You Decide

As we walk through life, we make decisions every day like what are we going to wear; What will we have for lunch; what do we have to get done today; or who will we see today. These decisions determine the course of our day and many time determine the success or failure of that day. If we decide to start our day with prayer and reading the Word of God, we will have a better start on the day. We will make better decisions and, as the day progresses we won’t let the circumstances of the day cause us stress, anxiety, or sadness. It is all up to you, so you decide!


Luke 8

Victors or Victims?

After watching the day’s NFL games I saw a lot of winners and a lot of losers. By losers here I mean teams that lost, got beat or beat themselves. For the most part they took the fault of the loss as a team instead of blaming someone else. They were not victors this week. But they were not victims either. Victims try to blame others for the defeats. “It was his fault!” “It was her fault!” you will hear them say. Victims in life blame a bad childhood, or environment for their current situations and circumstances instead of forgetting the past and seeing how they can improve their situation through determination, hard work and, of course prayer. The enemy is always looking for victims. In the animal kingdom the predators go after the strays that are away from the herd or team. These are the ones who die. And then we have the vultures. The vultures pick at what has been killed or is dying to inflict even more damage. There are predators and vultures in the human world too and they attack just like they do in the animal world. The enemy goes after those who are not in daily fellowship with God and other Christians, who have “strayed from the herd”. The human vultures pick at the wounded or dying as if to say, “See God does not love you and can’t help you. Don’t be a victim. Stay charged up. God and His Word do not change. You can and will be victorious today if you trust in God and follow His Word

Numbers 23:18-20
Proverbs 3:4-6
1 Corinthians 15:54-56

Composure

As we go through lives many things don’t go as we planned, and at the moment we wonder what happened or ask, “How could this happen? I and a Christian, I read the Word, I pray, I faithfully attend church?” The answer is simple. Life happens. The Bible does not guarantee a life free of trouble. Even peter had a thorn in the flesh. God does however give us the strength to get through the problem, if we trust in Him and His Word. But if as soon as a problem comes up we start wondering what to do, we lose the victory in that circumstance. If we keep our composure and Fully Rely On God (F.R.O.G.) we will be victorious


Isaiah 54:13
Psalms 5:11

A Vision of Heaven & Hell

I can't take credit for this Blog as it was sent to me but it was definitely worth sharing so here it is:

A Holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'

The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.'

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, 'I don't understand.

'It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. The greedy think only of themselves.'

When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you.

Remember that I will always share my spoon with you.

John 3 :16

Walking Through

Many people relax or get needed exercise by simply taking a walk. A thing to remember when you are walking is that as long as you are walking, you are moving. If you stop, you are no longer moving. Sounds simple, but this is also valuable knowledge for our Christian lives. As we are walking from day to day in God, we need to stay moving and not get stuck in the things of this world. As we walk we get stronger in our faith and in our bodies so we can be closer to god to be able to resist the attacks of the enemy. Keep on Walking Through!

Psalms 84:6-7
Job 27:21

The Right Ingredients

If you have ever prepared a food item and accidentally left out an ingredient, you know how 1 small omission can ruin the whole dish or desert. It is the same with our spiritual lives. We can leave God out of our lives, but that will not end well. We can leave prayer out of our lives but we will not be victorious. We can leave the Word out of our lives, but we will not have God's direction. We can leave time alone with God out of lives but we will never have peace. We need all these ingredients to have a happy, prosperous, successful and victorious life in Him


2 Timothy 2:14-16
Psalm 39:11-13

Ready for the attack

OK, you have just stood in faith for a period of time and just received a blessing from God. The going was hard at times, but you stood and you now have the victory, by manifestation of your blessing. Now what? Hey let’s just relax a bit, this faith stuff is hard work! Wrong! What do you mean? I got what I believed for, and now I just want to relax in the blessing! No, No, No. Its OK, in fact required, that you enjoy the blessing and favor of God and it is even better and more satisfying that you stood in faith for it. But! The enemy will always try to steal your joy or your harvest to kill or destroy your faith. Don’t let him! While you are enjoying your harvest, be constantly on guard with you shield of Faith, Sword of the Spirit and the rest of your armor on so the devil can’t take what you believed for and also so he can’t delay or discourage you from believing for your next harvest

1 Peter 5:7-9
Ephesians 6:13-18

Flawless

I am sure everyone will agree that a diamond is a beautiful piece of jewelry. It is flawless. But it does not start like that. It has to be precisely cut and shaped by a master craftsman. It has to be polished. Finally it has to be set in its setting to bring out its full beauty. The Word of God is flawless like that. We can use the Word of God to cut and shape us to get rid of the impurities. God’s word polishes us and then He places us in a setting where our full beauty can be seen as we minister with the gifts God has given us and the Word He has placed in us

Job 28:9-11
Malachi 3:16-18

React or Respond?

When trouble or a problem comes our way, what are we are connected men and women of God supposed to do. Do we react and say. “Oh no! What am I going to due?” Or do we respond and say, “This is just another opportunity to prove the Word of God is true and active in my life!” If you chose the latter, it is easy to see you have experience being a conqueror in Christ Jesus. By using God’s Word in faith God says that we are more than conquerors

Romans 8:36-38
2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Reflection

When we look in the mirror or in a clear pond we see our reflection. But in a man, it is his heart that is a reflection of what he really is. What is in your heart is really what you are. You can cover this up with flowery words or actions but the truth will come out. Do we want to be a reflection on Jesus, showing a bad or improper reflection on Him? Or do we want to be a reflection of Jesus, letting his love and light show through us?

James 1:23-25
Proverbs 27:18-20

The Garment

All the woman with the issue of blood had to do was to reach out and touch the hem of the garment of Jesus. She believed if she touched that garment she would be healed of her twelve years of torment. When she touched Him, Jesus felt the anointing flow out of Him and into her. There are many people just looking for that garment to touch. We can be that garment, that point of contact for people to reach out for. All we need to do is ready ourselves each day in prayer and be ready for when god puts someone in our path for us to touch or minister to. They then can reach out and touch and receive what they desire from God through faith.

Luke 8:43-45

Are You Expecting?

When you go to God in prayer, when you open the Bible to read God’s Word, when you walk into church, do you go in expecting? Or do you just go through the motions. We should always have an expecting heart to the things of God. We should expect God to talk to us! When you go to a restaurant, you order a meal and you expect to get what you ordered. Right? We need to be the same with the things of God. Whether it is from the pastor, from the Word of God itself, or from that still small voice inside of each and every one of us. If we are not expecting, we for sure will not be receiving.



Psalm 27:13-14
Mark 11:23-25

"But" Prints in the Sand?

A connected man is a man of action, not a man of excuses. There will be problems and failures in life. If these setbacks are followed by excuses: but he, but she, but they, but we, but it, but this, but that, are all forms of excuses. Instead of excuses, you need to dust yourself off and try again. Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb." There is only one "but" that works well in every circumstance. When you read Ephesians 2:4 the first 2 words are "But God". Now even though the verse goes on to say much more, lets just focus on those 2 words "But God". Yes I fell, But God. . . Yes I failed, But God. . . How great is that? God is the answer! His name is above all things, all circumstances, all problems. just remember when you look back on your life you want to see footprints in the sand not "but" prints.

Ephesians 2:3-5

Philippians 4:12-14

It Is Finished

When Christ died on the cross, His last words were, “It is Finished!” that meant he had done all that God His father had instructed him to do. He paid for our sins sickness and distress, he bore our iniquities, He gave us peace. The devil thought he had won when Jesus died, but then he found out he had lost everything. So now today we need to walk in the assurance that it is finished. We don’t have to carry the weight of this world on our shoulders. We don’t have to be sick or in debt or in conflict. He paid it all, so we would not have to. Learn to walk in that freedom everyday. Don’t let the lies of the enemy prevent you from experiencing the life freeing truth of the word today. It Is Finished!

John 19:29-31 (KJV)
Colossians 2:13-15 (AMP)
Isaiah 53:4-6 (AMP)

It Is In Your Hands

I saw this story on LinkedIn and thought I would share it.

Once upon a time there was a wise old man who lived in a small, remote village. Like most wise old men, he had some not so wise folks that wanted to prove him wrong. In fact, there was a young man who devised a scheme to publicly put the wise old man to shame. He captured a small bird from a nearby tree and quickly approached the old man. Holding the bird behind his back he challenged the old man by saying "Tell me wise old man; is the bird alive or is it dead?" His plan was flawless because if the old man said alive, he would crush it and if he said dead he would release the bird. Both scenarios would surely prove the old man a fool. The old man confidently pondered the situation and then calmly said "The answer lies in your hands"

So often the answer is in our hands. something God has asked us to do in the word, during our prayer time or with His still small voice. Once we do that something, we show our obedience to God and open up the access to all of God's Blessings that He so lovingly wants to give to us.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20
Zechariah 8:8-10

It's Turnaround Time!

If you have listened to newscasts and the so-called financial “experts” predicting the financial turnaround for this country, they are all saying it is a long ways in the future if at all. We hear about the new swine flu outbreak and how serious and dangerous it is we hear about all the threats of more war and disaster around the world. That is all pretty grim news to hear. But we don’t have to listen to those reports. The word says everything will have to bow to the name of Jesus and that it is under our feet. Debt, destruction, swine flu are all under our feet. It is time we turnaround and make our stand for the word of GOD. God’s word is true concerning us and what we speak will turn around our circumstances. We will go from lack to more than enough, from sickness to divine health, from defeat to total victory!

Isaiah 53:1-3

Deuteronomy 30:7-9

Job Interview

When you apply for a job you hope you get to the interview stage so you can tell the hiring manager your qualifications, experience and knowledge as it applies to the specific position. Basically you are saying, "Pick Me! Pick Me!" Once you have done the best you can in the interview, you have to wait until the hiring manager makes a decision. You are at their mercy until then. God does not look at you ability, but instead your availability. If you yield to God He will give you all the skills, knowledge and talent you require to do what He has for you to do. And his benefits package is better than any company on Earth

Philippians 2:3-5
Psalm 103:1-3

Ever Watchful

Anyone who has watched a hockey game has focused in on the Goalie. He stands in the net set and ready for the attack. The shots come at him from all over the rink and it is his job to block them anyway he can; with his stick, with his pads, or even with his body. Yes, his teammates help greatly but at the end of the game the points scored are points allowed by the Goalie. The best praise a goalie can achieve is a shutout where he stops all shots and the opponent does not score That is how we have to be; always set and ready for the attack. The enemy will try shots from all over trying to get one past your defenses. But if you stand firm in the face of these shots you too can score a shutout on the devil.

1 Peter 5:7-9
Proverbs 3:4-6
Ecclesiastes 3:16-18

Through a Child’s Eyes

Have you ever watched small children playing? They don’t take time to see if their play pals are white, black, red, yellow or purple. They don’t look to see if they are fat, skinny, tall or short. They don’t look at handicaps or advantages. They don’t look at their background or what kind of home they come from. They just want to play! That is how God looks at us. He does not look at color, size or anything else adults tend to look at. That is something we learn as we mature. If we are to be “Christ-like” we need to put all that aside and love people simply as God does. We will see a much better world if we do

1 Samuel 16:6-8
Psalm 145:19-21

Going Beyond Offense

It is so easy to get offended these days. Someone at work not doing what you think they should do. Someone that says something to you that is misunderstood. Being overwhelmed in your own tasks and seeing someone who is all caught up (you assume) not offering to help. Assumptions, misunderstandings and perceptions lead to most offenses today. All come from the enemy and all are set up to rob us of our blessings. We need to rise above offense and when we feel that spirit trying to rise up in us we need to tell ourselves no, no, this is not important enough to make me lose out on the blessings God has for me. The more opportunities you have to get offended, the harder the enemy is attacking, the closer you are to you blessings. So don’t let offense spoil the great things God has for you today!

Matthew 13:20-22
Matthew 11:5-7

Don't Look to Man

In this country we have gotten into the bad habit of looking to man to supply our needs instead of God. We vote in Presidents, Congressmen, Senators and the like based on their promises. History has shown us by all the fallen empires that man is not where we should put our faith. We need to trust God in all things. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. One man or one political party cannot correct all the problems in this world, but they can create more problems. God is the problem solver. Remember he created this world so he know exactly what is needed to fix it. We need to pray so that God can again work in this world to restore it to its former greatness

2 Chronicles 7:13-15
Revelation 1:7-9
Matthew 6:32-34

Have I Told You Lately?

Love is a word that is often misused in the English language. the word used to express how you feel about someone special in your life is the same word you use to say, " I love hamburgers"! As often as it is misused, it is not used nearly enough for the right reasons. Saying I love you can mean so much if it is said thoughtfully and with a right heart . Here is where tone and inflection are so important. You want to be sincere when you use the word love, not just toss it out as a throw away word. It needs to have a purpose. We need to think about that when we talk about our love for God also. When God says I love you in the Bible, He means it! We need to declare our love for God and His Son Jesus Christ every day! He died for us! He took on the sins, sickness and problems of the world for us so that we could be free. He loved (and still loves) us!

John 15:12-14
John 3:15-17

Power Play

In hockey, when a penalty is committed, the other team is given an advantage as the offending player sits in the penalty box for 1 or 2 minutes, depending on violation severity. This advantage is called a power play and it is the goal of the team with the advantage to try and score during this time as they in effect have 1 extra player. As Christians, the enemy is always trying to get us into a “Power Play” situation by taking advantage of our weaknesses. We need to remember, however that we have God on our side. Another advantage for us is that when the devil was cast out of heaven, he took one third of the angels with him. That means there are two thirds that stayed loyal to God! That also means that for every demon the devil throws at us to defeat us, we have two angels that are working on our behalf. That means we are in a perpetual “Power Play”. We win! We have the victory! The devil is a liar and he is defeated!

1 Peter 5:7-9
Psalm 98:1-3
1 Corinthians 15:53-56

Let Go!

Another story came to mind about the man walking along a cliff side. He slipped on some loose gravel and found himself falling. He grabbed onto a vine that was growing out of the hill side and hung on for dear life. He yelled, “Is anyone up there. I need help!” At that moment he heard the voice of God saying, “Don’t worry I have you, just let go of the vine”. He thought a minute and then said, “Is anybody else up there?” How often we say we trust in God, but do we really? Do we trust Him an all areas of our life or only the ones we know he can handle. (a little clue here, He can and He will handle them all). If we are really to trust God with our salvation, we need to trust him with everything else too, nothing held back.

Proverbs 3:4-6
Micah 3:10-12

Keep Your Hands Off The Clay

The Word of God says God is the Master Potter and we are the clay. God wants to mold us and form us into the vessel he wants us to be just like the potter does with a lump of clay on his potter’s wheel. But what if the clay spoke back to the potter and said “Don’t touch me there, it hurts”. Or, if the clay jumped down off the wheel. If you can picture that in your mind, you can see how we are with God. We are to cast all our burdens at his feet but then we take a few pieces of the clay back with us to hold on to for safety sake. Or we don’t let God work on a certain area of our lives. We have to “Let Go and Let God” as the old saying says so that God can perfect the work he has to do on these lumps of clay


Jeremiah 18:3-5
Romans 9:20-22
Romans 6:15-17

The Cross Room

I am reminded of a story once told to me. A man had a dream. He was walking through life bearing his cross. It became quite heavy and he told God, " Lord, this is too much for me to bear!" God told him to come with him. Instantly they stood at the door of a room. The door was labeled "The Cross Room". Upon entering the large room, the man saw a huge array of crosses. God told him to put down his cross and choose another. The man walked around the room and saw large crosses, small crosses, stone crosses, wood crosses. He saw crosses in all colors; red, white, yellow, black and brown. He saw plain crosses and very ornately decorated crosses. As he spanned his eyes across the room. He saw a very small cross leaning in the corner. "I will take that one, Lord!" God told the man, "That is the one you came in with." Sometimes we think we have too much to bear in this life. But God said he won't give us more that we can bear. We need to be mindful that there are people out there bearing a much heavier burden than we are, even if we think ours is much to hard to bear.

Matthew 16:23-25
1 Corinthians 10:12-14

God Is Our Source

God is our source! Not man, Not our job, not anything else but God! We need to realize this and trust God that He will supply all our needs according to his riches and Glory in Christ Jesus. He is a good God. He is a rich God, he has cattle on a thousand hills. He is our refuge and fortress. We need to rely on him just as the branches rely on the vine. We cannot depend on Man or on our job to supply, for they could be gone in an instant. The more we learn to trust and rely on God, the more at peace we can be. Trust in the author and finisher of your faith now and just see what amazing things He will do for you

Mark 10:17-19

Psalm 50:9-11

Psalm 46:1-3

Psalm 91:1-3

Hebrews 12:1-3

Fire Alarm

We all know about fire alarms in schools and other buildings and I am sure we have all been in at least one "Fire Drill" in our lives. But what are these alarms and drills for? They are to sound a warning of impending doom or disaster so that no one gets harmed. We as Christians, connected to God need to be that alarm to the world to alert them and keep them from falling into the fires of Hell. We don't need to be like a blaring siren like the fire alarms are. Sometimes a gentle word or a smile is enough. People read our lives and that will bring us opportunities to share. We need to preach the Good New of the salvation and saving grace of Jesus Christ and of his soon coming again when we get the opportunity to do so. It could be on a bus, in a store, or walking down the street, that an opportunity comes for you to share. You just need to be ready at all times and not pass up the opportunity to sound the alarm in a loving way to the people you come in contact with.

Zephaniah 1:15-17

Joel 2:1-3

Mercy Rule

Some football leagues around the country have what is called a

"Mercy Rule". This rule states that when a football team gets ahead of its opponent by a certain number of points, the game is called. This is the mercy to keep the losing team from being embarrassed. God also has a "Mercy Rule". it is not dependent on points, teams or situations. It is always in effect and is available to all. God's mercy was there before it was needed. God showed His mercy when sent his son to die for our sins before we were ever born. Trust in God's mercy and love. Depend on God for He loves you more that you know and His mercy endures forever!

Psalm 118:1-3

Psalm 106:1-3

Psalm 107:1-3

Romans 5:7-9

No Man Left Behind

The military has a motto, "No Man Left Behind", which means they always would go back out for their dead and wounded. God has that same Motto for us. His word says he will never leave us forsake us. He is always there caring for us and protecting us. Even though we cannot see him, we feel his presence.That is important, especially in the world we live in today. so be comforted at this very hour that GOD IS WITH US!

Deuteronomy 31:6-9

Hebrews 13:4-6

Luke 15:3-5

Taking Ownership

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done (source: www.corsinet.com)

Don't let this be you. God rewards those who are diligent. Even if it is "not your job" make it your job. Just like NIKE says, "Just do it". Too often I have seen this happen to the dismay of managers and workers alike. Whether we are talking about work or church or home, it is the same issue. Be eager to live and to do what needs to be done!

Hebrews 11:5-7

Proverbs 12:23-25

Proverbs 11:26-28

Re-Joy Yourselves

The Word Rejoice can be translated to "RE-JOY" or to add to your joy. If you have no joy due to the circumstances you are facing, you can build that up by rejoicing and praising God. We don’t praise God for the circumstances, but instead the praise him in and despite of the circumstances. We know by His Word we are already victorious. God is always there watching over us and if we trust in Him we can overcome any of life's circumstances. The key is to be joyful or full of joy which you can only get by making sure you "RE-JOY" yourselves by rejoicing on a regular basis


Psalm 118:23-25
Nehemiah 8:9-11
Ezra 3:11-13
Psalm 5:10-12
Psalm 35:26-28

Farm Town

I play a game on FaceBook called Farm Town. It is a fun little application where you sow seeds and build up your farm. I had not really thought too much about it, but then realized there are spiritual lessons to be learned even while playing this computer game. In this game you are given land. You choose how you want to set up your fields and what you want to plant. Different seeds have different costs and growth times before harvest. In our walk with God we have land on which we walk and we are commanded to take back what the enemy has stolen from us. We plant seeds, whether they are financial, helps, time, prayer or confession, and have to wait till they fully mature and harvest time comes. One benefit the game has that life doesn't is that you can go into the game and see what percentage your crops are at. We can't do that in life. We just have to obey God and stand on the word and on our confession. Farm Town may be a fun game but in life we need to plant our good seeds and stay in faith for the harvest to come.


Luke 8:10-12
Romans 10:9-11

The Favor of God

The favor of God is what all Christians should strive to live in. It is not all that hard to achieve for God loves those that seek him and obey His Word. Samuel had favor with both God and man. Why? Because he sought the Lord continually.Jesus also had favor with both God and man. He was obedient even to his Death on the cross and resurrection. We don't have to die a physical
death just to find favor with God. We do however need to put to death those things that do not please God and adapt a lifestyle of pleasing God. If our lives show forth the fruits of the spirit instead of the works of the flesh, we will have God's favor in our lives.

Galatians 5:21-23

Psalm 30:5-7

Rise Up

As I arose this morning to face another day, it is really not what my body had in mind. It wanted to sleep more, but I forced it to rise up. There are many Christians and for that matter churches that are asleep. Many probably don’t even know it. You have heard the expression, “asleep at the wheel”. That’s what happens to many Christians. It is easy to go into a glide routine as a Christian. Nobody bothers you because you are not shining a light on their sin. But God wants to use us in a might way and He said He is always with us and will give us the strength we need if we only ask him for it. The presence of the Holy Spirit is always with us even though we cannot see it, we can feel its effect. As we walk with God, we can see God's direction in our lives and as we take that step of faith to minister to people, He has promised he always be with us

Isaiah 60:1-3
John 3:8
Psalm 46:1-3

Be A Fan of God

With all the hoopla for this season it is easy to see that there are a lot of football fans out there. While I do like to watch the games, I don't think I am as voracious as some fans are. I do have teams I cheer for and cheer against. We need to be that way for God. God has done much more for us than any sports team cold ever do. When is the last time one of your sports heroes died for you? Or healed you? Or delivered you? I am not putting down sports because as I said I do watch and enjoy them and they do have a place. But God is so much more. On Monday morning everyone who watches the games over the weekend is talking about the big plays or great performances from their teams. they are dwelling on the good things they saw during the games as they look forward to next weeks contests. We need to dwell on the good things God has done for us and look expectantly to what more he has in store for us in this current season and the next.


John 16:32-33
Judges 5:2-3
Psalm 71:18-20
Psalm 126:1-3

It is Good to Win!

In life, it is good to win. To win in Football, you have to master the basic skills of blocking, running tackling catching and throwing. You have to play hard on Defense and Offense. You have to score more points than your opponent.

Each Play or down is a mini battle that you win or lose. The more of these battles you win, the better the outcome. In our spiritual lives, we face similar challenges. We need to master the basics skill of our Christian life by reading God's Word, praying Daily, being obedient to God's commands and fellowship with God continually. We succeed on Offense by taking back the ground the enemy has stolen from us. We succeed on defense by defending our ground against the enemy's devices. Every day we face battles and the more we win the more we mature and remain victorious over the enemy. And remember we have already won the game through Jesus Christ. It is just these daily battle we need to secure. So lay the game hard and WIN!!

1 Corinthians 15:57

1 John 5:3-5

Awakenings

The evangelical movement of the 1740s played a key role in the development of democratic concepts in the period of the American Revolution. The enlightenment to the Word of God brought on the truths that became the Declaration of Independence and other great documents in history. We need to enlighten ourselves and awaken ourselves to the Word of God also so we can make the changes the country needs. It will not matter who we vote in or support, if this country does not repent from the way it is going and turn back to God it cannot recover from the problems it is now facing. As god’s people, we need to be praying for revival in this country such has not been seen in a long, long time.

2 Chronicles 7:13-15
Proverbs 4:14-16
2 Timothy 3:4-6

Stop, Look and Listen

Driving home from Church last night, we came upon a stop sign. The message on that sign was very clear, or at least should be. You gotta STOP! I remember learning about signs in Driver's Education. A Stop sign means Stop, Look and Listen. Sometimes in our lives here on earth we need to stop. Stop all the moving around, stop all the noise, stop all the distractions and just listen to God. The word Selah is seen many times in the Book of Psalms. It means, “'to measure carefully the meaning of what has been said”. We need to Look. We need to take the time to measure carefully what God is telling us in his Word. We need to listen. So we can hear what God is speaking to us and then be obedient to what we hear.

Psalm 19:13-14
Psalm 138:3-5
Psalm 143:5-7

I Shall Not Be Moved

We need to develop a never quit attitude when it comes to our faith. No matter what comes against us to test our faith, we need to stand firm. No matter how long it takes, we need to stand firm. No matter how bad it looks, we need to stand firm. The old Chorus: “I shall not be moved.” Just about says it all. We need to not be moved by the circumstances, nwhen they come our way but instead need to be strengthened by the Word and in God’s Power through the Holy Spirit.


Psalm 62:1-3
Colossians 1:10-12
Ephesians 3:15-
Ephesians 6:12-14

Are you Moldable?

Just as the potter molds the clay into fine works of art or useful bowls and utensils, God, the Master Potter, wants to mold us, the clay, into what he has planned for us. But if the clay is to hard it can't be molded correctly. The potter knows just how much water to use to keep the clay pliable. We need to be pliable, moldable and flexible to words and actions of God in order to become what he wants us to be. If we resist the direction of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can become hardened

and not able to respond to the Master Potter's gentle hand.

Isaiah 64:8

Proverbs 29:1

Get Out of the Boat!

The story of Peter walking on water has been told many different ways to teach many different lessons. But one thing is a key, Peter had to get out of the boat! if he just stayed there and talked about it or thought about it, he would have never experienced the power of God in extending his faith. When he stepped out of the boat and has his eyes on Jesus, he walked on the water. It was only when he took his eyes off the Lord that he began to sink. We have all been called to step out as believers to minister to those around us. God will give us the tools we need when we need them. If we step out of our proverbial boats and keep our eyes on Him we will be able to walk, just as Peter did, where no one has been able to walk before

Matthew 14:29-31

Acts 4:29-31

1 Peter 2:8-10

DE-FENCE!

With Football season starting, you hear the cry for Defense! Defense! But most coaches will tell you the best defense is a good offense. no matter what the enemy throws at us, fear, lack, sickness or death , we can use the Word of God to defend for our faith. We may be troubled but the Word will help us rise above our troubles. We may not know exactly what to do in a situation but the word will give us guidance. We may feel alone but the Holy Spirit is our comfort and help us to be victorious in our life.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Psalm 35:22-24

Take the Lead

Whether you are a manager of a huge company, a stay at home mom, or somewhere in between, you are a leader. You lead the people you come in contact with, whether that is a VP, your child, or someone seeking information from you. Leadership is something that God puts inside us. But we have to recognize that it is there and then develop it. David was not a leader, but God's anointing made him the greatest king of Israel. Moses did not want to be a leader but God chose him to lead God's people out of Bondage. Be a leader at whatever you do each day and you will develop that gift you have been given.

Isaiah 55:3-5
Psalm 25:4-6
Proverbs 6:20-23

Be Ye Not Dismayed

Dismay is defined as: to cause to lose courage or resolution (as because of alarm or fear). When we are standing in faith, we are setting ourselves up against the worldly current. Whether it is for healing, finances, family, job or deliverance, the enemy will always try to oppose you or delay your answer. He delayed Daniel’s answer when he prayed, but the answer was still there. It is the same with us. God answers us but the enemy tries to delay the answer so we will lose hope, get frustrated or give up entirely. When we make our stand, we have to determine in our spirits they we will not get dismayed, we will not quit and we will get our answer and be victorious over the enemy.

Deuteronomy 31:7-9
Joshua 1:8-10
Isaiah 41:9-11
Daniel 10:12-14

UNDO UNDO!

The undo button on most computer programs and games. what would we do without it. We can go back and fix an error or redo a move. Unfortunately life does not have an UNDO button. Many times in my life I have, and you probably have too, wished for an UNDO button for life. It could have been that unkind word, that mistaken purchase or that bad or even missed business deal, or whatever. You cannot UNDO Life. God does not require perfection, just the effort required to continue to get better, the perfecting of the saints. We do this by studying and learning the word and acting on it, in faith. Then we can go through life making fewer mistakes and allowing less need for the UNDO Button.

2 Corinthians 7:1-3

Ephesians 4:11-13

Yesterday Today and Forever

“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever” is a verse most people have heard at least once in their lives. Yet how many people really know what it means and really believe it? If Jesus never changes, then God never changes. Whatever He did way back in history he can and is doing today. God provided for the Israelites in the desert. Have you ever tried to feed 3 million or so people at one time? Not an easy task. Providing for us should be (and is) easy for God. Jesus healed the sick. Jesus gave us the command to heal the sick in His Name. If we know, really know, the Healer, then healing will come to us and to those we minister to. God will only give you the tools you need. If you lay hands on people to minister, he will give you what you need by the power of His word, which never changes


Numbers 23:18-20
Luke 10:8-10
Hebrews 13:7-9

A Step Forward

I saw a rather amusing sign at a local restaurant, “Even a kick in the pants is a step forward!” I pondered that later and had to agree. Sometimes we need a swift kick in the pants to get moving in the direction God has for us. There have been at least 2 times, and I am sure there were more where God had the right person at the right time to administer that convincing kick to my back side to get me going in the right direct forward. Once when I was out of college yet planning my first career of Sports Medicine, the person I worked for asked me if I wanted to stay in that field or work retail the rest of my life. There is nothing wrong with retail, but I wanted to be an Athletic Trainer and I told him that. He told me, “Then get back in school” I did and reached my career goal in less that 3 years. Later when I was working in Business, I was debating whether to go back to school at night for 2 years for my MBA. I actually had 2 people give me that ever important kick. My pastor asked, “How old will you be in 2 years if you don’t go to school? How old will you be if you do? The answer, of course was the same except with the latter I would have the MBA. My Boss at the time also added, “If you got laid off, would you rather be on the street with an MBA or without one?” The answer, of course was obvious, and I went to get my MBA in about a year and a half. Although my examples were about education, we sometimes need a good kick regarding life, relationships, our careers and even our walk with Christ. Don’t be ashamed if you have needed or think you might need a good kick. Be thankful to the one doing the kicking for they are probably God sent!

Psalm 85:12-13
Proverbs 4:11-13

Let Your light So Shine

We are to be as lights in the darkness, shedding the light of Jesus to a darkened world. The world may not always accept us, but when they need light, they need to know where to find it. In trying to witness to a neighbor, years ago, I found he would not receive what I was telling him. It was not because he did not believe me, but because of previous hurt applied to him in churches he had attended. But yet later, when he wanted prayer for a family member, he came to me. He knew I was for real in my beliefs for I had been that light to him. Our speech, actions and lifestyle are a light. A smile or nod or thoughtful word may be all that is needed to show your light. Show your light in the darkness today!

Proverbs 4:18
2 Corinthians 4:5-7
Philippians 2:14-16

When All Else Fails

OK, nothing has gone as planned, you are at your wits end, and do not know where to turn. What do you do? Praise Him! God inhabits the praises of his people. He is there with you and will help you overcome the problems, no matter how hopeless the situation looks. By Praising God, not for the situation, but in the situation, we empower the Holy Spirit to work in our stead as God's active hand here on Earth. By Praise we will overcome every time!

Psalm 89:33-34

1 Peter 2:9-10

Psalm 22:2-4

1 John 5:3-5