have you been obedient to the call?  Are you moved by the opinion of others?  Has fear caused you to stand still? 

Let your lifebe an example.  Paul tells Timothy inwhat ways he is to be an example: “in teaching, in the way you live, in love,in faith and in purity.”  In other wordsyour actions will speak louder than your words. People are watching you whether you realize it or not.  Always stay true to who God has created youto be.  Don’t compromise your godlyexample.

Hearing God

… seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul Deuteronomy 4:29 (NIV)

Have you ever not been able to hear God’s voice or sense His presence in your life?  Perhaps it is result of not seeking Him.

One of the many benefits of being a Christian is when God speaks we hear His voice.  John 10:27 says My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (KJV).  This lets us know that God speaks.  He is not silent.  He guides and gives us instructions.  We, as God’s sheep, then hear and follow His instructions.  If we are not hearing God’s voice or sensing His presence, it is not because God is not speaking.  It is however the result of us not seeking Him wholeheartedly or not being obedient to what He had instructed us to do in the first place.  God does not show us the next move until we are obedient to the first word He has spoken to us. It is a progressive process. He entrusts us with the small things, then moves us to the larger.

Today let us seek God and decide to be obedient to His instructions.  It is only in our seeking and being obedient that we will continue to hear God’s voice.

Investment

Mark 4:30-32

Then He said, “to what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

There is an old saying that declares “everyone needs someone.”  One of the greatest issues is that the value of another individual is measured by the visible magnitude of their investment, rather than the possibility of the return of what could potentially be produced.  Many of us will never invest in what we really would love to or have a genuine passion to invest in because we do not believe that what we are investing has the potential to be great. 

With this parable, Jesus was not only illustrating the infinities of God’s power but the reality of His love.  

God has the ability to take the smallest investment, if sown and cause it to produce the greatest return.  He took the smallest seed and produced the largest herb, the smallest thoughts and produced the greatest movies; best cars, best homes; best work of art; the best YOU.   The only prerequisite is you have to sow.  What God can do is not measured by the size of your investment, but rather what you invest in.  What is it about you that God desires to maximize, but can’t because you refuse to invest in Him.  Today, I challenge you to make the decision to invest and believe God for your return.

Enjoy the Good Things

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.  Psalm 84:11 (KJV)

My great-great-grandmother was born before Lincoln was elected president.  The only form of transportation she ever knew was her own two feet.  Although she lived a long life, to see the invention of the automobile and the airplane, she continued to walk everywhere.  She was afraid to try these new forms of transportation and never enjoyed the benefits of them.

If you think only the elderly are afraid of change, there is a young lady who is unfortunately living in an apartment not fit for animals.  God has blessed her with a good job.  She can afford to move whenever and wherever she wants.  However, just like my great-great-grandmother who continued to walk, this young lady continues to live in filth with half-working appliances.  Why?  She grew up poor; that's all she knows.  She's afraid to move beyond that and enjoy better living conditions.

Although God wants to bless us and shower us with all good things – if our minds are stuck in what was, and not opened to what is – we will not be able to enjoy all the good things God has already provided for us.

Today remember God is not withholding any good thing from us.  Let us enjoy the abundant life God has already made available to us.

A Time for Solitude

Mark 1:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.^”

Solitude is being alone on purpose. Loneliness happens to you. A child who can’t find friends to play with, a rejected lover, a new person in town—these can be lonely situations. In contrast, solitude is something you choose. When I put on my running shoes and head out the door, I am choosing to be alone. I am looking forward to the benefits that come from the exercise and the opportunity to let my mind roam free as I pass by the trees, listen to birds and observe the beauty of God’s creation. I am alone, but I am not lonely.

Jesus chose a location and a time of the day that was free from distractions and quiet to meet with the Father. He valued this time so much that he arose a great while before day and he went out to a solitary place.  His quiet time with the Father prepared him for what he was to face that day. 

We don’t know what the day will hold for us but we can spend time with the one that holds our days. If Jesus saw it as a priority to depart into a solitary place and pray, how much more do we need that precious time with the Father?  It is during these times that He will enlighten, refresh and empower us for that day. This is the day that He has made and He is ready to give you new mercies. (Psa 118:24; Lam 3:22-23) So set as a priority for yourself a time for solitude. 

Keep a Clear Mind

But you should keep a clear mind in every situation.  Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you (2 Timothy 4:5 NLT)

     Sometimes it is difficult to keep a clear mind in every situation.  There are times in which you are wronged or unjustly accused and the first thought that comes to mind is to defend yourself.  You feel a sense of violation when things are said which are not true and things done to you that you did not deserve or ask for.  These times of friction is intended for you to seek God and not revenge.  The scriptures throughout the New Testament exhort us to not be afraid of suffering for the Lord.  You and I must be very mindful that we will suffer persecution for righteousness sake.  Is it fair? Why does God allow it?  There will be times when God will reveal His will in our times of suffering and there are other times in which He will not.  This does not mean that God has forgotten about you nor does it mean He has forsaken you, but it gives you an honest opportunity to trust God even the more.

     Our responsibility is to bring others to Christ even when we are going through our own pain.  Have you ever been right in the middle of your painful circumstance and God tells you to go and minister to someone else?  Was there a time in which you were consumed with a problem and someone comes to you for advice about their own problem?  These moments are great times to rely on God for your comfort and minister comfort and peace to another.  I can share from personal experiences, when I take this approach, I walk away feeling better than I did before the conversation.  You have a ministry and don't allow any circumstance or situation to cause you to run away from it.

Final Destination

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end

Psalms 119:33 (NIV)

I live in Hawaii, where the weather is perfect all year around.  Long gone are the memories associated with words like snow, cold or freezing.  Even when it rains, it’s perfect – it’s not dreary or gloomy.  Recently I traveled to a place where - in my mind – it was zero degrees – but in reality – it was only in the fifties.  Needless to say, when I boarded the plane to return home – I wanted my final destination to be nothing but Hawaii.  I did not want the pilot to announce, “Hello passengers.  This is your captain.  We were slightly off.  Instead of Hawaii – we will be landing in Seattle.” Fortunately, this would never happen because planes have navigational systems, ensuring the correct path that will lead to the correct destination.

As Christians, in order for us to ensure our correct path leading us to the correct destination, we must learn and follow God’s word, will and way.  No Christian wants to be slightly off and hear God saying depart from Him.  We would rather stay the course and hear God say well done, my good and faithful servant.

Today keep in mind your final destination.  If you need to make adjustments, do so and fly onward.  If you’re heading in the right direction, keep going forward and reach your final destination.

Move Your Mountian Pt 2

"So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."  1 Peter 1:13  (Good New Translation)

How nice would it be if we had the ability to move a mountain with simply our minds?  If you had that ability, would you move it? What if I told you, you did, would you?

One of the things the enemy understands is the power of manipulation, the power of influence and he will use them because he knows that if we unlocked our true power, the possibilities of what we could do are limitless.  Peters is urging us to consistently prepare  and develop our minds in Chris because he too understood the power we could unlock if we simply knew what we could do.  

A mountain is any obstacle in front of you that appears to hold a weight that is greater than anything you believe you could lift.  Before we can ever expect to move any mountain sized obstacle we must prepare ourselves for it through our study and meditation on the Word of God.   In our preparation he warns us to keep alert, because a lack of focus will place us in an imbalanced position which in return makes it too impossible or painfully unbearable to lift anything heavier that us.   Finally the key to our success is to rest our hope in Christ.  Through Christ we can do all things and failure to place hope in Christ cause us to not believe the unbelievable.

Within every believer there is the power to move anything out of our way, the question is do we possess the mental drive to began the preparation.  Today I challenge you to face whatever obstacle stands in front of you and began to prepare to lift it and get it our of your life.  Will you take the challenge....

Much love

Move Your Mountian

 


"So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."  1 Peter 1:13  (Good New Translation)

        An old man and a young man was asked the same question; how do you move a mountain? After hearing it, they thought about it for a few minutes and responded.  The young man eager to answer attempted stepped up first, but he shortly realized he didn’t have the answer.  After a few more minutes of contemplating, he gave up and with frustration said I give up, it’s impossible. When the question was given to the older man, he quietly and calmly answer you move a mountain one rock at a time; it make take you some time to move it, but eventually your work will be done. 

       I have looked at this verse in depth for two years and for two years my view and perspective has grown and shifted.  There are so many different ways the enemy desire to trip us up and stomp us.  In the same way we move a mountain one rock at a time, we build a mountain on rock at a time.  We strengthen our walk and our faith one layer at a time. Preparation is a building block and if the enemy can prevent us from preparing and growing consistently, he can and will limit our effectiveness.  Today I challenge you to focus on you preparation and guard your mind from distractions that will hinder you from growing.  

To be continued…….

From The Heart

 

 

From the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all other sexual immorality, theft, lying and slander (Matthew 15:19 NLT)

The heart is the “seat” or the “belly” of our being. You can adorn the outward, have it looking really good and attractive but the seat or the belly of your heart is unattractive.  The way we are deep down (where others can’t see) matters much to God.  You can think that no one knows or see what you are doing, but God is watching you and me 24/7.  What are you like inside? Who are you when people aren’t looking? When people become Christians, God makes them different on the inside.  He will continue the process of change inside them if they only ask.  God wants us to seek healthy thoughts and motives, not just healthy food and good exercise.

You nor I should open ourselves up to those things listed in this scripture. You have to put the flesh under subjection and be led by the spirit.  The spirit will convict us when we are in those tight places that tug at the heart.  The heart is the place where God’s love reside within us so let’s fill our heart with the love of the Lord and not the lord of this world.  The end thereof is death for the unbelieving, carnal Christian but you are alive to God and His word.  Allow them both to minister to you and cause you to meditate on this scripture as well as ask yourself the hard question of “Lord, show me the true condition of my heart and then create a clean heart and renew the right spirit within me.”



Stand Against Evil

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes

Ephesians 6:12 NIV

The devil exists.  Evil exists - even though many don’t believe it.  The Western mindset says that the world’s atrocities are somehow derived out of psychological or sociological issues rather than evil.  I’m not saying there are not some who are dysfunctional and need counseling.  There are.  What I’m saying is that having a horrible childhood, being uneducated or playing a violent video game are not origins of evil.  Those things can aggravate and accentuate – but they don’t create.

Consider the opposite.  Instead of saying a movie caused me to kill someone - what if I said a movie caused me to be saved?  What if I pointed out the crewmember, actor, director or producer who restored my relationship with God?  What if I could fast forward to the exact scene in which my sins were forgiven?  What if I stopped worshiping God and started worshiping this movie?  Why not?  It is the source of my salvation.

Sound outrageous?  It should.  A movie cannot replace the work of Jesus on the cross – nor can it replace the evil found in the hearts of a murderer, rapist or bigot.  It is absurd to think we can take the results of what is obviously spiritual and attempt to root them in carnality.  Today let us face the fact that evil exists.   We need not deny it or be afraid of it.  God has already given us the power and authority to successfully stand against it.

Follow The Instructions

But the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until they were entirely destroyed.  Now you will be victorious only three times (2 Kings 13:19 NLT)

When Jehoash was told to strike the ground with the arrows, he did it only halfheartedly.  As a result, Elisha told the king that his victory over Aram would not be complete.  How often have you followed the instructions of God but not with your whole heart?  It could be a variety of reasons for noncompliance such as “This does not make sense.” “I am too busy”, “How could God use me in this way?”  Just insert your name and reason; the list could go on and on.  We all have at some point in our Christian work halfheartedly responded to what the Lord has told us to do. 

Receiving the full benefits of God’s plan for your life requires you to receive and obey God’s commands fully.  Notice the two keys words “receive” and “obey”.  There are many people in prayer lines for prophecy but have not done anything with the previous word they had received. We must receive and obey.  If you expect a hundred-fold blessing then you need to have a whole heart full of obedience to God and His will for your life. If we do not follow God’s complete instructions, we should not be surprised that his full benefits and blessings are not present.

One Thing at a Time

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

The Greek understanding of anxiety was to have a divided mind – to lose focus – or to focus on too many things at once.  Today, anxiety is defined as an apprehensive uneasiness of the mind, usually over an anticipated situation.  Whether our anxiety is caused by the lack of focus or the fear over what might happen – 1 Peter 5:7 lets us know that we can be free from any and all anxiety.

When we are worried or anxious, especially over the abundance of things we face on a daily basis, we can become so overwhelmed with everything, that we either accomplish nothing or accomplish things half-heartedly.  In order for us to accomplish each task, one at a time, and complete them wholeheartedly – we must first remove this hindering force called anxiety.

To free ourselves, we simply need to cast our cares on God.  How?  The key to do so is found at the end of the verse – “because he cares for you”.  If we understand how much God cares for us, we can rest and trust in Him, let go of our concerns and accomplish each task that is set before us.

Today believe that God cares for you.  Trust that He will give you the strength, the peace, the wisdom, you need to accomplish each task.

Strength in Unity

Romans 8:35 (NKJV) Who shall separate us from the love ofChrist? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, ornakedness, or peril, or sword?

I grew up in a family of 6 boys and1 girl, there were plenty of times where we didn’t want to get along, therewere plenty times we didn’t want to talk to one another, plenty of days wherewe would fight, but despite how we felt, we understood one principle. Ourgreatest strength was in our ability to remain united.  There was a saying within our neighborhood,don’t mess with them because if you mess with one you mess with all.  The only time we were able to be touched was separately.

Romans 8:35 gives a clear depictionof how many different ways the enemy will try to separate you from the love of Christ. He will attempt to attack us through tribulation,distress, persecution, famine, nakedness (exposure), peril (threats) or evenwords.  As siblings we knew our strengthwas in our unity; likewise, our strength against the enemy is within our unitywith Christ.  The enemy will try to do whateverhe can to break the chain of unity we have with Christ.   This day, reinforce your unity with Christand let the enemy know you are convinced nothing will separate you from His love.   

Be Content

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  Philippians 4:11 (NIV)

I’m a goal oriented person, always seeking to improve myself.  When I use to cook, I bought dozens of cookbooks and would challenge myself to cook something new once a week.  Now that I’m heading towards consuming raw foods, I’m constantly looking for the best raw foods around.  When I first bought my elliptical, I challenge myself to go 2 miles.  Now I’m up to 6.  You may think that this is a contradiction to today’s scripture.  Yes, it may appear that way, but the truth is – it’s not.

I know what it is not to be content.  I use to be that way.  No matter what, I always found something to complain about.  Now that I have learned to accept myself and what I can do through Jesus being in my life – I found peace and contentment.  This does not mean I should not strive to be or to do better.  Contentment is not a matter of being content with your plight or prosperity in life and thereby giving up on improving you or your situation.  It’s being able to accept yourself and what you can do through Christ – which is – all things!

Today – choose not to focus on what’s wrong.  Be thankful about who you are in Christ, and all the wonderful things you can do and can be because of Him