Encouraged by God's Word

Archive for the ‘Destiny’ Category

Hello Family,

As with any holiday season a lot of people have been traveling to visit family members and close friends. Some have been traveling by plane, train and bus but some packed up the automobile and hit the highways.

Most people know where they were headed because it’s familiar territory but even in some cases a few folks had their global positioning system (GPS) in place to guide them in the right direction.

I don’t have a GPS but I think most people use them sparingly unless they regularly drive to a lot of unfamiliar places. I do think they’re good to have because who knows when you’re going to get yourself off track and need to be redirected.

For those who have never been in a car with a GPS, they give out visual and verbal instructions to help you reach your destination. It tells you how far you have to go until your next turn and when you get close, it tells you to turn left or right. It will even tell you when you’re off course and the GPS will recalculate your directions automatically for you.

How many times have you gotten off track in your life and got yourself in a jam? You strayed from the course and found yourself doing something that was destroying you.

Proverbs 16:17 says The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who keeps his way preserves his soul.

As children of God we are required to walk on a straight and narrow path. Our highway of life is not broad and all over the place. It is focused and deliberate and when we stay on our path it is easy to depart from evil.

In order for us to reach our destination we need to stay on course. We need to use the Holy Spirit as our Gospel GPS and let Him guide us in the proper direction and our decision making.

Now sometimes in life we get sidetracked and don’t stay on course and when that happens we get in trouble. We invite evil into our lives by traveling on unadvised roads. We hit road blocks, we run into detours and sometimes the road runs out on us and we fall hard.

But just like a normal GPS, our Gospel GPS will get us back on track when we stray.

Who or what is guiding you in the decisions you make? Is it your Gospel GPS? If not I guarantee you are way off track and headed for trouble.

Be Encouraged and Expect Great Things for 2012!

P.S. Please share with others so that they may start their New Year off in the right direction.

Hello Family,

On the way home one day I picked up my son from aftercare and I had the radio on and I was listening to sports talk radio. The radio show I listen to is an affiliate of the ESPN network and out of curiosity my son asked me what ESPN stood for. After I thought about it I couldn’t remember. I told him when we got home I would search it on the Internet.

When I was at my parent’s house this past Thanksgiving there were a bunch of times when the family was sitting around talking about miscellaneous topics and whenever there was a question brought up that no one knew the answer to, my sister would pull out her PDA and say “I’ll Google it.”

Today more than ever, when people need information they look it up on the Internet. There are no encyclopedias in the house like there used to be when I was a youth. Now most kids probably do have a dictionary but I’m sure they have no idea what an encyclopedia is. That used to be the source of all information.

The source of all information today is their search engine of choice (Google, MSN, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, AOL, etc.). Nowadays all people have to do now is type in a few key words and with the click of a button, there are over 22 million results waiting for them to go through. If they have a question, the Internet has an answer. Some answers are right and others are wrong.

Now what if you had a severe question revolving your life; where would you search for answers? I suggest you search the bible.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NIV) says All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 Although our family, friends and loved ones may want the best for us, they don’t always know what’s best for us. They may give us advice based on their knowledge, wisdom (or lack thereof) or experiences but that advice could be the worse thing for us and our situation.

When we search for the answers to our personal life’s questions, we need to search the bible. That is the only source we need and we can’t go wrong because it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

The bible equips us for every good work and it’s our weapon to fight the enemy. It is our sword of the Spirit.

So when looking for life’s answers, know that there may be many Internet search engines but there is only one truth search engine that will answer every question you may have regarding your life.

Be Encouraged and Have a Great Weekend!

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Hello Family,

My 9 year old son does what I think most kids do a lot of times. If I put on my coat and grab my keys and cell phone you will definitely hear him say “Hey dad, where are you going?”

Now of course I know where I’m going, how long it’s going to take and why I’m going but for the sake of giving my son a hard time I usually won’t tell him. Sometimes I jokingly reply “None of your business.” Or I might say “Outside.”  Or if I’m in a pleasant mood I might just tell him where I’m going.

Depending on the purpose for me leaving the house, I have a clear plan of where I’m headed. I don’t just walk out and jump in my car and then figure it out as I’m driving. That doesn’t make any sense. There is a prearranged course of action that I’ve taken to develop a travel plan to get me where I want to go. I either know what roads to travel because I’ve done it before or I have a roadmap to show me the way. Regardless, I’m not on the journey having no idea of where I’m going.

In this crazy world that we live in we all have a journey to pursue as well. We’re not just on earth living without any purpose. Or at least we shouldn’t be.

God is a god of order and He has a specific purpose for our lives and it’s called our destiny. Your destiny is YOUR prearranged course of events designed specifically for YOU and only for YOU. It has your DNA attached to it so it’s designed exclusively for you and no one else. It is your own personal roadmap for your life.

Phillippians 3:18-19 (NIV) says For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly thing

s.

Have you ever thought of yourself as an enemy of Christ? You probably haven’t because I imagine most people believe that if they are fairly good people and there’s no problem and God is pleased with them.

But what if you’re totally focused on your glory and how others look at you? What if your mind is constantly set on earthly things? What if you’re only thinking about the things that satisfy you? If you’re not thinking about God then your destiny is destruction.

What is your destiny going to look like? Will it be filled with destruction or prosperity? Will you be considered an enemy of Christ or friend of God?

When it is all said and done and I leave this earth, I want to make sure I fulfill the destiny God gave me. I want to make sure that I’m on the right path and I don’t get distracted by the diversions of life. In order for me to do that I must not be concerned with my own selfish desires but I must focus on God.

So if someone asks you “Where are you going?”, make sure you know what your destiny is.

Be Encouraged and Have a Destiny Laden Weekend!

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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 16 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 was a part of our mentoring program for three years and I have also 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 in some capacity 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 Passion-Filled Weekend!

Hello Family,

I just finished reading a book titled The Dream Giver and it’s essentially a story about pursuing one’s dreams.

The first half of the book is the fable of a person who was a Nobody named Ordinary who was searching for what’s missing in his life.

Ordinary lived in the land of Familiar and one day he decides to embrace his Big Dream and pursue his higher calling.

Everyday Ordinary got up and went to his Usual Job and after work he had the same dinner and watched the box that most Nobodies watched on a regular basis. Sometimes Best Friend would come over and watch the box or Ordinary would go over his Parent’s house and watch it.

One day Ordinary had this sensation that he was missing something out of his life. Not only was he missing something, it was something big. Over time the feeling grew.

As time passed Ordinary realized that in the corner of his heart was his Big Dream and it had been given to him by the Dream Giver. Ordinary’s Big Dream told him that instead of being a Nobody, he was to be a Somebody and destined to achieve Great Things.

Ordinary eventually told his Father of his Big Dream and his Father had recalled a similar story. He told Ordinary that he experienced the same thing but never pursued his Big Dream and that Ordinary didn’t have to stay a Nobody but he could become a Dreamer.

What Big Dreams or Plans do you have that you feel the Dream Giver has given you to pursue? Are you fulfilling your destiny? 

Jeremiah 29:11 (Amplified Bible) says For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

God did not put us on this earth just to be born, live and someday die without living a purpose filled life. In all of God’s awesomeness, He has thoughts and plans for little ole’ you and me. That’s right, each and every one of us!

God thought enough of us to have planned for each and everyone of us individually. He has plans for us that involve safety (welfare) and tranquility (peace) and not of wickedness (evil). He has plans to give us the best life has to offer and that goes to show you how much He loves and cares for us.

And if He could love and care for us that much, we have no choice but to love Him back by doing His will and living out the thoughts and plans He has for us.

If you have your Big Dream in the corner of your heart, nurture it and watch it grow and become a Dreamer and let the Dream Giver support and guide you to greatness.

Be Encouraged and Pursue Your Big Dreams!

Leave me a comment and let me know if this message has helped you.