Encouraged by God's Word

Archive for October, 2008

Hello Friends,

Those who follow major league baseball know the World Series started this week. The National League is represented by the Philadelphia Phillies and the American League is represented by the Tampa Bay Rays.

According to last year’s stats, Tampa Bay’s regular season record was 66 wins and 96 losses and they finished in last place. Their regular season record this year was 97 wins and 65 losses, they finished in second place behind the Los Angeles Angels and now they are playing in the World Series.

Also, last year team’s name was abbreviated TBD and this year it is TBR. What happened to the D?

The D represented Devil. Tampa Bay used to be called the Devil Rays but they decided to drop the Devil and go with Rays.

Since the team’s inception in 1998, the team has only finished out of last place twice. They stayed in the gutter just about every year.

In November 2007, majority owner Stuart Sternberg decided to make drastic changes and rename his team the “Tampa Bay Rays”, which he described as “A beacon that radiates throughout Tampa Bay and across the entire state of Florida.”

To me it sounds like a light shining in the darkness.

When are you going to drop the Devil out of your life?

1 Peter 5:8-9 says Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

A lot of our problems come from the fact that we keep the devil in our lives. We claim to be doing the right thing but in reality, there is sin that’s holding us back.

We engage in lying, fear, hatred, despising correction, fornication, lust, being a false witness, envy, stealing, adultery, abortion, bitterness, astrology, abusing children, divorce, complaining, pride, speaking evil of others, and slothfulness all on a daily basis and we wonder why we aren’t winning. We wonder why we’re in last place all the time.

In order to win we need to resist the devil and be firmly fixed in the faith of Jesus. Our victory comes from removing the devil out of our lives and avoiding danger.

As a child of God you are a winner and losing is not an option so step up to the plate, get a good grip on the bat and hit a gland slam home run for Jesus!

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

Hello Friends,

In life there are many situations when you are faced with opposition. Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes it’s not.

In sports your opponent is constantly trying to keep you from scoring as many points as they do. Sometimes they even commit fouls or penalties to gain an advantage.

In business your competitor is always trying keep you from being more successful than they are. They try to draw in new customers while taking away the ones you already have.

At work your coworkers are always trying to outdo you. They will lie, deceive folks, falsify numbers, destroy documents, hold back information and slander you just to make you look bad.

If you are living, you will come up against those who are against you but the question is how do you deal with them?

2 Timothy 4:18 says And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen

God is protecting us from the evil we face daily and is saving us for something much better.

If God is delivering you from something, rests assure you will be triumphant. Don’t worry about the evil works that you encounter on a regular basis, they can’t hurt you.

Not only are you protected but God will preserve you for His heavenly kingdom which means He will keep you for something awesome. It does say His heavenly kingdom doesn’t it? What can be better than being in the presence of the Creator of all things? Nothing!

So from now on, know that when you come up against evil works, you have a place of protection and it can be accessed through Christ. So let’s glorify Him forever and ever and know that He is a deliverer!

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

Hello Friends,

How many times have you visited someone’s home and for some reason you didn’t feel welcomed? You couldn’t really put your hands on it but the situation just wasn’t inviting.

There was someone I visited and it was difficult for me because my son is young and is very active. (Those who know him know exactly what I’m talking about.) I had to keep my eye on him because this person has some rare pieces in his home that he got from other countries and I was always concerned my son was going to break something. The homeowner was concerned too.

The person is great and his home is always open, it’s just tough for a little dude like my son to really relax and be a kid. You feel uncomfortable and like a stranger at times.

But then there are those whose home is inviting. You know the ones where you go over and you take off your shoes as soon as you get there. Not because they want you to, but because you want to be comfortable.

The kids go to a room or go outside and they do their thing and you don’t have to worry about them because the home is kid friendly.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone’s home was inviting, warm and friendly and you were treated like famil

y?

Ephesians 2:19 says Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

God has opened the doors of His home to EVERYONE! In His home you will find love, joy, truth and victory. There is also comfort, renewing of your mind, fellowship, rest, and peace. You are definitely not treated like a stranger but like family.

In order to become a member of God’s household, all He asks is that you confess your sins and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord over your life. It’s that simple!

And for that simple act, you can become a fellow citizen of God’s household and hang out with other saints and members.

So the next time you feel like a stranger or foreigner and you need someone to connect with, go to the house of God and acknowledge Him. There you will find all that you need and some good folks to bond with.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

Hello Friends,

In life we come across many people who lead us and guide us. Some folks lead us in the right direction and some people don’t.

Those that lead us in the right direction are sometimes called parents, teachers, mentors, ministers, big brothers and big sisters, etc.

Then there are those that lead us in the wrong direction and sometimes we do it in the name of friendship.

You see it starts at an early age. Little kids picking on one kid because all of their friends are doing it. Teens that drink because all of the cool kids do it. How about the adults who act one way to impress their boys or their girls and another way at home when they are with their spouses. What about the sanctified saints who praise the Lord on Sundays and curse out their fellow man Monday through Saturday? My bad church folks. I had to put that out there.

What leads us to do these things? Is it the fear of rejection or being alone? Is it low self-esteem? Is it a lack of knowing who we truly are and what we were created for? Maybe it’s just pure ignorance!

Romans 8:14 says For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

When you are led by the Spirit of God you aren’t led to do foolish things. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and is instructed by God to lead us in our daily walk. And because we are sons of God, He will not lead us to do things which are harmful to us or others.

Think about it, when you were young would your big brother or big sister let the neighborhood bully beat you up? No, because you were family! Just as we are the sons of God, the Spirit of God will not lead us into harms way.

So remember, when you are getting the urge to do something stupid, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and let Him lead you to do what’s right.

And if you don’t hear that voice, you need to check to see who your father is because the Holy Spirit is with ALL of the sons (and daughters) of God.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

Hello Family,

I’m sure most of you have seen the movie Stomp the Yard and/or what I consider its predecessor, the 1988 Spike Lee classic School Daze. If you haven’t, they’re both set on a black college campus and the focus is around fraternities.

Throughout Stomp the Yard there are a lot of scenes where fraternities are stepping. This is one of my son’s favorite movies. I mean he knows the whole script, he knows all of the dance moves and he is extremely fond of the stepping routines.

He gets all worked up and is stomping on the floor with giant beads of sweat rolling down his head and his cheeks all flushed. And don’t think about getting in his way because you will get hurt.

Not only can stomping hurt you, it can be fatal. For all you bug haters, you know what I’m talking about. What do you do when you see a bug on the floor? You stomp on it until there is nothing left. When you pick your shoe up off the floor you don’t see anything because the poor little thing is now all stuck in the treads of your shoes.

Why don’t we use this type of force to stomp out our problems?

Luke 10:19 says Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

What are your serpents and scorpions? What are some of the things that are trying to take you out? What evil things are trying to destroy you?

The Word says we have authority over ALL the power of the enemy which means that whatever Satan tries, he can’t defeat us because our power is greater than his. Not only that, HE CAN’T HURT YOU!

Yeah it seems impossible at times. And yes it’s extremely tough but we are victorious because our God has given us authority and no one can take that away from us.

So fellas put on your boots and ladies put on those shoes and let’s get ready for a step show. Our Step Master, who is the Holy Spirit, is ready to lead us and guide us to victory.

Be Encouraged and Have a Victorious Day!