Encouraged by God's Word

Archive for 2008

Hello Friends,

Well this is that last week of the year 2008 and you know what that means; New Year’s Resolutions! That’s right, now is the time of year where we talk about all of the good things we’re going to do in the new year

and all of the bad habits we’re going to kick.

I guess because January 1st represents the beginning of a new year, people feel as though they will have the power to carry out those things that they need to change. They feel as though now is the time to make a change because the stars are aligned for me to do something great.

And what about the media? They definitely substantiate this. During the week between Christmas and New Years, every other commercial is one for a new you. As in you can stop smoking with this pill, patch or gum. Or you need to get in shape with the latest and greatest weight loss pill, gym membership or instead of going to the crowded gym, your own home gym.

Everything is about you becoming a new you in the new year but these things can’t transform you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

If you truly want to make a change, you first must accept Christ as your savior. He must be the one in control and calling the shots, not you.

I don’t care if it’s January 1st, March 21st, the first day of summer, Columbus Day or Groundhog Day, if you don’t have the power of the Holy Spirit and some self control, nothing will change. You will not be transformed. You may see some temporary results but results that are long lasting and permanent in your life come from above.

Through the Holy Spirit you can eliminate those old things. The word says old things have passed away and when we use that term passed away, we usually refer to something that’s dead. God wants to take those old things and kill them, never to return again.

Those old things that bind you, trip you up or make you stumble. Those old things you know you don’t need in your life but you keep them around, God can remove them, kill them and replace them with new things, new habits, new friends or new situations.

So instead of making a January 1st New Year’s Resolution this year, make a commitment to God. Trust Him, study Him, love Him, worship Him, commune with Him and believe in Him that He is able to do all that He said He will do.

Make 2009 the Year of the Lord!

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

P.S. It’s all right to start that exercise program in the new year. Don’t think I’m saying you don’t have to do it. Just make sure you stick with it.

Hello Friends,

During the week of Thanksgiving I went to visit my family in Georgia. One day my oldest daughter Alexandra was with my son, my niece and my nephew in an area in my parent’s house where they play and watch video games. The little people were doing what they do best when they’re all together. They make noise!

After some time I walked past the area and noticed it was quiet and my daughter Alexandra was the only one in the room.

I asked her where the little people were and she said she told them to go hide so they could play hide and seek. After that she admitted she needed some quiet time from them and that she had no intention of looking for them. I laughed and kept it moving because I knew they weren’t going to happy and they were going to try to beat her up once they realized what was going on.

I could see them now, hiding behind a couch or chair anxiously waiting for someone to seek them. Trying to be still and at the same time be quiet so no one will no their secret hiding place.

Are you hiding and waiting for God to seek you? Or are you doing the seeking but seeking all of the wrong things?

Matthew 6:33 says But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

A lot of times when we want “stuff” we put forth our best effort to seek those things and get them. Think about Black Friday and all of the madness that goes on. People wait outside in the cold on Thanksgiving Day just to be the first in line to get that flat screen HD television or $300 laptop. Now it’s nothing wrong with getting a good deal but enough is enough!

We are out there searching high and low seeking that special Christmas gift and at the same time, the giver of the ultimate gift is waiting for you to seek Him out.

The word says to seek first the kingdom and His righteousness. We should be relentless in getting to know Christ and getting closer to Him than we are in getting something that will surely fade away.

God’s kingdom is everlasting and will not break, rust, malfunction, fall apart, blow up, become outdated or out of style. And you don’t need to purchase insurance or an extended warranty for it.

Search high and low for God and get in His face on a regular basis and all of those other “things” will be added to you.

Ask God to play a game of Hide and Seek with you and count to 10. And when you say, “Ready or not, here I come”, I guarantee you that when you open your eyes to search for Him, He won’t be hiding. He’ll be standing right there waiting with His arms open wide.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

P.S. Remember, Jesus is the real reason for this season.

Hello Family,

In 1988 the Nike advertising agency and some Nike employees sat around the table and literally stumbled upon their world wide trademark slogan “Just Do It!” An advertising agency employee, speaking admiringly of Nike’s can-do attitude, reportedly said, “You Nike guys, you just do it.” The rest is (advertising) history.

Nike’s ads were so powerful and creative that in their commercials, they didn’t even display the name Nike. The slogan and the Nike logo (swoosh) were good enough. Sometimes just the slogan.

“Just Do It!” may sound simple, but for a lot of folks it can be difficult. Some people are natural movers and shakers and the rest of us need some motivation to move and shake us. We are subject to the dreadful five syllable word that causes so many unnecessary headaches. Can you guess what the word is?

It’s PROCRASTINATION.

Yeah procrastination can be a killer. It can cause so many problems and it is ungodly. That’s right, I said ungodly!

Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines procrastinate as to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.

In the body of Christ, something that should be done is called a commandment. A commandment is something that God has directed authoritatively. It is not a suggestion or a wish.

Psalms 119:60 says I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

There are many commandments in the bible that we are required to keep but like most folks, we procrastinate and don’t do it and in the end wind up in dissaray.

Just think about all of the times you put off something and said you’ll get around to it. What happened? The situation got worse or you rushed and didn’t do well. Same goes for the commandments of God. When you put off what you are commanded to do, bad things happen.

Now what are some of the commandments of God? There are the ten that Charlton Heston held in his hands in the movie we all watch on Easter Sunday. Thou shalt have no other god before Me, remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, etc.

But in addition to the top ten, there are others that don’t start with “Thou shalt not”. We are called to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), make God our highest priority on our list (Matthew 6:33), forgive others (Mark 11:25-26), fast with humility (Matthew 6:16-18), love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-44), beware of false prophets (Matthew 7:15), love little children and do not despise them (Matthew 18:10), give to the poor to please God and not to gain approval from others (Matthew 6:11) and have total faith in God (Mark 11:22-24) and there are many more.

We shouldn’t put off tomorrow what we should do today because we never know what tomorrow brings.

So today, and from now on, hasten in all you do and adopt a “Just Do It!” mentality.

Be Encouraged and Have a Proactive Day!

Hello Family,

I love sports especially professional football and to be more precise, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In football, and like all other sports, in order to win you must score more points than your opponent. In football you can score a touchdown and then add the extra point or a 2-point conversion. There’s also the field goal or you can get a defensive safety.

People who follow football know that scoring is important but keeping the other team from scoring is more important. I’m talking about DEFENSE. Over the years the Pittsburgh Steelers have been known for their ferocious defensive players and defensive units. Even when the team wasn’t the best, you could certainly count on the defense to be better than average and because of that, they won games that they probably shouldn’t have won.

You see they knew that if they could stop a team from scoring a lot of points they would be in good shape because they just needed a few points to win the game.

Also, your most successful teams in the playoffs are the ones with the best defense not necessarily the best offense. There is a saying in sports, “Offense wins games but defense wins championships!”

Are you a defensive player? Do you try to counteract your opponent’s every move or do you try to outdo them?

Romans 12:21 says Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.

In order to win in this game of life you must do what others aren’t willing to do. You must overcome evil by doing good!

You can’t beat evil by doing more evil. Just like in football, it is harder to try to outscore a team without putting up an effort to stop them from scoring.

I believe that when you do good to those who spitefully use you, you can counteract their evil deeds. Not by your power but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We are called to live at peace with everyone and leave it to God to get revenge. Now I know this is tough pill to swallow and I can’t say that I’ve always done this but it is the word of God which means it’s the truth.

So the next time someone curses you out in rush hour traffic, shout back at them “God bless ya.” When someone lies on you, speak highly of them.

And when someone offends you, defend them. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on their head.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

Hello Family,

What are you good at? What is that one thing that you really enjoy doing? Is it singing? Is it drawing? What about photography? Do you communicate well with others? Do you have a passion to serve people? Are you a great organizer?

I love young people. My wife and I have three children and I can hang out with them all day. Sometimes we watch a little television or a movie together. We talk about school, their friends, or some of their extracurricular activities. Sometimes we just joke and laugh at each other. I just really enjoy hanging with my kids.

In my career I work with youth and have been doing it for the past 14 years. I love sharing information with youth based on my experiences or the knowledge I have. I enjoy it when a young person asks for my advice and they apply what I’ve shared with them.

At church I’ve been a part of our mentoring program for three years and this year I’ve had the privilege of mentoring my friend’s nephew.

I like working with youth because they are so alive and so real. You know exactly what you get when you work with them. They’re not fake and they usually don’t try to be more than what they are. What you see is what you get.

Regardless of what I do in life, I will always be involved in working with youth because that is my calling. I know it and that is what others have told me many times before. That is what concerns me the most. That is what I’m passionate about.

What is your calling? What are you passionate about?

Ephesians 4:1 says I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.

Are you walking in the divine influence for your life

or are you just sliding along? Did you line up your educational path based on your calling? Did you pick your career based on your calling or was it something else?

Beloved, I asked you are you walking worthy of the calling with which you were called? Are you following God’s plan for your life? Are you using the gifts and talents God has given you to build His kingdom?

I’m an example of how God can bless others by doing what He has called me to do. You see on Friday, April 25, 2008 I started sending out emails to a group of folks on my email list and God has used those messages every Friday to minister to a lot of people. I would never imagine in a million years that the words I wrote would have the effect on folks that it has had and I can tell you based on feedback and comments I get from people, I know this thing is real. I know this is what I was called to do!

Put me in the pulpit and you’ll get a hot mess. Ask me to teach Sunday school and the kids will come out more confused than when they first walked in. But ask me to put it on paper and add some of my personality to it, I can do that no problem because that’s what I’m called to do.

What are you called to do? Find out what it is, get it done, and make it happen for the glory of God.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!