Category: BLOG

WORSHIP FIRST

Worship invites the presence of God. Many things have been written about worship. Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him and bless his name. If we look at getting to God like castles were set up in ancient times. There were three levels inside the gate, which puts you in the courtyard. Level two puts you inside the castle in the outer court. The inner court has the fewest people. The inner court is where the king is sitting on his throne. In order to petition the King, you need to be in the inner court.

We enter his gates by offering Thanksgiving. Which means to thank God for all he has done for us. Going from thanksgiving to praise allows us to enter the castle. Worshipping God for who he is gets us into the outer court and eventually into his presence.

David made a lot of mistakes; he fell into sin many times. But God still said David was a man after his own heart. David wrote Psalms to God. He was a true worshipper. David understood that he was imperfect and that he needed God. Worship is a heart thing and we must connect our heart to God’s heart.

Worship changes the atmosphere. Sometimes things can look dark. The enemy can be pressing in from all directions; if we can press through in worship and praise, soon the atmosphere changes. We can be under a cloud of anxiety, fear, stress or sadness, to name a few, and we can start worshipping. Our worship will cause that spirit of heaviness to be lifted off of us.

God desires to spend time with his children. He wants us to worship him in spirit and truth. Satan hates it when we worship; I don’t mean just going through the motions. But when we connect to God through our Praise. Satan was the music leader, the head worshipper until jealousy entered him and he wanted to be God. God kicked him out of heaven and, along with him, him a bunch of angels that were loyal to satan.

Psalm 96:9 – O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Take some extra time this week to show God some love and make the devil mad at the same time. Lift your voice and hands to God in praise.

TRAINS

Trains travel on rails that run from one destination to another. Everything runs smoothly until a train gets off track. This is called a derailment. Many things can cause a train to get off track. Obstacles in the way, mechanical failure in the train or rails.

The reason is important only to help prevent a derailment in the future. More important than why is the prevention of future failures. As we travel life, we can be gliding along at a good speed when something major happens to derail us. Sickness, death of a loved one, loss of a job, betrayal of a friend. Once we have lost our momentum, it may take a little while to get our life back on track.

It often takes great effort to lift the weight of the train and get it back on the tracks. This is where our determination to not be stopped will be crucial to our momentum. Keeping our God Focus even in the middle of a derailment, can be done if we TRUST GOD. Jesus is always there to help us get things back on track.

Sometimes the enemy will build obstacles on the tracks for us to run into causing us to get derailed. He custom creates temptation for each of us. He will whisper, “you are not good enough” “who do you think you are to be doing what God has called you to do.” “Is it really that bad if you do this one little thing that God said no to do.” Like with Job, he will send you miserable comfort that will encourage you to curse God and die.

We have power over the powers of the enemy. All we have to do is speak the word. Use scripture to put him in his place. This will remove him and his obstacles from our path. Resist the devil and he will flee. Leaving us a clear path to reach out and cry out to Jesus so that we can always be in the presence of God to thank him for what he has done for us.

BURN THE SHIPS

The church needs to be like the people that came from Europe to the new world. When they arrived they unassembled their boats and used the wood for building or they burned their ships. In other words, we are here, no matter what happens we are not turning back. They knew they had nothing to go back to in Europe. Eliminating all other options but to go forward.

When we are delivered from sin we need to burn the ships. There is nothing in our old life to go back to, we are made new in Christ. He has given us a new life. The enemy will try to tell us that the new world before us is scary. He will try to work on our self-identity. Questioning us if we can actually be a Christian. If we let him talk to us too long we would be on the ship ready to return to a place we escaped from; our old life. If that life was so great, why did we want to escape it?

Satan will try to paint a pretty picture. He will make things look like they are good. When in reality they are anything but good. We need to tell him we have a new name, we are no longer defeated, no longer a slave, no longer without a father, but we have been adopted by the KING OF KINGS and the LORD OF LORDS. We have an identity, we are a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

With our new life comes a responsibility to be a light to those around us. Many that knew us before we became born again of God’s Spirit will know we are different. But what about the person that meets us for the first time as this new creation. They should still know there is something different about us. God’s love and light need to shine upon us and out of us.

We are living in dangerous times. If we watch the news fear can grip us quickly. Things will look bad. I am sick of these prosperity preachers telling you that life is a bed of roses if you follow Christ. He will give you material things and you will be wealthy by man’s standards. When my bible says you will know they are my disciples because they have love one to another. Not because they own 50 pairs of alligator shoes or own twenty houses and have a large bank account.

It’s time to grow up Church; leave behind materialism and things the flesh desires. God never promised that the road would be easy. Look at our examples in his word. These people faced hard things; scary things. But not once did God leave them to struggle alone and He made a way of escape for each of them. He promised to never leave us to fight our battles alone. He said things would look scary, but do not fear for He is there to see us through.

It’s time to burn the ships. Put aside childish things and grow up. There is a great big world out there full of lost people. We sit in our churches each week and want to hear how God is going to bless us and give us things that are going to burn up. The only things that are going to last are the things we do for the kingdom of God. Reaching the lost.

It is time for us to burn the ships, don’t look back, go forth and take back what God has given us that the enemy has stolen. We have an amazing opportunity to be the light this world needs. But we cannot be that light if we are weighed down by the cares and fears of this life. We have nothing to fear, GOD IS with us.

Heb 12:1-2 (1) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2)Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If we could just keep the zeal we have when we are first saved. We are excited about our life in Christ. We feel like we can take on the world. Then we go through a few hard spots and that excitement is gone. The only way we can be renewed is by asking God for that renewal. We need to build up our faith through prayer. Our inward man is renewed day by day. THe prayers I prayed yesterday carried me through yesterday. But to renew my strength, I need to talk to God today, to get through today. We do not know what is facing us in the next 24 hours. But if we are prayer warriors we can be ready for whatever comes our way.

Galatians 6:9-10And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

We will reap a harvest of souls if we faint not. If we don’t give up and go back. If we don’t sit down and get comfortable in a routine or in feel-good doctrine. We will reap if we burn the ships and not look back but keep looking up to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

WAKE UP

Our world is in darkness and that is partially due to the state of the body of Christ. The church has let the world creep in a little bit at a time until we find ourselves in a lukewarm state. We have been so obsessed with things that do not matter that we have lost sight of the important things. We like to brag about how many bodies fill our pews on Sunday morning but forget to ask God to enlighten us. We go through the motions of a service, but never stop to ask God what he wants to do for us or say to us. We never question if someone got what they needed for their soul. We warm the pews but are never changed by anything we see or hear during service. We have lost our GOD FOCUS.

While we were asleep the enemy was busy destroying our world. People everywhere have a skewed view of God because we have not been walking in the light. We have not been the light. We have been asleep. I feel like God is saying, WAKE UP!!! WAKE UP!!!! You don’t have long to work.

John 9:4-5 KJV I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

God doesn’t want us to be lukewarm, this is a dangerous state to be in because it gives the lost a false impression. If we are cold, then we are in sin and not claiming to be anything. No one notices or judges the cold. If we are on fire, everyone will see our light shine. God will use us to be a light and witness to others. If we are on fire, people will know we are who we claim to be; disciples of Christ. But being lukewarm is a state of misery. We have no victory and no power.

Lukewarm people are walking in their flesh more than they are in the Spirit. They care more about superficial things or being politically correct. They don’t want to offend anyone with “THE TRUTH” of God’s word. The lukewarm (asleep) church allows sin in and accepts it, just to keep their numbers and offerings. They clear their conscience by saying they are not as bad as the world.

Rev 3:15-16 (15) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

WAKE UP, WAKE UP it is time for old-fashioned preaching that is so on fire that it burns out our impurities. I want a sermon that makes me hit my knees and ask God to set me free or set me on fire for him. Sin will not enter into the kingdom of God. He is coming after a bride without spot or wrinkle. We need to do all we can to walk free of sin. His grace will take care of our shortcomings.

However, grace for too long has been an excuse to walk in continual sin. Jesus didn’t die on the cross to have us be nonchalant about sin. I Peter 1:16-16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.-KJV We cannot allow sin to abound or the enemy to prevail. WAKE UP!! WAKE UP!!

Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (12) The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.-KJV

We are living in a time when people are starving for the word of God. They have seen so much fake Christianity that they are sick. It makes them wonder if there is really even a God. The world has turned to all sorts of false religions because they have not found the answers they seek. In our asleep state, we have let them down.

Warriors of Christ, we need to start standing guard and watch for the enemy. Taking every opportunity to say, “satan, you cannot have that person, not on my watch.” It is time we become bold in our faith and speak out. We have been asleep too long, so tell everybody you know it’s time to WAKE UP! It is time to make things right with God. It is time to be the warriors he needs us to be, by walking in the boldness of the Holy Ghost. He didn’t give us His Spirit to hide it under a bushel and be lukewarm. We have that fire to be bold and be a light.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

PREPARATION

The people of Noah’s day had become very wicked. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God always has a remnant of people that are prepared to stand for Him. God decided to destroy all the people that were on Earth. All but Noah’s family. He gave Noah specific instructions on how to build a boat, in the desert. A place that had never seen rain before the great flood. But when the rain started falling, he was safe in that preparation (boat). Because he followed God’s plan.

God’s plan was perfect. He gave Noah specific instructions on just how big to build the boat. He told him how to make it weatherproof. And when it was finished. It sat there for several days before the rain started falling. God always has a way of escape prepared for his people, before judgment falls.

God is never surprised by the things that happen in our lives. He had seen them coming from afar off. He will make a way of escape before things turn really bad. However, there are times when God allows us to go through things to teach us lessons. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.

Deut. 31:8- “And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” And he will not allow us to be overtaken by the enemy, even if we’re trying to learn a lesson. If Noah had not followed God’s plan and built a boat exactly as he asked, then Noah and his family would have perished along with everyone else.

There’s a phrase people often say when it seems like trouble keeps coming. “When it rains, it pours.” Trouble seemed to fall down like rain, and when we think it’s about to stop, it keeps happening. We don’t know when the rain will come into our lives. We don’t know how much the waters will rise. When the enemy comes in like a flood trying to drown us in trouble, God will raise up a wall of protection and keep us from being overtaken. Isaiah 59:19 KJV When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

How do we prepare? What do we do to make sure we’re ready for the attack of the enemy? Many would say put on the whole armor of God. Found in Ephesians 6:11. And I do not dispute the fact that it is a good start. If we could master the whole armor, we would be warriors. But even more than that, we need to be in communication with God. He will reveal his plan to us, just like he did Noah.

A good soldier is ready at a moments notice to go to battle. We cannot wait until Satan comes with his attack, to decide to pray. We need to build up our faith, our strength, and our stamina by training. JUDE 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

An excellent soldier Knows how to use their weapon. Our weapon is the sword of the word that we carry; which is our Bible. We need to be vigilant in knowing it, so we have the right words at a moments notice to fight the enemy. We can also have words of comfort for a brother or sister in Christ. Most importantly, words to show someone how to escape the evil one by becoming a child of God. The key is prayer and preparation, by listening for God to reveal his plans for us. If we listen, he will speak.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS.

BEAUTY

The world has a definition of beauty. What the world defines as beauty is not anything more than superficial beauty. They want to look at what is on the outside. If you have wrinkles or spots they don’t define you as beautiful. They look at youth as being attractive. We all spend a lot of money to wash, moisturize and enhance our physical attractiveness. It is all for nothing, our fleshly body still gets old; youth fades.

God looks not on the outside but looks on the heart. God is looking for a bride without spot or wrinkle of a spiritual nature. He wants a pure heart and one that is covered by the blood of Jesus. A heart that is hungry for him. He wants the beauty of our love for him. Prov. 31:30-31. (30) Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. (31) Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

The fruit of the Spirit is beautiful; Love, Joy, Peace, Long Suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness and Temperance. When the church rises up and learns to walk in the Spirit the fruit will follow. Walking out a life full of God’s power and Spirit is the truest form of beauty.

God takes our messed up lives, our broken pieces and puts us back together into beautiful vessels. Ones He can use for His glory. When it is all said and done, true beauty comes from the Lord.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

GOOD THOUGHTS

Every day we are tested. Some days more than others. That reminds me of a quote. “I try to take life one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.” It is not accurate, in reality, but sometimes it feels like it is very true. Matt 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

And it’s hard sometimes not to allow anxiety to overtake us. It is easy to worry about stuff so much that we miss today. Things can look grim. Many emotions can creep in and get the best of us if we allow them to take control. Self-control is the fruit of the spirit. It is hard to not allow our minds to get bogged down in details that want to overtake us.

Phil 4:8 –Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Instead of worrying about things we cannot control, we need to focus on God. The word tells us to think on good things. Positive thinking can turn around situations. God doesn’t want us to be anxious or depressed. He wishes for us to walk in peace. He wants us to forget the past, it is gone and we cannot change it. Defeated people think about the past. Victorious people choose to believe the best is yet to come.

TITANIC

Most people know the story of the Titanic. It was sailing from England to America, in 1912. On its maiden voyage, it sank and almost everyone on board died because they drowned or froze to death in the icy waters. The thing about the Titanic was it was a large very grand ship. It was possibly made better than any ship in the modern era. But in man’s arrogance, they called it the “unsinkable” ship. It had all these watertight doors so that if the hull got breached it would close off the water and protect the vessel from sinking.

Also in man’s arrogance, they said, “Even God himself cannot sink this ship.” I’m sure God looked down at all their grandeur and their arrogance. And said, huh, how about an iceberg right here? All it took was them hitting one little iceberg and the unsinkable ship ended up on the ocean floor.

A lot of people say the iceberg sunk the ship. Some people say, well it was because the guys steering it, reversed the engines and didn’t steer it fast enough to avoid the collision. But I say arrogance is what sank that ship. “Even God himself can’t sink this ship.” Who were they to think that they were so good? That they didn’t need God’s blessing on the ship. These were wealthy people at the time that were used to having everything their way. I mean this ship was full of grand rare-to-find wood. It was filled with only the best table linens and the best China for the dining room. All the wrought iron and the grandeur and everything was pure opulence. And yet, one voyage and it ends up at the bottom of the ocean.

Prov16:18-19 (18) Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (19) Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

We sometimes can also get arrogant in our own lives and before you know it, there’s an iceberg that must take us down a peg or two. I thank God for the icebergs in my life that I collide with that make me stop and say whoa. Where am I going? How did I get here? And God, please help me turn around and steer this ship just a little better.

Our own lives are often like the Titanic. We can get set on a course and we can get heading toward that course so fast, that we don’t see the iceberg until it’s too late. But if we’re tuned in to God? We know what’s coming; the iceberg is on the way. People of this earth are wicked; they’re headed down a bad road and there’s about to be another iceberg. But if we’re prayed up and we’re where we need to be with God, he can and will warn us how to avoid the icebergs of life.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

LIVING WATER

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This Jesus spoke of the Holy Ghost because He was not yet sent to us. Jesus had to ascend before the Comforter; which is the Holy Ghost could come to the body. When Jesus walked this earth, he was God’s body on earth. Now we are God’s body on earth, through and by the Holy Ghost inside of us.

The living water that Jesus spoke about flows out of us to help others. His Spirit reaches out to the lost, broken, sick and dying. It is our job as the body to reach out and help the broken and rejected. We can be the gap filler from where they are to where Jesus is waiting for them to surrender.

I took a drive Sunday to enjoy the beautiful day we were given. I ended up at the falls near my house. As I stood on the edge of the water, I started thinking about how water flows. There are times when we allow ourselves to get out of the flow of God’s will. When this happens our emotions, feelings and thinking patterns become negative and stagnate.

To get rid of the negativity, we need to get out of our rut and back to where the flow of the Spirit can move. The Spirit will begin to push away the negativity and things that are causing us issues. Allowing the flow of the living water will keep our hearts and minds in a good place.

Phil 4:7-8 (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Keeping our focus on the good things of God will keep our hearts and minds on the right path. We cannot be a help to anyone else if we allow life to get us down. If we allow ourselves to not flow in the spirit.

There is a difference between saying a prayer and praying a prayer. When we pray a prayer, we make a connection to God. Our words touch the throne of grace. Praying a prayer will allow the Spirit to flow and cause changes to us and our circumstances. When we say a prayer, it can be a rehearsed lip service or a simple petition for His favor. Saying a prayer never gets results.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

CHURCH PEOPLE

The day after Easter I went to my favorite place to get breakfast. The nice lady that I chat with at the pickup window asked how was my Easter. I told her it was nice and I got to spend time with my family. She said,”I had to work, and then she did air quotes with her fingers and said, “the church people,” came in after their Easter service. They were rude and angry that we were closing early to spend time with our families. Why would they not want us to spend time with our families?”

I immediately said, “There is a difference between “church people” and Christians.” As I continued my drive to work, I thought about what I said to her. Just because you faithfully attend church each week doesn’t mean you are saved. It doesn’t mean that when Jesus comes again, he is going to take you with him. The messages preached in each service need to make an impact. Each day we need to walk a little better than the day before, even if we are a new Christian.

I know we all get emotional at times and allow our flesh to rise up. Especially when we are treated badly. I have heard many people say that they do not like to work at restaurants on Sundays. Their reason is the “church people”. We need to go out of our way to be kind to everyone. If you go to a restaurant anytime be sure to be kind, even if your server is not kind. Don’t be skimpy with your tips. Christians are supposed to be generous and loving.

Christians will walk in love and will carry themselves with kindness, dignity, and humility. Every one of us has bad days when our flesh rises, and we fail. We cannot impact this world with the gospel if we are walking in our flesh. The times we find ourselves not walking in love is because we have lost our God focus.

Gal 5:16-17 [16] This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. [17] For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. I am grateful that God forgives our failures. We are to walk in the spirit and we will not walk in the flesh.

If we keep our connection to God intact and spend time with him, we are less likely to fall. Staying filled with Him will keep us from walking in the flesh. Psalm 139:23-24 KJV Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

This verse needs to be our daily prayer; for God to search us and lead us. We need to be so full of God that there is no room for the flesh to rise up. As long as we are in this life, the flesh will war with the spirit. I pray I never am categorized as “Church people” I want to be known as a shining light; a Christian that is the real deal. I want people to see Christ in me.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS