"Serve Or Be Served?: That is the Question!"

"I am touching on a topic that seems to get overlooked, especially with our fast-paced lives today. It's about choosing to serve others or serving ourselves? Which do you do? The answer is we all do both. There is a bit of selfishness in all of us. I mean ,we live in a fallen world. We live in a place where we are pretty much told eat or be eaten! There are so many distractions.  For most of us, it isn't natural to take the time and reach out to seek the needs of others. This can be and a lot of times is a foreign task. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people helping others in need. What I'm saying is, how different a place this would be if we ALL pitched in to help our brothers and sisters. Now, when I'm speaking of helping meet other's needs, I'm not just speaking about monetary. Meeting a need could be be met in many ways. It be simply taking the time to listening to someone. How many times have we all needed a ear to bend? Just ask God who you can help. He will always lead you the right way.
However, if we all got real for a moment, we would all come to the conclusion that we all need someone. I for one, have tried to "John Wayne" it through some pretty difficult life situations only to land flat on my face. And to be real honest, life in a way, has gotten harder (with the physical disability), however what has changed (and made the most difference) is my attitude about my circumstances. My attitude truly determines my position on the situation. And that is the same for all of us. (Ephesians 4:23 "to be made new in the attitude of your minds;") If our attitude is in the right place, then our problems (as hard as they may be) might not be as difficult to get through. Again, I am only sharing my own personal journey and how my attitude has helped me overcome the greatest hurdle of the problem, MY Mind! So, I challenge us all to seek out and help others.

"God CAN and WILL use you!"

"God wants to use you! Don't believe the lie that you have to have all your stuff together, including any struggles we fight with daily, before God can use you. If God has called you to do something, by faith, just step out and put one foot in front of the other. He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5-Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”). If we all waited to do what God has called us to do until we felt like we had our struggles under control we would never get to the calling that God has called us to do. It's not about us it's about Him. If God has called you to do something then He will equip you. Again, He will equip you; we just need to be open and ready for the equipping! However, He does expect us to move out in faith first and then He will give us what we need (Acts 20:24-"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace..) I challenge each and every one of us to try this. God is good and faithful! Stay awesome and encouraged my friends!"

"We Always Win"

 "The last few years have taught me a valuable lesson...And that is no matter what we are going through at the moment, God's Grace is sufficient to carry us through. Time and time again, I'm seeing this.. God's truth is much bigger than our circumstances we are facing.. Our problems seem like Goliaths and the solution seems like Davids..But, remember, David was successful in beating his problem (Goliath) only because He believed God was going to bring him victory..Nothing in our own strength, but His Strength! So, what I am trying to say..is no matter what we go through in this life (my back, your job, and etc.) We have a Head Coach that will always bring us the win!" (Hebrews 13:5-"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.") So I challenge all of us, to try and trust God. I promise you, He will always have our best interest in mind.

"We Are Not Our Own"

Psalm 100
1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations

     Now look what verses 3 & 4 say...God is our Creator, we did not create ourselves. Many people live as though they are the creator in the center of their own world. This mind-set can lead to a greedy possessiveness. And if everything should be taken away, we lose hope itself. But when we realize that God created us and gives us all we have, we will want to give to others as God has given to us (2 Corinthians 9:8- "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.") Then if all is lost, we still have God in all He gives us.
    God alone is worthy of being worshiped. Let's ask ourselves a couple of questions. What is your attitude toward worship? Do you willingly and joyfully come into God's presence, or are you just going through the motions, reluctantly going to church? These Scriptures remind us to remember God's goodness and dependability and then to worship with thanksgiving and praise!

"Living Now To Forever"

"Spending time with God and in His Word..this keeps us from self-destructing in our own sinful, selfish ways." It is just a thought. Also, if we could all grasp the fact that God truly loves us and wants the best for us. Would we not be so quick to make sure we left Him out.? He wants to be included in every area of our lives because He loves us. There is no hidden motive in God's Love... His motive is pure... IT'S LOVE! The love that He truly has for each and everyone of us. For He created us. As a father myself, I want the BEST for my children, and I will always love them unconditionally. They all know this, I tell them always. So is it, with Our Heavenly Father. I am positive we can't even begin to fathom the magnitude of God's Love for us (no one is left out)... Don't take my word for it...(John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.")
(Some people can't think about the idea of eternal life because their lives are in so disarray. But eternal life is not an extension of a person's miserable, mortal life; eternal life is God's life embodied in Christ given to all believers now as a guarantee that they will live forever. In eternal life there is no death, sickness, enemy, evil, or sin. When we don't know Christ, we make choices as though this life is all we have. In reality, this life is just the introduction to eternity. Receive this new life by faith and begin to evaluate all that happens from an eternal perspective. To "believe" is more than intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means we put our trust and confidence in Him that He alone can save us. It is to put Christ in charge of our present plans in eternal destiny. Believing is both trusting His words as reliable, and relying on Him for the power to change. If you have never trusted Christ, let this promise of everlasting life be yours-- and believe.)
(Romans 10:9-10 "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.")

"Forward Progress"

"God allows us to look at our past head-on!  With Him we no longer have to look away or be ashamed for what He has already cleansed us from. He allows us to look straight ahead into the eyes of others with no shame. We no longer have to carry the burden of our past sins because Jesus took care of that once and for all on the Cross. The good news is, as well as taking care of our past sins, He has also taken care of any and every future sins by the blood He shed on the Cross. Don't allow anyone or any one thing including thoughts of old memories hinder you from moving forward". ("If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1John 1:9)

"Real Pain"

"The pain that hides behind these eyes is deep so deep,

 I cannot sleep, 

I look in the mirror and what do I see, 

but two blue eyes looking back at me, 

they are deeper than what appears, 

the pain I feel is deeper still, it feels like being pierced by a spear.

 Lord I'm asking that you take this excruciating pain away,

 and do it quickly with no delay,

 I feel so hurt in my heart and my body as well,

  no words can get describe just exactly what I'm trying to say,

 Heavenly Father I'm just asking that you take this away"

"We Rock because of The Rock (Jesus)"

"As "Born Again" believer's, we should never be defined by our past mistakes or even mistakes we are still  making (God knows our hearts, and He knows we will always be works-in-progress, until we reach our Home in Heaven). God tells us to give our problems to Him, and let Him take care of them for us..(1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.") We CAN'T do this ourselves (I'm talking about myself mostly). However, I know we all feel this way at times. We are human! I also know, we must believe what the God says about us, not what anyone says. The Holy Spirit convicts, the devil condemns! And that's that. So, the next time you are being told that you are worthless, be reminded that God says you ROCK and He sent the ROCK to make you Righteous through the blood of Jesus." So, I challenge all of us to give it Jesus, He understands us and He can handle it!

"Opportunities For Change"

"Everyone has the same opportunity to make changes. And the reason I say this is simple. Most, of you know, I've had to make a drastic life change just over the last couple of years. And I will be the first to tell you it wasn't and hasn't been easy..at all! I got to a point where I asked myself.. Give in to God's help or give up and die? I found out life was much more peaceful with His help..I couldn't handle the stresses (physically, emotionally, and mentally). There could be only one solution. It is much easier if there is only one answer to all things. Wouldn't you agree? I don't know about you, but I need things to be simple. There are so many distractions in this world for us to gravitate to. We have times of sadness, happiness, joy and pain. We are ALL looking for someone or something to dull it for us.. Wouldn't you agree? There can and only CAN be One who will always give us what we need. No matter what situation we are in. God knows our hearts better than we know our own hearts. He created them, He approves of them. Now, hear me out. Just because, He approves of our hearts, it doesn't mean He agrees with every decision we make. I have made many mistakes and continually do. Although, I know, the mistakes, I still make an effort to try and focus on Him. By doing this, it does allow me to make better decisions with my life. If we are truly searching for change, God will help us. We can't make these changes on our own. We were never created to make them alone. (Hebrews 13:5-"“ Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”) So, I challenge you to seek God's face for His help.

"Out Of Control"

The tides of life are forever turning, 

at the same time God making changes to hearts are churning, 

 we don't always need to go the way the wind blows, 

we just need to get on our faces and seek God to know which way to go, 

because lots of of times the pictures are so unclear 

we must put our car in neutral and let God steer, 

at times we feel we are at our wits end, 

only to find thank God has rescued us yet again, 

so I suggest you hold on to what you got, 

whose blood was shed, your price He bought.

"God Moves In All Ways"

I want to talk for a moment about being a vessel for God. If any of you are like me, I don't feel worthy to be used by God.  Mostly, because I can't seem to get all of my stuff together...

One day, I was praying and I felt the Holy Spirit tug on my heart and say, "You don't have to have all of your stuff together, you just need to be a willing vessel". I was so blown away, because it is true for all of us. If we were to wait for God to use us until we cleaned our lives up, we would never get there. I felt God saying, "My Grace is Sufficient, I will do the cleaning..I just need you to be willing..I will direct you, if you are willing". You know, at that very moment, I felt a heavy burden lift. Because, I knew Jesus has already done the cleaning, I just needed to surrender and let God's Grace does the rest! That is so powerful! God is faithful, even when we aren't.

Let's take a look at 1 Kings 19:11-13  for a minute "the Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (Elijah knew that the sound of gentle whisper was God's voice. He realized that God doesn't reveal Himself only in powerful, miraculous ways. To look for God in something big (rallies, churches, conferences, highly visible leaders) may be to miss Him because He is often found gently whispering in the quietness of a humbled heart.)

So, I ask all of us just one question. How are we looking or listening for God? Let's step back from the noise in activity of our busy life and listen humbly and quietly for His guidance. It may come when we least expect it. Stay awesome and encouraged!

"Growth Is Painful"

"I feel like a banana that's being peeled one strand at a time. And each time a strand is pulled off it causes extreme pain. It's as if the peels are the outer shell of my life, and God is ridding me of all things that He knows I don't need in my life. It is extremely painful and sometimes very grieving. Only to think, I know there's got to be a reason for all of this because Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." So, as we surrender our lives to Him, we give Him free reign to start peeling off the edges of the areas in our life that don't need to be there. Just like a mother must go through pain to have a child, but once the child is here, the pain is soon forgotten. From my experience, sometimes we must go through what seems to be excruciating pain whether its physical or emotional first, before we experience what God has for us."

"I am painfully learning that joy doesn't come from the outside, it comes from the inside. And that, only God can bring us true joy...Joy unspeakable! When we've lived our lives, and done things a certain way for so many years, it's hard to let go and allow God to shape us and mold us into what He wants."

These feet are my feet, and they symbolize that Jesus keeps them walking; literally and spiritually speaking..I've been through a lot, some things in which I brought on myself, and other things I didn't..However, God is good enough not to punish me, but to love me and re-direct my life, my steps, if you will..We serve a loving Father who wants the best for us. So, if you've ever thought, "I just can't go on anymore", look down at your feet as a reminder that God has kept you walking and He will never give up on you..He loves you and I more than we can ever imagine. No matter how much of a mess we have made our lives..Look to Him and trust Him with your heart today..Will you? I have!

"Letting Go"

"The pain that hides behind these eyes is deep so deep, 

I cannot sleep, I look in the mirror and what do I see, 

but two blue eyes looking back at me, they are deeper than what appears,

the pain I feel is  deeper still, it feels like being pierced by a thrown spear,

Lord I'm asking that you take this excruciating pain away,

and do it quickly with no delay, 

I hurt in my heart, in my body and find it hard as to just what I'm trying to say,

Except for asking You Heavenly Father to take this from me today"

(Isaiah 53:5-"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.) 

"You know, it is really hard to let go of something or someone that means so much to you. Sometimes it feels like your heart is going to explode out of the massive pain that is felt from a divorce, loss of a job or death of a family member. Almost like a Tsunami that comes in and destroys everything, unrecognizable to the eye than before. The pain makes you feel like nothing can stop the total devastation of the heart. The pain is all too real, like your heart is literally being torn apart from your chest. Let it go and give it to God. lay it at the feet of Jesus. Worry brings fear, releasing brings faith! I stand firm to you Lord!"

"A Firm Foundation"

"The tides of life are forever turning, at the same time God's changes to hearts is churning,

We don't always need to move the way the wind blows,

We just need to get on our faces, seek God to know which way to go,

Because lots of times the picture is so unclear,

We must put our car in neutral and let God steer,

At times we feel we are at our wits end,

Only to find that God has rescued us yet again,

So I suggest you hold on to what you've got, whose blood was shed, your price He bought."

"Wait For the Lord"

(Psalm 27:14)-"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (David knew from experience what it meant to wait for the Lord. He had been anointed king at the age 16, but didn't become king until he was 30. During the interim, he was chased through the desert by jealous King Saul. David had to wait on God for the fulfillment of his promise to reign. Later, after becoming king, he was chased by his rebellious son, Absalom.)
Waiting for God isn't easy. Often it seems that He isn't answering our prayers or doesn't understand the urgency of our situation. That kind of thinking implies that God in not in control or is a liar. But God is worth waiting for (I am learning this one). Lamentations 3:24-26 "calls us to hope in and wait for the Lord because often God uses waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us". So, I challenge you to make good use of your waiting times by discovering what God may be trying to teach you in them.

"Is Christianity our Title or our Actions?"

Is Christianity a noun, or a verb? Well, the Bible says, "They will know us by our love", not by holding up a sign (metaphorically speaking) telling the world we are. So, I wonder, is it right to justify who we are by our words or by our actions? I think we all know the answer to this question, if we really think about it. The commandment that was given by God was to love one another. (1 Corinthians 13:4-13-"4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.)  So, I leave us with one thought (me included)...are we a doer or do we just talk about it?

"God Doesn't Go Against His Word"

First of all, God doesn't go against His Word...what He says, if we hear Him right, is Truth..the Word of God says, "Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever"(Hebrews 13:8) He doesn't change His mind and put us on this roller coaster ride of emotions...A loving God doesn't play games with our Hearts like that..He heals our hearts...into peace, not confusion..
God is the ONLY one that can provide us with "a peace that surpasses ALL understanding (Philippians 4:7) during our most dark days". And if you ask Him to give you that kind of peace and focus on Him, and not the problem (no matter big or small) God will give you a peace, that no man can give, one that we surely can't explain during our most difficult times. He is truly faithful! Let me say this, as I encourage, God is also using my words to encourage me. Because, I need to hear it over and over again :) So, I challenge all of us to put our faith in God who is the only one who brings genuine peace."

"A Better Life"

"The day will come when we all have to go,

Sometimes sooner than we thought we'd know,

So, be ready at all times to walk across the Great Divide,

Because we never know when our time is drawing nigh,
However, we can be assured of where we are going,
By placing all our trust in the All Knowing,
He has promised to always love and never leave you,
To always guide you through and through,
So, what do you say we,
Get on our knees and pray"

"Resting In Peace"

Everyone of us needs down time..We were created to work hard and then rest (regroup if you will..in body, mind and spirit). It is sometimes so hard for us to realize when we are at our wits end until it's too late. Then we crash. Just as our bodies need rest every night, our spirits need rest too. And by spending time with God in His Word, prayer and meditation (being quiet to listen to God) we get just that, rest.  God longs to talk to us, even more than we want to talk to Him. In another words, He is always there ready and waiting to speak to His children (you and me). We are the ones, and I am definitely including myself, who run such a fast pace in life.We don't stop to think what will happen when we have nothing else left to give. Well, what happens is we drop, and find that it is much harder to get back up because we didn't maintain ourselves (spiritually and physically). If we start each day in prayer with our Father in Heaven, things may not get easier, but they sure are easier to handle with God backing us. You see, there is a peace that only God can give during even our darkest days. This is a peace we cannot fathom. It can't be explained no matter how hard we try. It is one that nothing tangible (money, cars, things) can bring. The peace comes from the inside out (God), not from the outside in (things of this world). Only God can heal an emotionally torn heart. Nothing outside of that can do so. Again, this healing starts from the inside out, not the outside in.

Look at it this way, it is easier to see what is in a cup when it's full. But, when it's empty we have no clue. If we start every morning with a fresh start (spending time with God) then we get spiritually filled up, then it overflows out of us to where others will see. But, if we don't maintain our relationship with God, it also shows, and others will see it in many ways (attitude, the way we treat others, and etc.) Just as if we don't maintain our bodies by feeding them, we will starve ourselves, and again, others will see it.

So, I challenge each of you to find time every day to spend feeding your spirit, mind, and body.
(Psalm 55:22-"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken")

"Weighed Down To Be Lifted Up"

"I might step on some toes, including mine, so here goes. I'm not sure why some people must act ugly. My personal experience is from other Christians. It seems so easy and natural for them to point out your flaws and judge you for your mistakes. While, all along they have their own issues. It's rare for me to voice my opinion regarding this. But, it is all too real for me. Now, let me say, I have been guilty of this a time or two, and really felt convicted by the Holy Spirit. Which is why, I feel compelled to bring it up. A good rule of thumb is, Satan condemns, and God convicts. God, teaches us, while the devil tears down. As Christians, we are of the same family; the Family of God Almighty. You can't be "grandfathered in" into a relationship with Jesus. It's a personal relationship, we must receive it intimately and personally between Jesus and ourselves. No one can do this for us. Jesus wants our hearts to be willingly relinquished by each of us independently. We each have the choice to make a decision to follow Jesus or not. That is our choice. No one can make it for us. We certainly are not called to judge one another. We are all "works in progress". I think we forget this vital point. We are all at different stages of our walk with the Lord. None of us are at the same place. And it's really not fair or just that we judge according to our personal prospective, that's God's job. We all have things in our lives we are working through with the Lord. I want to share that I am simply a man who seeks a better way. I've made some mistakes and will make some more. But one day, I'm going to hear my Lord and Savior Jesus say "Well done my good and faithful servant." We are called by God to love one another, that includes forgiving each other for wrongs done to us. (Matthew 18:21-22-"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? (22) Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.) Another words Jesus is saying we are to forgive with no limits. It is hard, but by forgiving someone, it gives you the freedom, not the person you are forgiving.

So, I challenge each of us to search our own hearts and take it to Jesus. The good news is Jesus has already redeemed all of us from any mistakes we have made in the past, or will ever make." Be encouraged!