Encouraged by God's Word

Archive for January, 2009

Hello Friends,

Now if you’ve been on my email list for the past three months or so, you know that I love my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers football team and this Sunday they will be playing the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl.

A couple of weeks ago when they won the AFC championship for the rights to play in the Super Bowl, the first thing I did was go online and started planning on what Super Bowl jersey I was going to purchase.

I was so excited at the fact that there were many jerseys to choose from. Harrison, Polamalu, Ward, Parker, Farrior, Holmes, etc. My oldest daughter saw what I was doing and she wanted to get in on the act. She asked me if I could get her a jersey and I told her of course, where’s your money?

Well she managed to go upstairs and come back with her cash. I asked her if she had anymore money left and she said no. I asked her what if something comes up and she needs money in which she said she was willing to make the sacrifice.

I told her that that was not a good idea to spend everything she had on a jersey especially since she had some paraphernalia that she could wear on game day.

After that conversation, I realized I was in the same situation as she was in. I was tempted to get a jersey. Although it wouldn’t have cost me a fortune, there were other things I needed to buy and the jersey was not one of them.

How many times did you do something you were tempted to do that you were not suppose to? Why did you do it?

Luke 22:40 says When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Being tempted is a part of life. There will always be things that catch our attention but we can avoid the pitfalls of entering into temptation.

To enter into temptation means to go into or consider the temptation.

When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and we flirt around with the temptation, it’s easy to get caught up. Remember, you’re only going to be tempted by something that attracts you and is not good for you.

Although that thing looks good, there is a way out. It’s called prayer. Yes, talking to God. Usually if we take a minute and get God’s opinion on what we should do, we can avoid many mistakes.

You see I had not counted to cost of what I was doing when I decided that I wanted to buy a jersey. But after I took a minute and thought about it, God reminded me that I needed some new tires for my car and that money should be used for that purpose.

So whenever you’re in a situation where you are tempted to do something, step back and take a minute to think about it, pray and let God direct you. You can’t go wrong with His guidance.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

Hello Friends,

For the past couple of days my family and I have had an uninvited guest. This thing has made himself at home and we don’t like it.

There is a mouse in the house!

I don’t like them but my wife REALLY doesn’t like them. This thing hangs out in the kitchen and until he’s dead and gone, she ain’t going in there.

This isn’t the first time we’ve had them. When it gets cold, it’s not uncommon for us to get a visitor or two during the winter months.

In order to get rid of them I use the classic wooden mouse trap with some peanut butter. Not the sticky traps or the ones where the mouse goes in, the trap door closes and captures them, then you release them to the great outdoors. No I’m talking about a spring action arm in full force, pinning the mouse down until you got yourself a dead rodent.

In order for the trap to work, there must be something that attracts the mouse. Something that is pleasing to the sight, smell or touch. Something that they like the most. My son asked me why I put fake cheese on the trap in which I replied, “It came like that”. The fake cheese is supposed to be appealing to the mouse. It’s a way of deceiving him and enticing him onto the trap.

What traps are you falling into? What deceptions have you fallen victim to

?

James 1:16 says Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

A trap is nothing more than another form of deception. From the outside the situation appears to be one thing but once you’re caught, you realize it’s something else.

The same way a mouse gets deceived by the fake cheese, we get deceived by our wants and desires. We are enticed by something that is pleasing to us. It looks good, feels good, smells good, or sounds good. But in reality, it’s nothing more than a snare of the enemy.

Now if you know that what you are doing is a trap of the enemy, why are you doing it? Oh, I know, you’re different. You won’t get trapped this time because you know what to expect and you can avoid it. Don’t be stupid! It’s called a trap for a reason.

Traps can also scar or injure you and sometimes you can’t recover from them. Traps also come back over and over again as long as you continue to fall for them. If you’re not grounded in God’s truth, you will fall for anything.

How many times have you been in a situation that was difficult of impossible to escape? Was it because of your own doing? Were you blinded by your wants and desires? Were you deceived by the trap?

If you are not driven by your wants and desires, the traps of the enemy aren’t that strong or attractive. If you stay grounded in God’s word, you’ll see things through God’s eyes and won’t be seduced to sin.

Stay away from the traps and don’t be deceived. It could save you your life.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

Hello Friends,

Have you heard about the man who crashed his airplane and faked his death? Yeah, this nut made bad move after bad

move in order to cover up his crimes.

This guy was a financial manager and he got caught defrauding investors and he was being charged with unlawful acts by a compensated adviser and unlawful transaction by an investment adviser.

To avoid authorities, he took off in his plane from Indiana headed to Florida and made a call that his plane was going down. He ejected himself from the plane and let it crash. The plane missed a group of homes 50 to 75 yards.

He then showed up at someone’s residence in Alabama and said he had been in a canoeing accident. They give him a ride into town where he told the same story and police took him to a hotel.

Later he went to a storage unit where he had a motorcycle stored and took off to Florida.

Once things started to reveal, it was said that his canoeing accident story didn’t make since. After the allegiant accident, the guy was only wet on the bottom half of his body which seemed strange for someone in a canoeing accident. He should have been submerged totally and wet from head to toe but it appeared as if he had been walking in deep water only.

My theory is that he was walking in the wrong stuff a long time ago and the water level had nothing to do with it. During the whole time he was planning this act of deceit, he was walking in lies, deception, corruption, untruthfulness, fakeness, trickery, bamboozlement, and every other word you can think of that means dishonesty.

What are you walking in? Are your shoes messy from what you’ve been walking in?

Proverbs 20:7 says The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

The righteous man walks in his integrity means a man of divine law moves along in his moral values. This is a man who walks daily with high standards and he does not sway regardless of the situation or atmosphere. He always does the right thing.

Are you the same person in every arena of your life or do you go with the flow? Do you flip flop? Are you a chameleon?

And because the righteous man is consistent in his walk, God makes him a promise to bless his children after him. God puts His stamp of approval on righteous living by promising to bless your children.

No matter how much of an inheritance you leave your children when you are dead and gone, you have the ability to have God bless them based on the way you lived. It doesn’t get any better than that!

So the next time you’re being challenged to do the righteous thing, don’t just talk the talk but put on the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:10-18) and walk the walk.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

Hello Friends,

My son is playing basketball and it is entertaining to see his team in action. I’m talking about ten enthusiastic 7 and 8 year olds running up and down the court in the heat of battle all trying to get their hands on the basketball.

When a player has the basketball they draw attention from the other team because of the value of the ball. When they dribble too much, it results in a turnover. But, when the ball is passed around to other teammates, they usually get a good shot off.

In the game of basketball, the person with the basketball has the control. He has the interest of everyone in the gymnasium because he has the most valuable object out there. Without the basketball, you get very little attention.

If one player on a team is the only one who handles the ball, his team is limited in what they can do and in essence, the ball loses value. But if the ball is shared and everyone is involved, that player’s team has a good chance at success and everyone wins.

I just want to know, are you sharing your valuables? Are you passing good resources or information to others?

Hebrews 13:16 says But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

When teammates pass the ball to each other, they share the value of the ball and ultimately everyone succeeds. The same goes for you. When you share the things of value that you have, everyone succeeds.

What have you shared with other’s lately that’s been of value to you? Have you shared your home and had guest over for the holidays? Have you given someone a ride in your fancy car or SUV? What about that student who is going back to school for the spring semester. Have you offered to purchase a book for them or send them a care package?

Those are monetary things but there are things that are more valuable? Have you shared a word of encouragement to someone who is depressed? Have you loved on someone who does not know the true meaning of love? Have you given your time to a worthy cause? Have you shared your expertise with someone who is in need of professional help? Have you poured some of your life experiences into a young person?

Those are the things that please God!

We all have something of value and it is not as valuable as it can be if we’re selfish and hold on to it and not share it with others. If we all could share with one another, the whole team is successful and everyone wins.

On the playground, some folks refer to the basketball as “the rock”. When someone wants the ball they yell “pass the rock”. Right now I want to be a team player and “pass the rock of my salvation” and His name is Jesus.

Know Him, love Him and live for Him!

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!

Hello Friends,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Are you ready for a new beginning? Are you ready to get rid of the old and take on the new? Are you ready for a miracle? Are you ready to reach those higher heights?

This is the time to do it. Not next month, not next week and not even tomorrow. The time to take action is now!

I’m excited about what 2009 is going to bring. I’m excited because there are some changes I’ve decided to make at the end of 2008 that I know will benefit me and my family in 2009.

I have faith that this is going to be the best year of my life. That is what I hope for and my hope is not some flimsy wish that I made when I closed my eyes and clicked my heels three times.

My hope is not a dream I threw out there anticipating it will come true. My hope is in something substantial, something solid. My hope is on a solid rock.

Psalm 31:24 says Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

You see my hope is in the Lord because I want to be of good courage and I want my heart to be strengthened and to yearn for the things of God.

Courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty. God wants His people to be full of Holy Boldness and not that weak, so-so courage. He wants us to fearlessly be able to depend on Him regardless of the challenges we face.

And if we have that Holy Boldness, God can strengthen our hearts to desire those things that He desires. Our hearts will be like God’s and have a concern for humanity and all of the ills of the world.

A weak heart is a selfish heart. It thinks of no one else but itself. It’s a heart that’s sick. It’s hardened and has no love for anyone or anything and that’s why we need God to strengthen our heart and changed it and make it like His.

So as you embark on this New Year and all of the great things to come, remember to place all of your hope in the Lord and He will carry you through.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Day!